82Rb

82Rb or Rubidium-82 is a radioactive isotope of rubidium used in medical imaging. It is produced by the decay of strontium-82, which is typically stored in a strontium-82/rubidium-82 generator so that the short half-life of the rubidium isotope can be used practically in clinical settings.

Production

82Rb is produced by the decay of strontium-82 (82Sr) in a strontium-82/rubidium-82 generator. The half-life of 82Sr is 25.55 days, which allows for storage and practical use of 82Rb. The half-life of 82Rb is 76 seconds, which requires it to be used promptly after production.

Use in Medical Imaging

In medical imaging, 82Rb is used as a radiotracer in positron emission tomography (PET) scans. It is particularly useful in myocardial perfusion imaging, where it can help identify areas of the heart that may not be receiving enough blood.

Decay

82Rb decays by beta plus decay to 82Kr (krypton-82), with a half-life of 76 seconds. This short half-life means that the isotope must be used promptly after it is produced.

Safety

As with all radioactive isotopes, care must be taken when handling 82Rb to minimize radiation exposure. This includes using shielding to protect the user and ensuring that the isotope is used promptly after it is produced to minimize the time during which radiation is emitted.

See Also

• Radioactive isotope
• Medical imaging
• Positron emission tomography
• Myocardial perfusion imaging

82Rb Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia