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A fully automated apparatus for the routine synthesis and formulation of short-lived 11C (t1/2 = 20 min) labelled radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography (PET) has been developed. [11C]Carbon dioxide is converted to [11C]methyl iodide, which can be used to label a wide variety of substrates by methylation at C, N, O, or S electron rich centres. The apparatus, MIASA (methyl iodide automated synthesis apparatus), was designed to operate as part of an automated labelling system in a shielded ‘hot’ laboratory. The apparatus was designed without the size constraints of typical instrumentation used in hot cells, although it is compact where necessary. Ample use of indicators and sensors, together with compact design of the reaction flasks for small dead space and efficient evaporation, led to good reliability and performance. The design of the hardware and software is described in this paper, together with a preparation of 3-N-[11C]methylspiperone as a sterile injectable solution in physiological saline.

The aim of this research was to analyze how the occlusal status of oral and maxillofacial cancer patients reconstructed with free scapular combined flap affects their oral function.Forty-seven patients treated in our hospital from 1988 to 2007 simultaneously underwent reconstructive surgery following mandibulectomy. Food intake was evaluated at least one year after treatment. The 47 patients were divided by means of Urken's classification. Most of the patients who underwent limited resection (B, BS) showed sufficient ability to eat without prosthetic dentures. Patients who became edentulous in a