Zirconium molybdate gel as a generator for technetium-99m--I. The concept and its evaluation.

A new 99mTc generator for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals has been developed. Its elution characteristics and chemical stability merit its consideration as a replacement for present generators. The 99Mo is present as a zirconium molybdate gel, the high molybdate content of which allows the use of (n, gamma) 99Mo. The resulting generator is as effective and as convenient to use as chromatographic generators that are based on fission product 99Mo. Laboratory evaluations of the concept at low levels of radioactivity described in this paper show that the gel can be prepared in a form which is stable when used in a generator and from which TcO4- can be eluted in yields of 80-85%. The influence of formulation variables on gel properties was established. The performance of this generator using 99Mo with specific activities between 4 and 13 GBq g-1 is described in a further paper.

Zirconium molybdate gel as a generator for technetium-99m--II. High activity generators.

The characteristics of zirconium molybdate gels were described in Part I of this paper. Here it is shown that zirconium molybdate gel, prepared from neutron irradiated molybdenum oxide with 99Mo specific activities between 4.3 and 13.5 GBq g-1 is sufficiently stable for use as a matrix in preparation of high activity 99mTc generators. Elution efficiencies of generators containing from 2 to 6 g of gel ranged from 83 to 50% for 10 mL elutions. Generators containing 150 g of gel were eluted with efficiencies of 80-98%, with the activity peak in the first 50 mL. Radionuclidic impurities were considerably below the limits set by the British Pharmacopoeia. Although the pH of eluates was less than 4, subsequent treatment with a small zirconium oxide bed provided adjustment to within BP limits, and reduced 99Mo impurity levels tenfold to values near 10(-4)%. No significant differences were found between the biodistributions in rats of radiopharmaceuticals prepared with pertechnetate from gel generators and those from other generators.