A reliable pressurized water target for F-18 production at high beam currents

be irradiated at m re intense beam currents. However, a combination of factors presently limit [18F]fluoride ion production from small volume l80 water targets under high current irradiation conditions. Inadequate target cooling or a sharply focused beam strike cause losses due to boiling, cavitation and sometimes complete voiding of the target chamber. Radiolytic loss of target water also increases with more intense irradiation, and the impact of this factor is more sev re as target volumes decrease. Finally, loss of reactivity of the produced [18F]fluoride ion is a problem which has been attributed to contaminants leached from target surfaces during irradiation.