Role of cyclotrons and positron imaging in the future of nuclear medicine

The main advantage of cyclotron-produced radionuclides for radionuclide tomography is to provide images that represent physiologic function. A major factor in the full realization of this goal rests in the selection and production of labeled compounds whose chemical or physiologic properties are not significantly perturbed by the addition of the radionuclide to the selected compound. The positron-emitters 11C, 13N, and 15O undeniably and uniquely fulfill this requirement. It should also be mentioned that in some cases physiologic functions can be studied with labeled analogues