Tessa Quinn
Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a radionuclide used in nuclear medicine imaging investigations and is derived from the decay of 99Mo. Due to its short half-life of 6 hours, technetium-99m cannot be stored and must be used close to when it is produced. It is produced by bombarding molybdenum with deuterons in a cyclotron, resulting in molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), which decays to technetium-99m. This procedure was discovered by Emilio Segrè and Glenn T. Seaborg in 1938 and revolutionised nuclear medicine by creating accessibility. The first technetium-99m generator was developed in 1958 by Walter Tucker and Margaret Greene, and the first commercial generators were produced in Argentina in 1967.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How is it produced | Technetium-99m is derived from the decay of 99Mo, which is separated from 99mTc in a generator system. |
| Molybdenum-99 production | Neutron irradiation of 98Mo or chemical separation of 235U fission products. |
| Use of cyclotrons | 99Mo is produced from 100Mo via (p,pn) or (γ,n) reactions. |
| Transport | 99mTc generators are minor radiation hazards, and β− electrons can be shielded for transport. |
| Extraction | At the hospital, 99mTc is chemically extracted from the generator. |
| Generator system | The 99mTc is eluted from the generator in the form of sodium pertechnetate in the +7 oxidation state. |
| Reagent kits | Reagent kits are vials containing the particular compound, usually in freeze-dried form, along with other ingredients. |
| Dosage | Dosages may be modified depending on the patient and indications of imaging. |
| Adverse effects | The most common adverse effects include hypersensitivity-like reactions such as rashes, angioedema, fever, and anaphylaxis. |
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What You'll Learn
Technetium-99m is derived from the decay of 99Mo
Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a radionuclide used in nuclear medicine imaging investigations and diagnostic imaging across various human organs, including the brain, lungs, and heart. It is also used in cardiac perfusion imagining, assessing the function of the left ventricle, and determining coronary artery disease.
The process of deriving Technetium-99m from Molybdenum-99 involves using a generator system, such as the alumina generator system. In this system, the molybdenum activity is absorbed onto an alumina column. By passing a physiologic saline solution over the column, Technetium-99m is eluted or washed off as sodium pertechnetate (Na 99mTcO4–). This process is often likened to milking a cow, so the generator is nicknamed the "moly cow."
The Technetium-99m that is produced can then be used to create various radiopharmaceuticals for imaging purposes. The oxidation state of Technetium-99m is reduced to make it chemically reactive, and it is then combined with other compounds to create imaging reagents. These reagents are then used for imaging various organ systems or tissues.
The discovery of Technetium-99m and the development of generators to produce it in hospitals revolutionized nuclear medicine by creating accessibility. This allowed hospitals to perform nuclear medicine procedures without the need for a chemist on-site.
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99Mo is produced by neutron irradiation of 98Mo
Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a radionuclide used in nuclear medicine imaging investigations and is estimated to be used in about 30 million medical diagnostic procedures annually worldwide. It is derived from the decay of 99Mo, which has a half-life of 66 hours, allowing for 99Mo to be shipped to medical facilities, where 99mTc is extracted from the sample as it is produced.
Technetium-99m's short half-life of 6 hours makes storage impossible and would make transport very expensive. Instead, its parent nuclide 99Mo is supplied to hospitals after its extraction from neutron-irradiated uranium targets and its purification in dedicated processing facilities. 99Mo is usually created by the fission of highly enriched uranium in a small number of research and material testing nuclear reactors in several countries.
The production of 99Mo by neutron activation of natural molybdenum, or molybdenum enriched in 98Mo, is another, smaller, route of production. The feasibility of 99mTc production with the 22-MeV-proton bombardment of a 100Mo target in medical cyclotrons was demonstrated in 1971. The use of cyclotrons or electron accelerators to produce 99Mo from 100Mo via (p,pn) or (γ,n) reactions, respectively, has been further investigated.
Molybdenum-99 for generators is generally produced by neutron irradiation of 98Mo or by chemical separation of 235U fission products. In the alumina generator system, the molybdenum activity is absorbed on an alumina column. By passing physiologic saline over the column, 99mTc is eluted or washed off as sodium pertechnetate (Na 99mTcO4–).
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Technetium-99m is used for diagnostic imaging
Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a radionuclide used in nuclear medicine imaging investigations. It is used in around 20 million diagnostic nuclear medical procedures annually, with approximately 85% of diagnostic imaging procedures in nuclear medicine employing this isotope as a radioactive tracer.
Technetium-99m is a pure gamma-ray emitter, emitting 140.5-142 keV gamma rays, which is comparable to the radiation from a commercial diagnostic X-ray machine. This allows valuable diagnostic studies to be carried out while delivering radiation doses to patients that are no higher than those received from X-ray procedures. The gamma rays emitted by 99mTc can be easily detected by a gamma camera, allowing the use of smaller quantities.
Technetium-99m has a short half-life of 6 hours, which is enough time to perform a study and send the patient home after 48 hours, but short enough to ensure that total patient radiation exposure remains low. Its decay product, 99Tc, also has a long half-life of 211,000-212,000 years and emits little radiation. This combination of properties allows scanning procedures to collect data rapidly and safely.
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Tc-99m is separated from 99Mo in a generator system
Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) is a radionuclide that is widely used in medical imaging investigations and nuclear medicine. Tc-99m has a short half-life of 6 hours, which makes its storage and transport impossible. Therefore, its parent nuclide, molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) is supplied to hospitals where Tc-99m is extracted from the technetium-99m generator.
The Tc-99m generator, also known as a technetium cow or moly cow, is a device that extracts the metastable isotope 99mTc of technetium from a decaying sample of molybdenum-99. The generator system provides a way to obtain Tc-99m regularly as a purified radionuclide, separated from its parent nuclide, Mo-99.
The generator consists of a hollow glass tube or column filled with the absorbent compound alumina that holds and retains the molybdenum. At the hospital, a pharmacist or technologist pours a simple saline solution through the column to separate the decay product, Tc-99m, from Mo-99. The resulting saline contains the separated Tc-99m. This process is similar to milking a cow, hence the nickname "moly cow".
The saline solution containing Tc-99m can then be added in an appropriate concentration to a pharmaceutical kit. Tc-99m is used for diagnostic tests, research, and various nuclear medicine procedures, where its short half-life is very useful.
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The first technetium-99m generator was developed in 1958
The generator was based on the concept of using technetium-99m as a medical radiotracer, an idea that was first proposed by Powell "Jim" Richards in the 1950s. Technetium-99m is derived from the decay of molybdenum-99, which has a longer half-life of 66 hours, allowing for easy transport to hospitals. At the hospital, a simple saline solution is poured through the generator to separate the technetium-99m, which is then used for nuclear medicine imaging procedures.
The development of the technetium-99m generator revolutionized nuclear medicine by creating accessibility. The short half-life of technetium-99m, of only 6 hours, means that it must be used soon after production, and its parent element, molybdenum-99, can be transported to hospitals where technetium-99m is generated on-site. This accessibility has led to technetium-99m being used in 20 million diagnostic nuclear medical procedures annually, with 85% of diagnostic imaging procedures in nuclear medicine employing this isotope.
Technetium-99m generators have continued to evolve, with the first commercial generators produced in Argentina in 1967, and the first European generator distributed from the Netherlands in 1968. Today, technetium-99m is widely used in medical imaging procedures, including heart, bone, kidney, and brain imaging, and is considered a cornerstone in nuclear medicine.
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Frequently asked questions
Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a radionuclide used in nuclear medicine imaging investigations and other diagnostic procedures.
Technetium-99m is produced in hospitals by separating it from its parent, molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), in a generator system. This process has been likened to milking a cow, so the generator is nicknamed a "moly cow".
Molybdenum-99 decays to produce technetium-99m. This decay occurs through beta decay, emitting a β− electron and a ν e electron antineutrino in the process.
Molybdenum-99 is produced by neutron irradiation of 98Mo or by chemical separation of 235U fission products.
Technetium-99m has a short half-life of 6 hours, which means it does not remain in the body or the environment for long. It is also a pure gamma-ray emitter, delivering radiation doses to patients that are no higher than those received from X-ray procedures.
