Radiopharmaceutical system and method utilizing radio-frequency identification tags

• US 7,838,844 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mallinckrodt Nuclear Medicine LLC (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Original Assignee: Mallinckrodt Incorporated (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Inventors: Fago, Frank M., Wagner, Gary S., Gibson, Chad M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berman; Jack I
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sahu; Meenakshi S
• Application Number:
  US12/067,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20080277594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 250/432.PD, 250/370.01, 250/252.1, 250/394, 250/506.1, 340/573.1, 340/539.12, 340/572.1, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 250/432.0PD
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 5/018 Syringe shields or holders syringe shielding for applying radioactive material to the body A61M5/1785
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 4/08 specially adapted for medical application radiation therapy using radioactive sources A61N5/10

Abstract

The invention, in one characterization, may be said to be directed to a radiopharmaceutical system. In some embodiments, the system may include a radioisotope elution component and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag coupled to the radioisotope elution component. Other embodiments may include a radiation shielded enclosure having an interior, an exterior, and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) communication transmission passage extending between the interior and the exterior.

Claims

1. A radiopharmaceutical system, comprising:

a radioisotope elution component; and

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag coupled to the radioisotope elution component.

2. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 1, wherein the radioisotope elution component comprises a radioisotope generator.

3. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 1, wherein the radioisotope elution component comprises an eluant supply container.

4. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 1, wherein the radioisotope elution component comprises an eluate output container.

5. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 1, comprising a radiation shielded enclosure disposed about the radioisotope elution component and the RFID tag.

6. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 5, comprising a RFID communication device disposed inside the radiation shielded enclosure.

7. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 6, comprising a RFID repeater coupled to an exterior portion of the radiation shielded enclosure, wherein the RFID repeater is communicatively coupled to the RFID communication device.

8. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 6, comprising a radiopharmacy management system communicatively coupled to the RFID communication device.

9. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 5, comprising a RFID communication transmission passage extending through the radiation shielded enclosure in multiple directions one after another.

10. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 9, wherein the RFID communication transmission passage comprises a magnetic material.

11. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 9, comprising a RFID communication device disposed outside the radiation shielded enclosure, wherein the RFID communication transmission passage enables data exchange between the RFID communication device and the RFID tag.

12. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 5, comprising a RFID communication transmission passage extending through the radiation shielded enclosure and a radiation shielded member disposed movably between blocked and unblocked positions relative to the RFID communication transmission passage.

13. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 12, wherein the radiation shielded member comprises a sleeve.

14. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag comprises radiopharmaceutical data including calibration data, or elution process data, or radioisotope generator data, or radiation shield data, or manufacturing data, or customer order data, or tracking data, or a combination thereof.

15. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag comprises radiopharmaceutical data including radioactivity level, or time of elution process, or duration of elution process, or identity of radioisotope generator used in elution process, or identity of eluate output container used in elution process, or size of eluate output container used in elution process, or vacuum level of eluate output container, or a combination thereof.

16. A radiopharmaceutical system, comprising:

a radioisotope generator assembly; and

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag disposed on a portion of the radioisotope generator assembly.

17. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 16, wherein the radioisotope generator assembly comprises a radiation shield having a receptacle and a cover disposed over the receptacle, and a radioisotope generator disposed in the receptacle below the cover.

18. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 16, comprising a radiation shielding material and a RFID communication transmission passage extending through the radiation shielding material.

19. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 18, wherein the RFID communication transmission passage is angled or curved between opposite sides of the radiation shielding material.

20. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 16, comprising a RFID communication device communicative with the RFID tag.

21. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 20, comprising a radiopharmacy management system communicative with the RFID communication device.

22. A radiopharmaceutical system, comprising:

a radiation shielded enclosure comprising an interior, an exterior, and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) communication transmission passage extending between the interior and the exterior.

23. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 22, wherein the radio-frequency identification (RFID) communication transmission passage is curved or angled in multiple directions one after another between the interior and the exterior.

24. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 22, wherein the radio-frequency identification (RFID) communication transmission passage comprises a magnetic material.

25. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 22, wherein the radio-frequency identification (RFID) communication transmission passage is disposed in a cover removably disposed over a container portion of the radiation shielded enclosure.

26. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 22, wherein the radiation shielded enclosure comprises a cover removably disposed over a container portion, and the radio-frequency identification (RFID) communication transmission passage is disposed in the container portion.

27. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 22, wherein radiation shielded enclosure comprises a radioisotope generator shield.

28. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 22, wherein radiation shielded enclosure comprises an eluate output container shield.

29. A radiopharmaceutical system, comprising:

an eluate output assembly, comprising;

a radiation shielded enclosure;

an evacuated eluate output container; and

a radioisotope generator fluid coupling; and

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag disposed on a portion of the eluate output assembly.

30. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 29, comprising a RFID communication transmission passage extending through the radiation shielded enclosure.

31. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 30, wherein the RFID communication transmission passage is angled or curved between an interior and an exterior of the radiation shielded enclosure.

32. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 30, wherein the RFID communication transmission passage comprises a magnetic material.

33. The radiopharmaceutical system of claim 30, comprising a radiation shielded sleeve disposed movably about the RFID communication transmission passage.

34. A method of using a radioisotope elution system, the method comprising:

supplying an eluant into a radioisotope generator of a radioisotope elution system;

eluting a radioisotope in the radioisotope generator;

outputting an eluate from the radioisotope generator; and

communicating data with one or more radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags disposed on one or more components of the radioisotope elution system.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein communicating data comprises channeling the data through one or more RFID communication transmission passages extending through one or more radiation shielding materials.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein channeling the data comprises blocking radioactivity rays in the one or more RFID communication transmission passages.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein communicating data comprises accessing or storing data including elution process data, or component data of one or more components of the radioisotope elution system, or tracking data, or combinations thereof.