ABSTRACT

Cyclotron-produced 18F, 77Br, and 123I have become more and more important especially in nuclear medicine. As for the commercial availability, 123I is steadily supplied from various producers in the world in spite of its rather limited life. In some fortunate cases, 77Br and 18F can be purchased. In the preparation of 18F-labeled compounds, 18F should almost always be produced on site. In an in-house radionuclide production, various conditions, such as nuclear reaction, target material, and chemical separation, should be selected mainly on the consideration of the characteristics of the available cyclotron and required purity and physical and chemical state of the product. Cyclotron production is clearly preferred in yield, simplicity, and physical and chemical state of the product. In the use of a low-energy cyclotron, the window should be made thinner and cooled efficiently by, e.g., a cold helium stream.