The following report was received via email by the
Colorado Department of Health:
On May 19, 2023, the RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] at Memorial Hospital, University of Colorado Health, reported a missing 1.2 mCi germanium-68 sealed source. The source was determined to be an internal quality control source of a PET/CT [Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography] camera. The source was identified as missing during a routine 6-month inventory performed on April 21, 2023.
The PET/CT camera was purchased by Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. in December 2022. Siemens subcontracted the decommissioning of the camera to a 3rd party (Clinical Imaging Systems), however, they failed to remove the source prior to transporting/shipping the camera to a Clinical Imaging System's warehouse. The source has been removed from the camera and is currently secured in a locked room at the warehouse. Memorial Hospital has been working with Siemens to have a licensed service provider ship the source back to Memorial Hospital or directly to a licensed recipient for disposal.
Colorado Event Number: CO230013
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A 'Less than Cat 3' LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than
IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as
moisture density gauges or thickness
gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. For additional information go to
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf