Apparatus and method for preparing oxygen-15 labeled water H2[15O] in an injectable form for use in positron emission tomography

摘要

A handling and processing apparatus for preparing Oxygen-15 labeled water (H2[15O]) in injectable form for use in Positron Emission Tomography from preferably H2[15O] produced by irradiating a flowing gas target of nitrogen and hydrogen. The apparatus includes a collector for receiving and directing a gas containing H2[15O] gas and impurities, mainly ammonia (NH3) gas into sterile water to trap the H2[15O] and form ammonium (NH4+) in the sterile water. A device for displacing the sterile water containing H2[15O] and NH4+ through a cation resin removes NH4+ from the sterile water. A device for combining the sterile water containing H2[15O] with a saline solution produces an injectable solution. Preferably, the apparatus includes a device for delivering the solution to a syringe for injection into a patient. Also, disclosed is a method for preparing H2[15O] in injectable form for use in Positron Emission Tomography in which the method neither requires isotopic exchange reaction nor application of high temperature.