The radiopharmaceuticals manipulation used in nuclear medicine department is a significant source of radiation for operators. According to Article R. 4451-13 of the Labor Code, the exposure limit for hands and skin (average dose over a surface of 1 cm²) received during twelve consecutive months can't exceed the annual dose limit 500 millisieverts (mSv). The radiopharmaceuticals manipulation exposes operators to the risk of exceeding this limit, as has been shown in a European study. At present, there are automatons on the market but only for radiopharmaceutical fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). One of the advantages of such an automaton is to reduce irradiation of operators' hands during the radiopharmaceuticals preparation. This reduction can reach 95% according to certain authors and the type of automaton. This study therefore proposes to evaluate the effect of an original, newly designed automaton on operators' dosimetry and the labelled radiopharmaceuticals' quality. The hypothesis emitted in this study is that the use of this automaton would allow to reduce drastically operators' hands exposure and probably also to improve the precision of the prepared syringes. This study will be done in a paired way, require a randomization in cross-over and each of the subjects included will be its own witness.
Currently, radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic purposes are prepared by operators, Technologist in Medical Electro-Radiology or/and Pharmacy Technicians, manually for radiopharmaceuticals labelled with Technetium-99m (99mTc), or using an automaton for radiopharmaceuticals FDG. At present, there are automatons on the market but only for radiopharmaceuticals FDG. However, these automatons are currently only used to split into individual doses radiopharmaceuticals FDG, the labelling radiopharmaceuticals being carried out before delivery in nuclear medicine departments. The Sysark SAS's company has created and patented, with the collaboration of the Center of Research in Automatic Control of Nancy (CRAN, mixed unite of research 7039 common to the University of Lorraine and the CNRS) an innovative automaton for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals labelled with 99mTc, used to perform scintigraphy examinations of nuclear medicine department.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
22
2 days training on automaton use
CHRU Nancy - Brabois
Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
Total radiopharmaceutical activity prepared in mega-becquerel (MBq)
For each of the two methods of preparation
Time frame: Throughout 4 working days of each methods
Number of days of handling
For each of the two methods of preparation
Time frame: Throughout 4 working days of each methods
Accuracy in terms of activity (MBq) of prepared syringes, expressed as a percentage (%) of the prescribed target value, and compared between the automated device and the conventional manual method
For each of the two methods of preparation
Time frame: Throughout 4 working days of each methods
A likert of 4 modalities will be used to evaluate the level of comfort in the automaton by operators (from "Very uncomfortable" to "Very comfortable")
During the automated method of preparation
Time frame: After 4 working days of this method
A likert of 4 modalities will be used to evaluate the confidence level in the automaton by operators (from "Not at all confident" to "Totally confident")
During the automated method of preparation
Time frame: After 4 working days of each methods
Level of operators' irradiation, measured by the breast dosimeter during the 4 days of preparation (in µSv) and expressed in relation to the total radiopharmaceuticals' activity prepared during the same period (in MBq)
For each of the two methods of preparations
Time frame: Throughout 4 working days of each methods
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