Potentials and Challenges of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle–Based Transport for the Time-Critical Delivery of Positron Emission Tomography Radiopharmaceuticals in Nuclear Medicine
Olga Varlamova, Jan Bredow, Matthias Nattke, Winfried Brenner, Katharina Frentzel, Michael Starke · Nuklearmedizin - NuclearMedicine · 2026 · Heft 10
Bibliografische Angaben
Zusammenfassung
Abstract Aim Positron emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals have short physical half-lives, making transport time a key determinant of their clinical availability. This study evaluated the potential of unmanned aerial vehicle–based transport to improve radiopharmaceutical distribution compared with conventional road transport. Methods Ground- and unmanned aerial vehicle–based transport scenarios were compared within standardized regulatory and radiopharmacy frameworks. Representative distribution routes were analysed, and radioactive decay was modelled using exponential decay kinetics. Activity preservation w…
