Radiopharmacist · PET source-vial workflow
Source-vial arrival
PET source vial (FDG / Ga-68 / Cu-64 / Lu-177) arrives in the unit-dose container. Lift the Top Cap, drop the vial into the Base. The vial sits in the shielded base for the rest of the multi-dispense campaign — it does not come out again until decay-out.
Pre-shift setup
Confirm the tilt mechanism moves smoothly (or swivel-jaw / with-rod variant — pick per ergonomic preference). Confirm the Middle Cap needle access hole aligns with the vial septum. Calibrate the dose calibrator on the adjacent worktop position.
Per-dispense — across the shift
Tilt the lead pot to bring the needle hole DOWN to the operator-held syringe. Lift the Top Cap; needle through the Middle Cap into the vial septum; withdraw the dose volume; needle out; release the tilt; replace the Top Cap. Vial stays shielded across the entire dispense event.
Dose calibration
Dispensed syringe → adjacent dose calibrator (45 mm Pb shielding ring tier for SPECT-and-mid-PET hot labs; 58 mm Pb positron tier for high-throughput PET). Volume confirmed against the prescription; activity at calibration time recorded.
Syringe-shield transfer
Calibrated syringe → tungsten 9 mm shield. Lead-glass viewing window confirms volume; turn-lock holds the syringe square. Cap-coded by size (Red 2 cc / Black 3 cc / Blue 5 cc) for the dispense-tray organisation.
Carrier load + transport
Shielded syringe → multi-syringe carrier (6 mm Pb for routine PET, or 6 + 12 mm lateral for high-activity, or Lu-177 hybrid for theranostic). Carrier walks to injection room with the dispensed dose secured inside the shielded slot.
Source-vial close-out
At end of shift / end of source-vial campaign: vial residual goes to the decay drum (matched Pb tier). 3-part Lead Pot wipe-down per cleaning-validation SOP. Saxsons L-Bench worktop sanitised; ready for the next campaign.