Saxsons Group

Per-isotope workflow · Lead Vial Shield

Eight isotopes / workflows — and the Pb tier each one picks.

The vial-shield tier the radiopharmacist picks is set by the isotope photopeak energy and the workflow throughput. This page is the per-isotope build sheet — tier, closure, workflow and AERB dose-log entry per scenario.

Tc-99m kit dispensing

Photopeak

140 keV photopeak

Tier

6 mm Pb (lead-glass window optional)

Closure

Slide lock

Workflow

Daily cold-kit dispensing — MDP, MIBI, ECD, MAG3, DMSA. Operator opens slide lock, withdraws unit dose, closes shield. Lead-glass window lets the operator read residual vial volume before withdrawing the next dose.

AERB record: Per-dispense extremity dose logged via TLD ring badge; cumulative monthly entered in the operator dose register.

I-131 capsule + oral solution

Photopeak

364 keV photopeak

Tier

12 mm Pb

Closure

Slide lock

Workflow

Per-patient capsule decant from bulk vial; or oral-solution withdrawal. The 12 mm tier brings transmission down to ~6 % at 364 keV; without the step-up from 6 mm SPECT tier, the operator extremity dose would breach the AERB action threshold for therapy-level activities.

AERB record: I-131 therapy licence required; daily dispense log paired with patient release-dose records.

[18F]FDG and PET unit doses

Photopeak

511 keV annihilation

Tier

30 mm Pb

Closure

Thread + magnetic top cap

Workflow

Routine FDG dispensing — typically 30+ doses per shift at 350–550 MBq each. Magnetic top cap opens with a hand wave for needle access; cap stays on the shield throughout. Operator never carries the cap separately.

AERB record: TLD ring-badge dose log; PET licence covers the dispensing-line operation; per-shift dispense count in the QA log.

Ga-68 PET tracer dispensing

Photopeak

511 keV annihilation

Tier

30 mm Pb

Closure

Thread + magnetic top cap

Workflow

Per-generator elution + DOTATATE / DOTATOC / PSMA-11 labelling + 1–4 patient doses at 100–200 MBq. Same 30 mm tier as FDG; the routine PET dispensing tier covers the Ga-68 workflow without configuration change.

AERB record: Generator licence + dispensing log; same dose-monitoring chain as FDG.

High-activity PET source vial

Photopeak

511 keV annihilation

Tier

50 mm Pb

Closure

Thread + magnetic top cap

Workflow

Source-vial multi-dose dispensing for high-throughput PET; the 50 mm tier brings transmitted dose-rate at the operator surface down further than the routine 30 mm tier. Useful where source vials sit on the bench for hours during the dispensing campaign.

AERB record: Same as routine PET but with cumulative extremity-dose flag from the dispensing-line activity profile.

Lu-177 theranostic dispensing

Photopeak

113 / 208 keV doublet + β contribution

Tier

50 mm Pb (routine) or β/γ hybrid (Pb + Perspex) for β-dominant workflows

Closure

Thread + magnetic top cap (routine) or Thread turn lock (hybrid)

Workflow

Per-batch Lu-177 DOTATATE / PSMA-617 / FAPI dispensing — 4–7.4 GBq per theranostic patient. The 50 mm tier covers the photon contribution; the β/γ hybrid is the better fit when the β-bremsstrahlung load matters more than the photon dose-rate.

AERB record: Theranostic licence + per-batch dose log; patient release records paired with the dispense audit trail.

Y-90 microsphere / radioembolization

Photopeak

Pure β-emitter (E_max 2.28 MeV); secondary bremsstrahlung γ

Tier

β/γ Hybrid (6 mm Pb + 6 mm Perspex inner)

Closure

Thread turn lock

Workflow

Y-90 microsphere preparation for transarterial radioembolisation. The Perspex inner absorbs the β before it reaches the Pb — eliminating the bremsstrahlung source. The Pb outer handles secondary γ. Hybrid build delivers lower transmitted dose-rate than thicker Pb alone at equivalent chassis weight.

AERB record: Y-90 dispensing licence + IR-suite chain-of-custody for the microsphere kit.

Transportation between rooms / sites

Photopeak

Per source isotope

Tier

40 mm Pb lead pot (transport-grade)

Closure

Pin turn lock

Workflow

Inter-room and inter-site transit of high-activity vials. The 40 mm Pb pot with pin-turn lock is tamper-evident and positively locked. The MS-painted outer keeps the transport-only build cost lower than the SS-202 dispensing outer; transport happens once per vial, dispensing happens many times.

AERB record: Chain-of-custody log + transport-pot signature on receipt at the destination site.