Interview
Why do we use technetium-99m ?
So we can treat brain tumors, check for damage after heart attacks and it's used to treat bone diseases.
Next time you walk by a horse stable with a radioactive symbol sticker on the door, chances are the "radioactive" horse as been administered technetium-99m to treat the poor fellow's bone problems.
What's it's half-life ?
6 hours
Is technetium-99m harmful ?
Like all radiation from radioactive decay, it is harmful regardless whether you use it for diagnosis or the
assassination of a Russian Spy (not by technetium-99m). But technetium-99m emits low level gamma radiation so it can be detected by a gamma camera.
But is a 6 hour half-life a little to short ?
It is in fact too short, but it must get to the patient somehow in a useful dose.
Where does it come from ?
It decays from molybdenum-99, it has a 66-hour half life. The reactor at Lucas Heights is the one that makes molybdenum-99.
The facility stores molybdenum-99 in a container, which is called the technetium-99m it is then transported to hospitals.
It decays into technetium-99m as it moves on its way to the hospital.
What does the technetium-99m generator look like ?
If you have ordered rice at a yumcha, chances are it is in a container with a handle, smooth and cylindrical in shape. The technetium-99m looks just like that.
In the very core of the generator contains a small vial of technetium-99m covered by thick lead casing.
Two slots are on opposite sides of the circumference of the top of the container.
How to get technetium-99m from molybdenum-99 ?
A light-bulb sized tube is plugged into one slot of the technetium-99m generator, it contains a saline solution, it's basically saltwater.
The salt water runs through the container, through technetium-99m and pumped out into another smaller tube plugged into the container with saline solution containing the technetium-99m. Then all the action with technetium-99m begins.
When do you get rid of technetium-99m ?
When the technetium-99m energy levels become too low for practical use, usually about a week.
The container is returned to the nuclear facility for reacharging.
