A multipurpose gamma spectrometer
12/03/2025
At a glance
> The Centre Antoine Lacassagne in Nice is using the Spec-RAM for a range of nuclear medicine tasks where gamma-emitters are used.
> In addition to confirming the radionuclidic identity and purity of radiopharmaceuticals being used in diagnostics, it is evaluating the isotopic blood volume of patients labelled with 99mTc for the detection of polycythaemia.
> It is also measuring the radioactivity of effluence from the toilets of patients undergoing 177Lu therapy.
> The gamma spectrometer has proven itself as a robust, multipurpose alternative to automatic gamma counters for facilities handling smaller volumes of samples.
One instrument, multiple functions
The Centre Antoine Lacassagne in Nice is using LabLogic’s Spec-RAM gamma spectrometer for a range of functions where gamma-emitters are used. Originally intended for the identity and purity of radionuclides, it is being used to determine isotopic blood volume by measuring blood and plasma samples from patients labelled with 99mTc. It is also being used to measure urinary waste in patients undergoing 177Lu therapy, allowing the radioactivity of effluence in patient toilets stored in hospital waste tanks to be monitored. When the activity has reduced to background levels, it can be safely discharged into public sewage.
An inexpensive solution for gammas
Many sites may use an automatic gamma counter for high volumes, but for public hospitals such as the Centre Antoine Lacassagne which typically handle far less samples, the Spec-RAM provides an inexpensive, multipurpose solution that can be used for a range of tasks where gamma radiation must be monitored. The instrument’s lead shielding and copper lining eliminates background noise from other sources typically present in radiopharmacies and nuclear medicine departments alike, making it an ideal solution for spectroscopic analysis of samples with low activity.
The centre is a part of the Unicancer Group, a network of eighteen centres dedicated to cancer research treatment in France, which are hospitals as well as research and training sites. The radiopharmacy unit prepares doses radiolabelled with common gamma-emitters including 99mTc, 123I, 131I, and 18F before administering to patients for scintigraphy and PET scans. Radiopharmacist Caroline Maurel and her team originally procured a Spec-RAM to replace an aging well counter after speaking to an existing user of the instrument at the Centre Hospitalier de Valenciennes.
Quantifying gamma spectra in becquerels instead of counts
The hospital uses LabLogic’s Laura Radiopharma software to control the gamma spectrometer and analyse data. Caroline uses a new feature in Laura that allows users of the Spec-RAM to quantify the radioactivity in the different peaks of a gamma spectrum in becquerels instead of counts. This has proven useful when trying to quantify the activity in the liquid waste from patient toilets because the Spec-RAM can measure samples up to 50 ml. This allows the radiopharmacy team to obtain results in Bq/L and determine if the waste is safe to be released.
“The Spec-RAM has excellent resolution and energy response …”
Caroline said, “We originally considered purchasing an automatic gamma counter, but for the small volume of samples we test, this seemed excessive for what we needed. The Spec-RAM has excellent resolution and energy response for our quality checks.”
“We have previously used another supplier to equip our radiopharmacy, but [LabLogic’s Commercial Director] Dave [Johnson] was so quick to reply and engaged with us so positively that he gave us the confidence to choose LabLogic.”
Find out more
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