Bracco Diagnostics' cardiac PET perfusion imaging agent CardioGen-82, a rubidium Rb 82 generator, is designed to help offer clear perfusion images within minutes.
The Rb-82/Sr-82 generator, which is FDA cleared, has Sr-82 on the column. When Sr-82 decays, it decays to a new daughter product called Rb-82. The physical half-life for Rb-82 is 75 seconds, which allows for an efficient protocol. By the time the imaging is completed for the rest portion (about six minutes), stress can follow immediately and then the stress images can be acquired (approximately six minutes). The study can be completed in approximately 40-45 minutes, the company said.
Key features of Rb-82 are that it has properties similar to thallium-201 (Tl-201). Rb-82 acts as a potassium analog, allowing for a high extraction fraction at high flow rates. Defects are visualized within two to seven minutes after injection. Due to the short T_ (75 seconds), both sets of images can be acquired using the same sized dose. A new 100 mCi generator arrives every 28 days. Fixed pricing allows many patients to be performed in a day without the hassle of ordering unit doses, the company said. All studies are performed under pharmacologic stress (e.g., adenosine, dipyridamole, or dobutamine).
July 30, 2024 
