Hybridised production of technetium-99m and technetium-101 with fluorine-18 on a low-energy biomedical cyclotron

New modes of production and supply of short-lived radioisotopes using accelerators are becoming attractive alternatives to the use of nuclear reactors. In this study, the use of a compact accelerator neutron source (CANS) was implemented to explore the production of ${}^{99m}$Tc and ${}^{101}$Tc. Irradiations were performed with neutrons generated from a 16.5 MeV cyclotron utilising the ${}^{18}$O(p, n)${}^{18}$F reaction during routine ${}^{18}$F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) production in a commercial radiopharmacy. Natural molybdenum targets in metal form were employed for the production of several Tc isotopes interest via (n, γ) reactions on ${}^{98}$Mo and ${}^{100}$Mo. The production of ${}^{99m}$Tc and ${}^{101}$Tc under these conditions is considered and discussed.