A system for producing technetium-99m from molybdate-100. The system comprises: a target capsule apparatus for housing a Mo-100-coated target plate; a target capsule pickup apparatus for engaging and delivering the target cell apparatus into a target station apparatus; a target station apparatus for receiving and mounting therein the target capsule apparatus. The target station apparatus is engaged with a cyclotron for irradiating the Mo-100-coated target plate with protons. The irradiated target capsule apparatus is transferred to a receiving cell apparatus comprising a dissolution/purification module for receiving therein a proton-irradiated Mo-100-coated target plate. A conveyance conduit infrastructure interconnects: (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.

A radioisotope elution system is provided. The radioisotope elution system may comprise a controller that is configured to calculate the available amount of daughter radioisotope at any time during establishment of the equilibrium for decay of the parent radioisotope into its daughter radioisotope. The radioisotope elution system may comprise a controller that is configured to schedule various patient infusions planned for the next following days and weeks in accordance with the available amount of daughter radioisotope on each day. The elution system may also comprise a controller that is connected to the imaging software of a radioisotope imaging device, where the radioisotope imaging device is arranged for imaging the patient or a region of the patient; and the controller is configured to start an image acquisition at a predetermined time.

Provided is a method capable of separating and purifying astatine-211 in a high yield and dissolving same in a solution. A method for producing astatine-211, including a step of irradiating ray to bismuth to produce astatine-211 in the bismuth, and a step of distilling the bismuth that received ray irradiation with a carrier gas containing an inert gas, O.sub.2 and H.sub.2O to separate and purify astatine-211, and dissolving the astatine-211 in a solution.

Processes for producing germanium-68 from a gallium target body are disclosed. In some embodiments, germanium-68 and gallium are precipitated to remove metal impurities. Germanium-68 and gallium are re-dissolved and loaded onto an ion exchange column to separate germanium-68 from gallium.

A process for purifying Mo-99 from an acidic solution obtained by dissolving an irradiated solid target comprising uranium in an acidic medium, or from an acidic solution comprising uranium and which has previously been irradiated in a nuclear reactor, or from an acidic solution comprising uranium and which has been used as reactor fuel in a homogeneous reactor, the process comprising contacting the acidic solution with an adsorbent comprising a zirconium oxide, zirconium hydroxide, zirconium alkoxide, zirconium halide and/or zirconium oxide halide, and eluting the Mo-99 from the adsorbent using a solution of a strong base, the eluate then being subjected to a subsequent purification process involving an alkaline-based Mo-99 chromatographic recovery step on an anion exchange material. Also provided is apparatus for carrying out the process.

An apparatus including a heating element and a sublimation vessel disposed adjacent the heating element such that the heating element heats a portion thereof. A collection vessel is removably disposed within the sublimation vessel and is open on an end thereof. A crucible is configured to sealingly position a solid mixture against the collection vessel.

Described are methods and compositions for processes of preparing a radioactive solution of Sn-117m tetraiodide. Aspects include reacting a radioactive solid Sn containing Sn-117m with a solution of I.sub.2 in an organic solvent at a temperature and for a duration sufficient to result in the formation of Sn-117m tetraiodide. Then, the organic solvent is removed by evaporation to leave dry Sn-117m tetraiodide. The organic solvent is a low boiling point solvent capable of dissolving I.sub.2 and Sn tetraiodide. The organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of an alcohol and a chlorinated solvent. In embodiments may be selected from the group consisting of dichloromethane, trichloromethane, tetrachloromethane, or mixtures thereof. In embodiments, the organic solvent excludes alcohol. The I.sub.2 may be in a slight molar excess to the radioactive solid Sn. The method may further include distilling the reactants to remove excess I.sub.2 from the distillate.

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A device for preparing radioactive solutions, in particular radiopharmaceutical solutions, including: a movable support block with at least two cells capable of accommodating a vial; and a shielded covering, including a side wall surrounding the periphery of the support block and an upper wall covering the upper face of the support block, an opening being provided in the upper wall of the covering. A means for driving the support block is configured to selectively displace the support block into positions, referred to as working positions, in which a given cell is aligned with the opening to allow access to the cell from the outside of the covering. The support block is configured such that it can be further brought to a position, referred to as closing position, in which the opening is sealed by a shielded element carried by the support block.

A shielding assembly may be used in a nuclear medicine infusion system that generates and infuse radioactive liquid into a patient undergoing a diagnostic imaging procedure. In some examples, the shielding assembly has multiple compartments each formed of a shielding material providing a barrier to radioactive radiation. For example, the shielding assembly may have a first compartment configured to receive a radioisotope generator that generates a radioactive eluate via elution, a second compartment configured to receive a beta detector, and a third compartment configured to receive a gamma detector. In some examples, the compartments are arranged to minimize background radiation emitted by the radioisotope generator and detected by the gamma detector to enhance the quality of the measurements made by the gamma detector.

A method of producing radionuclides from irradiation targets in a nuclear reactor uses at least one instrumentation tube system of a commercial nuclear reactor. Irradiation targets and dummy targets are inserted into an instrumentation finger and the irradiation targets are activated by exposing them to neutron flux in the nuclear reactor core to form a radionuclide. The dummy targets hold the irradiation targets at a predetermined axial position in the reactor core corresponding to a pre-calculated neutron flux density sufficient for converting the irradiation targets to the radionuclide. Separating the dummy targets from the activated irradiation targets includes exposure to a magnetic field to retain either the dummy targets or the activated irradiation targets in the instrumentation tube system and release the other one of the activated irradiation target or the dummy target from the instrumentation tube system. An apparatus adapted to the above method is also provided.