Speaker
Description
The cyclotron at BC Cancer in Vancouver (model TR19 by Advanced Cyclotron Systems Inc.) supplies F-18 to manufacture [F-18]FDG for 3 provincial PET centers: Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna (total of four scanners with around 16,000 patients scanned per year). During planned maintenance and any downtime, a backup supply of F-18 is obtained from nearby TRIUMF’s TR-13 cyclotron. The activity supplied by TRIUMF is enough to sustain 80% of BC Cancer – Vancouver’s demand; no FDG is shipped to Victoria or Kelowna; therefore, the reliability of the BC Cancer cyclotron is of the utmost importance.
Striving for maximum reliability (zero downtime, minimum component failures) puts full focus on preventative maintenance of major components of the machine during maintenance days (done every 2 or 3 weeks) and during the annual shutdown periods (1 week every year).
Also, in order to mitigate supply-chain issues encountered in the recent period and reduce the downtime after component failures (e.g. power supplies, controllers, pumps, and gauges), on-site spare part inventory will be increased. Deciding on what components and systems need upgrading, while taking into account the department’s budget, is an ongoing challenge.
