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Table 3 Physical properties of radionuclides that have been utilized with the gamma detection probe in radioguided surgery

From: A comprehensive overview of radioguided surgery using gamma detection probe technology

Radionuclides

Physical half-life

Principle gamma photon radiation emission(s)

Emission probability per decay (percent photon yield)

Cobalt-57 (57Co)

271.8 days

14, 122, 136 keV

9.2, 85.5, 10.7%

Fluorine-18 (18F)

110 minutes

511 keV*

19.3%

Galium-67 (67Ga)

78.3 hours (3.26 days)

91, 93, 184, 209, 300, 393 keV

3.0, 37.8, 20.1, 2.4, 16.8, 4.7%

Indium-111 (111In)

67.4 hours (2.81 days)

171, 247 keV

90.7, 94.1%

Iodine-123 (123I)

13.2 hours

159, 529 keV

83.4, 1.3%

Iodine-124 (124I)

100.3 hours (4.18 days)

511 keV*

not easily characterized

Iodine-125 (125I)

1443.4 hours (60.14 days)

35 keV

6.7%

Iodine-131 (131I)

193.0 hours (8.04 days)

80, 284, 364, 637, 642, 723 keV

2.6, 6.1, 81.2, 7.3, 0.2, 1.8%

Technetium-99m (99mTc)

6.04 hours

140, 142 keV

88.5, 0.023%

Thallium-201 (201Tl)

73.0 hours (3.04 days)

71, 135, 167 keV

47.0, 2.7, 10.0%

  1. * The 511 keV gamma photons are generated from positron-electron annihilation.