Food and Drug Administration today approved Netspot, the first kit for the preparation of gallium Ga 68 dotatate injection, a radioactive diagnostic agent for positron emission tomography. NetSpot needs measurements if you’re going to create an accurate survey. You’ll add these manually if you’re drawing your own map or, if your map is an image file, you’ll need to provide.
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 29, 2019.
Generic name: DOTATATE 40ug;
Dosage form: kit
Netspot 68
Radiation Safety
Drug Handling
After reconstitution and radiolabeling, handle the Ga 68 dotatate injection with appropriate safety measures to minimize radiation exposure [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)]. Use waterproof gloves, effective radiation shielding and appropriate safety measures when preparing and handling Ga 68 dotatate injection.
Radiopharmaceuticals should be used by or under the control of physicians who are qualified by specific training and experience in the safe use and handling of radionuclides, and whose experience and training have been approved by the appropriate governmental agency authorized to license the use of radionuclides.
Patient Preparation
Instruct patients to drink a sufficient amount of water to ensure adequate hydration prior to administration of Ga 68 dotatate. Drink and void frequently during the first hours following administration to reduce radiation exposure.
Recommended Dosage and Administration Instructions
In adults and pediatric patients, the recommended amount of radioactivity to be administered for PET imaging is 2 MBq/kg of body weight (0.054 mCi/kg) up to 200 MBq (5.4 mCi).
NETSPOT may be radiolabeled with Ga 68 chloride eluate from the following generators:
- Eckert & Ziegler GalliaPharm Germanium 68/Gallium 68 (Ge 68/Ga 68) generator
- IRE ELiT Galli Eo Germanium 68/Gallium 68 (Ge 68/Ga 68) generator
After reconstitution with Ga 68 chloride eluate and buffer [see Dosage and Administration (2.3)], administer Ga 68 dotatate by intravenous injection (bolus).
Verify the injected radioactivity by measuring the radioactivity of the vial containing the Ga 68 dotatate injection with a dose calibrator before administration to the patient [see Dosage and Administration (2.4)]. Ensure that the injected radioactivity is within ±10% of the recommended dose.
Netspot Heatmap
Drug Preparation
The NETSPOT kit is supplied as 2 vials [see Dosage Forms and Strengths (3)] which allows for direct preparation of Ga 68 dotatate injection with the eluate from one of the following generators (see below for specific instructions for use with each generator):
- Eckert & Ziegler GalliaPharm Germanium 68/Gallium 68 (Ge 68/Ga 68) generator
- IRE ELiT Galli Eo Germanium 68/Gallium 68 (Ge 68/Ga 68) generator
The Ge 68/Ga 68 generators are not supplied with the NETSPOT kit.
Components of the kit:
- Vial 1 (reaction vial with lyophilized powder) contains: 40 mcg dotatate, 5 mcg 1,10-phenanthroline; 6 mcg gentisic acid; 20 mg mannitol.
- Vial 2 (buffer vial) contains: 60 mg formic acid; 56.5 mg sodium hydroxide and water for injection.
Prepare Ga 68 dotatate for intravenous injection according to the following aseptic procedure:
a. Use suitable shielding to reduce radiation exposure.
b. Photo editing program for mac. Wear waterproof gloves.
c. Test periodically (weekly) the Ga 68 chloride eluate for Ge 68 breakthrough by suitable method. Ge 68 breakthrough and other gamma emitting radionuclides should be ≤ 0.001%.
d. Set the temperature of the shielded dry bath to 203 °F (95 °C), and wait for the temperature to reach the set point and stabilize.
e. Prepare syringes for elution and reconstitution steps per Table 1 below. Prior to piercing vial septums, flip-off cap and swab the top of the vial closure with alcohol to disinfect the surface, and allow the stopper to dry.
Table 1. Solutions for Generator Elution and Radiolabeling Reaction
| Solutions for use with Eckert & Ziegler GalliaPharm generator | ||
| Syringe | Solution | Purpose |
5 mL sterile syringe | 5 mL of 0.1 N sterile HCl supplied by the generator manufacturer | For elution of the generator |
| 1 mL sterile syringe | Vial 2 buffer Calculate the volume (in mL) by multiplying the volume of HCl used for the elution of the generator in mL by its molarity: Reaction buffer volume in mL = HCl volume in mL x HCl molarity (5 mL x 0.1 N = 0.5 mL of reaction buffer). | For radiolabeling reaction |
| Solutions for use with IRE Galli Eo generator | ||
| 5 mL sterile syringe | 3.9 mL sterile water for injection | For preliminary dilution of Vial 1 |
| 1 mL sterile syringe | Vial 2 buffer Calculate the volume (in mL) by multiplying the volume of HCl used for the elution of the generator in mL by its molarity: Reaction buffer volume in mL = HCl volume in mL x HCl molarity (1.1 mL x 0.1 N = 0.11 mL of reaction buffer). | For radiolabeling reaction |
f. Pierce the Vial 1 septum with a sterile needle connected to a 0.22 micron sterile vented filter (not supplied) to maintain atmospheric pressure within the vial during the reconstitution process.
g. Follow the generator specific reconstitution procedures below. Then continue with the incubation step h.
Reconstitution with Eckert & Ziegler GalliaPharm generator
- Connect the male luer of the outlet line of the GalliaPharm generator to a sterile needle.
- Connect Vial 1 directly to the outlet line of the GalliaPharm generator by pushing the needle through the rubber septum and place the vial in a lead shield container.
- Elute the generator directly into the Vial 1 according to the instructions for use of the GalliaPharm generator that are supplied by Eckert & Ziegler, in order to reconstitute the lyophilized powder with 5 mL of eluate. Perform the elution manually or by means of a pump.
- At the end of the elution, disconnect the generator from Vial 1 by removing the needle from the rubber septum, and immediately (do not delay buffer addition more than 10 min) add the kit reaction buffer in the 1 mL sterile syringe (the amount of reaction buffer was determined in Table 1).
- Withdraw the syringe and the 0.22 micron sterile air venting filter.
Reconstitution with IRE Galli Eo generator
- Set the generator for the elution according to manufacturer instructions. Connect a sterile needle to the outlet tube of the generator, turn the button by 90˚ to loading position then wait 10 seconds before turning the button back to the initial position.
- Reconstitute Vial 1 with 3.9 mL of sterile water for injection as prepared in Table 1.
- Add the 0.1 mL reaction buffer to Vial 1 as prepared in Table 1.
- Connect Vial 1 to the outlet line of the generator by pushing the needle through the rubber septum.
- Connect one end of the two male luer ends of a sterile extension line to the 0.2 micron sterile vent filter inserted into Vial 1.
- Assemble a sterile needle on the second male luer end of the sterile extension line and connect it to a sterile evacuated vial (17 mL minimum volume) by pushing the needle through the rubber septum. The generator elution will start.
- Wait for the elution to be completed (minimum 3 minutes, according to the generator manufacturer instructions for use).
- At the end of the elution, first withdraw the needle from the evacuated vial in order to establish atmospheric pressure into Vial 1, then disconnect Vial 1 from the generator by removing the needle from the rubber septum and remove the 0.2 micron sterile vent filter from Vial 1.
Incubation
h. Using a tong, move Vial 1 to the heating hole of the dry bath, and leave the vial at 203 °F (95 °C, not to exceed 98 °C) for at least 7 minutes (do not exceed 10 minutes heating) without agitation or stirring.
i. After 7 minutes, remove the vial from the dry bath, place it in an appropriate lead shield and let it cool down to room temperature for approximately 10 minutes.
j. Assay the whole vial containing the Ga 68 dotatate injection for total radioactivity concentration using a dose calibrator and record the result.
k. Perform the quality controls according to the recommended methods in order to check the compliance with the specifications [see Dosage and Administration (2.5)].
l. Prior to use, visually inspect the solution behind a shielded screen for radioprotection purposes. Only use solutions that are clear without visible particles.
m. Keep the vial containing the Ga 68 dotatate injection upright in a radio-protective shield container at a temperature below 77 °F (25 °C) until use.
n. After addition of Ga 68 chloride to the reaction vial, use Ga 68 dotatate injection within 4 hours.
Figure 1. Reconstitution Procedure for Eckert & Ziegler GalliaPharm Generator
Figure 2. Reconstitution Procedure for IRE Galli Eo Generator
2.4 Administration
Prior to use, visually inspect the prepared Ga 68 dotatate injection behind a lead glass shield for radioprotection purposes. Only use solutions that are clear without visible particles. Using a single-dose syringe fitted with a sterile needle and protective shielding, aseptically withdraw the prepared Ga 68 dotatate injection prior to administration. Measure the total radioactivity in the syringe by a dose calibrator immediately prior to administration. The dose calibrator must be calibrated with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable standards.
Handle and dispose radioactive material in accordance with applicable regulations.
Specifications and Quality Control
Perform the quality controls in Table 2 behind a lead glass shield for radioprotection purposes.
Table 2. Specifications of the Radiolabeled Imaging Product (Ga 68 dotatate)
| Test | Acceptance Criteria | Method |
| Appearance | Colorless and particulate free | Visual Inspection |
| pH | 3.2 - 3.8 | pH-indicator strips |
| Labeling Efficiency | Ga 68 dotatate ≥ 95% and Other Ga 68 species ≤ 5% | Thin layer chromatography (ITLC, see details below) |
Determine labeling efficiency of Ga 68 dotatate applying one of the following recommended methods:
Obtain the following materials:
- ITLC SA or ITLC SG
- Ammonium acetate 1M: Methanol(1:1 V/V)
- Developing tank
- Radiometric ITLC scanner
ITLC methods 1 and 2 (longer development length) Parallels for mac download free.
Perform the following:
- Pour ammonium acetate 1M: Methanol (1:1 V/V) solution to a depth of 3 to 4 mm in the developing tank, cover the tank, and allow it to equilibrate.
- Apply a drop of the Ga 68 dotatate injection on a pencil line 1 cm from the bottom of the ITLC strip.
- Place the ITLC strip in the developing tank and allow it to develop for a distance of 10 cm from the point of application (i.e. to the top pencil mark).
- Scan the ITLC with a radiometric ITLC scanner
- Calculate radiochemical purity (RCP) by integration of the peaks on the chromatogram. Do not use the reconstituted product if the RCP is less than 95%.
- The retention factor (Rf) specifications are as follows for ITLC SA or ITLC SG:
ITLC SA: Non-complexed Ga 68 species, Rf = 0 to 0.1; Ga 68 dotatate, Rf = 0.6 to 0.8
ITLC SG: Non-complexed Ga 68 species, Rf = 0 to 0.1; Ga 68 dotatate, Rf = 0.8 to 1
ITLC method 3 (shorter development length)
Perform the following:
a) Pour ammonium acetate 1M: Methanol (1:1 V/V) solution to a depth of 3 to 4 mm in the developing tank, cover the tank, and allow it to equilibrate.
b) Apply a drop of the Ga 68 dotatate injection on a pencil line 1 cm from the bottom of an ITLC SG strip.
c) Place the ITLC SG strip in the developing tank and allow it to develop for a distance of 6 cm from the point of application (i.e. to 7 cm from the bottom of the ITLC strip).
d) Scan the ITLC SG with a radiometric ITLC scanner.
e) Calculate radiochemical purity (RCP) by integration of the peaks on the chromatogram. Do not use the reconstituted product if the RCP is less than 95%
f) The retention factor (Rf) specifications are as follows:
Non-complexed Ga 68 species, Rf = 0 to 0.1, Ga 68 dotatate, Rf = 0.8 to 1
Image Acquisition
For Ga 68 dotatate PET imaging, the acquisition must include a whole body acquisition from skull to mid-thigh. Images can be acquired 40 to 90 minutes after the intravenous administration of the Ga 68 dotatate. Adapt imaging acquisition delay and duration according to the equipment used, and the patient and tumor characteristics, in order to obtain the best image quality possible.
Image Interpretation
Ga 68 dotatate binds to somatostatin receptors. Based upon the intensity of the signals, PET images obtained using Ga 68 dotatate indicate the presence and density of somatostatin receptors in tissues. Tumors that do not bear somatostatin receptors will not be visualized. Increased uptake in tumors is not specific for NET [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)].
Radiation Dosimetry
Estimated radiation absorbed doses per injection activity for organs and tissues of adult patients following an intravenous bolus of Ga 68 dotatate are shown in Table 3. Estimated radiation effective doses per injection activity for adult and pediatric patients following an intravenous bolus of Ga 68 dotatate are shown in Table 4.
Gallium Ga 68 decays with a half-life of 68 minutes to stable zinc Zn 68:
- 89% through positron emission with a mean energy of 836 keV followed by photonic annihilation radiations of 511 keV (178%),
- 10% through orbital electron capture (X-ray or Auger emissions), and
- 3% through 13 gamma transitions from 5 exited levels.
The effective radiation dose resulting from the administration of 150 MBq (4.05 mCi) [within the range of the recommended Ga 68 dotatate injection dose] to an adult weighing 75 kg, is about 3.15 mSv. For an administered activity of 150 MBq (4.05 mCi) the typical radiation dose to the critical organs, which are the urinary bladder wall, the spleen and the kidneys/adrenals, are about 18, 16 and 12 mGy, respectively. Because the spleen has one of the highest physiological uptakes, higher uptake and radiation dose to other organs or pathologic tissues may occur in patients with splenectomy.
1. Physical data
Gamma constant: 0.67 mrem/hr per mCi at 1 meter [1.8E-4 mSv/hr per MBq at 1 meter]
Specific Activity: 4.1E7 Ci/g [1.51E18 Bq/g] max
2. Shielding
Lead [Pb] Half Value Layer [HVL]: 6 mm (0.24 in)
Tenth Value Layer [TVL]: 17 mm (0.67 in)
Table 3 Estimated Radiation Absorbed Dose per Injection Activity in Selected Organs and Tissues of Adults after a Ga 68 Dotatate Injection Dose
| Absorbed Dose per Injection Activity in Selected Organs and Tissues of Adults | mGy/MBq | mGy/150 MBq | |
| Mean | SD | ||
| Adrenals | 0.086 | 0.052 | 12.90 |
| Brain | 0.010 | 0.002 | 1.50 |
| Breasts | 0.010 | 0.002 | 1.50 |
| Gallbladder wall | 0.016 | 0.002 | 2.40 |
| Lower large intestine wall | 0.015 | 0.002 | 2.25 |
| Small intestine | 0.025 | 0.004 | 3.75 |
| Stomach wall | 0.013 | 0.002 | 1.95 |
| Upper large intestine wall | 0.021 | 0.003 | 3.15 |
| Heart wall | 0.018 | 0.003 | 2.70 |
| Kidneys | 0.093 | 0.016 | 13.95 |
| Liver | 0.050 | 0.015 | 7.50 |
| Lungs | 0.006 | 0.001 | 0.90 |
| Muscle | 0.012 | 0.002 | 1.80 |
| Ovaries | 0.016 | 0.001 | 2.40 |
| Pancreas | 0.015 | 0.002 | 2.25 |
| Red marrow | 0.015 | 0.003 | 2.25 |
| Osteogenic cells | 0.021 | 0.005 | 3.15 |
| Skin | 0.010 | 0.002 | 1.50 |
| Spleen | 0.109 | 0.058 | 16.35 |
| Testes | 0.010 | 0.001 | 1.50 |
| Thymus | 0.012 | 0.002 | 1.80 |
| Thyroid | 0.011 | 0.002 | 1.65 |
| Urinary bladder wall | 0.098 | 0.048 | 14.70 |
| Uterus | 0.015 | 0.002 | 2.25 |
| Total body | 0.014 | 0.002 | 2.10 |
| Effective dose per injection activity | mSv/MBq | mSv/150 MBq | |
| 0.021 | 0.003 | 3.15 |
Table 4 Estimated Radiation Effective Dose per Injection Activity after a Ga 68 Dotatate Injection Dose
Age | Effective Dose per Injection Activity (mSv/MBq) |
Adult | 0.021 |
15 years | 0.025 |
10 years | 0.040 |
5 years | 0.064 |
1 year | 0.13 |
Newborn | 0.35 |
Table 4 indicates how effective dose per injection activity scales with body habitus in computational models of adult and pediatric patients.
More about Netspot (gallium ga 68 dotatate)
- During Pregnancy or Breastfeeding
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Further information
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Did you ever face trouble connecting with Wifi at your home, office or any other place? The answer to this could be yes, and the reason is a weak signal. But, many a time that is not the case. Sure poor signal strength can play a huge role in connection drops, but multiple other factors influence your connectivity issue.
If you are someone who is responsible for planning the network of your office, company or any place in general, then it is quintessential for you to map the area and identify the influence of wireless connection to ensure smooth and uninterrupted access.
There are many conventional methods to do a wireless network survey, one being you take your smartphone and roam around to check the signal strength, but these all are not that precise. Your device would have never refreshed and what you report is highly inaccurate. To avoid all such issues, in this segment, we introduce a smart way of doing the Wireless network survey with NetSpot.
In this article, we share with you a detailed review of NetSpot and guide you on how you can check your on wifi’s coverage and take measures to expand or improve it. So let’s get started.
What is NetSpot?
NetSpot is a wifi analyzer app that helps you conduct site surveys, or troubleshoot any wifi related issues. It enables you to identify factors that influence the signal strength so you can get an idea about the exact changes that need to be done in order to improve the wireless network experience.
Getting Started with NetSpot
NetSpot app is available for macOS, Windows, Android and iOS. The advanced site survey and mapping functionality are available only for macOS and Windows. You can get started by downloading the free version from their official website.
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Download: NetSpot.
Note: Make sure that dot net framework 4.5 or above is installed in your Windows 7/8/10 or you have macOS 10.10+ if not then it will cause compatibility issue and might not work for you as intended.
The installation procedure is relatively simple, just follow the on-screen information, and you will be good to go. It comes with a pretty clean user interface, and you don’t need to be a tech expert in order to operate the app.
You get two modes, discover and the survey mode. There’s also an option to export the data gathered by the app in CSV format. You can even set a scan-interval timer; the default is 5 seconds. Scanning can be paused as well, plus filter option it can show you the connections that you choose to analyze.
Features and Advantages of NetSpot
Discover Mode
If you are not expert or you want a quick insight on wireless connections around you then select the discover mode. Here you will see a list of all the 802.11 discoverable networks around your device. Select any one of them which you wish to analyze. It is useful if you want to check signal strength only in a single area.
NetSpot collects all the live data and gives you different information such as channel number, signal strength, and other wifi information such as SSID, BSSID, band, vendor, transmit rate, etc.
From the Tabular Data tab, you can check the consistency of any network. Discover mode also lets you identify channel overlapping. Here, you can choose the least crowded channel to improve wireless signal delivery and performance.
Survey Mode
Survey Mode is to map your network and identify weak signals, or troubleshoot systems and identify wifi related issues. Here you need to upload a map of the site that you want to survey. It can be any place such as home, office, or even an entire building with multiple floors. Don’t be worried if there’s no Map available; you can use the NetSpot map builder and get started right away.
After you start with a site survey, there’s an option to create multiple zones to represent different areas or floors. You pinpoint a location and scan for data in that zone, then you move to another area and repeat the same procedure till you cover all the desired spots. After that, an interactive heatmap is generated. It is used to visualize the data that you just collected.
There are about one different type of heatmaps that you can use to visualize everything according to your requirements correctly. For example, select the signal level, and it will display green, blue and purple areas in the map.
Here, blue and purple have the weakest signal reception. You can even check signal to noise ratio, and the similar colours are used to display. It will show you how noisy your surrounding is due to other devices, and noise generated by microwave, cordless phones, fluorescent lights (a defective one creates RF interference).
So all these data combined can help you come up to a concrete conclusion which is not a guess but something that is backed by data. Also, you don’t need to be expert here to troubleshoot WiFI problems, as automated troubleshooting heatmaps are there for your rescue. They provide you with an extensive recommendation to improve signal quality.
Pricing
You can start mapping your networks right away with the free version of NetSpot. To unlock more features such as more zones, snapshots, data points, different heatmaps, active and passive scans, import/export options, wifi router planning, and much more, upgrade with Home, Professional or Enterprise plan as per your requirements. The base Home plan starts at $49, following the Pro plan for $149 and the Enterprise edition will cost you $499. There are o recurring charges, plus you get the lifetime deal.
Conclusion
NetSpot is an excellent tool for It and Network Admins, consultants, wireless service providers, and even for non-tech professionals. You can easily explore wireless environments and spot different sorts of connectivity issues. Do give it a shot and let us know about your adventures with wifi setup in the comments section below.