SPECT radioisotope production beamlines have been utilized on H- commercial cyclotrons to transport extracted high current proton beams of kinetic energies in excess of 25 MeV a distance of ten meters or more to shielded target bunkers. This arrangement resulted in relatively low residual activity to the cyclotron and beamlines (a boon to maintenance personnel), and permitted steering, focusing and optimization of the beam spot on target. Commercial PET cyclotrons traditionally have not been provided with beamlines, however, the current trend is towards compact and even micro-beamlines that displace the high activity targets just far enough from the cyclotron to permit use of target shielding to limit dose exposure to cyclotron maintenance personnel while simultaneously facilitating beam steering and focusing to optimize beam on target as proton currents have grown from 20 micro-amperes to 150 micro-amperes or more on target in the kinetic energy range 10-19 MeV. This paper describes best practices in SPECT and PET beamline design, and the evolution towards micro-beamlines for commercial PET radioisotope production.

Radioisotope production beamlines for SPECT and PET: Tens of meters to tens of centimeters

245th National Meeting (2013)

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