Patent ID: 11096648

Abstract:
For dose calibration (39) in functional imaging, different precision sources (22, 25) for a same long-lived isotope are used to calibrate, avoiding having to ship one source from one location to another location. A ratio of sensitivities of a gas ion chamber-based dose calibrator (20) at a reference laboratory to the precision source (22) of the long-lived isotope to a source (23) with an isotope to be used for imaging is found. At the clinical site (e.g., radio-pharmacy or functional imaging facility), a measure (34) of the sensitivity of a local gas ion chamber-based dose calibrator (24) to the other source (25) with the long-lived isotope and the ratio from the remote gas ion chamber-based dose calibrator (20) are used to determine sensitivity of the local gas ion chamber-based dose calibrator (24) to the isotope of the radiopharmaceutical (26). The bias and corresponding dose for the radiopharmaceutical (26) to be used for imaging a patient are based on activity for the radiopharmaceutical (26) as calibrated to account for the sensitivity of the local gas ion chamber-based dose calibrator (24) to the isotope of the radiopharmaceutical (26).