Production of [17F]CH3F (t1/2=65s), an improved PET tracer for rCBF measurement

Production of 17F (t1/2=65s) in the form of [17F] F2 has been achieved using both the 20Ne(p,α)17F and 16O(d,n)17F reactions with 11 MeV protons and 6 MeV deuterons, respectively. Yields have proven suitable for subsequent radiosynthesis of the blood flow tracer, [17F]CH3F (>60 mCi in saline), currently in use for fast repetition human studies of regional cerebral blood flow with positron emission tomography. Thick target yields of 15 mCi/μA for protons and 44 mCi/μA for deuterons have been measured for [17F]F2.