Disclosed are a method and apparatus for making a radioisotope and a composition of matter including the radioisotope. The radioisotope is made by exposing a material to neutrons from a portable neutron source.

A method for the manufacture of highly purified .sup.68Ge material for radiopharmaceutical purposes. The invention particularly concerns the production of .sup.68Ge-API (API=Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) solution complying with the Guidelines for good manufacturing practices (GMP). Starting material for the method of the present invention can be a .sup.68Ge stock solution of commercial or other origin as raw material. Such .sup.68Ge containing raw solutions are purified from potential metal and organic impurities originating from production processes. The radiochemical method disclosed is based on a twofold separation of .sup.68Ge from organic and metallic impurities with two different adsorbent materials. During the first separation phase .sup.68Ge is purified from both organic and metallic impurities by adsorption in germanium tetrachloride form, after which hydrolyzed .sup.68Ge is purified from remaining metallic impurities by cation exchange. The final .sup.68Ge-API-product e.g. fulfills the regulatory requirements for specifications of the GMP production of .sup.68Ge/.sup.68Ga generators.

A method for producing a fraction of xenon radioisotopes, comprising the steps of dissolving enriched uranium targets forming a slurry and a gaseous phase containing xenon radioisotopes, isolating the xenon radioisotopes using zeolite doped with silver, preferably chosen from the group consisting of aluminosilicates doped with silver, titanosilicates doped with silver and mixtures thereof, and recovering the fraction of xenon radioisotopes, in particular Xe-133.

A neutron capture therapy system and a target for a particle beam generating device, which may improve the heat dissipation performance of the target, reduce blistering and extend the service life of the target. The neutron capture therapy system includes a neutron generating device and a beam shaping assembly. The neutron generating device includes an accelerator and a target, and a charged particle beam generated by acceleration of the accelerator interacts with the target to generate a neutron beam. The target includes an acting layer, a backing layer and a heat dissipating layer, the acting layer interacts with the charged particle beam to generate the neutron beam, the base layer supports the action layer, and the heat dissipating layer includes a tubular member composed of tubes arranged side by side.

The present invention provides a target unit and a sublimation apparatus suitable for use in a method for producing Cu67 radioisotope suitable for use in medical applications. The apparatus comprises a sublimation tube with one open end. The sublimation tube contains an ingot comprising Zn68 and Cu67 in a ceramic capsule contacting a closed end the sublimation tube. A removable vacuum dome is sealable over the open end of the sublimation tube so that interior of the apparatus can be placed under vacuum.

A method for recovering a parent radionuclide from a radionuclide generator is disclosed where the parent radionuclide is adsorbed to a stationary phase. The method contains a series of elutions. At least one elution is with an alcohol. At least one elution with water. At least one elution is with a mineral acid other than hydrochloric acid that is paused to soak the stationary phase with the mineral acid.

The invention provides a method for generating medical isotopes, the method comprising contacting a primary radiation beam with a converter for a time sufficient to produce a secondary beam of gamma particles, and contacting the beam of gamma particles to a target, where the cross section dimension of the beam of gamma particles is similar to the cross section dimension of the target. Both the converter and target are small in diameter and very closely spaced. Also provided is a system for producing medical isotopes, the device comprising a housing having a first upstream end and a second downstream end, a radiotransparent channel (collimator) with a first upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the upstream end is adapted to receive a radiation beam, a target positioned downstream of the downstream end of the channel and coaxially aligned with the channel, wherein the target has a cross section that is similar to the cross section of the channel.

A method for safe radioisotope preparation and injection of H.sub.2.sup.15O for use in Positron Emission Tomography (PET). The disclosure also relates to a safety valve for controlling a flow of H215O for use in PET, to a use of said safety valve and to a method for preparing and injecting H.sub.2.sup.15O.

A neutron activator for neutron activation of a material, the neutron activator being configured to produce neutrons from an interaction with a proton beam (7), the neutron activator comprising: a neutron source comprising a metallic target (1), and a Beryllium first reflector-moderator (4) peripheral to the neutron source and comprising a neutron activation area (10) configured to accommodate the neutron source and the material to be activated, the neutron activation area (10) of the first reflector-moderator (4) comprising a bore configured to accommodate the neutron source. FIG. 1

A breeder blanket for generating tritium using neutrons produced by nuclear fusion of deuterium and/or tritium within a plasma confined within a fusion reactor. The breeder blanket comprises: a plasma-facing first wall; a breeder layer comprising lithium containing material for generating tritium from the neutrons; and neutron moderator material comprising metal hydride and/or deuteride arranged between the first wall and the lithium-containing material.