CYCLOTRON RADIOISOTOPES

Cobalt-57

HALF-LIFE (272 d):

Used as a marker to estimate organ size and for in-vitro diagnostic kits.

Carbon-11, Nitrogen-13, Oxygen-15, Fluorine-18:

These are positron emitters used in PET for studying brain physiology and pathology, in particular for localising epileptic focus, and in dementia, psychiatry and neuropharmacology studies.

They also have a significant role in cardiology.

F-18 in FDG

has become very important in detection of cancers and the monitoring of progress in their treatment, using PET.

Gallium-67

HALF-LIFE (78 h):

Used for tumour imaging and localisation of inflammatory lesions (infections).

Indium-111

HALF-LIFE (2.8 d):

Used for specialist diagnostic studies, eg brain studies, infection and colon transit studies.

Iodine-123

HALF-LIFE (13 h):

Increasingly used for diagnosis of thyroid function, it is a gamma emitter without the beta radiation of I-131.

Krypton-81m

HALF-LIFE (13 sec)

can yield functional images of pulmonary ventilation, e.g. in asthmatic patients, and for the early diagnosis of lung diseases and function.

Rubidium-82

HALF-LIFE (65 h):

Convenient PET agent in myocardial perfusion imaging.

Strontium-92

HALF-LIFE (25 d):

Used as the 'parent' in a generator to produce Rb-82

Thallium-201

HALF-LIFE (73 h):

Used for diagnosis of coronary artery disease other heart conditions such as heart muscle death and for location of low-grade lymphomas.

4.6 hours

Krypton-81m (13 sec) from Rubidium-81 (___ h):

Kr-81m gas can yield functional images of pulmonary ventilation, e.g. in asthmatic patients, and for the early diagnosis of lung diseases and function.