An automated high pressure reaction vessel for routine preparation of short-lived radiopharmaceuticals.

A remote, automated high-pressure/temperature system for preparation of radiopharmaceuticals is described. The system was routinely employed in our laboratories in the production of multimillicurie amounts of 11C labeled D,L-amino acids in more than 90 production runs, with typical final D,L-product activities of 240-400 mCi. The high pressure system, however, is not restricted only to the production of 11C labeled amino acids, but for application in any synthetic procedure requiring high pressure (approximately 300 psia) and temperature (greater than 300 degrees C).