Technetium-99m

Technetium-99m is the hallmark technetium isotope employed in the nuclear medicine industry. Its low-energy isomeric transition, which yields a gamma-ray at ~140.5 keV, is ideal for imaging using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). Several technetium isotopes, such as ^94mTc, ^95gTc, and ^96gTc, which are produced via (p,n) reactions using a cyclotron on molybdenum targets, have also been identified as potential Positron Emission Tomography (PET) agents. Technetium-101 has been produced using a D-D fusion-based neutron generator from the ¹⁰⁰Mo(n,γ)¹⁰¹Mo reaction on natural molybdenum and subsequent beta-minus decay of ¹⁰¹Mo to ¹⁰¹Tc. Despite its shorter-half life (i.e., 14.22 min), ¹⁰¹Tc exhibits unique decay characteristics suitable for radioisotope diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, where it has been proposed that its implementation, as a supplement for dual-isotopic imaging or replacement for ^99mTc, could be performed by on-site production and dispensing at the point of patient care.

Spectrum (Fullscreen)

5 minute measurement with a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) radiation detector.

Metadata

Isotope:	Technetium
Mass number:	99
Atomic number:	43
Neutron number:	56
…	…

Sources and Further Read

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technetium-99m_generator
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotopes_of_technetium
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technetium-99m