Automated dispensing and calibration of diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals.

A real-time automatic dose dispenser (RADD) has been designed and fabricated for automatic withdrawal and calibration of diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals such as those labelled with (99m)Tc. This system enhances the accuracy and precision of activity measurements and reduces personal radiation exposure. The structure, function, user-friendliness and performance of this device are described and examined for diagnostic activities of (99m)Tc ranging from 50 to 650 MBq. The results show that the RADD minimises the likelihood of miscalibration of radiopharmaceuticals due to human error and results in significantly reduced variability (i.e. higher precision) in dispensed activities of radiopharmaceuticals.