Nuclear Diagnostic Imaging for PET Scan using Technetium-99m

Abstract

Abstract

Nuclear diagnostic procedures are used in almost every hospital worldwide on a daily basis. PET scan is the most commonly used nuclear medical imaging procedure. PET scan is considered a safer alternative to other nuclear diagnostic procedures. It is primarily used to identify the diseases, predict the possibility of occurrence of a particular disease, planning and analysis of a treatment. The PET scan has many applications but its only side effect is the radiation which is emitted by the radioactive tracer. The radioactive tracer used in PET scan is Technetium-99m (Tc-99m). Around 80% of the nuclear treatments in the world are done using Tc-99m because the image quality of the scan taken using Tc-99m is quite high. Tc-99m can be produced in many ways. One of them is the solvent extraction method. The importance of the radioactive tracer Technetium-99m and its application for various medical procedures are highlighted in this paper.

 Keywords: PET scan, Technetium-99m, nuclear diagnostic imaging, tracer, fusion

Cite this Article

Lovein Thomas, Rajalakshmy P. Nuclear Diagnostic Imaging for PET Scan using Technetium-99m. Journal of Nuclear Engineering & Technology. 2018; 8(2):   1–3p.