The Accelerator

     The first CTI RDS 112, an 11 MeV proton cyclotron was installed at the University of Wisconsin Medical Physics Department in 1985.  Since that time, it has performed admirably, with less than 2% unscheduled down time.  Operating under a fair-share cost-recovery ("128-account"), the cyclotron has provided a major resource for basic researchers, student training and PET clinicians alike.

The modifications that make this first RDS unique include:
     -a vertical switching magnet, deflecting the beam straight down for the irradiation of molten targets
     -a plethora of specialty targets for the production of such unusual radionuclides as carbon-10, oxygen-14, electrophilic fluorine-17 and more than a hundred proton-rich reaction products
     -a wide variety of neutron and gamma detectors that monitor the progress of the irradiation

The Radiochemistry Labs

     The fully equipped radiochemistry labs cover about 4000 square feet, with a full complement of 5 fume hoods, which are set up for Curie level synthesis.  Fast flow-through reactors perform gas-phase reactions in seconds.  Analytic techniques include HPLC (8 systems), GC (2), TLC and X-ray fluorescent spectrometry.  In vivo micro-dialysis permits real-time sampling and radiochemical analysis of the extra cellular fluid space in rats, tracking labeled metabolites responding to pharmacological challenge.

Imaging

PET: A CTI 933/04 PET scanner, purchased by the Wm. S. Middleton VA Hospital in 1986, was dedicated for basic research at the cyclotron site in 1997.  The scanner was modified for:
     -single photon transmission imaging and attenuation correction
     -edge detection with the positron floodlight for segmented attenuation correction
     -OSEM iterative reconstruction.
Single photon imaging: Several GE Maxi cameras are served by a CAMAC/Quadra interface for conventional nuclear imaging.  These cameras have been fitted with heavy shielding and collimators for 511 keV service on animal preps.
Autoradiography: Tissue-sectioning microtomes prepare slices for ex vivo autoradiography with a Packard Cyclone phosphor imaging system, capable of 40 µm spatial resolution over 5 decades of dynamic range.