First Accelerator-Based 99mTc GBq Production Levels and in-vivo Imaging Tests for APOTEMA Experiment

The INFN CSN5 funded research project APOTEMA (Accelerator-driven ProductiOn of Technetium/Molybdenum for medical Applications) started in Italy since 2012, just after the Technetium-99m shortening occurred on 2009-2010. The feasibility of 99mTc production via the 100Mo(p,2n)99mTc direct reaction route was investigated in all the basic aspects, starting from the nuclear physics first (both theory and experimental activities). Then passing to the chemical issues involved (assessment of the best 99mTc separation extraction methods), up to the necessary design and development of a fully-automated, remote-controlled and operated module for the 99mTc extraction and separation, at GBq quantities. In this work the first Italian in vivo multimodality imaging studies (SPECT-CT) performed by using the generator- and accelerator-produced 99mTc pertechnetate and the labelled radiopharmaceuticals (RF) HMPAO (CERETC) and tetrofosmine (MYOVIEW) are here shortly discussed.