Rubidium-82 chloride is a form of rubidium chloride containing a radioactive isotope of rubidium. It is marketed under the brand name Cardiogen-82 by Bracco Diagnostics for use in Myocardial perfusion imaging. It is rapidly taken up by heart muscle cells, and therefore can be used to identify regions of heart muscle that are receiving poor blood flow in a technique called PET perfusion imaging. The half-life of rubidium-82 is only 1.26 minutes; it is normally produced at the place of use by rubidium generators.
References
Further reading Clarke, Michael J; Sadler, P. J (1999-06-15). Metallopharmaceuticals: Diagnosis and therapy. Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-65308-0. (Note: only about 1/2 page on Rb-generator) Alvarez-Diez, T; Dekemp, R; Beanlands, R; Vincent, J (1999). "Manufacture of strontium-82/rubidium-82 generators and quality control of rubidium-82 chloride for myocardial perfusion imaging in patients using positron emission tomography". Applied Radiation and Isotopes. 50 (6): 1015–23. Bibcode:1999AppRI..50.1015A. doi:10.1016/S0969-8043(98)00170-5. PMID 10355104. Waters, S. L.; Coursey, B. M., eds. (1987). "The Strontium-82/rubidium-82 generator". International Journal of Radiation Applications and Instrumentation A. 38 (3): 171–239.