Final answer:
A technetium-99m pertechnetate scan is a diagnostic tool for detecting ectopic gastric mucosa and Meckel's diverticulum by utilizing the radioisotope technetium-99m, which is easily identified due to its unique gamma ray emission and short half-life.
Step-by-step explanation:
A technetium-99m pertechnetate scan, also known as a Meckel's scan, is used to detect the presence of ectopic gastric mucosa, particularly in the evaluation of Meckel's diverticulum, which can cause bleeding in the bowels. Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a radioisotope that's advantageous in medical imaging due to its metastable state, which emits a gamma ray with a unique 0.142-MeV energy signature. This makes it easy to identify during diagnostic procedures. Furthermore, 99mTc has a relatively short half-life of 6 hours, minimizing the radiation exposure to the patient. It is easily produced on-site through the neutron activation of molybdenum, which decays into 99mTc. When attached to compounds, it allows for the imaging of various organs such as the skeleton, heart, lungs, and kidneys using imaging techniques such as an Anger camera or gamma camera.