Experimental determination of the radionuclide calibrator setting for Technesium-99m, by using a primary standardisation method.

BACKGROUND: A new 99mTc national standard has been developed at the Italian National Metrology Institute for Ionizing Radiation quantities of ENEA (ENEA-INMRI). METHODS: The stock radioactive solution was prepared at the Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù (OPBG) and standardized at the ENEA-INMRI by using the 4pigamma absolute measurement method. The new standard was used to calibrate the dose calibrator of the OPBG Nuclear Medicine Unit (NMU) and the ENEA-INMRI portable ionization chamber which was employed as the secondary standard measurement system to calibrate the dose calibrator of another Italian nuclear medicine unit. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Remarkable improvement of measurement accuracy was achieved. The importance of traceable calibrations is underlined. Specific comments are made about quality control performance and measurement accuracy for the instrumentation used in nuclear medicine units of paediatric hospitals.