Rapid Assay for Internalized Radionuclides with Advanced Materials and Methods

描述（由申请人提供）：如果灾难导致放射性核素不受控制地扩散到环境中，必须对附近的人口进行迅速的内部核材料筛选。表面涂片和鼻拭子仅在短时间内作为暴露诊断是有效的，而尿液等体液的测定则是最可行的方法，用于确定可能内化的放射性核素，这些放射性核素无法通过隔离手段检测到（即不具有γ或强β排放的放射性核素）。这项研究工作的目标是开发和展示先进的材料和方法，以便能够快速、高通量地测定内化放射性核素（以及随后的剂量）。最初的工作将集中在锕系元素和210 Po上，因为它们在内化时具有很高的辐射剂量，最重要的是，目前无法使用隔离技术快速和容易地检测内化α发射器。我们的目标是创建一种系统，可以简单、微创、有效和可靠地捕获尿（可能还有其他液体，如血液）中表达的放射性核素，以帮助快速诊断内化放射性同位素。放射性核素预浓缩材料的直接测定（以精心设计的格式）可以用可自动化的市售设备实现。分析的时间和强度可以根据需要动态调整，以允许从快速高通量筛选（分钟）到更广泛的痕量同位素分析（持续数小时至数天）的性能范围。本研究主要围绕三个方面展开：1、研究目标；开发和评估先进的吸附材料，将有效地捕获和浓缩放射性核素从人类尿液和血液，以促进快速分析。2. 开发利用先进吸附材料的方法，对人类尿液和血液中的放射性核素进行加速、无创、高容量分析。3. 示范（加标）人类尿液和血液的诊断分析（快速一般筛选和痕量同位素），使用为检测相关活性/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。拟议的工作支持了NIAID的一些需求，如“开发微创生物剂量测量设备和技术，快速评估辐射暴露水平和类型的高通量诊断系统……”拟议的工作也与“NIAID辐射对策计划”相一致，该计划强调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体进行分类。拟议的研究将开发和展示先进的方法和材料，以便能够对大量人群进行高通量筛选，以发现核事件后可能在受害者体内沉积的放射性核素。预计这项工作将为尿液等体液提供一种简单的无创“自采样”装置（如蘸料棒）的技术，这种装置可以直接提交进行快速（分钟）现场高照射筛查，以及更广泛的测量，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).