US 5,425,063 AGranted

Method for selective recovery of PET-usable quantities of [.sup.18 F] fluoride and [.sup.13 N] nitrate/nitrite from a single irradiation of low-enriched [.sup.18 O] water

AssigneeAssociated Universities, Inc.

InventorsRichard A. Ferrieri, David J. Schlyer, Colleen Shea

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Abstract

A process for simultaneously producing PET-usable quantities of [.sup.13 N]NH.sub.3 and [.sup.18 F]F.sup.- for radiotracer synthesis is disclosed. The process includes producing [.sup.13 N]NO.sub.2.sup.- /NO.sub.3.sup.- and [.sup.18 F]F.sup.- simultaneously by exposing a low-enriched (20%-30%) [.sup.18 O]H.sub.2 O target to proton irradiation, sequentially isolating the [.sup.13 N]NO.sub.2.sup.- /NO.sub.3.sup.- and [.sup.18 F]F.sup.- from the [.sup.18 O]H.sub.2 O target, and reducing the [.sup.13 N]NO.sub.2.sup.- /NO.sub.3.sup.- to [.sup.13 N]NH.sub.3. The [.sup.13 N]NH.sub.3 and [.sup.18 F]F.sup.- products are then conveyed to a laboratory for radiotracer applications. The process employs an anion exchange resin for isolation of the isotopes from the [.sup.18 O]H.sub.2 O, and sequential elution of [.sup.13 N]NO.sub.2.sup.- /NO.sub.3.sup.- and [ .sup.18 F]F.sup.- fractions. Also the apparatus is disclosed for simultaneously producing PET-usable quantities of [.sup.13 N]NH.sub.3 and [.sup.18 F]F.sup.- from a single irradiation of a single low-enriched [.sup.18 O]H.sub.2 O target.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An apparatus for simultaneous quantitative production and sequential recovery of [.sup.13 N]NH.sub.3 and [.sup.18 F]F.sup.-, comprising:

a proton source for providing a beam of protons,
a target cell containing low-enriched [.sup.18 O]H.sub.2 O target water for irradiation by said proton beam, anion separation means, serially connected to the target cell, through which said target water may be passed for removing [.sup.13 N]NO.sub.x.sup.- and [.sup.18 F]F.sup.- from the target water,
[.sup.18 F]F.sup.- eluting means, serially connected to an input of the anion separation means, by a valving means comprising a first eluant reservoir including a first eluant for selective elution of [.sup.18 F]F.sup.- from the anion separation means as a collectable [.sup.18 F]F.sup.- fraction, and
[.sup.13 N]NO.sub.x.sup.- eluting means, serially connected to an input of the anion separation means, by a valving means comprising a second eluant reservoir including a second eluant for selective elution of [.sup.13 N]NO.sub.x.sup.- from the anion separation means as a collectable [.sup.13 N]NO.sub.x.sup.- fraction means for separately and sequentially connecting each of said [.sup.18 F]F.sup.- eluting means and said [.sup.13 N]NO.sub.x.sup.- eluting means to said input of said anion separation means, whereby exposure of low-enriched [.sup.18 O]H.sub.2 O target water in the target cell to proton irradiation simultaneously produces [.sup.13 N]NO.sub.x.sup.- and [.sup.18 F]F.sup.- in quantitatively recoverable amounts usable for radiotracer synthesis for PET imaging.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.