The development of an Automated Synthesis Module (ASM) for the production of Nitrogen-13 Labeled Octylamine is proposed. Nitrogen-13 Labeled Octylamine is a promising lung imaging agent, but because of the short half-life of Nitrogen-13 (10 min) the synthesis must be performed in a rapid automated module for wide spread utilization in the hospital environment. The new ASM module will efficiently remove the Nitrogen Isotope from the target of the small medical cyclotron and perform the necessary chemistry to produce the desired Nitrogen-13 labeled Octylamine within a 30 minute time frame. The commercial availability of such an effective lung imaging agent combined with the many other innovations presently occurring in the Positron Emission Tomography community could greatly enhance PET. Computer Technology and Imaging, Inc. is developing and will begin supplying Positron Emission Tomography Centers during 1985 that will sell (less than $2M) for less than typical MRI Scanners. They anticipate selling 6 to 10 of these systems in 1985 with the market expanding to over 100 per year by 1989. They anticipate that the proposed lung agent will be a necessity for this commercialization to occur.
