The MULTI-GEM project represents a transformative leap in nuclear medicine by repurposing Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) technology, originally engineered for particle tracking at CERN, into a multimodal clinical tool for the precise characterization of radioisotopes. Current clinical standards rely on ionization chambers and Geiger-Müller counters, which are highly sensitive to the geometry factor. This limitation can result in measurement errors exceeding 12 % for common isotopes like 99mTc and 18F, depending on whether a vial or syringe is used. The project addresses these problems by validating the Techtra triple-GEM detector as a device capable of simultaneous 2D dosimetry and absolute activity quantification, effectively providing an integrated “smart” dose calibrator that captures both the strength and spatial homogeneity of a source.
While international research has successfully utilized GEMs for external beam monitoring in radiotherapy, there is a significant research gap regarding their application in nuclear medicine. This project specifically targets missing datasets in liquid radiopharmaceuticals and high-flux clinical environments by establishing definitive saturation thresholds, dead-time corrections, and linearity curves for clinical isotopes such as 18F, 68Ga, and 177Lu. By investigating how geometry factors and different particle emitters affect quantification accuracy, the research moves beyond the global focus on “beams” to provide a source-centric analysis of the isotopes themselves. This research demonstrates the potential to adapt a specialized physics instrument into a viable clinical tool through the synergy of KTU’s instrumentation expertise and LUHS’s cyclotron infrastructure. This positions the national infrastructure at the forefront of personalized theranostic dosimetry and fills critical gaps in current applications.
Project funding:
KTU fund for internal investment
Project results:
Expected results are as follows:
? Initial TRL: 3–4 (Experimental proof of concept and technology validated in a laboratory environment). The Techtra GEM system is currently a functional physics instrument, but lacks experiments with radioisotopes used in clinical practice and specific isotope calibration.
? Target TRL: 6 (Technology demonstrated in a relevant clinical environment). Upon completion, the system will have been tested at LUHS, transitioning from a laboratory prototype to a demonstrated clinical tool for isotope characterization and 2D dosimetry.
Period of project implementation: 2026-04-01 - 2026-12-31
Project partners: Lithuanian University of Health Sciences
