A PRECISION FLOW-CONTROLLED RB-82 GENERATOR FOR BOLUS OR CONSTANT-INFUSION STUDIES OF THE HEART AND BRAIN

Authors:
  • YYY YANO
    Y YANO
  • JCJL CAHOON
    JL CAHOON
  • TBTF BUDINGER
    TF BUDINGER
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  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 22  (11) , 1006-1010
    • PMID:6975358
Abstract
A precision flow-controlled rubidium-82 generator was constructed to deliver 76 s Rb-82 at either fast or slow flow rates for bolus or constant-infusion studies. A stepping motor drive is interfaced to a microprocessor for pulsed control of flow rate to deliver the saline eluant solution from a large-volume (150 ml) machined pumping syringe through an alumina column that retains the 25 day Sr-82 parent. The generator system delivers 70-90% of the maximum Rb-82 activity in a 20-25 ml bolus elution of 2% NaCl. The Sr-82/Sr-85 breakthrough is 10-7 to 10-6. Both yield and breakthrough are functions of column length and flow rate. Six separate Sr-82 loadings of the generator were evaluated over a period of nearly 2 yr in studies of [human] myocardial blood perfusion and permeability changes in the blood-brain barrier. Sterility and apyrogenicity of the Rb-82 eluate were maintained during multiple elutions and long-term use of 3-4 mo. for each generator loading. The potential of positron emission tomography for quantitative studies of flow and metabolism by noninvasive methods had created a need for readily obtainable short-lived positron emitters. Generator-produced radionuclides partly answer this need.