Evaluation of the production capabilities of 18F, 11C, 13N and 15O PET isotopes at the PET-cyclotron-radiochemistry site of Messina University

The production of 18 F, 11 C, 13 N, and 15 O positron emitting radionuclides forPET imaging is usually accomplished in Nuclear Medicine Departments through directnuclear reactions induced by protons accelerated by compact medical cyclotrons on liquid orgaseous targets. Messina University has funded the construction of a PET-cyclotron-radio-chemistry plant at the Messina University Hospital, equipped with a 11 MeV self-shieldedcyclotron. We estimated the expected production yields of these nuclides, accounting fortarget thickness, production of other radioactive nuclides, and time effects on the irradiatedtarget purity. To this aim, both TALYS code (v. 1.8) and an analytical approach based onEXFOR experimental data were used. The general agreement between the two approaches,and with the available literature data, allows to assess the expected yields at the Endof Bombardment, and relative target purities, to be used for further radiopharmaceuticalpreparation steps.