Table 1.
List of example radionuclides with principal emissions and imaging techniques
| Principal emitted radiation | Examples of nuclides | Physical half-life | Selected photons emitted (yield)* and suggested imaging method | Example references related to imaging |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | Radium-223 | 11.4 d | 81–95 keV (52%), 144–154 keV (9%), 270–271 keV (25%)*, Gamma camera/SPECT | [8–10] |
| Actinium-225 | 10.0 d | 218 keV (12%)*, 440 keV (26%)*, Gamma camera/SPECT | [8, 11] | |
| Lead-212 | 10.6 h | 239 keV (43%), 73–88 keV (approx. 40%), Gamma camera/SPECT | [12] | |
| Astatine-211 | 7.2 h | 77–92 keV (45%)*, Gamma camera/SPECT | [13, 14] | |
| Beta- | Iodine-131 | 8.0 d | 364 keV (82%), SPECT | [15, 16] |
| Lutetium-177 | 6.6 d | 113 keV (6%), 208 keV (11%), SPECT | [17–19] | |
| Yttrium-90 | 64.1 h | 511 keV (0,003%)*, PET (or bremsstrahlung SPECT) | [20–23] | |
| Copper-67 | 61.8 h | 185 keV (49%), SPECT | [24] | |
| Holmium-166 | 23.8 h | 81 keV (7%), SPECT or MRI | [25] | |
| Rhenium-186 | 3.7 d | 137 keV (9%), SPECT | [26] | |
| Rhenium-188 | 17.0 h | 155 keV (15%), SPECT | [26] | |
| Beta-/auger | Terbium-161 | 6.9 d | 75 keV (10%), SPECT | [27] |
| Gamma/auger | Iodine-123 | 13.2 h | 159 keV (83%), SPECT | [28, 29] |
| Indium-111 | 2.8 d | 171 keV (91%), 245 keV (94%), SPECT | [30, 31] | |
| Technetium-99 m | 6.0 h | Approx. 141 keV (100%), SPECT | [28] | |
| Beta + | Fluorine-18 | 110 min | 511 keV (97%), PET | [32] |
| Carbon-11 | 20 min | 511 keV (100%), PET | ||
| Gallium-68 | 68 min | 511 keV (89%), PET | [33, 34] | |
| Copper-64 | 12.7 h | 511 keV (18%)*, PET | [35] | |
| Zirconium-89 | 3.3 d | 511 keV (23%), PET | [35, 36] |
*Also include radioactive daughters