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First Mobile Unit in Operation for the Production of PET Isotopes
Pleasanton, CA - November 17, 2006
Dr. Robert W. Hamm, President and CEO of AccSys Technology, Inc., announced today that the
first mobile PULSAR® PET Isotope Production Laboratory has been in operations and producing
FDG daily for distribution at a demonstration site in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
This system is now sold and delivered for the daily production of Fluorine-18 labelled FDG
and other compounds for Molecular Imaging.
This Mobile system consists of a 7 MeV PULSAR® proton linear accelerator installed in a Medical
Coaches mobile coach that is also outfitted with a laboratory containing the analytical equipment
for quality assurance and control of the product. This first unit contains a shielded mini-cell
housing a synthesis unit for FDG and a clean area with a class 3 laminar flow hood for final dispensing.
One of the barriers to the broad application of positron emission tomography (PET) has been the
widespread availability of short-lived PET isotopes. The most common PET compound, FDG, is labeled
with Fluorine-18 which has a half life of 110 minutes. The growing demand for PET scans has already
prompted the establishment of distribution centers throughout the U.S. for the distribution of FDG.
Other compounds that are labeled with much shorter lived isotopes, such as Carbon-11 (20 min),
Nitrogen-13 (10 min) or Oxygen-15 (2 min), require an on-site accelerator for their use in diagnostic
PET scans.
The PULSAR® series of PET Isotope Production Systems is based on the same light-weight, power
efficient and rugged technology used in all AccSys rf ion linac systems. Whether for fixed-site
or mobile applications, these accelerators represent the next generation of equipment for the
production of the positron emitting isotopes commonly used in molecular imaging.
AccSys Technology, headquartered in California, USA, is the world’s leading commercial producer of
rf ion linacs for medical, industrial and research applications. Founded in 1985 as a design and
manufacturing company, AccSys specializes in the development, production, installation and servicing
of compact ion linacs using its patented linac technology. AccSys is dedicated to providing the
highest quality and most reliable commercial ion linac systems to meet the needs of its customers.
For more information on AccSys Technology, Inc., please visit the AccSys web site at
www.accsys.com. AccSys has been an
affiliate of Hitachi, Ltd. since 2002.
Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company,
with approximately 326,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2005 (ended March 31, 2006) consolidated
sales totaled 8,634.4 billion yen ($81.4 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems,
products and services in market sectors, including information systems, electronic devices, power
and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information
on Hitachi, please visit the company's Web site at
www.hitachi.com.
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