Radionuclide phantom mixer

Abstract

The invention relates to a mixer that provides the mixture of radionuclide placed inside phantoms used in quality control tests of calibrated imaging devices in nuclear medicine clinics. Said mixer ensures that the radionuclide inside the phantom is mixed homogeneously without being contaminated to the outside.

Description

[0001] RADIONUCLIDE PHANTOM MIXER

[0002] Technical Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a mixer that provides the mixture of radionuclide placed inside phantoms used in quality control tests of calibrated imaging devices in nuclear medicine clinics. Said mixer ensures that the radionuclide inside the phantom is mixed homogeneously without being contaminated to the outside.

[0004] State of the Art

[0005] Nuclear medicine is an integral part of modern healthcare, using biomolecules labelled with radioactive isotopes that can recognise different molecular targets in the body or look for distinguishing features of malignant and benign conditions. The distribution of trace amounts of a radioactively labelled molecule, known as a radiotracer, can be mapped non-invasively and followed anywhere in the human body using a specialised system such as a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system or a positron emission tomography (PET) system

[0001] , PET is a powerful diagnostic test that has a major impact on the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Since disease is a biological process and PET is a biological imaging examination, PET can both detect and stage many cancers, often before they become apparent with other tests. Positron emission tomography can also give doctors important early information about many neurological disorders, such as heart disease and Alzheimer's [2], A gamma camera or SPECT camera is a camera system that can detect scintillations (light flashes) that occur when gamma rays from the radioactive decay of single-photon emitting radioisotopes interact with a sodium iodide crystal in front of the camera. This produces a 3D image of the distribution of a radioactive tracer (sometimes called a probe) that is injected into the bloodstream and then taken up by specific tissues. SPECT thus allows the clinician to assess the perfusion and functionality of specific tissues [3].

[0006] Routine calibration of gamma cameras and PET devices used for imaging in nuclear medicine departments is mandatory. Calibrated devices must be subjected to quality control tests at certain intervals determined by international organisations. Some quality control tests must be performed by placing radionuclide in phantoms filled with water, such as NEMA PET Phantom, Jaszczak Phantom and NEMA 1 10 Phantom, and an imaging phantom used to verify scanner geometry, 3D contrast, uniformity, resolution, attenuation and scattering correction or alignment tasks. There are two different methods in the state of the art to ensure homogeneity in these quality control tests. The first of these comprises shaking the phantom by hand for a long time after the radionuclide is placed in the water-filled phantom, rolling circular phantoms on the ground with the help of feet, or shaking the phantom placed on a cloth by two people for at least 30 minutes, ensuring homogeneous mixing of the radionuclide. In said method, if the process time is extended while manual mixing is being done, the radionuclide decreases, and the process is put at risk because it reaches a level lower than the required value. For this reason, it becomes necessary to increase the amount of radionuclide added to the phantom, which causes the radiation dose to be exposed to the worker to increase. Another method comprises the steps of placing water and radionuclide in another container (a sufficiently large basin or canister) outside the phantom, mixing the water and radionuclide in the container homogeneously with the help of a stick or additional mixer, and then placing it in the phantom. In studies conducted with this method, there is a risk of both spillage of homogeneously mixed radionuclide and contamination of the environment and phantom. In addition, in studies conducted with radionuclides with long physical half-lives, in cases where the phantom is kept for a long time (up to its half-life), the radionuclide settles to the bottom and loses its homogeneity due to the radioisotope being heavier than water. If the radionuclide is not mixed homogeneously, negative situations such as incorrect measurements of quality control and calibration tests to be performed and problems in imaging to be performed on the device occur, and although protective equipment (lead apron, thyroid protector, gonad protector) is used during the application of this method, it cannot provide protection for high-energy radionuclides (iodine-131 , fluorine-18, gallium-68) and the operator may be exposed to high doses of radiation.

[0007] The patent application numbered KR100739187B1 in the state of the art relates to a phantom for quality control of a medical imaging device and a device for preparing the phantom for use. Said document, the preparation apparatus rotates a rotor located inside the phantom and mixes the water and radioactive isotope with the rotor. In addition, the mixing blade located in the apparatus performs the function of mixing the water and radioactive isotope mixture around the disk upon the rotation of the disk.

[0008] Due to the limitations and inadequacies of the solutions in the state of the art, the fact that the radionuclide and the water in the phantom cannot be mixed homogeneously during the quality control tests of the imaging devices calibrated in the field of nuclear medicine, the methods used to ensure homogeneity in the state of the art prolong the process time, the loss of radionuclide and the additional radiation exposure of the employee due to the added radionuclide, and the spillage and / or contamination of the radionuclide, it has been made necessary to make a development in the relevant field.

[0009] Brief Description and Aims of the Invention

[0010] The invention describes a mixer that provides the mixture of radionuclide placed inside phantoms used in quality control tests of calibrated imaging devices in nuclear medicine clinics. Said mixer prevents the radionuclide in the phantom from contacting the outside, i.e. preventing contamination, and ensures homogeneous mixing.

[0011] The aim of the invention is to ensure that the radionuclide used in quality control tests of calibrated imaging devices in nuclear medicine clinics is mixed homogeneously with the phantom filled with water without contamination or spillage. In the invention, the homogeneous mixing of radionuclide and water placed inside the phantom in the mixer is ensured by means of a grooved steel shaft.

[0012] Another aim of the invention is to ensure that the quality control tests of calibrated imaging devices in nuclear medicine clinics are carried out in a short time. Said mixer eliminates the need for manual mixing of radionuclide and phantom and can perform this process in a shorter time compared to the state of the art.

[0013] Description of Drawings

[0014] Figure 1. Sectional view of the mixer that is the subject of the invention

[0015] Figure 2. Front perspective view of the mixer that is the subject of the invention

[0016] Figure 3. Rear perspective view of the mixer that is the subject of the invention Definition of Elements / Parts Composing the Invention

[0017] 1 . Phantom

[0018] 2. Grooved steel shaft

[0019] 3. Plastic protection and fixing apparatus

[0020] 4. Electric motor

[0021] 5. Battery holder

[0022] 6. Switch

[0023] 7. Gasket

[0024] 8. Threaded screw

[0025] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0026] The invention relates to a mixer that provides the mixture of radionuclide placed inside phantoms used in quality control tests of calibrated imaging devices in nuclear medicine clinics. Said mixer prevents the radionuclide in the phantom from coming into contact with the outside, i.e., prevents contamination and ensures homogeneous mixing. Said mixer includes a phantom (1 ), grooved steel shaft (2), protection and fixing apparatus (3), electric motor (4), battery holder (5), switch (6), 1 gasket (7) and 1 threaded screw (8).

[0027] Said mixer ensures homogeneous mixing of the water in the phantom (1 ) and the radionuclide added to the phantom (1 ). In the invention, the phantom (1 ) can be any phantom into which radionuclide can be added. In addition, the mixer has holes with a diameter of 8-15 mm (different sizes for different phantoms) designed for placing radionuclide inside the phantoms.

[0028] The grooved steel shaft (2) in the mixer, which is the subject of the invention, is 8-15 cm long, 7 mm in diameter, made of stainless steel and comprises grooves suitable for the direction of rotation to mix the liquid. These grooves shorten the rotation of the water and also the homogeneous mixing time with the radionuclide.

[0029] In the invention, the grooved steel shaft (1 ) is used as the rotation axle by passing through the centre of the protection and fixing apparatus (3). The protection and fixing apparatus (3) made of soft plastic has a diameter of 1 -1 .5 cm and a thread pitch of 1 - 2 mm and is suitable for use in different phantoms, and the gasket (7) in the protection and fixing apparatus (3) prevents the radionuclide from leaking from the phantom (1 ), while the screw (8) ensures that the phantom (1 ) is fixed to the protection and fixing apparatus (3).

[0030] In the invention, the rotation shaft of the electric motor (4) that operates with the battery located in the battery holder (5) is mounted on the back of the grooved steel shaft (2). There is a switch (6) assembly to operate the electric motor (4), control the electric current, and start and stop the device.

[0031] After water and radionuclide are placed in the phantom (1 ), the mounting of the mixer of the invention is made by fixing the system comprising grooved steel shaft (2), protection and fixing apparatus (3), electric motor (4), battery holder (5), and switch (6) into the hole in the phantom with the help of the gear screw (8) by turning it and is operated. When the electric motor (4) is powered, the grooved stainless steel shaft (2) starts mixing the water with a rotation speed of 400-1600 rpm (gradual) and ensures that the radionuclide is mixed homogeneously in the water. Approximately 5 minutes of operation of the mixer is sufficient for the water-radionuclide mixture in the phantom (1 ) to mix homogeneously. In addition, since the operator does not have to wait next to the phantom (1 ) or touch the phantom (1 ) during the operation of the mixer of the invention, radiation exposure during mixing is eliminated. In addition, since the system is closed, there is no risk of contamination and consequent loss of work.

[0032] References

[0033] [1] Hacker, M., Beyer, T., Baum, R. P., Kalemis, A., Lammertsma, A. A., Lewington,

[0034] V., Talbot, J.-N., & Verzijlbergen, F. (2015, February). Nuclear medicine innovations help (drive) healthcare (benefits). European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. Retrieved April 19, 2023, from httDs: / / www.ncbi.nlm.nih.qov / Dmc / articles / PMC4315521 /

[0035] [2] Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, (n.d.). Patient care. Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. Retrieved April 19, 2023, from httDs: / / med.stanford.edu / nuclearmedicine / patient care.html

[0036] [3] Israel O;Pellet 0;Biassoni L;De Palma D;Estrada-Lobato E;Gnanasegaran

[0037] G;Kuwert T;la Fougere C;Mariani G;Massalha S;Paez D;Giammarile F; (n.d.). Two decades of SPECT / CT - The Coming of age of a technology: An updated review of literature evidence. European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. Retrieved April 19, 2023, from https: / / pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov / 31273437 /

Claims

CLAIMS1. A mixer for use in quality control testing of nuclear medicine devices, comprising- phantom (1 ) into which radionuclide will be placed,- grooved stainless steel shaft (2) that allows water and radionuclide in phantom (1 ) to mix homogeneously,- protection and fixing apparatus (3) that keeps the whole system together,- gasket (7) in the plastic protection and fixing apparatus that prevents the radionuclide from leaking from the phantom (1 ),- threaded screw (8) that secures the phantom (1 ) to the protection and fixing apparatus (3),- electric motor (4),- battery holder (5),- switch (6).

2. A mixer according to Claim 1 , wherein said phantom (1 ) is any phantom into which radionuclide can be placed.

3. A mixer according to Claim 1 , wherein the grooved steel shaft (2) is 8-15 cm long and 7 mm in diameter.

4. A mixer according to Claim 1 , wherein said protection and fixing apparatus (3) is made of soft plastic with a diameter of 1 .5 cm and a thread pitch of 1 -2 mm.

5. A mixer according to Claim 2, wherein said threaded screw (8) has a diameter of 1 -1 .5 cm and a thread pitch of 1 -2 mm.

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