"⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc Radionuclide Generators" optimization: new quality control standards of alumina columns and kinetic study of molybdenum adsorption on α alumina

Radiopharmaceutical preparations (RP) or radiopharmaceuticals are medicinal products which, when ready for use, contain one or more radionuclides (radioactive isotopes) included for a medicinal purpose (diagnostic or therapeutic). In the nuclear medicine department, the reconstitution of a radiopharmaceutical is done by labelling a chemical molecule, the vector, with known pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics properties by a radionuclide, the marker. In vivo monitoring after administration of the RP is achieved usually by detecting the gamma radiation emitted by the radionuclide (scintigraphy). Technetium-99m (^99mTc) is the most used radionuclide in 99% of nuclear medicine prescriptions. ^99mTc is obtained by elution from "99Mo/^99mTc radionuclide generators" delivered once or twice a week in each nuclear medicine department. This system allows the separation of the daughter radionuclide (^99mTc) from the parent radionuclide (⁹⁹Mo) fixed on a chromatographic column loaded with aluminium oxide (Al2O₃). The amount of ^99mTc recovered (Elution yield) depends on the efficiency of this system relative to the physicochemical interactions of the eluent (Isotonic Sodium chloride) with the adsorbate (99Mo/^99mTc) and the stationary phase (Al2O₃).