Automated dispenser for radiopharmaceuticals

Objectives Traditional dispenser for radiopharmaceuticals mostly is used for small scale dispensing in laboratory. It is not only inconvenient but also functionally limited. Without continuous operation its dispensing cost is high. So mass production is difficult. Especially it refers to a situation that hand contact with radiopharmaceuticals is avoided and exposure to radioactive materials is reduced for operators.

Methods The technical approaches include: one platform with at least one supporting plane at top; one drug bottle at one side of the platform; one moving mechanism located on the supporting plane to drive a syringe clamp to hold a syringe and move it in space repeatedly, and rotate around an axis in the parallel direction to make the syringe to move from outside to the position for a needle to insert; a syringe driving mechanism to move simultaneously with the syringe clamp driven by the moving mechanism and to have a driving rod on it to drive the syringe cylinder for withdrawing drug.

Results An automated dispenser for radiopharmaceuticals is mainly for a platform to have a moving mechanism being able to move three-dimensionally back and forth, a syringe holder and a bottle holder. The syringe holder is for holding a plural number of syringes. The bottle holder has a reverse drug bottle. It employs a personal computer interfaced to five axis step motors, and a sterile syringe. Only the sterile syringe contacts with the radiopharmaceutical. The sterile syringe is disposable.

Conclusions The present dispenser provides a fully automated controlled system, employed for distribution radiopharmaceutical to single unit dose, or injection of radioisotope to several reaction bottles to get chemical reaction.A novel transport safe is employed to further reduce radiation exposure.