Automated synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography: an apparatus for [1-C] labeled carboxylic acid.

A fully automated apparatus for the synthesis and formulation of short-lived (11)C (t(1/2) = 20 min)-labeled carboxylic acids for positron emission tomograpy (PET) has been developed. Injectable solutions of [1-(11)C]acetic acid, [1-(11)C]octanoic acid and [1-(11)C]palmitic acid wilh radioactivities of 6.36-8.29 GBq, 0.070-1.43 GBq and 0.42-0.89 GBq were obtained. The preparation time was under 40 min after the end of bombardment. An automatic washing function means that labeled compound of the same or different kinds can be produced several times a day without any maintenance of the system. The control system is sited away from the 'hot laboratory', so operator exposure to radiation is minimized.