Processes, systems, and apparatus for cyclotron production of technetium-99m

Abstract

A process for producing technetium-99m from a molybdenum-100 metal powder, comprising the steps of: (i) irradiating in a substantially oxygen-free environment, a hardened sintered target plate coated with a Mo-100 metal, with protons produced by a cyclotron; (ii) dissolving molybdenum ions and technetium ions from the irradiated target plate with an H 2 O 2 solution to form an oxide solution; (iv) raising the pH of the oxide solution to about 14; (v) flowing the pH-adjusted oxide solution through a resin column to immobilize K[TcO 4 ] ions thereon and to elute K 2 [MoO 4 ] ions therefrom; (vi) eluting the bound K[TcO 4 ] ions from the resin column; (vii) flowing the eluted K[TcO 4 ] ions through an alumina column to immobilize K[TcO 4 ] ions thereon; (viii) washing the immobilized K[TcO 4 ] ions with water; (ix) eluting the immobilized K[TcO 4 ] ions with a saline solution; and (x) recovering the eluted Na[TcO 4 ] ions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for refining molybdenum-100 metal powders, comprising:
 oxidizing a commercial-grade Mo-100 metal powder in a solution comprising about 3% to about 40% hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) to produce molybdenum oxide;   heating the solution comprising molybdenum oxide and H 2 O 2  to denature excess H 2 O 2 ;   drying the molybdenum oxide;   in a first stage in an atmosphere comprising less than about 5% hydrogen, heating the dried molybdenum oxide at temperature from a range of about 300° C. to about 500° C. for a period of time from a range of about 15 minutes to about 3 hours to form MoO 3 ;   in a second stage in an atmosphere comprising less than about 5% hydrogen, increasing the temperature to a range of about 600° C. to about 850° C. for a period of time from a range of about 15 minutes to about 3 hours to form MoO 2 ;   in a third stage in an atmosphere comprising at least about 75% hydrogen, increasing the temperature to a range of about 1,000° C. to about 1,300° C. for a period of time from a range of about 15 minutes to about 3 hours to form a refined Mo-100 metal; and   recovering the refined Mo-100 metal.   
     
     
         2 . A process for producing a hardened target plate coated with a molybdenum-100 metal, comprising:
 suspending and intermixing a refined molybdenum-100 metal powder having grain sizes of less than about 10 microns, and a binder, in a polar organic solvent;   inserting into the molybdate-100 mixture, a cathode plate comprising a transition metal and an anode plate comprising conductive metal;   applying a potential from about 300 V to about 1,300 V to the anode plate and cathode plate;   recovering the cathode plate from the molybdate-100 mixture; and   sintering the cathode plate at a temperature from a range of about 1,200° C. to about 1,900° C. for a period of time from about 3 h to about 8 h.   
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the transition metal is tantalum. 
     
     
         4 . A process for producing technetium-99m from a molybdenum-100 metal powder, comprising:
 in a substantially oxygen-free environment, irradiating a hardened target plate coated with Mo-100 with protons at about 16 MeV to about 30 MeV and about 80 μA to about 300 μA for a period of time from about 30 min to about 8 h;   recovering the irradiated target plate and conveying said irradiated target plate to a technetium-99m-recovery module;   dissolving molybdenum atoms and technetium ions from the irradiated target plate with an H 2 O 2  solution to form an oxide solution;   raising the pH of the oxide solution to about 13 to about 15 to form therein K 2 [MoO 4 ] ions and K[TcO 4 ] ions, or alternatively, Na 2 [MoO 4 ] ions and Na[TcO 4 ] ions;   flowing the pH-adjusted oxide solution through a resin column to immobilize K[TcO 4 ] ions thereon, or alternatively, Na 2 [MoO 4 ] ions and Na[TcO 4 ] ions, and to elute K 2 [MoO 4 ] ions or Na 2 [MoO 4 ] ions therefrom;   eluting the bound K[TcO 4 ] ions or Na[TcO 4 ] ions from the resin column;   flowing the eluted K[TcO 4 ] ions or Na[TcO 4 ] ions through an alumina column to immobilize K[TcO 4 ] ions or Na[TcO 4 ] ions thereon;   washing the immobilized K[TcO 4 ] ions or Na[TcO 4 ] ions with water; and   eluting the immobilized K[TcO 4 ] ions or Na[TcO 4 ] ions with a saline solution; and   recovering the eluted Na[TcO 4 ] or Na[TcO 4 ] ions.   
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein is produced one or more oxidized molybdenum species exemplified by Mo 2 (OH)(OOH), H 2 Mo 2 O 3 (O 2 ) 4 , H 2 MoO 2 (O 2 ), and the like. 
     
     
         6 . A system for producing technetium-99m from molybdate-100, comprising:
 a target capsule apparatus for housing therein a Mo-100-coated target plate;   a target capsule pickup apparatus for engaging the target capsule apparatus and delivering the target cell apparatus into a target station apparatus;   a target station apparatus for receiving and mounting therein the target capsule apparatus, said target station apparatus engaged with a cyclotron and communicable with said cyclotron for irradiating the Mo-100-coated target plate with protons;   a receiving cell apparatus for receiving and mounting therein the irradiated target capsule apparatus;   a transfer tube interconnecting the receiving cell apparatus and the target station apparatus;   a dissolution/purification module for receiving therein a proton-irradiated Mo-100-coated target plate;   a conveyance conduit infrastructure interconnecting: (i) the target capsule pickup apparatus with the target station apparatus, (ii) the target station apparatus and the receiving cell apparatus; and (iii) the receiving cell apparatus and the dissolution/purification module; and   a supply of oxygen-free atmosphere to the target station apparatus.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , additionally comprising a booster station apparatus engaged with the transfer tube. 
     
     
         8 . A target capsule apparatus according to  claim 6 . 
     
     
         9 . A target capsule pickup apparatus according to  claim 6 . 
     
     
         10 . A target station apparatus according to  claim 6 . 
     
     
         11 . A target station receiving cell apparatus according to  claim 6 . 
     
     
         12 . A dissolution/purification module according to  claim 6 . 
     
     
         13 . A booster station apparatus according to  claim 7 .