• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.189-192
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• 2016

$^{68}Ga$ has emerged as a promising candidate for non-invasive diagnostic imaging within Positron Emission Tomography (PET) because of its advantageous radiochemical characteristics ($t_{1/2}=68min$, ${\beta}^+$ yield ~89%). $^{68}Ga$ forms a stable chelation with various ligands and it is possible to be quickly and easily study using a $^{68}Ge/^{68}Ga$ generator. Commercial $^{68}Ge/^{68}Ga$ generators are chromatographic system using the inorganic materials such as alumina and tin dioxide which are employed as column matrixes for $^{68}Ge$. In this study, we tried out to make $^{68}Ge/^{68}Ga$ generator system with the $^{68}GeO_2$ microstructures for column matrix. $^{68}Ge$ tends to have stable bond with oxide as $^{68}GeO_2$ microstructures. The $^{68}GeO_2$ has been synthesized by hydrolysis of $GeCl_4$ (sol-gel method) and characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope for geometrical analysis. The stability of $GeO_2$ was tested using eluents with diverse solvents(water, ethanol and 0.1 N HCl). The radioactivity of $^{68}Ga^{3+}$ in eluate through $GeO_2$ was measured to prove a function as column material for a generator.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2011

The separation of germanium and gallium ion with metal oxide was introduced into the development of $^{68}Ge/^{68}Ga$ generator. Germanium and gallium within mixed solution were respectively separated by using a liquid-liquid extraction and a column chromatographic method. The separation of Ge within high concentrated hydrochloric and sulfuric acid was conducted by the extraction to $CCl_4$ and the back-extraction to 0.05 M HCl. An optimum condition of the extraction by $CCl_4$ was in 5~7 M HCl and efficiency was around 80%. The gallium was selectively separated by using $Al_2O_3$ among metal oxides as sorbents from the mixed solution in 0.04~0.10 M HCl condition.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.22-36
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• 2016

$^{68}Ga$ is a promising radionuclide for positron emission tomography (PET). It is a generator-produced ($^{68}Ge/^{68}Ga$-generator) radionuclide with a half-life of 68 min. The employment of $^{68}Ga$ for basic research and clinical applications is growing exponentially. Bifunctional chelators (BFCs) that can be efficiently radiolabeled with $^{68}Ga$ to yield complexes with good in vivo stability are needed. Given the practical advantages of $^{68}Ga$ in PET applications, gallium complexes are gaining increasing attention in biomedical imaging. However, new $^{68}Ga$-labeled radiopharmaceuticals that can replace $^{18}F$-labeled agents like [$^{18}F$]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) are needed. The majority of $^{68}Ga$-labeled derivatives currently in use consist of peptide agents, but the development of other agents, such as amino acid or nitroimidazole derivatives and glycosylated human serum albumin, is being actively pursued in many laboratories. Thus, the availability of new $^{68}Ga$-labeled radiopharmaceuticals with high impact is expected in the near future. Here, we present an overview of the different new classes of chelators for application in molecular imaging using $^{68}Ga$ PET.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.15-19
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• 2022

Purpose [⁶⁸Ga]PSMA-11 is needed the high reproducibility, excellent radiochemical yield and purity. In term of radiation safety, the radiation exposure of operator for its production also should be considered. In this work, we performed a comparative study for the fully automated synthesis of [⁶⁸Ga]PSMA-11 between non-cassette type and cassette type. Materials and Methods Two different type of modules (TRACERlab FX N pro for non-cassette type and BIKBox for cassette type) were used for the automated production of [⁶⁸Ga]PSMA-11. According to the previously identified elution profile, Only 2.5 ml with high radioactivity was used for the reaction. After adjusting the pH of the reaction solution with HEPES buffer solution, the precursor was added and reacted with at 95 ℃ for 15 minutes. The reaction mixture was separated and purified using a C18 light cartridge. The product was eluted with 50% EtOH/saline solution and diluted with saline. It was completed by sterilizing filter. In the non-cassette type, the aforementioned process must be prepared directly. However, in the cassette method, synthesis was possible simply by installing a kit that was already completed. Results Both total [⁶⁸Ga]PSMA-11 production time were 25±3(non-cassette type) and 23±3 minutes(cassette type). The radiochemical yield of the non-cassette type(65.5±5.7%) was higher than that of the cassette type(61.6±4.8%) after sterilization filter. The non-cassette type took about 120 minutes of preparation time before synthesis due to washing of synthesizer and reagent preparation. However, since the cassette type does not require washing and reagent preparation, it took about 20 minutes to prepare before synthesis. Both type of synthesizer had a radiochemical high purity(>99%). Conclusion The non-cassette type production of [⁶⁸Ga]PSMA-11 showed higher radiochemical yield and lower cost than the cassette type. However, The cassette type has an advantage in terms of preparation time, convenience, and equipment maintenance.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.253-260
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• 2023

The germanium-68/gallium-68 (⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga) generator has high spatial utilization and requires little maintenance, making it economical and easy to produce. Thus, the frequency of use of ⁶⁸Ga radiopharmaceuticals is rapidly increasing worldwide. Therefore, this study attempted to develop an automated synthesizer for the routine clinical application of ⁶⁸Ga radiopharmaceuticals. The automated synthesizer was based on a fixed tubing system and the structure was designed after adjusting the position of the parts to reflect the synthesis method. Using various components that can be supplied in Korea, the automated synthesizer was manufactured at a much lower price cost than that of a commercialized automated synthesizer sold by companies. ⁶⁸Ga-DOTA-[Tyr3]-octreotide (⁶⁸Ga-DOTATOC) was synthesized to evaluate the performance of the automated synthesizer. ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATOC could be synthesized with about 65% of non-decay corrected yield, and the synthesized ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATOC met all quality control standards. We have synthesized ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATOC more than 100 times, and only faced a few problems caused by mechanical errors. In this study, we successfully developed a simple automated synthesizer for ⁶⁸Ga radiopharmaceuticals with high reproducibility. As various ⁶⁸Ga radiopharmaceuticals have recently been developed, it is expected that the automated synthesizer developed in this study will be useful for routine clinical use.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.330-336
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• 2009

Purpose: We established radiolabeling conditions of NOTA and DOTA with a generator-produced PET radionuclide $^{68}$Ga and studied in vitro characteristics such as stability, serum protein binding, octanol/water distribution, and interference with other metal ions. Materials and Methods: Various concentrations of NOTA 3HCl and DOTA 4HCl were labeled with 1 mL $^{68}$GaCl$_3$ (0.18$\sim$5.75 mCi in 0.1 M HCl in various pH. NOTA 3HCl (0.373 mM) was labeled with $^{68}$GaCl$_3$(0.183$\sim$0.232 mCi/0.1 M HCl 1.0 mL) in the presence of CuCl$_2$, FeCl$_2$, InCl$_3$, FeCl$_3$, GaCl$_3$, MgCl$_2$ or CaCl$_2$ (0$\sim$6.07 mM) at room temperature. The labeling efficiencies of $^{68}$Ga-NOTA and $^{68}$Ga-DOTA were checked by ITLC-SG using acetone or saline as mobile phase. Stabilities, protein bindings, and octanol distribution coefficients of the labeled compounds also were investigated. Results: $^{68}$Ga-NOTA and $^{68}$Ga-DOTA were labeled optimally at pH 6.5 and pH 3.5, respectively, and the chelates were stable for 4 hr either in the reaction mixture at room temperature or in the human serum at 37$^{\circ}C$. NOTA was labeled at room temperature while DOTA required heating for labeling. $^{68}$Ga-NOTA labeling efficiency was reduced by CuCl$_2$, FeCl$_2$, InCl$_2$, FeCl$_3$ or CaCl$_3$, however, was not influenced by MgCl$_2$ or CaCl$_2$. The protein binding was low (2.04$\sim$3.32%). Log P value of $^{68}$Ga-NOTA was -3.07 indicating high hydrophilicity. Conclusion: We found that NOTA is a better bifunctional chelating agent than DOTA for $^{68}$Ga labeling. Although, $^{68}$Ga-NOTA labeling is interfered by various metal ions, it shows high stability and low serum protein binding.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2018

$^{68}Ga$ was eluted from a $^{68}Ge/^{68}Ga$ radionuclide generator. $^{68}Ga$ decays into $^{68}Zn$, with a half life=67.8min. The decay is 88.9 % by ${\beta}$+ and 11.1 % by EC. The main ${\beta}$+ decay (87.7 %) is to the ground level of $^{68}Zn$ and it is a pure positron emission branch. A small fraction decays ${\beta}$+ (1.2 %) into an excited level of $^{68}Zn$, which promptly decays into the ground level with a ${\gamma}$ (1.077 Mev). This can constitute prompt gamma contamination in the PET data, if the 1.077 Mev ${\gamma}$ has a scatter interaction in the patient, and generates a lower energy ${\gamma}$ in coincidence with the positron annihilation pair. The purpose of this study was to evaluate standardized uptake value(SUV) before and after applying prompt gamma rays correction on $^{68}Ga$-DOTATOC PET/CT image. Fifty patient underwent PET/CT 1 hour after injection of the $^{68}Ga$-DOTATOC. The SUVmax and SUVmean of lesions and normal tissues (Pituitary, Lung, Liver, Spleen, Kidney, Intestine) were evaluated before and after applying prompt gamma correction on $^{68}Ga$-DOTATOC PET/CT image. Additionally, the SUVmax of each lesions and SUVmean of the soft tissues were measured on images. and target to background ratios (TBR) were calculated as quantitative indices. Among 15 patients, 25 of lesions (Pancreas, Liver, Thoracic Spine, Brain) with increased uptake on $^{68}Ga$-DOTATOC PET/CT image. SUVmax and SUVmean were increased in lesion site and normal tissue after prompt gamma rays correction. TBR was $51.51{\pm}49.28$ and $55.50{\pm}53.12$ before and after prompt gamma rays correction, respectively. (p<0.0001)

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 2024

Gallium-68-prostate-specific membrane antigen-11 (⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11) is a positron emission tomography radiopharmaceutical that labels a Glu-urea-Lys-based ligand with ⁶⁸Ga, binding specifically to the PSMA. It is used widely for imaging recurrent prostate cancer and metastases. On the other hand, the preparation and quality control testing of ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 in medical institutions takes over 60 minutes, limiting the daily capacity of ⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga generators. While the generator provides 1,110 MBq (30 mCi) nominally, its activity decreases over time, and the labeling yield declines irregularly. Consequently, additional preparations are needed, increasing radiation exposure for medical technicians, prolonging patient wait times, and necessitating production schedule adjustments. This study aimed to reduce the ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 preparation time and optimize the automated synthesis system. By shortening the reaction time between ⁶⁸Ga and the PSMA-11 precursor and adjusting the number of purification steps, a faster and more cost-effective method was tested while maintaining quality. The final synthesis time was reduced from 30 to 20 minutes, meeting the standards for the HEPES content, residual solvent EtOH content, and radiochemical purity. This optimized procedure minimizes radiation exposure for medical technicians, reduces patient wait times, and maintains consistent production schedules, making it suitable for clinical application.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.131-135
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• 2015

The flow characteristics of fluid were measured using radioactive tracer in pilot scale digester with tray motion mixer. In consideration of the detection volume of the detector and the size of the digester, 20 detectors were installed in the digester. The radioactive tracer eluted 8 mCi of $^{68}Ga$ from $^{68}Ge/^{68}Ga$ generator was injected into the digester bottom. After radiotracer injection, the flow pattern was measured on the basis of the initial movement of the tracer until its diffusion completely. Most of tracer moved to the wall along the bottom of the digester, and then rose along the wall. The other tracer moved up along the mixer, and then moved to the wall direction along the surface.