Rapid Assay for Internalized Radionuclides with Advanced Materials and Methods

说明（由申请方提供）：如果发生放射性核素不受控制地扩散到环境中的灾难，必须迅速对附近的人口进行内部核材料筛查。表面涂片和鼻拭子作为暴露诊断仅在短时间内有效，使得体液（例如尿液）的测定成为用于确定不能通过隔离手段检测到的放射性核素（即，不具有γ或强β发射的那些）的可能内化的最可行方法。这项研究工作的目标是开发和展示先进的材料和方法，使内化放射性核素（和随后的剂量）的快速高通量测定。最初的工作将集中在锕系元素和210 Po，因为它们在内化时会产生高辐射剂量，最重要的是，目前无法使用隔离技术快速轻松地检测内化的α发射体。我们的目标是创建一个系统，该系统将允许简单，微创，有效和可靠的捕获表达在尿液中的放射性核素（以及可能的其他液体，如血液），以帮助快速诊断内化的放射性同位素。将用可自动化的商用设备对放射性核素预浓缩材料进行直接化验（以精心设计的形式）。分析的时间和强度可以根据需要动态调整，以实现从快速高通量筛选（分钟）到更广泛的痕量同位素测定（持续数小时至数天）的性能。本研究主要有三个目的：1。开发和评估先进的吸附材料，有效地捕获和浓缩人体尿液和血液中的放射性核素，以促进快速分析。2.开发利用先进吸附材料的方法，以实现对人体尿液和血液中放射性核素的加速、非侵入性、高容量分析。3.使用为检测相关活度/作用水平的优先放射性核素（锕系元素和Po）而开发的最佳材料和方法，演示（加标）人尿和血液的诊断分析（快速一般筛查和痕量同位素）。拟议的工作支持一些国家的需要，如“发展微创生物剂量测定设备和技术，高通量诊断系统，以快速评估辐射暴露的水平和类型.“拟议的工作也符合“NIAID辐射对策方案，重点是辐射损伤治疗的产品开发和生物剂量测定技术，用于对潜在辐射暴露的个人进行分类。“拟议的研究将开发和展示先进的方法和材料，使人们能够高通量地筛查核事件后可能沉积在受害者体内的放射性核素。预计这项工作将提供一种简单的非侵入性“自我取样”装置（如量油尺）的技术，用于尿液等体液，可直接用于现场快速（几分钟）筛查高辐照，并进行更广泛的测量，以确定内化核材料的痕量水平（以及随后产生的辐射剂量）。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the event of a disaster resulting in the uncontrolled dispersal of radionuclides into the environment, it is imperative that the human population in the vicinity be rapidly screened for internalized nuclear material. Surface smears and nasal swabs are effective as exposure diagnostics for only a short time, leaving the assay of bodily fluids such as urine as the most viable method for determining possible internalization of radionuclides that cannot be detected by standoff means (i.e. those not having gamma or strong beta emissions). The goal of this research effort is to develop and demonstrate advanced materials and methods that will enable rapid high-throughput determination of internalized radionuclides (and the subsequent dose). Initial work will focus upon actinides and 210 Po due to the high radiation doses they impart when internalized and, most significantly, the current inability to quickly and easily detect internalized alpha emitters using stand-off techniques. Our objective is to create a system which would allow for simple, minimally invasive, efficient and reliable capture of radionuclides expressed in urine (and perhaps other fluids such as blood) to aid in the rapid diagnosis of internalized radioisotopes. Direct assay of the radionuclide preconcentrating materials (in a carefully engineered format) would be achieved with commercially available equipment amenable to automation. The time and intensity of analysis could be dynamically adjusted as needed, to allow for performance ranging from rapid high-throughput screening (minutes) to more extensive trace level isotopic assay (lasting hours to days). The research is focused upon 3 aims: 1. To develop and evaluate advanced sorbent materials that will efficiently capture and concentrate radionuclides from human urine and blood to facilitate rapid analysis. 2. To develop methods for utilizing advanced sorbent materials to enable accelerated, noninvasive, high volume assays of radionuclides from human urine and blood. 3. Demonstrate diagnostic assays (fast general screening and trace isotopic) of (spiked) human urine and blood using the best materials and methods developed for the detection of priority radionuclides (actinides and Po) at relevant activity/action levels. The proposed work supports a number of stated NIAID needs such as "Development of minimally-invasive biodosimetric devices and techniques, high-throughput diagnostic systems to rapidly assess levels and types of radiation exposure..." The proposed work also aligns with the "NIAID Radiation Countermeasures Program places a strong emphasis on product development of treatments for radiation injury and biodosimetric techniques for triage of individuals with potential radiation exposure." The proposed research will develop and demonstrate advanced methods and materials that will enable high-throughput screening of large populations for radionuclides which may have been internally deposited in victims' bodies following a nuclear event. It is anticipated that this work will provide the technology for a simple noninvasive "self-sampling" device (such as a dip stick) for bodily fluids like urine that could be directly submitted for rapid (minutes) on-site screening of high exposures as well as more extensive measurement for the determination of trace levels of internalized nuclear material (and subsequent resulting radiation dose).