Modular cassette synthesis unit

Abstract

Compact modular cassette systems and methods for the synthesis of radiopharmaceutical products are provided, the compact modular cassette system including a modular unit having valve plates, a reaction cassette, a reagent pack, and other seal and connector plates to ensure that reagents can be mixed together inside one or more chambers of the reaction cassette in a timely and efficient manner. When a new chamber for each new reaction or process should be used, a valveless modular system having removable reaction cassettes and the reagent packs may be used. In such a system, the reagent container, the reaction cassette, or both, can be removed from the modular cassette system and discarded after a desired reaction or process has taken place.

1 . A modular reaction system, comprising:
 one or more reaction cassettes;   one or more reagent packs coupled to the one or more reaction cassettes via one or more couplings;   one or more mixing chambers; and   one or more gaskets between adjacent cassettes and/or reagent packs, the one or more gaskets being configured to prevent leakage between the adjacent cassettes and/or reagent packs; wherein   the one or more couplings consist of channels formed in the one or more cassettes, the one or more reagent packs and the one or more gaskets, a plurality of the channels being in communication with one another to ensure fluid transfer, and   the modular reaction system is configured to be releasably coupled to a computer-assisted backplane control system.   
     
     
         2 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein fluid transfer between the one or more cassettes and the one or more reagent packs is pneumatically controlled. 
     
     
         3 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more reaction cassettes comprises at least one reaction chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more reagent packs comprises at least one reagent capsule. 
     
     
         5 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein the channels are integrally formed in the one or more cassettes, the one or more reagent packs and the one or more gaskets. 
     
     
         6 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein the channels are configured to ensure fluid communication between the one or more cassettes and the one or more reagent packs. 
     
     
         7 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the channels formed in each of the one or more cassettes are in communication with the at least one reaction chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the channels formed in each of the one or more reagent packs are in communication with the at least one reagent capsule. 
     
     
         9 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid transfer between the one or more cassettes and the one or more reagent packs is controlled via a control module located outside the modular reaction system. 
     
     
         10 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more reaction cassettes, the one or more reagent packs and the one or more gaskets are maintained in close proximity so as to prevent leakage via a clamping mechanism. 
     
     
         11 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the reaction cassettes, the reagent packs and the gaskets are at least one of removable and replaceable. 
     
     
         12 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein the modular reaction system is slidable relative to the computer-assisted backplane control system via rails. 
     
     
         13 . The modular reaction system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-assisted backplane control system controls a plurality of modular reaction systems and components via a bus. 
     
     
         14 . The modular reaction system of  claim 13 , wherein the modular reaction system is configured to share controls and utilities associated with the computer-assisted backplane control system with the plurality of modular reaction systems and components. 
     
     
         15 . A synthesis method in a modular system, comprising:
 providing one or more reaction cassettes;   coupling one or more reagent packs to the one or more reaction cassettes via one or more couplings;   providing one or more mixing chambers;   providing one or more gaskets between adjacent cassettes and/or reagent packs to prevent leakage between the adjacent cassettes and/or reagent packs; and   providing a computer-assisted backplane control system to control the module reaction system; wherein
 the one or more couplings consist of channels formed in the one or more cassettes, the one or more reagent packs and the one or more gaskets, the channels being in communication with one another, and 
 the modular reaction system is configured to be releasably coupled to the computer-assisted backplane control system. 
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising transferring fluid between the one or more reagent packs and the one or more reaction cassettes; wherein
 the fluid transfer is controlled pneumatically.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 providing the one or more reaction cassettes comprises providing at east one reaction chamber in each of the one or more reaction cassettes; and   each one of the one or more reagent packs comprises at least one reagent capsule.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising integrally forming the channels in the one or more cassettes, the one or more reagent packs and the one or more gaskets. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising configuring the channels to ensure fluid communication between the one or more cassettes and the one or more reagent packs. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein configuring the channels comprises communicating one or more of the channels formed in each of the one or more cassettes with the at least one reaction chamber. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein configuring the channels comprises communicating one or more of the channels formed in each of the one or more reagent packs with the at least one reagent capsule. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein pneumatically transferring the fluid between the one or more cassettes and the one or more reagent packs is performed via a control module located outside the modular system. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein coupling one or more reagent packs to the one or more reaction cassettes comprises clamping the one or more reagent packs, the one or more gaskets and the one or more reaction cassettes together via a clamping mechanism. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein one or more of the reaction cassettes, the reagent packs and the gaskets are at least one of removable and replaceable. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more of the reaction cassettes are automatically ejected into a shielded waste container to minimize personnel exposure once the one or more of the reaction cassettes are spent. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising robotically installing at least one replacement cassette. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising providing rails to the modular reaction system such that the modular reaction system is slidable relative to the computer-assisted backplane control system. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising using the computer-assisted backplane control system to control a plurality of modular reaction systems and components via a bus. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising configuring the modular reaction system to share controls and utilities associated with the computer-assisted backplane control system with the plurality of modular reaction systems and components. 
     
     
         30 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to control pneumatic fluid transfer in a modular reaction system, the system comprising:
 one or more reaction cassettes;   one or more reagent packs coupled to the one or more reaction cassettes via one or more couplings;   one or more mixing chambers; and   one or more gaskets between adjacent cassettes and/or reagent packs, the one or more gaskets being configured to prevent leakage between the adjacent cassettes and/or reagent packs; wherein the one or more couplings consist of channels formed in the one or more cassettes, the one or more reagent packs and the one or more gaskets, a plurality of the channels being in communication with one another to ensure fluid transfer;   the control logic comprising computer readable program code means for controlling fluid transfer between the one or more cassettes and the one or more reagent packs, wherein the fluid transfer is pneumatically controlled, and configuring the modular reaction system to be releasably coupled to a computer-assisted backplane control system.