AN AUTOMATIC SYNTHESIS MODULE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF F-18 FLUORODEOXYGLUCOSE IS PROPOSED.

AN AUTOMATIC SYNTHESIS MODULE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF F-18 FLUORODEOXYGLUCOSE IS PROPOSED. THIS METABOLIC ANALOG HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY USED IN THE POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATIONS OF CEREBRAL AND MYOCARDIAL METABOLIC RATES, AND IS A HIGHLY DESIRABLE AGENT TO BE READILY AVAILABLE IN A PET CENTER SETTING. MUCH WORK HAS BEEN EXPENDED ON FDG SYNTHESIS, BUT AN AUTOMATED, RELIABLE SYSTEM BEGINNING WITH THE HIGH YIELD OXYGEN-18 PROTON REACTION IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE INVESTIGATION WILL PROCEED ON 2 LEVELS: 1.FOCUS ON TARGET CHAMBER APPROACHES TO PRODUCE SYNTHETICALLY USEFUL (METAL ION-FREE) F18 AND 2.REFINEMENT OF AN EXISTING MANUAL SYNTHESIS APPARATUS INTO A SEMIAUTOMATIC SYNTHESIS MODULE. THE OXYGEN-18 ROUTE HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF ELIMINATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR HANDLING TOXIC, HIGHLY REACTIVE FLUORINE GAS AND WILL PRODUCE A HIGHER YIELD OF FLUORINE-18. THE SYNTHETIC REQUIREMENT FOR AQUEOUS F18-FLUORIDE, FREE FROM INTERFERING CATIONS, DICTATES THE NEED TO EXAMINE 2 TARGET CHAMBER CONFIGURATIONS: AN OXYGEN GAS TARGET WHICH CAN BE RECYCLED AND AN OXYGEN-18 WATER TARGET WHICH IS EASILY TRANSPORTED FROM CYCLOTRON TO SYNTHESIS SITE. CONCURRENTLY, THE FDG SYNTHESIS ROUTE UNDER USE AT UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN WILL BE REFINED FROM A REMOTE BUT MANUAL SYNTHESIS INTO A SEMIAUTOMATIC PROCESS.