Elution protocols and dosages for radiopharmaceutical elution system

A radioisotope elution system comprising;

• a radioisotope generator containing a parent radioisotope that decays into a daughter radioisotope;
• a patient line for a patient infusion with a daughter radioisotope eluate generated by the generator;
• a pump for pumping an eluant from an eluant reservoir into the generator;
• a controller for controlling the pump;
• a generator line by which the eluate exits the generator;
• a tubing line system that directs the eluant from the eluant reservoir to the generator;
• wherein the tubing line system comprises a first valve that directs alternatively the eluant to the generator or a bypass line;
• wherein the bypass line is merged with the generator line at a merging point;
• wherein the system further comprises a radioactivity detector downstream from the merging point for detecting the radioactivity of a mixture of the eluate generated by the generator and the eluant directed by the bypass line;
• wherein the controller controls the first valve and the pump for adjusting:
• a radioactivity per volume at the merging point, or
• a flow rate of the mixture at the merging point, or both;
• wherein the system is characterized in that:
• the controller is configured to calculate a real time amount of the daughter radioisotope that is available in the generator from 5 minutes to 10 minutes from the start of an establishment of an equilibrium for decay of the parent radioisotope into the daughter radioisotope;
• and
• the controller is configured to provide real time information before the establishment of the equilibrium, said real time information comprising the available amount of eluted daughter radioisotope that can be infused to the patient following 5 minutes or 10 minutes from the start of the establishment of the equilibrium for decay of the parent radioisotope into the daughter radioisotope;
• wherein a patient infusion is pre-programmed and the controller is configured to start the patient infusion corresponding to said pre-programmed patient infusion automatically when the available amount of the eluted daughter radioisotope in the generator has reached a required amount for infusion;
• wherein the controller is configured to calculate a time that remains until the establishment of the equilibrium for decay of the parent radioisotope into the daughter radioisotope and to start a subsequent patient infusion when an available amount of the daughter radioisotope in the generator is sufficient for the patient infusion;
• and
• wherein the controller is configured to automatically calculate and infuse a stress agent dose depending upon patient characteristics at a time ranging from 5 to 15 minutes after a rest dose administration of radiopharmaceutical.