Dispensing device

Abstract

Provided is a dispensing device that can accurately measure the radioactivity concentration and accurately dispense a radiopharmaceutical. The dispensing device (1) includes: a main bottle (3) that can hold a radiopharmaceutical (R1); a reference bottle (11) that can hold a radiopharmaceutical (R2) and is smaller than the main bottle (3); a liquid transfer section (15) that moves the radiopharmaceutical (R1) from the main bottle (3) to the reference bottle (11); and a radiation detector (23) that measures the radiation dose of the radiopharmaceutical (R2) in the reference bottle (11).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-056405, filed on March 30, 2022. The entire contents of that Japanese application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This invention relates to a dispensing device. Background Technology

[0003] Conventionally, a dispensing apparatus as described in Patent Document 1 is known as a technology in this field. This dispensing apparatus includes a stock solution container for containing radioactive reagent stock solution for PET, a diluent container for containing diluent, a liquid delivery system with a three-way stopcock valve and an injection pump, and a synthesis container. In this dispensing apparatus, the stock solution in the stock solution container is moved to the synthesis container via the liquid delivery system, and the diluent in the diluent container is added to the synthesis container, where the radioactive reagent is prepared. Furthermore, a radiation detector is placed near the stock solution container, and the radioactivity concentration of the stock solution is identified based on the measurement value of the radiation detector.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-189515 Summary of the Invention

[0005] In such dispensing devices, the accuracy of radioactivity concentration measurement sometimes depends on the amount of raw material in the container. For example, if there is a large amount of raw material in the container, and it overflows from the field of view of the radiation detector, the radioactivity concentration of the raw material may not be accurately measured. As a result, the accuracy of the radioactivity energy of the dispensed radiopharmaceutical may be reduced. This problem is prone to occur, for example, when using large raw material containers to handle large quantities of radiopharmaceutical. In view of this problem, the object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device that can measure radioactivity concentration and dispense radiopharmaceutical with high accuracy.

[0006] The dispensing apparatus of the present invention comprises: a first container capable of containing a radioactive agent; a second container capable of containing a radioactive agent and smaller than the first container; a moving mechanism for moving the radioactive agent from the first container to the second container; and a radiation detector for measuring the radiation dose of the radioactive agent in the second container.

[0007] The dispensing device of the present invention may be configured to further include a control unit that controls a moving mechanism to move the radioactive agent from the first container to the second container.

[0008] The dispensing device of the present invention may be configured to further include a radiation shield disposed between the first container and the second container.

[0009] The dispensing device of the present invention may be configured to further include a dispensing port, which is separately disposed from the second container and delivers the radioactive agent dispensed from the first container.

[0010] The dispensing device of the present invention may be configured such that the moving mechanism has a separate path for conveying the radioactive agent from the first container to the second container from the path for conveying the radioactive agent from the first container to the dispensing port.

[0011] The dispensing device of the present invention may also be configured to include other radiation detectors for measuring the radiation dose of the radiopharmaceutical delivered to the dispensing port.

[0012] The dispensing device of the present invention may be configured to further include a dispensing control unit, which controls a moving mechanism to receive dispensing information input, which represents information relating to the radiopharmaceutical to be dispensed to the dispensing port, and to deliver the radiopharmaceutical in the first container to the dispensing port in an amount calculated based on the dispensing information and the measurement value of the radiation detector.

[0013] The dispensing apparatus of the present invention comprises: a first container capable of containing a radioactive agent; a dispensing port for dispensing the radioactive agent from the first container; a second container, which is smaller than the first container, and contains the radioactive agent dispensed separately from the radioactive agent dispensed to the dispensing port from the first container; and a radiation detector for measuring the radiation dose of the radioactive agent in the second container.

[0014] The dispensing device of the present invention can be configured to accept dispensing information input, which represents information relating to the radiopharmaceutical to be dispensed into the dispensing port, and to deliver the radiopharmaceutical from the first container to the dispensing port in an amount calculated based on the dispensing information and the measurement value of the radiation detector.

[0015] Invention Effects

[0016] According to the present invention, a dispensing device can be provided that can measure the radioactivity concentration with high precision and dispense radiopharmaceutical agents with high precision. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the dispensing device according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the dispensing operation of radiopharmaceuticals based on a dispensing device.

[0019] Figure 3 (a)~ Figure 3 (d) is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the main bottle and the radiation detector.

[0020] Figure 4 (a)~ Figure 4(c) is a diagram showing the main bottle and other radiation detectors.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the dispensing device according to the second embodiment.

[0022] In the diagram: 1, 101 - dispensing device; R1, R2, R3 - radioactive agents; 3 - main bottle (first container); 7 - dispensing port; 11 - reference bottle (second container); 15 - dispensing unit (moving mechanism); 21 - radiation shielding container (radiation shield); 23 - radiation detector; 24 - other radiation detectors; 25 - control unit (dispensing control unit); 117 - syringe (moving mechanism); 127 - actuator (moving mechanism); H1, H2 - paths. Detailed Implementation

[0023] [First Implementation]

[0024] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a first embodiment of the dispensing device according to the present invention will be described in detail. Figure 1 The dispensing device 1 shown dispenses the radiopharmaceutical R1 contained in the main bottle 3 (first container) into the dispensing bottle 5. Examples of radiopharmaceutical R1 include, for instance, 18F-FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose), 13N-ammonia, 11C-methionine, etc., which are labeled with radionuclides.

[0025] The dispensing device 1 includes the main bottle 3, dispensing port 7, diluent bag 9, reference bottle 11 (second container), and waste bottle 13. Furthermore, the dispensing device 1 includes a delivery section 15 (moving mechanism) for moving the radiopharmaceutical R1 or diluent between these components. The delivery section 15 includes tubing L1-L6 for connecting the components, three-way stopcock valves V1-V5 for creating fluid movement paths between the components, and syringes 17 for drawing in and dispensing the radiopharmaceutical R1 or diluent through the tubing. The tubing L1-L6 consists of fluid delivery pipes. Additionally, a sterilizing filter A for venting, used to sterilize air drawn from outside the delivery section 15 into its interior, is provided at one port each in the main bottle 3 and the three-way stopcock valve V2.

[0026] Pipeline L1 connects to the radiopharmaceutical synthesis apparatus 91 and the main bottle 3, which are different from the dispensing device 1. Pipeline L2 connects the main bottle 3 to one port of the three-way stopcock valve V1. Pipeline L3 connects the dilution solution bag 9 to one port of the three-way stopcock valve V3. Pipeline L4 connects the reference bottle 11 to one port of the three-way stopcock valve V4. Pipeline L5 connects the dispensing port 7 to one port of the three-way stopcock valve V5. Pipeline L6 connects the waste bottle 13 to the other port of the three-way stopcock valve V5.

[0027] The three ports of three-way stopcock valve V1 are connected to tubing L2, syringe 17, and three-way stopcock valve V2, respectively. The three ports of three-way stopcock valve V2 are connected to three-way stopcock valve V1, ventilation sterilization filter A, and three-way stopcock valve V3, respectively. The three ports of three-way stopcock valve V3 are connected to three-way stopcock valve V2, tubing L3, and three-way stopcock valve V4, respectively. The three ports of three-way stopcock valve V4 are connected to three-way stopcock valve V3, tubing L4, and three-way stopcock valve V5, respectively. The three ports of three-way stopcock valve V5 are connected to three-way stopcock valve V4, tubing L5, and tubing L6, respectively.

[0028] As described above, the main bottle 3 contains radioactive agent R1. This radioactive agent R1 is generated in an external radioactive agent synthesis device 91 and supplied to the main bottle 3 via pipeline L1 under pre-sterilized conditions. The aforementioned dispensing bottle 5 is installed at the dispensing port 7. The diluent bag 9 contains a diluent for diluting the radioactive agent R1. The diluent is, for example, physiological saline. The reference bottle 11 is a container smaller than the main bottle 3. The reference bottle 11 contains a reference radioactive agent R2 dispensed from the radioactive agent R1 in the main bottle 3. The waste bottle 13 is a container for recovering waste liquid or cleaning fluid in case of dispensing errors.

[0029] Furthermore, the dispensing device 1 includes an electronic balance 19, a radiation shielding container 21, and a radiation detector 23. The electronic balance 19 measures the weight of the main bottle 3 placed on its upper surface. A reference bottle 11 is housed inside the radiation shielding container 21. The radiation detector 23 detects the radiation from the radiopharmaceutical R2 contained in the reference bottle 11 and measures the radiation dose. The reference bottle 11 is surrounded by the radiation shielding container 21, and the radiation detector 23 is inserted through the side wall of the radiation shielding container 21 and faces the reference bottle 11. According to this structure, since the radiation from sources other than the reference bottle 11 (e.g., the radiopharmaceutical R1 in the main bottle 3 or the dispensing section 15) is shielded by the radiation shielding container 21, the radiation detector 23 can measure the radiation dose of the radiopharmaceutical R2 with high accuracy.

[0030] Furthermore, the radiation detector 23 can detect radiation with a field of view (hereinafter referred to as "field of view") that covers the entire radioactive agent R2 within the reference vial 11. To achieve this, a sufficiently small container can be used as the reference vial 11 so that, even when the reference vial 11 is filled with radioactive agent R2, the field of view of the radiation detector 23 also covers the entire radioactive agent R2 within the reference vial 11. Moreover, to achieve the above setting, the field of view of the radiation detector 23 can cover the entire reference vial 11. Furthermore, to achieve the above setting, the volume of radioactive agent R2 dispensed from the main vial 3 into the reference vial 11 can be set to be sufficiently small.

[0031] Furthermore, the dispensing device 1 includes an electric actuator 27 that moves the piston of the syringe 17 up and down, and electric actuators 29 that can individually operate the three-way stopcocks V1 to V5. The dispensing device 1 also includes a control unit 25 that centrally controls the overall operation of the dispensing device 1. The control unit 25 sends electrical signals to the electric actuators 27 and 29 to control their operation, and controls the intake and discharge of fluid based on the syringe 17, as well as the rotational positions of each three-way stopcock V1 to V5, thereby controlling the movement of fluid between the main bottle 3, dispensing bottles 5, ..., and waste bottle 13. Furthermore, because the control unit 25 and the electric actuator 27 accurately control the stroke of the piston of the syringe 17, the intake and discharge volumes of fluid based on the syringe 17 can be accurately controlled. The control unit 25 receives electrical signals from the electronic balance 19 and the radiation detector 23 to identify their measured values. The control unit 25 includes an information processing terminal 31 and a PLC 33 that relays electrical signals transmitted and received from the information processing terminal 31. The information processing terminal 31 can be, for example, a personal computer or a tablet computer.

[0032] In the aforementioned dispensing device 1, all components except the control unit 25 are housed within the radiation shielding frame 51. In this dispensing device 1, a portion of the radioactive agent R1 dispensed from the main bottle 3 and the diluent from the diluent solution bag 9 are injected into the dispensing bottle 5 through the dispensing port 7, temporarily stored as radioactive agent R3 in the dispensing bottle 5. Then, the door of the frame 51 is opened, and the dispensing bottle 5 is removed from the dispensing device 1; the radioactive agent R3 is then administered to the patient. Alternatively, a syringe can be installed at the dispensing port 7 instead of the dispensing bottle 5. In this case, the radioactive agent R3 for administration to the patient is dispensed into the syringe. Furthermore, an injection needle can be installed at the dispensing port 7 instead of the dispensing bottle 5. In this case, the dispensed radioactive agent R3 is directly administered to the patient by pulling out the injection needle from the frame 51 and inserting it into the patient. In this case, the dispensing device 1 functions as a radiopharmaceutical dispensing device that dispenses the radiopharmaceutical agent from the main bottle 3 to the patient.

[0033] Next, the dispensing operation of the radiopharmaceutical based on the dispensing device 1 will be described. The movement of fluid within the delivery section 15 during the dispensing operation is achieved through the following operations: under the control of the control unit 25, the electric actuator 29 is activated, the rotational positions of the three-way stopcocks V1 to V5 are controlled to appropriately form a fluid movement path, and under the control of the control unit 25, the electric actuator 27 is activated, causing the syringe 17 to draw in and expel fluid. Therefore, detailed descriptions of the operation or rotational positions of the three-way stopcocks V1 to V5, etc., in each operation will be omitted below. Furthermore, in practice, to ensure accurate fluid movement, preparatory actions such as filling the movement path with the radiopharmaceutical R1 or diluent are appropriately performed, but these preparatory actions will also be omitted from description.

[0034] In the dispensing operation of radiopharmaceuticals based on dispensing device 1, such as Figure 2 As shown, the radiopharmaceutical introduction process, reference reagent preparation process, sub-injection information input process, sub-injection volume calculation process, and radiopharmaceutical preparation process are performed as described below.

[0035] (Radioactive agent introduction treatment: S201)

[0036] In the dispensing operation of the dispensing device 1, radioactive agent R1 from the radiopharmaceutical synthesis device 91 is first supplied to the main bottle 3. At this time, the control unit 25 identifies the volume of radioactive agent R1 contained in the main bottle 3 based on the increase in the measured value of the electronic balance 19.

[0037] (Reference preparation treatment: S203)

[0038] Next, syringe 17 draws radioactive agent R1 from main bottle 3 through tubing L2 and three-way stopcock valve V1. Then, a predetermined amount of radioactive agent R1 is injected into reference bottle 11 through three-way stopcock valves V1-V4 and tubing L4. Here, the following process can be performed: syringe 17 draws in air through the sterile filter A on three-way stopcock valve V2 and expels this air towards reference bottle 11, thereby forcing the radioactive agent R1 remaining between syringe 17 and reference bottle 11 into reference bottle 11. Thus, reference bottle 11 contains a predetermined, accurate volume q2 of radioactive agent R2. Then, control unit 25 identifies the radioactivity concentration of radioactive agent R2 in reference bottle 11 based on the measurement value of radiation detector 23.

[0039] (Bet information input processing: S205)

[0040] The user of the dispensing device 1 installs the dispensing bottle 5 on the dispensing port 7 and inputs dispensing information related to the radiopharmaceutical R3 to be dispensed into the dispensing bottle 5 into the control unit 25. Specifically, for example, the dispensing information is input via an input device (e.g., keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc.) of the information processing terminal 31. The dispensing information includes the required radioactive energy a3 and the volume q3 of the radiopharmaceutical R3.

[0041] (Radiation energy concentration acquisition and processing: S207)

[0042] The control unit 25 acquires the measurement value from the radiation detector 23 and identifies the radioactivity concentration of the radiopharmaceutical R2 in the reference bottle 11 based on this measurement value. Specifically, the radioactivity concentration c2 of the radiopharmaceutical R2 is calculated based on the radiation energy of the radiation dose measured by the radiation detector 23 and the volume q2 of the radiopharmaceutical R2. Furthermore, since the volume q2 of the radiopharmaceutical R2 is accurately measured through the aforementioned reference reagent preparation process, it is known. Here, since the radiopharmaceutical R2 is separated from the radiopharmaceutical R1, the radioactivity concentration c2 of the radiopharmaceutical R2 is equal to the radioactivity concentration c1 of the radiopharmaceutical R1. Therefore, the radioactivity concentration c2 obtained here refers to the radioactivity concentration c1 of the radiopharmaceutical R1 in the main bottle 3.

[0043] (Bet volume calculation and processing: S209)

[0044] Based on the obtained radioactive energy concentration c2 and the radioactive energy a3 and liquid volume q3 included in the above-mentioned dispensing information, the control unit 25 calculates the liquid volume q1 that should be measured from the radioactive agent R1 to meet the requirements of radioactive agent R3 for radioactive energy a3 and required liquid volume q3, and the liquid volume q4 of the diluent used to dilute this liquid volume. Specifically, the liquid volumes q1 and q4 are calculated according to the following relationships (1) and (2).

[0045] q1=a3 / c2……(1)

[0046] q4=q3-q1……(2)

[0047] (Radiopharmaceutical preparation process: S211)

[0048] Next, under the control of the control unit 25, the syringe 17 draws in radioactive agent R1 from the main bottle 3 and then delivers the radioactive agent R1 to the dispensing port 7. The calculated volume q1 of radioactive agent R1 is accurately injected into the dispensing bottle 5. Here, the following process can be performed: the syringe 17 draws in air through the sterile vent filter A on the three-way stopcock valve V2 and discharges this air towards the dispensing bottle 5, thereby forcing the radioactive agent R1 remaining between the syringe 17 and the dispensing bottle 5 into the dispensing bottle 5. Furthermore, under the control of the control unit 25, the syringe 17 draws in diluent from the diluent bag 9 and delivers the diluent to the dispensing port 7. The calculated volume q4 of diluent is accurately injected into the dispensing bottle 5. Here, the following process can be performed: the syringe 17 draws in air through the sterile vent filter A on the three-way stopcock valve V2 and discharges this air towards the dispensing bottle 5, thereby forcing the diluent remaining between the syringe 17 and the dispensing bottle 5 into the dispensing bottle 5. Thus, the radiopharmaceutical R1 measured in dispensing bottle 5 is diluted with diluent, and the radiopharmaceutical R3 is prepared in dispensing bottle 5.

[0049] As described above, radiopharmaceutical R3 with a radioactivity energy a3 and a volume q3 according to the dispensing information is dispensed into dispensing bottles 5. When dispensing into multiple dispensing bottles 5 according to the same dispensing information (the same required radioactivity energy a3 and required volume q3), the above-described radioactivity concentration acquisition process S207, dispensing volume calculation process S209, and radiopharmaceutical preparation process S211 (process S213) are repeated. When dispensing is performed with changed dispensing information, the radioactivity concentration acquisition process S207, dispensing volume calculation process S209, and radiopharmaceutical preparation process S211 (process S215) are restarted from the above-described dispensing information input process S205.

[0050] Next, the effects of the dispensing device 1 will be explained. In order to dispense radioactive agent R3 with a required radiation energy a3 and a volume q3, as described above, information on the radiation energy concentration c1 of radioactive agent R1 is required. Therefore, it is also possible to directly measure the radiation dose of radioactive agent R1 by pointing the radiation detector toward the main bottle 3 containing radioactive agent R1, but this method has the following problems.

[0051] like Figure 3 (a)~ Figure 3 As shown in (d), consider the case where a radiation detector 41 is positioned facing the main bottle 3. Figure 3 (a) and Figure 3 As shown in (b), during the dispensing operation of radiopharmaceuticals based on dispensing device 1, the volume of radiopharmaceutical R1 in the main bottle 3 can be varied. That is, each time dispensing is performed, the volume of radiopharmaceutical R1 in the main bottle 3 gradually decreases. For example, as... Figure 3 As in case (a), if the radioactive agent R1 falls roughly within the field of view 43 of the radiation detector 41, a relatively accurate overall radiation energy of the radioactive agent R1 can be obtained. However, as... Figure 3 As in case (b), if the volume of radioactive agent R1 in the main bottle 3 is large, the overall radioactive energy of radioactive agent R1 may be underestimated because it overflows from the field of view 43. Thus, the accuracy of the radioactivity concentration measurement may depend on the volume of radioactive agent R1 in the main bottle 3. In particular, as... Figure 3 (c) and Figure 3 As shown in (d), this problem is significant when the capacity of main bottle 3 is large.

[0052] As a countermeasure, such as Figure 4 As shown in (a), multiple radiation detectors 41 could also be considered, but this would increase the cost of the device and would also require software for calculating multiple measurements. Furthermore, as... Figure 4 As shown in (b), a large radiation detector 45 with a large field of view 43 could also be considered, but this would increase the cost of the device, and the tendency for measurement accuracy to depend on the liquid volume would not be completely eliminated. Furthermore, as... Figure 4 As shown in (c), a so-called well-type radiation detector 47 surrounding the main bottle 3 could also be considered, but this would increase the cost of the device and make it difficult to determine the volume (weight) of the radioactive agent R1.

[0053] In contrast, the dispensing device 1 includes a reference vial 11 for dispensing the radioactive agent R1 from the main vial 3. Since the reference vial 11 is smaller than the main vial 3, the radioactive agent R2 dispensed into the reference vial 11 easily enters the field of view of the radiation detector 23. Therefore, the radiation detector 23 can accurately measure the radiation dose of the entire radioactive agent R2, resulting in a high-precision measurement of the radioactive energy concentration of the radioactive agent R2. Furthermore, according to the input dispensing information, the radioactive agent R1 is dispensed with high precision into the dispensing vial 5. And, for example, with... Figure 3 (a)~ Figure 3 Compared to the method of setting the radiation detector 41 towards the main bottle 3 as in (d), in the dispensing device 1, even if the main bottle 3 is enlarged, the measurement accuracy will not be affected. Therefore, it is easy to cope with the situation where the main bottle 3 is enlarged and a large amount of radioactive agent is dispensed.

[0054] In particular, as described above, if the field of view of the radiation detector 23 is set to cover the entire radioactive agent R2 inside the reference vial 11, the aforementioned effect can be effectively obtained. Moreover, since the reference vial 11 is smaller than the main vial 3, even if a small radiation detector 23 with a narrow field of view is used, it is possible to cover the entire radioactive agent R2.

[0055] Furthermore, by accurately operating the electric actuator 27 under the control of the control unit 25, the amount of radioactive agent R2 dispensed from the reference bottle 11 is precisely consistent with the predetermined liquid volume q2. Thus, the measurement error of the radioactive energy concentration c2 (radioactive energy concentration c1) caused by the error in the liquid volume q2 is suppressed.

[0056] Furthermore, the reference vial 11 is surrounded by a radiation shielding container 21, which functions as a radiation shield positioned between the main vial 3 and the reference vial 11. According to this structure, since the radiation interfering with the main vial 3 is shielded by the radiation shielding container 21, the radiation detector 23 can accurately measure the radiation dose of the radiopharmaceutical R2, resulting in a highly accurate radiation energy concentration c2 (radio energy concentration c1).

[0057] Furthermore, the delivery unit 15 has separate paths H1 for transporting radioactive agent R1 from the main bottle 3 to the dispensing port 7 and H2 for transporting it from the main bottle 3 to the reference bottle 11. Specifically, path H1 sequentially follows the main bottle 3, tubing L2, three-way stopcock valve V1, syringe 17, three-way stopcock valve V1, three-way stopcock valve V2, three-way stopcock valve V3, three-way stopcock valve V4, three-way stopcock valve V5, tubing L5, and dispensing port 7. Similarly, path H2 sequentially follows the main bottle 3, tubing L2, three-way stopcock valve V1, syringe 17, three-way stopcock valve V1, three-way stopcock valve V2, three-way stopcock valve V3, three-way stopcock valve V4, tubing L4, and reference bottle 11.

[0058] As described above, since paths H1 and H2 are separate, the reference bottle 11 is positioned outside the dispensing path from the main bottle 3 to the dispensing port 7. Therefore, the dispensing of radioactive materials into the reference bottle 11 will not cause any inflow or outflow of radioactive agents, and the volume of radioactive agent R2 within the reference bottle 11 during dispensing remains constant. Consequently, the relationship between the field of view of the radiation detector 23 and the position of the radioactive agent R2 remains constant, resulting in stable measurement results regarding the radioactivity concentration of the radioactive agent R2.

[0059] In contrast, for example, the following method could be considered: A radiation detector 23 could be positioned towards a syringe 17 with a capacity smaller than that of the main bottle 3, and the radiation dose of the radiopharmaceutical R1 could be measured within the syringe 17 during dispensing into the dispensing bottle 5. However, it can be assumed that the amount of radiopharmaceutical R1 inhaled into the syringe 17 during dispensing varies depending on the input dispensing information; therefore, it cannot be said that the relationship between the field of view of the radiation detector 23 and the position of the radiopharmaceutical R1 is constant, and a stable measurement result cannot be obtained.

[0060] Furthermore, the radioactive agent R1 also exhibits a non-negligible degree of radioactivity attenuation during repeated dispensing. In contrast, in the dispensing apparatus 1, a radioactivity concentration acquisition process S207 is performed each time a dispensing vial 5 is dispensed. Thus, each time a dispensing vial 5 is dispensed, the real-time radioactivity concentration c2 (radioactivity concentration c1) is obtained, and the new liquid volumes q1 and q4 are calculated. As a result, the radioactive agent can be dispensed with high precision into each dispensing vial 5. Furthermore, a method for obtaining the real-time radioactivity concentration c2 (radioactivity concentration c1) through attenuation correction calculation of the radioactivity of the radioactive agent R1 can also be considered, but compared to this method, the computational burden on the control unit 25 is reduced. Moreover, by actually performing measurements based on the radiation detector 23, the radioactivity concentration c2 (radioactivity concentration c1) can be obtained with higher accuracy than attenuation correction calculation.

[0061] [Second Implementation]

[0062] refer to Figure 5 The dispensing device 101 of the second embodiment will be described. In dispensing device 101 and dispensing device 1, the same or equivalent components are marked with the same symbols and repeated descriptions are omitted. Dispensing device 101 includes an actuator 127 and a syringe 117 as a liquid movement mechanism that replaces the liquid delivery section 15 of dispensing device 1.

[0063] A needle 117a is mounted on the front end of the syringe 117. The actuator 127, under the control of the control unit 25, moves the syringe 117 three-dimensionally within the housing 51 and moves the piston of the syringe 117 up and down. Through the action of the actuator 127, the needle 117a of the syringe 117 pierces each part of the main bottle 3, the reference bottle 11, and the dispensing bottle 5 provided on the dispensing port 7, drawing in and expelling liquids such as radioactive agents, thereby enabling the liquid to move between the parts. Except for the fact that the liquid movement is achieved by the actuator 127 and the syringe 117 instead of the liquid delivery unit 15, it is the same as the dispensing device 1 of the first embodiment, and therefore, repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0064] Based on the embodiments described above, this invention can be implemented in various ways with different modifications and improvements made according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Furthermore, variations of the embodiments can be constructed using the technical aspects described in the above embodiments. The structures of various embodiments can also be appropriately combined.

[0065] For example, in order to determine the actual radioactive energy of the radiopharmaceutical R3 dispensed into the dispensing bottle 5 via dispensing port 7, such as Figure 1 As shown, the radiation detector 24, which detects radiation from the radiopharmaceutical R3 and measures the radiation dose, can also be configured to face the dispensing vial 5. Additionally, Figure 1 The radiation detector 24 can also be configured to face the syringe 17 instead of the dispensing bottle 5. In this case, the radiation dose of the radiopharmaceutical temporarily drawn into the syringe 17 for delivery to the dispensing bottle 5 is measured by the radiation detector 24, thereby detecting the actual radiation energy of the radiopharmaceutical R3 dispensed by the dispensing bottle 5.

[0066] For example, in the aforementioned reference reagent preparation process S203, the volume q2 of radioactive reagent R2 dispensed into the reference bottle 11 can be accurately controlled based on the weight difference of the main bottle 3 measured by the electronic balance 19. Furthermore, a so-called well-type radiation detector surrounding the reference bottle 11 can be used instead of the radiation detector 23. With the well-type radiation detector, the radiation dose of the radioactive reagent R2 in the reference bottle 11 can be measured more accurately. And, as with... Figure 4 Compared to the method of setting a well-type radiation detector in the main bottle 3 as described in (c), the well-type radiation detector used in the reference bottle 11 can be small, thus reducing costs.

[0067] For example, in the dispensing device 101 of the second embodiment, a robotic arm device with a pipetting mechanism can be used instead of the actuator 115 and syringe 117 as the liquid movement mechanism. Furthermore, a liquid pump or the like can be used as the liquid movement mechanism. In this case, the amount of radiopharmaceutical delivered can be controlled based on the weight change of the main bottle 3 measured by the electronic balance 19. Furthermore, a liquid level measuring mechanism for the radiopharmaceutical in the main bottle 3 can be provided, and the amount of radiopharmaceutical delivered can be controlled based on the liquid level height. While the size of the syringe 17 in the above embodiments is not particularly limited, for example, the syringe 17 can have a larger capacity than the reference bottle 11, so that while increasing the amount of radiopharmaceutical R3 that can be dispensed into the dispensing bottle 5 at one time, the radiation dose of the radiopharmaceutical R2 in the reference bottle 11 can be accurately measured.

Claims

1. A dispensing device comprising: The first container is capable of holding radioactive agents; The second container is capable of holding the radioactive agent and is smaller than the first container; A moving mechanism that moves a predetermined amount of radioactive agent from the first container to the second container; A radiation detector is used to measure the radiation dose of the radioactive agent within the second container; and The control unit calculates the radioactive energy concentration of the radiopharmaceutical in the first container based on the measurements from the radiation detector and the pre-defined amount. Even when the second container is filled with radioactive material, the field of view of the radiation detector covers the entire radioactive material within the second container.

2. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the moving mechanism to move the radioactive agent from the first container to the second container.

3. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a radiation shield disposed between the first container and the second container.

4. The dispensing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a dispensing port, the dispensing port being separately disposed from the second container, and dispensing the radiopharmaceutical agent from the first container.

5. The dispensing device according to claim 4, wherein, The moving mechanism has a separate path from the path that transports the radiopharmaceutical from the first container to the dispensing port, which is used to transport the radiopharmaceutical from the first container to the second container.

6. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a dispensing control unit that controls the moving mechanism to receive dispensing information input, which represents information relating to the radiopharmaceutical to be dispensed into the dispensing port, and to deliver the radiopharmaceutical in the first container to the dispensing port in an amount calculated based on the dispensing information and the measurement value of the radiation detector.

7. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an additional radiation detector for measuring the radiation dose of the radiopharmaceutical delivered to the dispensing port.

8. A dispensing device comprising: The first container is capable of holding radioactive agents; The dispensing port delivers the radioactive agent dispensed from the first container; The second container is smaller than the first container and contains the radioactive agent dispensed separately from the first container in a predetermined amount from the dispensing port. A radiation detector is used to measure the radiation dose of the radioactive agent within the second container; and The control unit calculates the radioactive energy concentration of the radiopharmaceutical in the first container based on the measurements from the radiation detector and the pre-defined amount. Even when the second container is filled with radioactive material, the field of view of the radiation detector covers the entire radioactive material within the second container.

9. The dispensing device according to claim 8, wherein, The system accepts input of dispensing information, which relates to the radiopharmaceutical to be dispensed into the dispensing port, and delivers the radiopharmaceutical from the first container to the dispensing port in an amount calculated based on the dispensing information and measurements from the radiation detector.

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