Column-switching HPLC for the analysis of plasma in PET imaging studies

Abstract A column-switch high performance liquid chromatography method for the analysis of 4 mL of plasma is described with six examples of chromatography of [ 11 C]-labeled positron-emission tomography imaging agents. Complete extraction of all but the most polar metabolites by the reverse phase capture column is achieved by disruption of plasma protein binding by 8 M urea.