The use of gamma spectrometry for determination of Fluorine-18 half-life

FDG ¹⁸F is a radiopharmaceutical used in nuclear medicine to obtain physiological images, making the diagnosis better. ¹⁸F is produced in the cyclotron through (P, N) O-18 irradiations and, after the synthesis process, is labeled with glucose molecule. Determining accurately the physical half-life of F-18 is of paramount importance to identify radionuclide impurities that in the manufacturing process can occur and perform the quality control. Over time the literature shows differentiated values for half-life. The half-life was determined by gamma spectrometry with HPGe detector, obtaining 1.82871 (18) h, value that is within those published, but with lower uncertainty. (author)