Extending the life of SnOGe/Ga generators used in the radiolabelling of ion exchange resins.

The SnOGe/Ga generator system is widely used in medical imaging to provide a regular supply of the radionuclide Ga (T = 68.3 min) for positron emission tomography (PET). These generators are also used to supply Ga for the fabrication of tracer particles for application in positron emission particle tracking (PEPT). The tracer particles are fabricated by radiolabelling ion exchange resins such as Purolite NRW100 with Ga; however, contaminants from the degradation of the SnO column over time interfere with the uptake of Ga. The major contaminants are Zn(II), Fe(III) and Sn(IV) with Ge (IV) being eluted from the column as it degrades. This paper describes an improved method to purify the Ga supply using an Amberchrom CG-71m absorption resin column integrated into a newly designed separation panel. This method reduces the amount of Zn(II) and Fe(III) in the Ga eluate and improves the radiolabelling performance by more than 10% when compared to the un-purified product. The method can extend the life-span of the generator by several months.