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Optimization of Radiochemical Reactions using Droplet Arrays
Published on: February 12, 2021
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Optimization of Radiochemical Reactions using Droplet Arrays
Alejandra Rios1, Travis S Holloway2, Jia Wang3
1Physics and Biology in Medicine Interdepartmental Graduate Program, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA); Crump Institute of Molecular Imaging, UCLA.
Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove
|March 1, 2021
Summary
This study introduces a novel chip-based platform for optimizing radiopharmaceutical synthesis. The new method significantly reduces reagent use and speeds up the development of new radiotracers.
Area of Science:
- Radiochemistry
- Chemical Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Automated radiosynthesizers are designed for large-scale radiopharmaceutical production.
- Current systems are inefficient for reaction optimization and new radiopharmaceutical development due to high reagent consumption and contamination issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a platform for rapid optimization of radiopharmaceutical synthesis.
- To enable efficient development of novel radiopharmaceuticals with minimal reagent use.
Main Methods:
- A novel platform utilizing miniature droplet-based reactions in parallel was developed.
- Reactions are confined within surface-tension traps on polytetrafluoroethylene-coated silicon chips.
- The platform allows for systematic studies of reaction parameters like concentration, solvent, temperature, and time.
Main Results:
- The chip-based platform enables hundreds of reactions to be completed in days.
- This approach significantly reduces reagent consumption compared to conventional methods.
- Facilitates rapid screening and optimization of radiolabeling reactions.
Conclusions:
- The developed platform addresses limitations of conventional radiosynthesizers for research and development.
- It offers a faster, more efficient, and cost-effective method for radiopharmaceutical optimization.
- This technology is crucial for accelerating the discovery of new diagnostic and therapeutic radiotracers.
