TRIUMF offers a unique infrastructure for the production of medical radionuclides using proton beams for both imaging and therapeutic applications. The TR-13 cyclotron is a workhorse of the Life Sciences Division, supporting the routine production of well-established imaging radionuclides such as ¹⁸F and ¹¹C, as well as several radiometals including (but not limited to) ⁶⁸Ga, ⁴⁴Sc, ⁸⁶Y, and ⁸⁹Zr. It is also used for producing selected therapeutic radionuclides, such as ¹¹⁹Sb, ¹⁹⁷ᵐ⁺ᵍHg, and ¹⁰³Pd.
In addition to the TR-13, the Life Sciences Division utilizes several other TRIUMF facilities. These include ISAC, which supports the production of radionuclides such as ²⁰⁹/²¹¹At, ²²⁵Ra/²²⁵Ac, ²²⁶Ac, ¹⁴⁹/¹⁵⁵Tb, and ¹⁶⁵Er, and the Isotope Production Facility (IPF), which uses spallation reactions on thorium targets to produce emerging therapeutic radionuclides, such ²²⁵Ac and other emerging alpha emitters (e.g., Pb-212/Bi-212).
This presentation will outline the current utilization of TRIUMF's facilities by Life Sciences group, as well as explore potential future production capabilities, including developments at the ARIEL proton and electron beamlines and the Isotope Production and Advanced Molecular Imaging (IAMI) facility.
Valery Radchenko, PhD
Contact: vradchenko@triumf.ca