Improving Processes of Design and Construction of Nuclear Medicine Facilities

Abstract

The article describes the organisation of the design and construction processes for nuclear medicine facilities in Russia. One of the key problems in this field has to do with the need to use custom-designed equipment whose specifications must be tailored to specific design solutions early on in the design process. However, this factor is ignored by the design-in-stages approach and by the legislation that regulates this area in Russia. Based on our vast experience drafting and analysing regulations, we have come up with a solution to this problem. The idea is to include a preliminary pre-design stage in the process. This preliminary stage would comprise a preliminary assessment of the safety of the healthcare facility, a feasibility study, a selection of the manufacturer to produce the required custom equipment and a draft sketch of the equipment. This would eliminate problems and errors at the later design and construction stages, eliminating non-conformances and the need to make amendments to existing documentation. At the same time, the proposed solution would not increase the time needed for design and construction.