• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.398-406
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• 2013

Nuclear medicine imaging devices such as PET diagnose disease after injecting radiopharmaceuticals in human body for diagnosis. Radiopharmaceuticals should maintain the proper pH for human body safety. In general, pH paper is used to measure the pH of the radiopharmaceutical. pH of the sample compared with the standard color chart is used for measurement. However, the pH reading difference according to the experience of a rater can be generated. Also, a pH meter for measuring pH has a high sensitivity and contamination of the sensor must be avoided. In this paper, we developed the new hardware device for pH reading method and software was developed with vision algorithm to measure pH easily and simply.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7441-7447
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• 2015

Objective: This study evaluated the safety and objective response of combining $^{131}I$-labeled-metuximab (Licartin) with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: In a multicenter open-label clinical trial, 341 enrolled patients with stage III/IV HCC according to TNM criteria were nonrandomly assigned to a trial group (n=167) and a control group (n=174), undergoing TACE following hepatic intra-arterial injection of licartin or TACE alone from July 2007 to July 2009. Radiopharmaceutical distribution was evaluated. The primary endpoint was overall survival; secondary endpoints included time-to-progression (TTP), toxicity and adverse events (AEs). Results: The radiobiological distribution demonstrated better localization of licartin in liver tumors than other tissues (P<0.01). The organ absorbed doses to liver and red marrow were $3.19{\pm}1.01Gy$ and $0.55{\pm}0.22Gy$, respectively. The 1-year survival rate was significantly higher [79.47% vs. 65.59%, hazard ratio (HR), 0.598, P=0.041] and TTP significantly improved ($6.82{\pm}1.28$ vs. $4.7{\pm}1.14months$, P=0.037) compared with the control group. Patients at stage III achieved more benefit of one year survival than stage IV in the trial group (86.9% vs. 53.8%, P<0.001). There were significant different toxicities in leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia and increased total bilirubin level [P<0.001, P=0.013, P<0.01, relative risk (RR) 1.63, 1.33, 1.43], but no differences in severe AEs of upper GI hemorrhage and severe liver dysfunction between the groups (5.39% vs. 2.3%, P=0.136). Conclusions: Owing to excellent tumor-targeting, promised efficacy and favourable toxicity profile, the novel combination therapy of licartin and TACE could be applied in patients with unresectable HCC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.4973-4976
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• 2013

Background: To identify correlation and incidence of bone metastases in prostate cancer patient with low Gleason scores (GS) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. Materials and Methods: This descriptive restrospective study covered patients with prostate cancer in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in 2006-2011. Of a total of 478, those who had PSA values, histological examination, and bone scan were included, resulting in 358 eligible cases. PSA values were measured using the sandwich electrochemiluminescent immunoassay. Histological examination was graded according to Gleason's grading system and divided into 3 categories: well differentiated ($GS{\leq}6$), moderately differentiated (GS 7) and poorly differentiated (GS 8-10). Bone scans were performed using a radiopharmaceutical agent ($T_c$ 99m methylenen diphosphonate) with images captured by gamma camera. Results: The mean age was $67.5{\pm}7.8$, mean GS was $7.7{\pm}1.3$ and median PSA was 56.9 (range: 0.48-17000 ng/mL). There were 11 patients (3.0%) with positive bone scan with PSA<20 ng/mL and GS<8. Furthermore, there were 2 patients (0.6%) with $GS{\leq}6$ and PSA<10 ng/mL showing bone metastasis. Conclusions: In our study, there were still small percentage of patients with bone metastasis even when low values of PSA (PSA<10 ng/mL) and GS ($GS{\leq}6$) were applied.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2015

Chelating agents 1,4,7-triazacyclononanetriacetic acid (NOTA), 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) and 30-amino-3,14,25-trihydroxy-3,9,14,20,25-penta-azatriacontane-2,10,13,21,24-pentaone (desferrioxamine, DFO) were labeled with $^{68}Ga$ and tested in vitro properties to check the feasibility of using DFO as a bifunctional chelating agent or renal imaging agent. The chelating agents of concentration $2{\mu}M$ were labeled with $^{68}Ga$ in 0.1 M HCl at pH 1.7-10.3 at room temperature and $80^{\circ}C$ and the optimal pH for labeling each chelating agent was found. And then, the chelating agents were labeled with $^{68}Ga$ in various concentration of chelating agents at optimal pH. The labeled chelating agents were subject to stability test in human serum and to binding studies to human red blood cell (RBC) and plasma protein. The optimal pH's of NOTA, DOTA and DFO for $^{68}Ga$-labeling were 4.4, 3.6 and 5.6, respectively. DFO ($10{\mu}M$) showed high labeling efficiency (>97%) at pH 5.6. All the labeled chelating agents showed high stability in human serum. $^{68}Ga$-DFO showed low RBC binding but significant amount was bound to plasma protein. The results demonstrated that $^{68}Ga$-DFO can be used as a bifunctional chelating agent but not as a renal imaging agent.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.257-260
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• 2006

In order to evaluate the exposure to the radiologic technologists from patients who had been administrated with radiopharmaceuticals, we measured the spatial dose rates at $5{\sim}300\;cm$ from skin surface of patients using an proportional digital surveymeter, 1.5(PET scan) and 4hr(bone scan) after injection. In results, the exposure to the technologists in each procedure was small, compared with the dose limits of the medical workers. However, the dose-response relationships in cancer and hereditary effects, referred to as the stochastic effects, have been assumed linear and no threshold models ; therefore, the exposure should be minimized. For this purpose, the measurements of spatial dose rate distributions were thought to be useful.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.268-273
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• 2001

Thymoma is the most common primary tumor of anterior mediastinum, accounting for 20% to 30% of all mediastinal tumors. The recurrence rate after total resection of the thymoma ranges 8% to 18%. We reported one patient of recurrent malignant thymoma imaged with Tc-99m MIBI, Tc-99m Tetrofosmin and Tc-99m (V) DMSA. Early and delayed Tc-99m MIBI and Tc-99m Tetrofosmin scintigraphies showed an increased uptake in the mediastinal area. Also, Tc-99m (V) DMSA scintigraphy revealed an increased uptake tn the corresponding area. Coronal SPECT images of Tc-99m MIBI, Tc-99m Tetrofosmin and Tc-99m (V) DMSA revealed increased uptake of each radiopharmaceutical in the tumor lesion corresponding to the mediastinal lesion on the chest CT. However, the normal blood pool activities of the heart and great vessels of Tc-99m (V) DMSA obscured the recurrent malignant thymoma. Although Tc-99m (V) DMSA is a useful tumor seeking agent, we recommend Tc-99m MIBI and Tc-99m Tetrofosmin SPECT rather than Tc-99m (V) DMSA to detect primary and recurrent malignant thymoma.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.253-258
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• 2009

Bone scintigraphy using $^{99m}$Tc-labeled phosphate agents has long been the standard evaluation method for whole skeletal system. However, recent shortage of $^{99m}$Tc supply and advanced positron emission tomography (PET) technology evoked the attention to surrogate radiopharmaceuticals and imaging modalities for bone. Actually, fluorine-18 ($^{18}$F) was the first bone seeking radiotracer before the introduction of $^{99m}$Tc-labeled agents even though its clinical application failed to become pervasive anymore after the rapid spread of Anger type gamma camera systems in early 1970s. However, rapidly developed PET technology made us refocus on the usefulness of $^{18}$F as a PET tracer. Early study comparing $^{18}$F-Na PET scan and planar bone scintigraphy reported that PET has higher sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of metastatic bone lesions than planar bone scan. Subsequent reports comparing between PET and both planar and SPECT bone image also revealed better results of PET scan in similar study groups. Rapid clinical application of PET/CT also accumulated considerable amount of experiences in skeletal evaluation and this modality is known to have better diagnostic power than stand alone PET system as well as bone scan. Furthermore $^{18}$F-Na PET/CT revealed better or at least equal results in detection of primary and metastatic bone lesions compared with CT and MRI. Therefore, it is obvious that $^{18}$F-Na PET/CT has potential to become new imaging modality for practical skeletal evaluation so continuous and careful evaluation of this modality and radiopharmaceutical must be required.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2017

Recently, the number of PET cyclotrons has increased in Korea. A cyclotron mainly produces $^{18}F$, which is used for the production of [$^{18}F$]FDG, a cancer diagnostic radiopharmaceutical. For radiation protection, the discharge control standard under the Nuclear Safety Act limits the radioactive concentration of $^{18}F$ in the exhaust discharged from a nuclear power utilization facility to below $2,000Bq\;m^{-3}$. However, the radioactive concentration of $^{18}F$ discharged during [$^{18}F$]FDG production at the cyclotron facility at Chosun University is maintained at about $1,500Bq\;m^{-3}$ on average, which is 75% of the concentration limit of the discharge control standard, and temporarily exceeds the standard as per the real-time monitoring results. This study evaluated the performance of the exhaust filter unit of the cyclotron facility at Chosun University by assessing the concentration of $^{18}F$ in the exhaust, and an experiment was conducted on the discharge reduction, where $^{18}F$ is discharged without reacting with the FDG precursors during [$^{18}F$]FDG synthesis and is immediately captured by the [$^{18}F$]FDG automatic synthesis unit. Based on the performance evaluation results of the exhaust filter at the cyclotron facility of Chosun University, the measured capture efficiency before and after the filter was found to be 92%. Furthermore, the results of the discharge reduction experiment, where the exhaust $^{18}F$ was immediately captured by the [$^{18}F$]FDG synthesizer, showed a very satisfactory 94.3% reduction in the concentration of discharge compared to the existing discharge concentration.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.169-174
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• 2019

This study examines the changes that $^{99m}Tc$ causes to CT(Computed Tomography) images quantitatively when CT scans were continuously performed using $^{99m}Tc$. With the use of the CT, $^{99m}Tc$ 740MBq was injected into the Resolution Phantom and Water Phantom, and the tube voltage was changed with 80 kVp and 120 kVp, scanning before and after the injection. The result indicate, by comparing the Signal Intensity according to the presence or absence of the $^{99m}Tc$ injection with the tube voltage of 120 kVp and 80 kVp, a decrease of 0.173 and 0.241 was observed respectively and the spatial resolution increase of 0.090 and 0.109 was observed respectively. The order of the test should be considered because the gamma rays of the radiopharmaceutical used in the nuclear medicine test do not affect the CT while the effective half-life of the radiopharmaceuticals should be considered for the CT scan to reduce the influence of the gamma rays emitted after the nuclear medicine test, with the possibility to reduce the difference of the results.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.99-103
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• 2021

In this study, the initial in vivo pharmacokinetic changes according to the routes of drug administration were investigated using bioimaging techniques. The purpose of this study was to quantify the degree of distribution of each major organ in normal mice over time by acquiring Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography images while administering routes F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose such as intravenous, intraperitoneal and per oral, a representative diagnostic radiopharmaceutical. Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography images were acquired for 90 minutes after drug administration. Radioactivity uptake was calculated for major organs using the PMOD program. In the case of intravenous administration, it was confirmed that it spread quickly and evenly to major organs. Compared to intravenous administration, intraperitoneal administration was about three times more absorbed and distributed in the liver and intestine, and it was showed that the amount excreted through the bladder was more than twice. In the case of oral administration, most stayed in the stomach, and it was showed that it spread slowly throughout the body. In comparison with intravenous administration, it was presented that the distribution of kidneys was more than 9 times and the distribution of bladder was 66% lower. Since there is a difference in the initial in vivo distribution and excretion of each administration method, we confirmed that the determination of the administration route is important for in vivo imaging evaluation of new drug candidates.