CYCLOTech - an innovative approach for the reliable production of 99mTc - technetium

CYCLOTech is a high-tech Project, related with an innovative method for direct production of a radioactive pharmaceutical, used in excess of 85% of 35 Million Nuclear Medicine procedures done yearly, worldwide, representing globally more than 3 Billion Euros. The CYCLOTech team has developed an innovative proprietary methodology based on the use of Cyclotron Centers, formally identified as the Clients (actually, there are around 450 of this Centers in function worldwide), to directly produce and deliver the radiopharmaceutical to the final users, at the Hospitals and other Health Institutions (estimating at around 25.000, worldwide). The investment still need to finish Research and Technological Development (RTD), Industrial, Regulatory and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues and allow the introduction in the Market is 4,35 M€, with a Payback of 3 years, with an Investment Return Rate (IRR) of 81,7% and a Net Present Value (NPV) of 60.620.525€ (in 2020).CYCLOTech é o nome que designa um Projecto eminentemente tecnológico, relacionado com o desenvolvimento de um método inovador para produção directa de um medicamento radioactivo (99mTc- Tecnécio), usado em mais de 85% dos cerca de 35 Milhões de exames efectuados em Medicina Nuclear anualmente, representando globalmente mais de 3 mil milhões de Euros no Mercado Global. CYCLOTech representa o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia inovadora própria, baseada no uso de Centros equipados com Ciclotrões (existindo cerca de 450 Centros deste tipo pelo mundo) para produção directa do 99mTc e distribuição aos utilizadores finais, nos Departamentos de Medicina Nuclear existentes nos Hospitais (e que são cerca de 25.000 distribuídos pelo mundo). O investimento necessário para garantir as condições para finalizar a pesquisa e resolver as questões industriais, regulatórias e as inerentes à Protecção dos Direitos de Propriedade Intelectual e Industrial e à introdução no mercado é de cerca de 4,35 M€, com um Payback de 3 anos, uma Taxa Interna de Retorno (TIR) de 81,7% e um Valor Actual Líquido (VAL) de 60.620.525€ (em 2020)

The Bologna Era and the Nuclear Medicine Technologists Education: three years after

Allied Health Technologies in general and Medical Imaging in particular are medical specialities where the intrinsic dynamic nature and the absolute need for the related health professionals to entirely comply with an external environment in constant evolution, with technical and regulatory issues obliging the provision of a solid basic education to be complemented with an adequate long-life learning attitude. At our institution the “Bologna Process” was considered as a great opportunity to re-think all the educative process, and the Nuclear Medicine Degree Course chose the moment to work on its adaptation regarding the real nature of the competences perceived as needed – and so naturally expected as an intrinsic characteristic from the new graduates - as well as the possible best solutions to optimize the correlation between the formal and informal education received, the “real world” needs and the preparation towards its predictable evolution

PET imaging using titanium-45: Could it be useful?

In the last decade a wider application of positron emission tomography (PET) as one of the most powerful medical imaging technologies was observed. This was largely due to the increased availability of equipment dedicated to production of radioisotopes, mainly due to the installation of low energy cyclotrons in hospitals, research institutes and pharmaceutical industries specialized in radiopharmaceutical production.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Road to Telemedicine: mobile solutions for Nuclear Medicine

The present dimension of the concept “Telemedicine” includes the application of mobile communication technologies and information systems to provide Health Care at distance. In the medical imaging field, and particularly in Nuclear Medicine, this concept is broader, involving the application of a variety of software and mobile applications at several steps of the process: digital imaging display and processing, data transfer and storage, but also decay calculations and inherent corrections, often in real-time and automatically performed, as well as the exchange of theoretical information. This paper aims to review the current status concerning available software and applications, with a clear accent on those with a close relation to cloud computing and interfacing with smart phones and/or tablet

The role of molecular imaging in modern drug development

Drug development represents a highly complex, inefficient and costly process. Over the past decade, the widespread use of nuclear imaging, owing to its functional and molecular nature, has proven to be a determinant in improving the efficiency in selecting the candidate drugs that should either be abandoned or moved forward into clinical trials. This helps not only with the development of safer and effective drugs but also with the shortening of time-to-market. The modern concept and future trends concerning molecular imaging will assumedly be hybrid or multimodality imaging, including combinations between high sensitivity and functional (molecular) modalities with high spatial resolution and morphological techniques

NanoSPECT/MRI: a “new generation” high performance tool in pre-clinical imaging

Abstract Body: PreClinical Imaging it is an each-day evolving field, getting more and more important at distinct areas. The Biotechnology field is between those that taken the biggest benefit. With so much interest, it is not surprising that investment consented on Research and Development is also evolving at the same time that this specific branch of business into the Imaging Industry is getting more and more attention and growing in importance. Hybrid Imaging is also getting more and more interest in the last decade and actually there are different vendors proposing interesting technical solutions, making things easier for one that has the possibilities – and the knowledge about each will be the most adequate for the specific purpose on each situation! – to choose one (or more) of those solutions. This paper relates with the public presentation of images produced from the world first model of a new pre-clinical imaging system, an new equipment that mixes Nuclear Medicine and MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging techniques, using as base the sub-millimeter Nano-SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography), so an high-level performance system – the world reference, produced by MEDISO Company, in Hungary - from Nuclear Medicine and a new MRI component, optimized for Neurosciences, but able to perform adequately on other critical biological fields. As practical example from the possibilities being introduced, images from mice, which are being enrolled on a Neuroscience project, will be showed and will be discussed, but also will be compared with other images being produced on other, actually more current, technical solutions, in order to try to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of this specific new approach. Since this small – quick and unpretentious – comparison will be done, it is meant to make possible understanding the place and the real possibilities of this equipment, which it is expected to become available on the world market between the end of this year and the 1st Quarter from next year

The use of radiolabeled nanoparticles for biomedical imaging

Introduction: In the last years, the practice of medicine is being changing with a special emphasis on the application of technological innovations where medical imaging modalities play an important role. Between several imaging modalities, Molecular Imaging (that is essentially based on Nuclear Medicine) is one of the most interesting solutions. On the other hand, assuming that nanoparticles are being studied as drug delivery systems, its application as vectors for radionuclide-based imaging is in a clear growing

Bayesian and Artificial Neural Networks Algorithms at Myocardial Perfusion Imaging

One major focus of data mining process - especially Machine Learning researches - relates to automatically learn to recognize complex patterns and help to take the adequate decisions strictly based on the acquired data. In a preliminary study, advantages on Computerized Analysis of data over Human Analysis in MPI - Myocardial Perfusion Imaging context were identified (shorter time, homogeneity and consistency, automatic recording of analysis results, relatively inexpensive, etc), especially when considering the use of Naïve Bayes algorithm

The Use of Annexin-V labeled with 99mTc in the evaluation of cardiotoxicity induced by anthracyclines

The antineoplastic Anthracyclines are effective agents for various tumors, there is a dose-response relationship for these drugs, however, cardiotoxicity limits their therapeutic potential and threaten the cardiac function of patients. The mechanism of the onset of cardiotoxicity is still not clarified, the most common hypothesis is related to the triggering mechanisms of programmed death - apoptosis - that promote various morphological and biochemical changes in cells. A very early stage, there is the exposure of phosphatidylserine, a phospholipid that in healthy cells remains in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. This exhibition may be marked through radioactive molecules, as is the case of 99mTcAnnexin V, the Annexin V is an endogenous human protein, distributed intracellularly, with high affinity for phosphatidylserine

Espectroscopia gama: desenvolvimento de um software automático de análise e simulação

A espectroscopia gama é uma metodologia útil em contextos de identificação, caracterização e quantificação de radiação ionizante. Entre outras, permite a monitorização da radiação ambiental, a detecção e quantificação de impurezas radioactivas ou mesmo o estudo aprofundado de materiais. Deste modo, importa conhecer de forma precisa os espectros característicos dos isótopos radioactivos de interesse. Este trabalho visa apresentar o processo de desenvolvimento de um software, criado com recurso à plataforma MATLAB, capaz de gerar espectros gama completos e/ou de os analisar de forma automática. Até à data, concentraram-se esforços para fontes de 22Na e 60Co e detectores cintiladores de NaI(Tl)