Description
Fast-decaying isotopes such as 11C are ideally suited for positron emission tomography (PET) applications requiring high-quality imaging while minimizing patient radiation exposure and radioactive waste. Despite these advantages, access to such isotopes remains limited in underprivileged regions. Several successful demonstrations of nuclear reactions induced by high-power lasers and relevant to medical radioisotope production will be presented, highlighting the potential of laser-driven approaches to reduce costs and improve availability.
The development of laser-based systems for medical radioisotope production, however, entails addressing a number of technical and operational challenges. At ELI-NP, the Dr. Laser project was initiated in 2025 and focuses on medical applications of high-power lasers. One of its three main pillars is the demonstration of medical radioisotope production at specific activities relevant to the preclinical range, using laser-driven proton and deuteron beams as well as photonuclear reactions.
This talk will present the main deliverable of the radioisotope-related component of the project, namely the production and characterization of preclinical doses of 11C. Considerations regarding the experimental setups, the simulation chain developed for optimizing isotope production, and the radiochemical aspects of isotope extraction will also be discussed in detail. It will be demonstrated that, from a nuclear-physics perspective, the production of preclinical doses of 11C is achievable, a goal that will be actively pursued in the coming years.
