Formulation of technetium-99m-aerosol colloid with improved delivery efficiency for lung ventilation imaging

Static imaging of lung ventilation in multiple views or with SPECT requires a 99mTc aerosol which does not wash out during imaging. Commercially available 99mTc colloids have suitable physical properties but are inefficiently delivered from jet nebulizers. An in vitro system was used to compare the delivery of various 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals from nebulizer solutions. Delivery of noncolloidal agents (pertechnetate, pentetate, imidodiphosphate, albumin) was much greater than that of colloids. However, addition of phosphate buffer to an in-house 99mTc-tin colloid produced an agent that was delivered as efficiently as the noncolloidal tracers and which shows promise for clinical use.