Ultra Clean Cleaning Process for Radiopharmaceutical Reusable Pigs

摘要

A process for cleaning canisters known as pigs in which radioactive drugs are shipped to health care providers, then returned to a pharmacy; and may contain residual radioactive material, blood, microorganisms and other contaminants. Those pigs that are contaminated with radioactive material are removed from the cleaning process until they have decayed to the background radiation level. The upper and lower portions of each blood contaminated pig are cleaned and disinfected. Within a very clean drug preparation area such as a clean room with filtered air or a laminar flow hood, a radioactive drug is inserted into the pig and a mating cap is assembled onto the pig. Within the drug preparation area, the pig is then placed in a protective outer container. The container is then placed in a transportation receptacle for delivery to a treatment site where the pig with its protective outer container is removed from the transportation receptacle, and the outer container and pig are delivered to a clean treatment site such as an operating room, a surgical suite, or an interventional procedure suite where the pig is removed form the outer container and the drug is removed from the pig and utilized.

主权项

1. In a process for cleaning a radiopharmaceutical reusable pig having a lower portion, a cap, and a syringe or vial containment enclosure, comprising the steps of:
scanning the pig with a radiation detection device to detect the presence of radioactivity at a radiation level above background level; upon detecting the presence of radioactivity at said radiation level, causing said pig to cease exhibiting said radioactivity; and sanitizing the pig to destroy any microorganisms and remove any blood contamination from said pig; the improvement comprising the additional steps of:
transporting the washed pig to a drug preparation area suitable for dispensing a drug for human use;within the drug preparation area, inserting a syringe or vial containing a radioactive drug into the containment enclosure and assembling the cap to the lower portion of the pig;within the drug preparation area, placing the assembled pig containing the drug, in a protective outer container to protect the pig from external contamination during handling and transportation; and placing the protective outer container containing the pig, in a transportation receptacle.