Licensing guidance for facilities using a mobile PET service

In order for client facilities to be authorized to use a mobile PET service, they must submit a request to amend their radioactive materials license to include PET agents and to include the mobile PET service coach as a location of use. By adding the coach as a location of use, all radiation safety procedures required under the client's license will also be applicable to the coach. While most of the radiation safety tasks may be delegated to the mobile PET service, the client facility will be ultimately responsible for radiation safety on the coach.

The following information must be included with the client's amendment request:

  1. Describe the location of the coach on the client facility's premises.
  2. Submit your procedures for standardizing the dose calibrator to assay PET agents.
  3. Confirm that appropriate syringe shields are available for use with PET agents.
  4. Describe the training and experience of the authorized users and nuclear medicine technologists with respect to the use of PET agents.
  5. Submit any other radiation safety procedures that are specific to use of PET agents.
  6. Confirm that unrestricted areas adjacent to where PET agents will be used will be reevaluated to ensure that the limits for radiation dose to the public listed in section 16.7 of the State Sanitary Code are not exceeded. Submit a diagram of the location of the patient quiet room and calculations of expected dose to members of the public in areas adjacent to the quiet room.
  7. Confirm that the client facility will be responsible for ensuring that use of radioactive materials on the mobile PET service is in accordance with the client facility's radioactive materials license.
  8. Confirm that copies of relevant records (surveys, camera QA, leak tests, meter calibration records, etc.) will be kept at the client facility.
  9. Confirm that you will evaluate the need for your facility to provide personnel monitoring to mobile PET service technologists.

The amendment request must be signed by the Radiation Safety Officer for the client facility. In the case of institutional facilities, senior administration must also sign the request.

If you need additional information, please contact Cynthia Costello at (518) 402-7590, or:

Center for Environmental Health
Bureau of Environmental Radiation Protection
Empire State Plaza-Corning Tower, Room 1201
Albany, New York 12237