⁶⁸Ga-Labelled Carbon Nanoparticles for Ventilation PET/CT Imaging: Physical Properties Study and Comparison with...

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Materials Science
• Radiochemistry

Background:

• Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) imaging utilizes radiolabeled agents for functional assessment.
• Carbon nanoparticles are being explored as potential agents for lung ventilation imaging.
• Gallium-68 (⁶⁸Ga) is a positron-emitting radionuclide suitable for PET imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the physical properties, specifically shape and size, of ⁶⁸Ga-labelled carbon nanoparticles.
• To determine the aerosol composition of ⁶⁸Ga-labelled carbon nanoparticles.
• To compare these properties with those of ^99mTc-labelled carbon nanoparticles.

Main Methods:

• ^99mTc- and ⁶⁸Ga-labelled carbon nanoparticles were produced using a Technegas® generator.
• Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was used to analyze particle shape and size after radioactive decay.
• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis assessed aerosol composition.

Main Results:

• TEM revealed similar hexagonal structures and agglomerated clusters for all tested carbon nanoparticles.
• The mean diameters of primary particles were comparable: 22.4±10 nm (stable Ga), 20.9±7.2 nm (^99mTc), and 19.8±11.7 nm (⁶⁸Ga).
• SEM-EDX analysis provided compositional data for the aerosols.

Conclusions:

• ⁶⁸Ga-labelled carbon nanoparticles exhibit similar physical characteristics (shape, size) to ^99mTc-labelled counterparts.
• These findings support the potential utility of ⁶⁸Ga-labelled carbon nanoparticles for regional lung ventilation assessment using PET imaging.