PET Research Facility

Index

Cyclotron | Scanner | Hot Cells | Quality Control | Other Services | Tracers

GE PETtrace 10 Cyclotron

The GE PETtrace Radiotracer Production System is a compact, automated cyclotron and radiochemistry system designed for the fast, easy, and efficient production of PET radiotracers.  The PETtrace System is centered on a compact negative ion cyclotron of proven design.  The PETtrace Cyclotron features a vertical mid-plane and can accelerate protons to 16.5 MeV and deuterons to 8.4 MeV of energy.  The system can be configured with various targets/process systems for production of common PET radioisotopes.  The high performance, flexible design is ideal for applications in a research setting.

The PET isotopes, which can be produced by the PETtrace System, including oxygen-15, nitrogen-13, carbon-11, and fluorine-18, are automatically transferred to the radiochemistry processing systems for efficient conversion into finished radiotracers or precursors for use in preparing other labeled molecules.

GE 16-slice PET/CT Discovery ST Scanner

The PET/CT Discovery ST Scanner has 24 detector rings that provide 47 contiguous image planes over a maximum 70 cm transaxial field of view with CT attenuation correction. Axial spatial resolution of this scanner is 3.27 mm at the center of the gantry. Data acquisition modes include static, dynamic, whole body, and gated. The room is equipped with anesthesia gases and exhaust for scavenging the gases. There is a dedicated viewing area to interpret scans and a data analysis room.  In addition, a dedicated research PACS for PET has been created to store PET data in DICOM format (images and raw data).

The scanner has high-sensitivity, uniform spatial resolution across the whole field of view and includes a laser alignment system for accurate positioning. Advanced detector technology - BGO crystals (6.3 mm transaxial, 6.3 mm axial, 30 mm radial) for high sensitivity and photo-fraction. There are 10,080 individual cut crystals for efficient light detection arranged in 24 rings of 420 crystals each. Large detector ring produces uniform resolution important for whole body imaging, especially for lymph nodes under the arm and where skin lesions can be on distant parts of the body. Thick, long-bore collimators and end-shield caps reduce scatter and random events. Excellent electronics provide high bandwidth, and very high count rate capability with low dead time. Large display panel for easy monitoring with bilaterally placed control panels for easy access. The scanner has fast movement with simultaneous up/in or down/out with convenient foot pedals for up/down and accommodates patients that weigh up to 400 lbs.

This research-dedicated facility is equipped with all necessary supplies. There is a participant dressing and waiting area, and a CT-registered technologist performs the scanning. All image data is HIPAA compliant and can be networked (DICOM format) to GE workstations, TeraRecon servers, Mac workstations, or other servers for analysis by investigators. If needed, other shared clinical CT scanners are available.

 Hot Cells

 Quality Control

ProStar 210UV-Varian HPLC 

 Waters Alliance HPLC

 Agilent 7890BGas Chromatography

 Radio TLC Scanner

 Other Services

 BET testing of radiopharmaceuticals

Tracers