Transportable manufacturing facility for radioactive materials

• US 20040086437A1
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jackson, Mark Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 4/08 specially adapted for medical application radiation therapy using radioactive sources A61N5/10
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 5/00 Irradiation devices discharge tubes for irradiating H01J37/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 13/00 Magnetic resonance accelerators; Cyclotrons strophotrons, turbine tubes H01J25/62
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 422/903 Radioactive material apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to a manufacturing facility comprising a building structure which encloses working space of the manufacturing facility, the building structure being designed to house a cyclotron and to be transportable by truck or rail to a destination site, wherein the manufacturing facility, except for lacking a cyclotron during transport, is substantially equipped during transport to produce and package a radiopharmaceutical. The invention also relates to a method of providing a manufacturing facility for producing a radioactive material, the method comprising the steps of designing the manufacturing facility to receive a cyclotron; equipping the manufacturing facility with a synthesis unit which is designed to receive a first radioactive material from the cyclotron and to produce a second radioactive material; transporting the manufacturing facility to a site; transporting the cyclotron to the site; and enclosing the cyclotron inside the manufacturing facility. The manufacturing facility may be relocated to another site without substantial effort.

Claims

1. A method of providing a manufacturing facility for producing a radioactive material, the method comprising:

designing the manufacturing facility to receive a cyclotron;

transporting the manufacturing facility to a site;

transporting the cyclotron to the site; and

enclosing the cyclotron inside the manufacturing facility.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of equipping the manufacturing facility with a synthesis unit which is designed to receive a first radioactive material from the cyclotron and to produce a second radioactive material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first radioactive material is a radioisotope and the second radioactive material is a radiopharmaceutical.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the synthesis unit receives ¹⁸F—

from the cyclotron and produces 2-[¹⁸F]-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the second radioactive material is adapted for use in a Positron Emission Tomography scanner or a Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography scanner.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of equipping the manufacturing facility with a packaging room prior to transporting the manufacturing facility to the site.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of equipping the manufacturing facility with radiation shielding prior to transporting the manufacturing facility to shield radiation produced by the cyclotron.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of installing radiation shielding in walls of the manufacturing facility after the manufacturing facility has been transported to the site.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of equipping the manufacturing facility with quality control equipment prior to transporting the manufacturing facility to the site.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of equipping the manufacturing facility with radiopharmaceutical packaging equipment prior to transporting the manufacturing facility to the site.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of equipping the manufacturing facility with a communications port prior to transporting the manufacturing facility to the site, the communications port being connected to at least one sensor on the cyclotron.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the manufacturing facility is designed to satisfy all legal and regulatory requirements of the jurisdiction in which the site is located.

13. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving a manufacturing facility at a site, the manufacturing facility being substantially equipped for producing a radioactive material, except that the manufacturing facility lacks a cyclotron;

receiving a cyclotron at the site;

enclosing the cyclotron within the manufacturing facility; and

allowing the cyclotron to be removed from the manufacturing facility.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of allowing the manufacturing facility to be removed from the site.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of reselling at least one of the cyclotron and the manufacturing facility.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the manufacturing facility, except for lacking a cyclotron during transport, is substantially equipped during transport to produce and package a radiopharmaceutical.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the manufacturing facility is designed to satisfy all legal and regulatory requirements of the jurisdiction in which the site is located.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the manufacturing facility is designed to satisfy all legal and regulatory requirements of the state and federal governments of the United States.

19. A method comprising the step of leasing a transportable manufacturing facility for manufacturing at least one radiopharmaceutical.

20. A manufacturing facility comprising:

a building structure which encloses working space of the manufacturing facility, the building structure being designed to house a cyclotron and to be transportable by truck or rail to a destination site, wherein the manufacturing facility, except for lacking a cyclotron during transport, is substantially equipped during transport to produce and package a radiopharmaceutical.

21. The manufacturing facility of claim 20, wherein the building structure is designed to house a vertically oriented cyclotron.

22. The manufacturing facility of claim 20, wherein the building structure is designed to house a horizontally oriented cyclotron.

23. The manufacturing facility of claim 21, wherein the manufacturing facility comprises a synthesis unit which receives a radioisotope from the cyclotron and which produces the radiopharmaceutical.

24. The manufacturing facility of claim 21, wherein the manufacturing facility has an outside width of less than or equal to fourteen feet.

25. The manufacturing facility of claim 23, wherein the radiopharmaceutical is adapted for use in a Positron Emission Tomography scanner.

26. The manufacturing facility of claim 23, wherein the radiopharmaceutical is adapted for use in a Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography scanner.

27. The manufacturing facility of claim 23, wherein the manufacturing facility comprises a communications port, quality control equipment, and a packaging room.

28. The manufacturing facility of claim 20, wherein the manufacturing facility is designed to satisfy all legal and regulatory requirements of the jurisdiction in which the site is located.