Production, Processing and Application of Research Reactor Produced Fluorine-18 Radiopharmaceutical

Summary

Fluorine-18 was produced in a low power research reactor from enriched lithium-6 carbonate. The radiopharmaceutical quality ¹⁸F was produced within fifteen minutes by separating it from tritium and lithium. Evaluation of radiochemical purity and biological assay showed the product could be administered orally or parenterally. Oral administration to fasting patients resulted in high quality bone scans.

Le Fluor-18 a été produit dans un réacteur à faible flux neutronique à partir du carbonate de Lithium. La séparation chimique du Fluor-18, des autres éléments, tritium et lithium, a été realisée en dedans de 15 minutes. Des tests de pureté chimique et des experiences biologiques ont démontré que l’administration orale ou intraveineuse était sans danger. Des scintigraphies osseuses de haute qualité ont été obtenues après administration orale chez des sujets à jeun.

Fluor-18 wurde in einem Forschungsreaktor von kleiner Leistung aus angereichertem Li-6 Karbonat hergestellt. Fluor-18 von pharmazeutischer Qualität wurde innerhalb von 15 Minuten mittels Trennung von Tritium und Lithium gewonnen. Prüfung der radiochemischen Reinheit und der biologischen Daten zeigte, daß das Produkt oral oder parenteral verabreicht werden konnte. Nach oraler Gabe von Fluor-18 an nüchterne Patienten konnten Knochen-Szintigraphien von guter Qualität angefertigt werden.

^* From the Division of Nuclear Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Baltimore, Md. 21205, USA.

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