THE USE OF SHORT-LIVED POSITRON-EMITTING RADIONUCLIDES IS ATTRACTING GREAT INTEREST IN NUCLEAR MEDICINE.

THE USE OF SHORT-LIVED POSITRON-EMITTING RADIONUCLIDES IS ATTRACTING GREAT INTEREST IN NUCLEAR MEDICINE. HOWEVER, THEY ARE GENERALLY UNAVAILABLE TO HOSPITALS DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF AN IN-HOUSE CYCLOTRON. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW ACCELERATOR SOURCE WHICH CAN GENERATE SHORT-LIVED RADIONUCLIDES ON SITE AT LOW COST. THIS WILL BROADEN THE USE OF POSITRON-EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY IN NUCLEAR MEDICINE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE NEW SOURCE ISA PLASMA FOCUS DEUTERON SOURCE (PFDS). DEUTERONS HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH PLASMA FOCUS DEVICES. IN THE PROPOSED PHASE IPROGRAM, A PROOF OF CONCEPT SOURCE WILL BE BUILT AT MAXWELL BY MOUNTING A PLASMA FOCUS DEVICE ON AN EXISTING PULSE POWERSYSTEM (A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE MAXWELL PRODUCT, MAGNEFORM [R] 8000); THE USE OF AN EXISTING SUPPLY MINIMIZES THE COST OF THE PROOF OF CONCEPT DEMONSTRATION. THIS SOURCE WILL BE USED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE DEUTERONS GENERATED BY THE PFDSHAVE ENOUGH ENERGY TO PRODUCE (15)O THROUGH THE REACTION (14)N(D,N) (13)O WHEN THEY IMPINGE ON A SOLID TARGET OF LITHIUM NITRIDE (LI(3)N). THE AMOUNT OF (15)O PRODUCED WILLBE DETERMINED BY MEASURING THE RADIOACTIVITY (GAMMA EMISSION) OF THE TARGET AFTER DEUTERON IRRADIATION. VARIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF (15)O PRODUCED AS A FUNCTION OF DISCHARGE VOLTAGE AND D(2) PRESSURE IN THE PFDS WILL BE OBSERVED TO PROVIDE SCALING LAWS. IN LATER PROGRAM PHASES, IT WIL BE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE PFDS IS ALSO CAPABLE OF PRODUCING THE SHORT-LIVED POSITRON EMITTERS (11)C, (13)N, (15)O, AND (17)F THROUGH (D.N.) REACTIONS. THE APPLICANT'S EXPERIENCE WITH PULSED SOURCES INDICATE THAT THE PFDS WILL BE MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE TO FABRICATE AND OPERATE THAN THE CYCLOTRONS NOW USED FOR THIS PURPOSE. THIS WILL ALLOW MUCH WIDER DISTRIBUTION OF THE RADIONUCLIDES REQUIRED FOR POSITRON-EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY (PET). THE AVAILABILITY OF A RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE SOURCE OF THESE RADIONUCLIDES WOULD RAPIDLY EXPAND THE USE OF PET IN MEDICAL CENTERS.