ANSTO maintains the Australian standard for the activity of radionuclides by authorisation of the Chief Metrologist of the National Measurement Institute under the National Measurement Act 1960.
Our scientists employ unique, highly specialised radiation detection techniques to carry out precise measurements of radioactivity without reference to a calibration.
As the standards body, ANSTO provides certificates demonstrating traceability to the Australian standard for the activity of radionuclides to our customers.
Capabilities
Primary standards
ANSTO can perform accurate primary standardisations of a range of alpha-, beta- and/or gamma-emitting radionuclides.
These primary standards can be verified by comparison with other international radionuclide metrology laboratories.
Secondary standards
Primary standards are transferred to ANSTO's secondary standard ionisation chamber in the form of radionuclide specific calibration factors. These calibrations make up the Australian secondary standards of activity of radionuclides.
Services
Australian Certified Reference Materials (ACRMs)
An ACRM is a reference material that has been certified under regulation 48 of the National Measurement Regulations 1999. An ACRM can be used to achieve traceability to the Australian standard for radioactivity for a specific radionuclide and measurement geometry.
Australian Industry Becquerel Traceability Program (AIBTP)
AIBTP is offered to radiopharmaceutical producers and provides traceability to the national standard to assist in fulfilling regulatory requirements and facilitate trade of radiopharmaceutical products.
Australian Nuclear Medicine Traceability Program
Supporting safety and compliance for nuclear medicine practices
The Australian Nuclear Medicine Traceability Program (ANMTP) assists practices administering nuclear medicine-based radionuclides to achieve regulatory compliance by providing measurement traceability to the Australian Standard. The program was developed in response to the need for radionuclide metrology within nuclear medicine practices, expressed by the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM).
Registrations are now closed for the 2023 Australian Nuclear Medicine Traceability Program.
Program outcomes:
- Improved patient outcomes through reliable dose administration for safe and effective diagnosis and treatment
- Increased accuracy and precision in the administration of radiopharmaceuticals
- Supports practices in meeting regulatory compliance obligations (e.g. ARPANSA Safety Guide to Radiation Protection in Nuclear Medicine)
Benefits
- Improved accuracy and precision in the administration of radiopharmaceuticals through direct comparison with the Australian standard for radioactivity
- Assistance to meet regulatory compliance obligations (e.g. ARPANSA Safety Guide to Radiation Protection in Nuclear Medicine)
- Improved patient outcomes through ongoing accurate and reliable administration of radiopharmaceuticals
Inclusions
- An onsite visit and dose calibrator measurement assessment by an ANSTO radionuclide metrologist
- Australian Certified Reference Materials (calibration sources)
- A measurement report
- A certificate of traceability to the Australian Standard for the supplied Australian Certified Reference Materials
COVID-19 update
In the event that planned site visits are impacted by state border or other COVID-19 impacts, affected hospitals and facilities will be contacted directly to reschedule their service.
The following measures are in place to maintain COVID Safe work practices:
- Compliance with State and Federal recommendations for decreasing the risk of transmission including, but not limited to:
- Wearing of suitable face masks
- Commitment to good hand washing practices and regular use of hand sanitiser where handwashing facilities are unavailable
- Compliance with hospital entry requirements, including registration and temperature checks.
Australian Industry Becquerel Traceability Program
Supporting compliance for radiopharmaceutical production facilities
The Australian Industry Becquerel Traceability Program (ANMTP) provides facilities with direct measurement traceability to the Australian standard for the activity of radionuclides used in Positron Emisson Tomography (PET).
Program outcomes:
- Personalised service with certification available for a range of common measurement geometries used in production and QC environments
- Assistance to meet TGA and other regulatory compliance obligations (such as ARPANSA requirements)
- Optimisation of domestic and international trade of radiopharmaceuticals through accurate measurement of the amount of radioactive product being distributed
- Accuracy underpinned by international measurement traceability
Fluorine-18 FDG
Under AIBTP, facility-produced 18F FDG is assessed on-site using the ANSTO Transfer Instrument. Directly traceable to the Secondary Standard Ionisation Chamber at ANSTO, the Transfer Instrument enables valid traceability assessments, addressing the challenges associated with the short half-life of 18F (109.7 minutes).
International leadership
ANSTO is a member of the Consultative Committee for Ionising Radiation (CCRI): Section II Measurement of Radionuclides which sets the international standards for the activity of radionuclides within the Metre Convention.
ANSTO is also a member of the Technical Committee for Ionising Radiation (TCRI) of the Asia Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP) and the International Committee for Radionuclide Metrology (ICRM).
