COPPER-64 COMPOSITIONS AND PURIFICATION PROCESSES FOR THE PREPARATION OF NOVEL COPPER-64 COMPOSITIONS

Abstract

Compositions comprising high levels of high specific activity copper-64, and process for preparing said compositions. The compositions comprise from about 2 Ci to about 110 Ci, about 15 Ci to about 110 Ci, or about 20 Ci to about 110 Ci of isolated copper-64 and have specific activities of about 50 mCi to about 3800 mCi copper-64 per microgram of copper. The processes for preparing said compositions may comprise bombarding a nickel-64 target with a low-medium energy, high current proton beam, and purifying the copper-64 from other metals by a process comprising ion exchange chromatography and/or a process comprising a combination of extraction chromatography and ion exchange chromatography.

Claims

1. A composition comprising from 15 Ci to 110 Ci of copper-64 (.sup.64Cu) and having a specific activity from 50 mCi to 3850 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

2. The composition of claim 1, comprising from 50 Ci to 100 Ci of .sup.64Cu.

3. The composition of claim 1, comprising from 25 Ci to 75 Ci of .sup.64Cu.

4. The composition of claim 1, comprising from 17 Ci to 20 Ci of .sup.64Cu.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises a radiolytic purity for .sup.64Cu of 98.9% and a radiolytic purity of .sup.61Co of 1.0%.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises a radiolytic purity for .sup.64Cu of approximately 100.0% and a radiolytic purity of .sup.61Co of approximately 0.0%.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has a total content of less than or equal to 5 g/mL of elemental copper.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has a total content of less than or equal to 1 g/mL of cobalt.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has a total content of less than or equal to 1 g/mL of iron.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has a total content of less than or equal to 1 g/mL of nickel.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has a total content of less than or equal to 1 g/mL of lead.

12. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has a total content of less than or equal to 1 g/mL of zinc.

13. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has a total content of trace metals of less than about 5 parts per million (ppm), the trace metals being cobalt, copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, gallium, germanium, zinc, and combinations thereof.

14. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises a solution of hydrochloric acid (HCl) having a molarity of about 0.001 M to about 3 M.

15. The composition of claim 14, wherein the molarity of the HCl is about 0.05 M.

16. The composition of claim 14, wherein the molarity of the HCl is about 0.5 M.

17. The composition of claim 1, wherein the .sup.64Cu exists as .sup.64CuCl.sub.2.

18. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a chelating agent or a bifunctional chelating agent in which the .sup.64Cu is coordinated therein, and the chelating agent or the bifunctional chelating agent is a macrocyclic compound, a bridged macrocyclic compound, a bicyclic compound, or an acyclic compound.

19. The composition of claim 18, wherein the chelating agent is DOTA or DOTAGA.

20. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is suitable for administration to a human subject in need thereof once divided into a smaller aliquot.

21. A process for preparing copper-64 (.sup.64Cu) from nickel-64 (.sup.64Ni), the process comprising: (a) bombarding a cyclotron target comprising .sup.64Ni with a proton beam to generate a bombarded target; (b) stripping the bombarded target with a volume of hydrochloric acid (HCl) having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to form a strip solution comprising .sup.64Ni, .sup.64Cu, .sup.61Co, and one or more other metals; and (c) purifying the .sup.64Cu from the strip solution by: (i) passing the strip solution through a first column comprising an extraction resin connected in series to a second column comprising an ion exchange resin such that the one or more other metals binds to the extraction resin in the first column, .sup.64Cu and .sup.61Co bind to the ion exchange resin in the second column, and .sup.64Ni passes through the first and second columns as a first flow-through fraction; (ii) rinsing the first and second columns with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to elute residual .sup.64Ni as a second flow-through fraction; (iii) rinsing the second column with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 3 M to about 6 M to elute .sup.61Co as a first waste fraction; (iv) rinsing the second column with a volume of sodium chloride (NaCl) having a molarity of about 3 M to about 6 M in HCl having a molarity of about 0.01 M to about 3 M to elute residual .sup.61Co as a second waste fraction, or rinsing the second column with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 3 M to about 6 M to elute residual .sup.61Co as a second waste fraction; and (v) adding a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 0.01 M to about 3 M to the second column to elute the .sup.64Cu as a product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein the proton beam at (a) has an energy of about 12 MeV to about 30 MeV.

23. The process of claim 21, wherein the bombarding at (a) proceeds for about 1 h to about 24 h, and the bombarded target comprises from about 2 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu at the end of bombardment (EOB).

24. The process of claim 21, wherein after about 2 h to about 4 h of bombarding at (a), the bombarded target comprises from about 2 Ci to about 25 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB.

25. The process of claim 21, wherein after about 6 h of bombarding at (a), the bombarded target comprises from about 5 Ci to about 9 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB.

26. The process of claim 21, wherein after about 8 h to about 12 h of bombarding at (a), the bombarded target comprises from about 4 Ci to about 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB.

27. The process of claim 21, wherein the stripping at (b) comprises contacting the bombarded target with 9 M HCl, and the stripping at (b) is conducted at a temperature of about 65 C. to about 100 C.

28. The process of claim 21, wherein the extraction resin in the first column at (c)(i) comprises tributylphosphate as a functional group, and the ion exchange resin in the second column at (c)(i) comprises a tertiary amine as a functional group.

29. The process of claim 21, wherein the rinsing at (c)(ii) comprises 9 M HCl.

30. The process of claim 21, wherein the first and second flow-through fractions are combined as a .sup.64Ni recovery fraction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 presents a schematic of the purification process comprising ion exchange chromatography.

[0017] FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C present various embodiments of the purification process comprising a combination of extraction chromatography and ion exchange chromatography.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a plot of proton energy as a function of proton beam radius.

[0019] FIGS. 4A and 4B present various embodiments of the process to improve the radiochemical purity of a radiopharmaceutical composition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Provided herein are compositions comprising high levels of high specific activity .sup.64Cu and processes for preparing said compositions. The .sup.64Cu compositions described herein are suitable for administration to a human patient in need thereof. The .sup.64Cu compositions described herein are suitable for administration via injection. The processes disclosed herein are able to produce high levels of .sup.64Cu from a single target during one continuous cyclotron bombardment (i.e., cyclotron run). The .sup.64Cu produced by these processes has a high specific activity, as well as high chemical and radionuclidic purities. Radionuclidic purity is a measurement of the percent of total radioactivity that is due to the desired radioisotope in a given composition. For example, if a .sup.64Cu composition has a radionuclidic purity of 98%, then 98% of the radioactivity would be due to the .sup.64Cu present in the composition and 2% of the radioactivity would be due to radioisotopes other than .sup.64Cu that are present in the composition. Favorably, the .sup.64Cu compositions produced by the processes disclosed herein also have low levels of metal impurities such as cobalt, iron, nickel and lead. The .sup.64Cu compositions produced by the processes disclosed herein also have low levels of .sup.67Cu or an absence of .sup.67Cu (i.e., zero ppm .sup.67Cu). The .sup.64Cu compositions produced by the processes disclosed herein also have low levels of .sup.68Zn or an absence of .sup.68Zn (i.e., zero ppm .sup.68Zn). The .sup.64Cu compositions produced by the processes disclosed herein also have low levels of or an absence of any element or isotope with a mass number of 67 or greater. The .sup.64Cu compositions produced by the processes disclosed herein also have low levels of or an absence of any element or isotope with a mass number of 68 or greater. The .sup.64Cu compositions produced by the processes disclosed herein also have an absence of zinc-based target source materials (i.e., 0 ppm).

(I) Compositions

[0021] The .sup.64Cu compositions disclosed herein (e.g., 20.0-100.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu) may comprise high levels of high specific activity .sup.64Cu. The .sup.64Cu compositions described herein include isolated .sup.64Cu compositions, wherein the .sup.64Cu has been removed or stripped from the target. In general, the .sup.64Cu compositions, comprise up to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and have specific activities up to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu. The .sup.64Cu compositions comprise up to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and have specific activities from 30 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu up to about 4800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu. The .sup.64Cu compositions comprise up to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and have specific activities from 40 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu up to about 4800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu. The .sup.64Cu compositions comprise up to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and have specific activities from 50 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu up to about 4800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu. The .sup.64Cu compositions may be prepared by the processes described below in sections (II) to (IV).

[0022] The .sup.64Cu activity (Ci or Bq) may be measured by gamma spectroscopy (e.g., high purity germanium (HPGe) detector), a dose calibrator, or similar means. Specific activity (mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu) may be determined by measuring the mass of Cu by a variety of methods including inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), or titration. The compositions described herein may be suitable for administration to a human patient in need thereof. The compositions described herein may be suitable for administration via a single dose vial. In one aspect, the compositions described herein comprise about 35 MBq to about 40 MBq of .sup.64Cu per 1 mL of the composition in a single dose vial. In one aspect, the compositions described herein comprise about 35 MBq to about 40 MBq of .sup.64Cu DOTATATE per 1 mL of the composition in a single dose vial. In another aspect, the compositions described herein comprise about 36 MBq to about 38 MBq of .sup.64Cu per 1 mL of the composition in a single dose vial. In another aspect, the compositions described herein comprise about 36 MBq to about 38 MBq of .sup.64Cu DOTATATE per 1 mL of the composition in a single dose vial. In another aspect, the compositions described herein comprise about 36.5 MBq to about 37.5 MBq of .sup.64Cu per 1 mL of the composition in a single dose vial. In another aspect, the compositions described herein comprise about 36.5 MBq to about 37.5 MBq of .sup.64Cu per 1 mL of the composition in a single dose vial. In another aspect, the compositions described herein comprise about 36.5 MBq to about 37.5 MBq of .sup.64Cu DOTATATE per 1 mL of the composition in a single dose vial. In another aspect, the compositions described herein comprise about 37.0 MBq of .sup.64Cu DOTATATE per 1 mL of the composition in a single dose vial. In another aspect, the compositions described herein comprise about 145 to about 150 MBq of .sup.64Cu DOTATATE per 1 mL of the composition in a single dose vial. In another aspect, the compositions described herein comprise about 145 to about 150 MBq of .sup.64Cu per 1 mL of the composition in a single dose vial. In another aspect, the compositions described herein comprise about 145 to about 150 MBq of .sup.64Cu in a single dose vial, wherein the composition further comprises DOTA and/or DOTAGA. The composition in the single dose vial suitable for administration to a human patient in need thereof may be isolated or aliquoted from a composition comprising from 15 Ci to 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and having a specific activity from 50 mCi to 3850 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

[0023] The compositions in the single dose vial(s) may also have low levels of .sup.67Cu or a complete absence of .sup.67Cu (i.e., zero ppm .sup.67Cu or zero ppb .sup.67Cu). The compositions in the single dose vial produced by the processes disclosed herein may also have low levels of .sup.68Zn or a complete absence of .sup.68Zn (i.e., zero ppm .sup.68Zn or zero ppb .sup.68Zn). The compositions in the single dose vial may also have low levels of or an absence of any element or isotope with a mass number of 67 or greater. The composition in the single dose vials produced by the processes disclosed herein may also have low levels of or an absence of any element or isotope with a mass number of 68 or greater. The composition in the single dose vials produced by the processes disclosed herein have an absence of zinc-based target source materials.

[0024] In general, the compositions disclosed herein may comprise from about 2 Ci to about 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu at the end of bombardment (EOB). The level of .sup.64Cu may be determined at EOB or a later time point. Persons skilled in the art understand that the level of .sup.64Cu activity decreases over time. In some embodiments, the compositions may comprise from about 2 Ci to about 3 Ci, from about 3 Ci to about 4 Ci, from about 4 Ci to about 5 Ci, from about 5 Ci to about 6 Ci, from about 6 Ci to about 7 Ci, from about 7 Ci to about 8 Ci, from about 8 Ci to about 9 Ci, from about 9 Ci to about 10 Ci, from about 10 Ci to about 11 Ci, from about 11 Ci to about 12 Ci, from about 12 Ci to about 13 Ci, from about 13 Ci to about 14 Ci, or from about 14 Ci to about 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu. In other embodiments, the composition may comprise from about 4.0-4.5 Ci, from about 4.5-5.0 Ci, from about 5.0-5.5 Ci, from about 5.5-6.0 Ci, from about 6.0-6.5 Ci, from about 6.5-7.0 Ci, from about 7.0-7.5 Ci, from about 7.5-8.0 Ci, from about 8.0-8.5 Ci, from about 8.5-9.0 Ci, from about 9.0-12.0 Ci, from about 12.0-15.0 Ci, from about 4.0-5.5 Ci, from about 5.5-7.0 Ci, from about 6.0-7.5 Ci, from about 7.0-8.5 Ci, r from about 7.5-9.0 Ci, or from about 9.0-15.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu. In other embodiments, the composition may comprise from about 4.0-15.5 Ci, from about 4.5-15.0 Ci, from about 5.0-15.0 Ci, from about 5.5-15.0 Ci, from about 6.0-15.0 Ci, from about 6.5-15.0 Ci, from about 7.0-15.0 Ci, from about 7.5-15.0 Ci, from about 8.0-15.0 Ci, from about 8.5-15.0 Ci, from about 9.0-15.0 Ci, from about 9.5-15.0 Ci, from about 10.0-15.0 Ci, from about 10.5-15.0 Ci, from about 11.0-15.0 Ci, from about 11.5-15.0 Ci, from about 12.0-15.0 Ci, from about 12.5-15.0 Ci, or from about 13.0-15.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu.

[0025] In other embodiments, the composition may comprise from about 15.0-25.0 Ci, including from about 16.0-24.0 Ci, from about 17.0-23.0 Ci, from about 18.0-22.0 Ci, from about 19.0-21.0 Ci, or from about 17.0-20.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu.

[0026] In other embodiments, the composition may comprise from about 15.0-95.0 Ci, including from about 20.0-85.0 Ci, from about 25.0-80.0 Ci, from about 30.0-75.0 Ci, or from about 40.0-70.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu. In other embodiments, the composition may comprise from about 15.0-100.0 Ci, including from about 20.0-100.0 Ci, from about 25.0-100.0 Ci, from about 30.0-100.0 Ci, or from about 50.0-100.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu. The composition may comprise from about 20.0-95.0 Ci, from about 20.0-90.0 Ci, from about 20.0-85.0 Ci, from about 20.0-80.0 Ci, from about 20.0-75.0 Ci, and from about 20.0-70.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu. In still further embodiments, the composition may comprise from about 15.0-25.0 Ci, from about 25.0-35.0 Ci, from about 35.0-45.0 Ci, from about 45.0-55.0 Ci, from about 55.0-65.0 Ci, from about 65.0-75.0 Ci, from about 75.0-85.0 Ci, and from about 85.0-95.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu.

[0027] In other embodiments, the composition may comprise from about 15.0-110.0 Ci, including from about 20.0-110.0 Ci, from about 25.0-110.0 Ci, from about 30.0-110.0 Ci, or from about 50.0-110.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu. The composition may comprise from about 20.0-95.0 Ci, from about 20.0-90.0 Ci, from about 20.0-85.0 Ci, from about 20.0-80.0 Ci, from about 20.0-75.0 Ci, and from about 20.0-70.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu. In still further embodiments, the composition may comprise from about 15.0-35.0 Ci, from about 25.0-35.0 Ci, from about 35.0-45.0 Ci, from about 45.0-55.0 Ci, from about 55.0-65.0 Ci, from about 65.0-75.0 Ci, from about 75.0-85.0 Ci, and from about 85.0-95.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu.

[0028] In still further embodiments, the composition may comprise 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 17.5 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 20 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 22.5 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 25 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 30 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 35 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 40 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 45 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 50 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 55 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 60 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 65 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 70 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 75 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 80 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 85 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 90 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 95 Ci of .sup.64Cu, and/or 100 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB. Alternatively, the composition may comprise at least about 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 17.5 Ci of .sup.64CU at least about 20 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 25 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 30 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 35 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 40 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 45 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 50 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 55 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 60 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 65 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 70 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 75 Ci of .sup.64CU at least about 80 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 85 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 90 Ci of .sup.64Cu, at least about 95 Ci of .sup.64Cu, or at least about 100 Ci of .sup.64Cu. In other iterations, the composition may comprise 20 Ci of .sup.64Cu and 100 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 20 Ci of .sup.64Cu and 90 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 20 Ci of .sup.64Cu and 80 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 20 Ci of .sup.64Cu and 70 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 20 Ci of .sup.64Cu and 60 of Ci .sup.64Cu, 20 Ci of .sup.64Cu and 50 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 50 Ci of .sup.64Cu and 100 Ci of .sup.64Cu. The composition may also comprise 90.0% purity of .sup.64Cu, 90.5% purity of .sup.64Cu, 91.0% purity of .sup.64Cu, 91.5% purity of .sup.64Cu, 92.0% purity of .sup.64Cu, 92.5% purity of .sup.64Cu, 93.0% purity of .sup.64Cu, 93.5% purity of .sup.64Cu, 94.0% purity of .sup.64Cu, 94.5% purity of .sup.64Cu, 95.0% purity of .sup.64Cu, 95.5% purity of .sup.64Cu, 96.0% purity of .sup.64Cu, 96.5% purity of .sup.64Cu, 97.0% purity of .sup.64Cu, 97.5% purity of .sup.64Cu, 98.0% purity of .sup.64Cu, 98.5% purity of .sup.64Cu, 98.7% purity of .sup.64Cu, 99.0% purity of .sup.64Cu, 99.3% purity of .sup.64Cu, 99.5% purity of .sup.64Cu, 99.7% purity of .sup.64Cu, 99.9% purity, or 100.0% of .sup.64Cu. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 5%, from 0 to about 4.5%, from 0 to about 4.0%, from 0 to about 3.5%, from 0 to about 3.0%, from 0 to about 2.5%, from 0 to about 2.0%, from 0 to about 1.5%, from 0 to about 1.0%, from 0 to about 0.7%, from 0 to about 0.5%, from 0 to about 0.3%, or from 0 to about 0.1% of metals other than .sup.64Cu by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 5%, from 0 to about 4.5%, from 0 to about 4.0%, from 0 to about 3.5%, from 0 to about 3.0%, from 0 to about 2.5%, from 0 to about 2.0%, from 0 to about 1.5%, from 0 to about 1.0%, from 0 to about 0.7%, from 0 to about 0.5%, from 0 to about 0.3%, or from 0 to about 0.1% by weight of the composition of metal contaminants selected from the group consisting of calcium, cobalt, gallium, germanium, copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, zinc, and combinations thereof. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 1.0%, from 0 to about 0.7%, from 0 to about 0.5%, from 0 to about 0.3%, and/or from 0 to about 0.1% of .sup.67Cu by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 0.01%, from 0 to about 0.005%, from 0 to about 0.001%, or from 0 to about 0.0005% of .sup.67Cu by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 1.0%, from 0 to about 0.7%, from 0 to about 0.5%, from 0 to about 0.3%, and/or from 0 to about 0.1% of .sup.67Cu. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 0.01%, from 0 to about 0.005%, from 0 to about 0.001%, or from 0 to about 0.0005% of .sup.68Zn by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 1.0%, from 0 to about 0.7%, from 0 to about 0.5%, from 0 to about 0.3%, and/or from 0 to about 0.1% of .sup.67Cu by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 0.01%, from 0 to about 0.005%, from 0 to about 0.001%, or from 0 to about 0.0005% of any element or isotope with a mass number of 67 or greater by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 0.01%, from 0 to about 0.005%, from 0 to about 0.001%, or from 0 to about 0.0005% of any element or isotope with a mass number of 68 or greater by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 5%, from 0 to about 4.5%, from 0 to about 4.0%, from 0 to about 3.5%, from 0 to about 3.0%, from 0 to about 2.5%, from 0 to about 2.0%, from 0 to about 1.5%, from 0 to about 1.0%, from 0 to about 0.7%, from 0 to about 0.5%, from 0 to about 0.3%, or from 0 to about 0.1% by weight of the composition of radioactive or nonradioactive elements selected from the group consisting of calcium, cobalt, gallium, germanium, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, zinc, and combinations thereof. The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of trace metals of less than about 25 ppm, less than about 10 ppm, less than about 5 ppm, less than about 1 ppm, less than about 0.5 ppm, or less than about 0.1 ppm of trace metals, the trace metals being cobalt, copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, gallium, germanium, zinc, and combinations thereof. The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than about 25 ppm, less than about 10 ppm, less than about 5 ppm, less than about 1 ppm, less than about 0.5 ppm, or less than about 0.1 ppm of .sup.67Cu (e.g., 0 ppm of .sup.67Cu). The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than about 50 ppb, less than about 25 ppb, less than about 10 ppb, less than about 5 ppb, less than about 1 ppb, less than about 0.5 ppb, or less than about 0.1 ppb of .sup.67Cu (e.g., 0 ppb of .sup.67Cu). The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than about 25 ppm, less than about 10 ppm, less than about 5 ppm, less than about 1 ppm, less than about 0.5 ppm, or less than about 0.1 ppm of .sup.68Zn (e.g., 0 ppm of .sup.68Zn). The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than about 50 ppb, less than about 25 ppb, less than about 10 ppb, less than about 5 ppb, less than about 1 ppb, less than about 0.5 ppb, or less than about 0.1 ppb of .sup.68Zn (e.g., 0 ppb of .sup.68Zn). The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than about 25 ppm, less than about 10 ppm, less than about 5 ppm, less than about 1 ppm, less than about 0.5 ppm, or less than about 0.1 ppm of any element or isotope with a mass number of 67 or greater. The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than about 50 ppb, less than about 25 ppb, less than about 10 ppb, less than about 5 ppb, less than about 1 ppb, less than about 0.5 ppb, or less than about 0.1 ppb of any element or isotope with a mass number of 67 or greater. The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than about 25 ppm, less than about 10 ppm, less than about 5 ppm, less than about 1 ppm, less than about 0.5 ppm, or less than about 0.1 ppm of any element or isotope with a mass number of 68 or greater. The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than about 50 ppb, less than about 25 ppb, less than about 10 ppb, less than about 5 ppb, less than about 1 ppb, less than about 0.5 ppb, or less than about 0.1 ppb of any element or isotope with a mass number of 68 or greater.

[0029] The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 1.0%, from 0 to about 0.7%, from 0 to about 0.5%, from 0 to about 0.3%, and/or from 0 to about 0.1% of .sup.67Cu by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 0.01%, from 0 to about 0.005%, from 0 to about 0.001%, or from 0 to about 0.0005% of .sup.67Cu by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 1.0%, from 0 to about 0.7%, from 0 to about 0.5%, from 0 to about 0.3%, and/or from 0 to about 0.1% of .sup.67Cu by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 0.01%, from 0 to about 0.005%, from 0 to about 0.001%, or from 0 to about 0.0005% of .sup.68Zn by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 1.0%, from 0 to about 0.7%, from 0 to about 0.5%, from 0 to about 0.3%, and/or from 0 to about 0.1% of .sup.67Cu by weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 0.01%, from 0 to about 0.005%, from 0 to about 0.001%, or from 0 to about 0.0005% by weight of the composition of any element or isotope with a mass number of 67 or greater. The composition may also comprise from 0 to about 0.01%, from 0 to about 0.005%, from 0 to about 0.001%, or from 0 to about 0.0005% by weight of the composition of any element or isotope with a mass number of 68 or greater.

[0030] The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than or equal to about 10 g/mL, less than or equal to about 9 g/mL, less than or equal to about 8 g/mL, less than or equal to about 7 g/mL, less than or equal to about 6 g/mL, less than or equal to about 5 g/mL, less than or equal to about 4 g/mL, less than or equal to about 3 g/mL, less than or equal to about 2 g/mL, less than or equal to about 1 g/mL, or about 0 g/mL individually of copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, gallium, germanium, and/or zinc. The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than or equal to about 10 g/mL, less than or equal to about 9 g/mL, less than or equal to about 8 g/mL, less than or equal to about 7 g/mL, less than or equal to about 6 g/mL, less than or equal to about 5 g/mL, less than or equal to about 4 g/mL, less than or equal to about 3 g/mL, less than or equal to about 2 g/mL, less than or equal to about 1 g/mL, or about 0 g/mL of .sup.67Cu. The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than or equal to about 10 g/mL, less than or equal to about 9 g/mL, less than or equal to about 8 g/mL, less than or equal to about 7 g/mL, less than or equal to about 6 g/mL, less than or equal to about 5 g/mL, less than or equal to about 4 g/mL, less than or equal to about 3 g/mL, less than or equal to about 2 g/mL, less than or equal to about 1 g/mL, or about 0 g/mL of .sup.68Zn. The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than or equal to about 10 g/mL, less than or equal to about 9 g/mL, less than or equal to about 8 g/mL, less than or equal to about 7 g/mL, less than or equal to about 6 g/mL, less than or equal to about 5 g/mL, less than or equal to about 4 g/mL, less than or equal to about 3 g/mL, less than or equal to about 2 g/mL, less than or equal to about 1 g/mL, or about 0 g/mL of any element or isotope with a mass number of 67 or greater. The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total content of less than or equal to about 10 g/mL, less than or equal to about 9 g/mL, less than or equal to about 8 g/mL, less than or equal to about 7 g/mL, less than or equal to about 6 g/mL, less than or equal to about 5 g/mL, less than or equal to about 4 g/mL, less than or equal to about 3 g/mL, less than or equal to about 2 g/mL, less than or equal to about 1 g/mL, or about 0 g/mL of any element or isotope with a mass number of 68 or greater. The composition comprising .sup.64Cu may have a total metals content of less than or equal to about 10 g/mL, less than or equal to about 9 g/mL, less than or equal to about 8 g/mL, less than or equal to about 7 g/mL, less than or equal to about 6 g/mL, less than or equal to about 5 g/mL, less than or equal to about 4 g/mL, less than or equal to about 3 g/mL, less than or equal to about 2 g/mL, less than or equal to about 1 g/mL, or about 0 g/mL for all trace metals combined, wherein the trace metals are selected from the group consisting of copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, gallium, germanium, zinc, and combinations thereof. As such, the compositions may be characterized as being substantially free from metals other than .sup.64Cu. The compositions of the present invention may further be characterized as pharmaceutical grade, suitable for human administration, and/or suitable for administration to a human subject in need thereof. The compositions of the present invention may be suitable for administration to a human subject in need thereof once divided into a smaller aliquot.

[0031] In other embodiments, the compositions may comprise from about 2 Ci to about 5 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB, from about 5 Ci to about 9 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB, from about 9 Ci to about 15 Ci at EOB, or from about 15 Ci to about 17 Ci at EOB. In further embodiments, the compositions may comprise from about 2 Ci to about 5 Ci of .sup.64Cu (at EOB) after about 2-4 h of bombardment, or about 5 Ci to about 9 Ci of .sup.64Cu (at EOB) after about 6 h of bombardment, or about 4 Ci to about 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu (at EOB) after about 8-12 h of bombardment.

[0032] Each of the compositions disclosed herein may be produced during a single cyclotron run and/or may be obtained from a single cyclotron bombardment.

[0033] As a non-limiting example of a .sup.64Cu composition production schedule, production of a .sup.64Cu composition begins with the cyclotron bombardment of a target beginning on Day 0 until EOB. The EOB time may range from the afternoon to the evening of Day 0 or even earlier or longer in some instances. At EOB, the .sup.64Cu is stripped or removed from the target and processed to form a .sup.64Cu composition that has a high level of radionuclidic purity. The radionuclidic purity of the .sup.64Cu composition is typically measured on Day 1, which is referred to as the Raw Material Calibration Time. In some cases, the raw material calibration time may occur about 6:00 am on Day 1. The .sup.64Cu composition that is produced using the .sup.64Cu composition is then sent to a location where it is administered to a patient on Day 2.

[0034] The radionuclidic purity of the .sup.64Cu compositions disclosed herein is generally greater than about 95.0%, greater than about 96%, greater than about 97.0%, greater than about 98.0%, greater than about 98.5%, greater than about 99%, greater than about 99.5%, or greater than about 99.9% at the Raw Material Calibration Time.

[0035] As time passes, short-lived radioisotopes present in the .sup.64Cu compositions will decay away which causes the radionuclidic purity of the .sup.64Cu compositions to increase. Thus, another calculation of the radionuclidic purity is determined for .sup.64Cu composition at the Drug Product Calibration Time, which is a set time on Day 2 that occurs shortly before the expiration of the .sup.64Cu radiopharmaceutical. In some instances, the Drug Product Calibration Time is calculated for the radionulidic purity of the .sup.64Cu composition that exists at 5:00 pm on Day 2, the day when the .sup.64Cu radiopharmaceutical is administered to the patient.

[0036] The radionuclidic purity of the .sup.64Cu compositions disclosed herein is generally greater than about greater than about 99%, greater than about 99.5%, greater than about 99.7%, greater than about 99.8%, or greater than about 99.9% at the Drug Product Calibration Time.

[0037] The specific activity of the .sup.64Cu in the compositions disclosed herein may be greater than 25 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, greater than 30 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, greater than 35 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, greater than 40 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, greater than 45 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, greater than 50 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, greater than 75 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, or greater than 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu at EOB. The specific activity of the .sup.64Cu in the compositions disclosed herein may be greater than or equal to 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu greater than or equal to 4800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, greater than or equal to 5800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, or greater than or equal to 6800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu at EOB. Those skilled in the art understand that the specific activities of the compositions decrease over time. In various embodiments, the specific activity may range from about 30 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 40 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 50 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 200 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 200 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 250 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 300 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 400 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 150 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 200 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 150 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 250 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 150 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 300 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 150 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 400 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 150 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 1000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 1000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 1500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 1500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 2500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 2500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, or from about 3000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu. In other embodiments, the specific activity may range from about 50 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 75 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 125 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 150 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 175 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 200 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 300 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 350 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 400 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 750 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 1000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 1500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, or from about 2000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu. In other embodiments, the specific activity may range from about 50 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 75 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 300 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 350 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 400 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi 64 Cu/g Cu, from about 500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 750 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 1000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 1500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 2000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 4000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, or from about 2000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 6000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu. In some embodiments, the specific activity may range from about 40 .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 2300 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu. In other embodiments, the specific activity may range from about 50 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 4800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 75 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 4800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 4800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 50 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 5800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 75 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 5800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 5800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 50 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 6800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, from about 75 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 6800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu, or from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 6800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu. In further embodiments, the specific activity may range from about 40 .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 500 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu at EOB, from about 500 .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 1000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu at EOB, or from about 1000 .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 2300 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu at EOB.

[0038] In general, the .sup.64Cu compositions disclosed herein comprise low levels of metal contaminants. The metal contaminants may be radioactive or nonradioactive. The metal contaminants may include calcium, cobalt, copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc. For example, the 2 M HCl eluate described below in Example 5 comprises 0 ppm Au, 0 ppm Hg, <0.02 ppm Co, <0.2 ppm Fe, <0.4 ppm Pb, <0.5 ppm Ni, <0.6 ppm Cu, and <1.5 ppm Zn. In general, the .sup.64Cu compositions disclosed herein comprise less than about less than about 6 ppm total, less than about 5 ppm total, less than about 4 ppm total, or less than about 3 ppm total of cobalt, copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc. In general, the .sup.64Cu compositions disclosed herein comprise less than about less than about 6 ppm total, less than about 5 ppm total, less than about 4 ppm total, or less than about 3 ppm total of cobalt, .sup.67Cu, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, and/or zinc. In general, the .sup.64Cu compositions disclosed herein comprise less than about less than about 6 ppm total, less than about 5 ppm total, less than about 4 ppm total, or less than about 3 ppm total of .sup.68Zn. The .sup.64Cu compositions disclosed herein may comprise less than about less than about 6 ppm total, less than about 5 ppm total, less than about 4 ppm total, less than about 3 ppm total, less than about 2 ppm total, less than about 1 ppm total, or less than about 0.5 ppm total of any element or isotope with a mass number of 67 or greater. The .sup.64Cu compositions disclosed herein may comprise less than about less than about 6 ppm total, less than about 5 ppm total, less than about 4 ppm total, less than about 3 ppm total, less than about 2 ppm total, less than about 1 ppm total, or less than about 0.5 ppm total of any element or isotope with a mass number of 68 or greater.

[0039] The .sup.64Cu compositions disclosed herein may comprise a solution of hydrochloric acid (HCl) such that the solution comprises .sup.64CuCl2. The solution of HCl may comprise from about 0.005 M to about 3.0 M of HCl. In some embodiments, the solution of HCl may comprise HCl at a molarity from about 0.01 M to about 2.0 M, from about 0.02 M to about 1.0 M, or from about 0.04 M to about 0.06 M. In specific embodiments, the .sup.64Cu compositions may comprise a solution of about 0.05 M HCl.

[0040] In some embodiments, the compositions disclosed herein may further comprise at least one bifunctional chelating agent such that the copper may complex with the bifunctional chelating agent. The bifunctional chelating agent may be a macrocyclic compound, a bridged macrocyclic compound, a bicyclic compound, or an acyclic compound. Examples of suitable bifunctional chelating agents include 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid (DOTA), DOTAGA, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (NOTA), 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid (TETA), 5-(8-methyl-3,6,10,13,16,19-hexaaza-bicyclo[6.6.6]icosan-1-ylamino)-5-oxopentanoic acid (MeCOSar), 5-((8-amino-3,6,10,13,16,19-hexaazabicyclo(6.6.6)eicos-1-yl)amino)-5-oxopentanoic acid (sar-CO2H), di- and trimethylthiazolyl 1,4,7-triazacyclononane (TACN), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), 3,6,9,15-tetraazabicyclo[9.3.1]pentadeca-1(15),11,13-triene-3,6,9-triacetic acid (PCTA), analogs, or derivatives thereof. In specific embodiments, the bifunctional chelating agent may be DOTA or DOTAGA. The bifunctional chelating agent may be linked to a cell targeting agent such as a peptide, protein, antibody, or fragment thereof.

(II) Processes for Producing Copper-64Purification by Ion Exchange Chromatography

[0041] Also provided herein are processes for preparing .sup.64Cu from .sup.64Ni, wherein the .sup.64Cu has high specific activity, high chemical purity, and high radionuclidic purity. .sup.64Cu is formed when a .sup.64Ni nucleus captures a proton and then emits a neutron as shown in the following reaction, .sup.64Ni+p.fwdarw..sup.64Cu+n. Proton-induced production of .sup.64Cu occurs in a cyclotron. In some embodiments, the processes disclosed herein may be non-carrier added in that no inactive material or carrier is intentionally added during the production process. In other embodiments, the processes disclosed herein may optionally be carrier added in that an inactive material or carrier (e.g., elemental copper) may be intentionally added during the production process.

[0042] The processes disclosed herein are able to produce .sup.64Cu in high yield and with high specific activity in one cyclotron run. Stated another way, high yield and high specific activity compositions comprising .sup.64Cu are obtainable from a single cyclotron target during one cyclotron run. Depending upon the various parameters, yields as high as about 40 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu may be achieved using the processes disclosed herein.

[0043] The production process comprises bombarding a .sup.64Ni target with a proton beam such that .sup.64Cu is produced, and cobalt-61 (.sup.61Co) is produced as a by-product. The next step of the process comprises stripping the metals from the bombarded target with a strong acid (e.g., 6 M to about 12.1 M HCl) to form a strip solution. The last step of the production process comprises purifying the .sup.64Cu by ion exchange chromatography. The ion exchange chromatography process comprises (i) passing the strip solution through a column comprising an ion exchange resin such that .sup.64Cu binds to the ion exchange resin and .sup.64Ni passes through the column as a flow-through, (ii) rinsing the column with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 3 M to about 6 M and (iii) adding a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 0.5 M to about 3 M to the column to elute the .sup.64Cu from the ion exchange resin and collecting an eluate comprising .sup.64Cu. FIG. 1 presents a schematic of an iteration of the process.

(a) Bombarding the Target

[0044] The proton-induced production of .sup.64Cu via a .sup.64Ni target occurs in a cyclotron. Suitable cyclotrons include low-energy cyclotrons (e.g., 3-20 MeV energy range) and medium-energy cyclotrons (e.g., 15-30 MeV range). The targets of said cyclotrons may be curved or flat. As detailed in Example 3 below, the present disclosure reveals that cyclotron targets may be bombarded at high currents with approximately 12 MeV to 13 MeV protons. Suitable cyclotrons and cyclotron targets are also described below in Section (III)(a) and Section (IV)(a).

[0045] The cyclotron target may comprise a copper layer that has been electroplated to a thickness of about 5 m to about 10 m, about 10 m to about 25 m, about 25 m to about 50 m, about 50 m to about 75 m, or about 75 m to about 100 m (e.g., on an enriched .sup.64Ni layer). Alternatively, the cyclotron target may comprise a copper base layer that has been electroplated with gold to a thickness of about 50 m. The gold-plated cyclotron target then may be plated with enriched .sup.64Ni. The .sup.64Ni may be enriched to about 98%, about 99%, about 99.6%, or about 99.9% .sup.64Ni. The targeting mass of the plated material may range from about 40 mg to about 800 mg, about 50 mg to about 790 mg, about 60 mg to about 780 mg, about 70 mg to about 770 mg, about 80 mg to about 760 mg, about 90 mg to about 750 mg, about 100 mg to about 740 mg, about 110 mg to about 730 mg, about 120 mg to about 720 mg, about 130 mg to about 710 mg, about 120 mg to about 700 mg, about 110 mg to about 690 mg, 120 mg to about 680 mg, about 130 mg to about 670 mg, about 140 mg to about 660 mg, about 150 mg to about 650 mg, about 160 mg to about 640 mg, about 170 mg to about 630 mg, about 180 mg to about 620 mg, about 190 mg to about 610 mg, about 200 mg to about 600 mg, about 210 mg to about 590 mg, 220 mg to about 580 mg, about 230 mg to about 570 mg, about 240 mg to about 560 mg, about 250 mg to about 550 mg, about 260 mg to about 540 mg, about 270 mg to about 530 mg, about 280 mg to about 520 mg, about 290 mg to about 510 mg, about 300 mg to about 500 mg, about 310 mg to about 490 mg, 320 mg to about 480 mg, about 330 mg to about 470 mg, about 340 mg to about 460 mg, about 350 mg to about 450 mg, about 360 mg to about 440 mg, about 370 mg to about 430 mg, about 380 mg to about 420 mg, about 390 mg to about 410 mg, from about 45 mg to about 55 mg, from about 48 mg to about 52 mg, or about 50 mg. In some specific embodiments, the targeting mass of enriched .sup.64Ni may be about 550 mg, about 551 mg, about 552 mg, about 553 mg, about 554 mg, about 555 mg, about 556 mg, about 557 mg, about 558 mg, about 559 mg, about 600 mg, about 601 mg, about 602 mg, about 603 mg, about 604 mg, or about 605 mg.

[0046] The plating area may range from about 3.0 cm.sup.2 to about 25.0 cm.sup.2, from about 3.5 cm.sup.2 to about 24.5 cm.sup.2, from about 4.0 cm.sup.2 to about 24.0 cm.sup.2, from about 4.5 cm.sup.2 to about 23.5 cm.sup.2, from about 5.0 cm.sup.2 to about 23.0 cm.sup.2, from about 5.5 cm.sup.2 to about 22.5 cm.sup.2, from about 6.0 cm.sup.2 to about 22.0 cm.sup.2, from about 6.5 cm.sup.2 to about 21.5 cm.sup.2, from about 7.0 cm.sup.2 to about 21.0 cm.sup.2, from about 7.5 cm.sup.2 to about 20.5 cm.sup.2, from about 8.0 cm.sup.2 to about 20.0 cm.sup.2, from about 8.5 cm.sup.2 to about 19.5 cm.sup.2, from about 9.0 cm.sup.2 to about 19.0 cm.sup.2, from about 9.5 cm.sup.2 to about 18.5 cm.sup.2, from about 10.0 cm.sup.2 to about 18.0 cm.sup.2, from about 10.5 cm.sup.2 to about 17.5 cm.sup.2, from about 11.0 cm.sup.2 to about 17.0 cm.sup.2, from about 11.5 cm.sup.2 to about 16.5 cm.sup.2, from about 12.0 cm.sup.2 to about 16.0 cm.sup.2, from about 12.5 cm.sup.2 to about 15.5 cm.sup.2, from about 13.0 cm.sup.2 to about 15.0 cm.sup.2, from about 13.5 cm.sup.2 to about 14.5 cm.sup.2, from about 13.0 cm.sup.2 to about 14.0 cm.sup.2, from about 3.2 cm.sup.2 to about 4.8 cm.sup.2, from about 3.6 cm.sup.2 to about 4.4 cm.sup.2, from about 3.8 cm.sup.2 to about 4.2 cm.sup.2, or 4.0 cm.sup.2.

[0047] The plated layer of .sup.64Ni may have a thickness from about 8 m to about 20 m, from about 10 m to about 18 m, from about 12 m to about 16 m, or about 14 m.

[0048] In the processes disclosed herein, the .sup.64Ni target area is bombarded with low energy protons to produce .sup.64Cu. In general, the proton beam of the cyclotron is adjusted to have an energy of less than about 20 MeV, less than about 25 MeV, or less than about 30 MeV on the target. In some embodiments, the energy of the proton beam at the target can range from about 5 MeV to about 20 MeV, about 5 MeV to about 30 MeV, about 10 MeV to about 30 MeV, about 15 MeV to about 30 MeV, from about 7 MeV to about 17 MeV, from about 10 MeV to about 15 MeV, from about 11 MeV to about 14 MeV, from about 10 MeV to about 14 MeV, from about 11 MeV to about 12 MeV, from about 12 MeV to about 13 MeV, from about 15 MeV to about 20 MeV, from about 17 MeV to about 22 MeV, from about 20 MeV to about 25 MeV, from about 22 MeV to about 27 MeV, or from about 25 MeV to about 30 MeV. In specific embodiments, the actual beam energy at the target is about 12 MeV. In other specific embodiments, the actual beam energy at the target is about 13 MeV.

[0049] The current of the proton beam may range up to about 1200 A. In some embodiments, the current of the proton beam may range from about 10 A to about 30 A, about 30 A to about 100 A, from about 100 A to about 175 A, from about 175 A to about 250 A, from about 250 A to about 300 A, from about 300 A to about 350 A, from about 350 A to about 400 A, from about 450 A to about 500 A, from about 550 A to about 600 A, from about 600 A to about 650 A, from about 650 A to about 700 A, from about 700 A to about 750 A, from about 750 A to about 800 A, from about 800 A to about 850 A, from about 850 A to about 900 A, from about 900 A to about 950 A, from about 950 A to about 1000 A, from about 1000 A to about 1050 A, from about 1050 A to about 1100 A, or from about 1500 A to about 1200 A. In some embodiments, the current of the proton beam may be split between two targets or a plurality of targets. In specific embodiments, the current of the proton beam to each target may range from about 190 A to about 230 A, from about 200 A to about 225 A, from about 250 A to about 300 A, from about 300 A to about 350 A, or from about 350 A to about 410 A, from about 405 A to about 410 A, about 410 A to about 420 A, about 420 A to about 440 A, 440 A to about 460 A, or about 460 A to about 480 A. In specific embodiments, the current of the proton beam may be about 300 A, about 400 A, about 408 A, about 410 A or about 500 A.

[0050] The proton beam hits the target area at an angle. In some embodiments, the angle of the proton beam may range from about 1 to about 20, from about 2 to about 10, from 2 to about 8, from about 3 to about 6, or about 4. In other embodiments, the angle of the proton beam may be tangential to the target area.

[0051] In some embodiments, the target radius of the proton beam may range from about 24 cm to about 32 cm, from about 26 cm to about 30 cm, from about 27 cm to about 29 cm, or about 28 cm. In certain embodiments, the target radius of the proton beam may be about 27.9 cm. In some embodiments, the proton beam may strike about 20-25%, about 15-30%, or about 10-35% of the entire target face. In other embodiments, the total area covered by the beam may range from about 1 cm.sup.2 to about 16 cm.sup.2, from about 2 cm.sup.2 to about 8 cm.sup.2, from about 3 cm.sup.2 to about 6 cm.sup.2, or from about 3.5 cm.sup.2 to about 4.5 cm.sup.2. In still other embodiments, the total area covered by the beam may be about 3.0 cm.sup.2, about 3.5 cm.sup.2, about 4.0 cm.sup.2, about 4.5 cm.sup.2, about 5.0 cm.sup.2, or about 6.0 cm.sup.2.

[0052] The time of bombardment may range from about 0.5 h to about 24 h. In some embodiments, the time of bombardment may range from 0.5 h to about 8 h, from about 8 h to about 16 h, or from about 16 h to about 24 h. In other embodiments, the bombardments time may range from 1 h to about 8 h, from about 2 h to about 8 h, from about 4 h to about 8 h, from about 5 h to about 8 h, or about from 5 h to about 7 h. In certain embodiments, the bombardment time may range from about 1 h to about 6 h, from about 2 h to about 6 h, from about 3 h to about 6 h, from about 4 h to about 6 h, or from about be about 5 h to about 6 h. In other embodiments, the time of bombardment may be less than 8 h, less than 7.5 h, less than 7 h, less than 6.5 h, less than 6 h, less than 5.5 h, less than 5.0 h, less than 4.5 h, or less than 4 h. In further embodiments, the time of bombardment may be about 1 h, about 2 h, about 3 h, about 4 h, about 5 h, about 6 h, about 7 h, or about 8 h. In specific embodiments, the time of bombardment may range from about 2 h to about 4 h or the time of bombardment may be about 6 h.

[0053] In specific embodiments, a cyclotron target comprising 50 mg .sup.64Ni is bombarded with a proton beam having an energy of about 12 MeV and a beam current of 200 A or 225 A for about 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, or 6 h.

[0054] The bombarded target may comprise from about 2 Ci to about 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu at the end of bombardment (EOB). The bombarded target also comprises unreacted .sup.64Ni and .sup.61Co that is also produced during the bombardment process. In various embodiments, the bombarded target may comprise from about 2 Ci to about 3 Ci, from about 3 Ci to about 4 Ci, from about 4 Ci to about 5 Ci, from about 5 Ci to about 6 Ci, from about 6 Ci to about 7 Ci, from about 7 Ci to about 8 Ci, from about 8 Ci to about 9 Ci of .sup.64Cu, from about 9 Ci to about 10 Ci, from about 10 Ci to about 11 Ci, from about 11 Ci to about 12 Ci, from about 12 to about 13 Ci, from about 13 to about 14 Ci, or from about 14 to about 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu. In other embodiments, the bombarded target may comprise from about 15.0-95.0 Ci, including from about 20.0-85.0 Ci, from about 25.0-80.0 Ci, from about 30.0-75.0 Ci, or from about 40.0-70.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu. The bombarded target may comprise from about 20.0-95.0 Ci, from about 20.0-90.0 Ci, from about 20.0-85.0 Ci, from about 20.0-80.0 Ci, from about 20.0-75.0 Ci, and from about 20.0-70.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu. In still further embodiments, the bombarded target may comprise from about 15.0-25.0 Ci, from about 25.0-35.0 Ci, from about 35.0-45.0 Ci, from about 45.0-55.0 Ci, from about 55.0-65.0 Ci, from about 65.0-75.0 Ci, from about 75.0-85.0 Ci, and from about 85.0-95.0 Ci of .sup.64Cu. In still further embodiments, the bombarded target may comprise 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 17.5 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 20 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 22.5 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 25 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 30 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 35 Ci of .sup.64Cu, 40 of .sup.64Cu, 45 of .sup.64Cu, 50 of .sup.64Cu, 55 of .sup.64Cu, 60 of .sup.64Cu, 65 of .sup.64Cu, 70 of .sup.64Cu, 75 of .sup.64Cu, 80 of .sup.64Cu, 85 of .sup.64Cu, 90 of .sup.64Cu, 95 of .sup.64Cu, and/or 100 .sup.64Cu. In general, longer bombardment times will yield higher levels of .sup.64Cu.

[0055] For example, bombardment times of about 2 h to about 4 h may yield about 2 Ci to about 5 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB, bombardment times of about 6 h may yield about 5 Ci to about 9 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB, and bombardment times of about 12 h may yield about 7 Ci to about 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB. Bombardment times of greater than 12 h may yield 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB, 20 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB, and/or 25 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB. In general, the processes disclosed herein may produce from about 1 Ci/h to about 1.5 Ci/h of bombardment with proton beam having an energy of about 12 MeV and a current up to about 225 A.

[0056] Increasing proton energy may result in increased production yield, however this is not accurate for radionuclide production. Instead, incident particle energy is an indication of whether the energy of activation for a particular nuclear reaction is being met. Additionally, reactions may have different probabilities of occurrence as a function of proton energy.

[0057] For example, the maximum probability of producing .sup.64Cu from .sup.64Ni occurs when the proton energy is approximately 11 MeV. As the proton energy deviates from that maximum probability (either by increasing or decreasing) the production yield decreases. Additionally, the probability of producing radionuclidic impurities may increase. The incident energy may be optimized to meet the requirements of the desired reaction and minimize unwanted reactions. Bombarding a target with about 29 MeV to about 30 MeV proton (the maximum proton energy of the existing cyclotron) does not yield .sup.64Cu from .sup.64Ni. In this specific case, since the maximum reaction probability occurs at approximately 11 MeV, the incident proton energy should be carefully selected such that the proton energy attenuates within the .sup.64Ni target material to capture the maximum possible production cross section. For example, bombarding an appropriately thick .sup.64Ni target with 13 MeV protons may allow those protons to attenuate in the material, slowing a portion of them down to 11 MeV where they may have the highest probability of causing the desired nuclear reaction.

[0058] Similar to proton energy, it may seem that simply increasing the number of target atoms (in this case .sup.64Ni) may increase production yields. However, as mentioned above, the mass of the target impacts the target thickness and thus attenuation of the proton beam. For example, an effective thickness of 290 m .sup.64Ni may attenuate a 13 MeV proton beam to an average energy of 5 MeV. Below 5 MeV the probability of inducing the desired reaction approaches zero. Increasing the target mass may result in further attenuation of the proton beam; however, capturing proton energies of 0-5 MeV may not have a large impact on the production yield. For example, assume the beam is orthogonal to a .sup.64Ni target. Bombarding a 290 m thick target with 13 MeV protons at a current of 100 m for 10 h will yield approximately 10.1 Ci of .sup.64Cu. Doubling the target thickness to 580 m will produce approximately 10.4 Ci of .sup.64Cu. Doubling the thickness of the target increases the yield by 3%. The required mass of target material may be optimized to match the parameters of the cyclotron. The incident proton energy further increases do not yield increased production yields.

[0059] Increasing production yields requires the careful selection and implementation of multiple critical factors, including the cyclotron and its capabilities (e.g., proton energy, beam current), the design of the target and target station and careful considerations for impacts to equipment and materials as a result of higher exposure rates and extreme conditions of use.

[0060] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure includes a 30 MeV variable energy cyclotron. Details of the new cyclotron are provided in Example 8.

[0061] In some embodiments, the target may be cooled using water flow through the target. The water may flow through a series of cooling fins along the length of the target. In some examples, the target may include 5 to 50, 5 to 10, 10 to 20, 20 to 25, 25 to 30, 30 to 35, 35 to 40, or 40 to 50 cooling fins. The water flow area within the target and cooling fins may range from 40 mm.sup.2 to 45 mm.sup.2, 45 mm.sup.2 to 50 mm.sup.2, 50 mm.sup.2 to 55 mm.sup.2, 55 mm.sup.2 to 60 mm.sup.2, 60 mm.sup.2 to 65 mm.sup.2, 65 mm.sup.2 to 70 mm.sup.2, 70 mm.sup.2 to 75 mm.sup.2, 75 mm.sup.2 to 80 mm.sup.2, 80 mm.sup.2 to 85 mm.sup.2, or 85 mm.sup.2 to 90 mm.sup.2. The water flow within the target and cooling fins may range from 40 L/min to 90 L/min, 50 L/min to 90 L/min, 55 L/min to 90 L/min, 40 L/min to 50 L/min, 50 L/min to 55 L/min, 55 L/min to 60 L/min, 60 L/min to 65 L/min, 65 L/min to 70 L/min, 70 L/min to 75 L/min, or 75 L/min to 80 L/min, 80 L/min to 85 L/min, or 85 L/min to 90 L/min.

(b) Stripping the Bombarded Target

[0062] The next step of the process comprises stripping the .sup.64Ni, .sup.64Cu, .sup.61Co, and other metals from the bombarded target. The metals are stripped from the target with a strong acid having a pKa of less than 1. Suitable strong acids include hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, hydrobromic acid, and sulfuric acid. In some embodiments, the bombarded target is stripped with HCl having a molarity from about 6 M to about 12.1 M (concentrated HCl). For example, the bombarded target may be stripped with about 6 M HCl, about 7 M HCl, about 8 M HCl, about 9 M HCl, about 10 M HCl, about 11 M HCl, or about 12.1 M HCl. In specific embodiments, the bombarded target is stripped with about 9 M HCl.

[0063] The stripping may comprise adding a volume of the strong acid to a chamber or holding vessel comprising the bombarded target, wherein the target is heated to a temperature from about 65 C. to about 100 C. In particular embodiments, the stripping is conducted at a temperature of about 75 C. After about 3-5 minutes, the acid may be removed and saved as the first strip solution. The target may be contacted with the strong acid several more times, and the resultant solutions combined with the first strip solution. The chamber holding the target then may be rinsed with the strong acid, and the rinse may be combined with the strip solutions to from the final strip solution. In particular embodiments, the bombarded target may be exposed three times with about 3 mL of strong acid (e.g., 9 M HCl) to generate a strip solution of approximately 9 mL.

[0064] In some embodiments, the strip solution may be evaporated to dryness or a small volume and the residue may be reconstituted in HCl of the desired molarity (e.g., 9 M) for column chromatography.

[0065] In specific embodiments, the stripping comprises contacting the bombarded target with several aliquots of 9 M HCl, at a temperature of about 65 C. to about 100 C., and collecting the aliquots as the strip solution. The chamber holding the bombarded target may be rinsed with 9 M HCl, and the rinse combined with the strip solution.

[0066] The process further comprises isolating the .sup.64Cu from the other metals in the strip solution by ion exchange chromatography. In general, the ion exchange chromatography utilizes a strong anion exchange resin. Strong anion exchange resins generally comprise quaternary ammonium groups. For example, a strong anion exchange resin may comprise trialkyl ammonium chloride (e.g., trialkylbenzyl ammonium or trimethylbenzyl ammonium) surface groups or dialkyl 2-hydroxyethyl ammonium chloride (e.g., dimethyl-2-hydroxyethylbenzyl ammonium) surface groups. Examples of suitable strong anion exchange resins comprising trimethylbenzyl ammonium groups include AG 1-X8 (available from Bio-Rad) and Dowex1X8 resin. In specific embodiments, the strong anion exchange resin may be AG 1-X8, 100-200 mesh, chloride form.

[0067] A variety of columns sizes and bed volumes may be used to purify .sup.64Cu from the other metals in the strip solution. This process was developed to effectively isolate .sup.64Cu generated from about 50 mg of .sup.64Ni target material, using about 4.5 g of strong anion exchange resin in a column having an inner diameter of about 1 cm. It is understood that the amount of strong anion exchange resin may range from about 4.0 g to about 5.0 g and the inner diameter of the column may range from about 0.7 cm to about 1.25 cm without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Similarly, the volumes of the eluents passed through the column may vary depending upon the size and volume of the column and/or the amount of .sup.64Ni target material. In general, the ion exchange column is equilibrated with HCl (e.g., 9 M HCl) prior to the chromatography process.

(i) Removing .SUP.64.Ni

[0068] In one or more embodiments, the ion exchange separation process comprises passing the strip solution to the prepared ion exchange column, as well as an additional 1 mL of 9 M HCl used to rinse the holding vessel. The strip solution may be added in multiple smaller aliquots (e.g., 33 mL, 24.5 mL, etc.) or the strip solution may be added all at once. The Ni in the strip solution does not bind to the strong anion exchange resin and passes through the column, while Cu and Co and other metals bind to the strong anion exchange resin. The column flow through may be collected as a Ni recovery fraction.

[0069] The column may be rinsed with an additional volume of HCl having the same molarity as that of the strip solution to completely remove any residual Ni from the column. For example, the column may be rinsed with about 10 mL of 9 M HCl. The 10 mL may be added in multiple smaller aliquots (e.g., 52 mL, 33.333 mL, etc.) or the 10 mL may be added all at once. The column flow through from the rinse may be collected and combined with the original Ni recovery fraction. The combined Ni recovery fraction may be further processed to recover the .sup.64Ni, which then may be recycled and used for plating additional cyclotron targets. Nickel recovery processes are well known in the art. On average, about 82% of the target .sup.64Ni present in the strip solution may be recovered from the Ni recovery fraction. In various embodiments, the percentage of .sup.64Ni recovered in the recovery fraction may range from about 40% to about 99% of the starting .sup.64Ni.

[0070] In certain embodiments, the separation process comprises adding the strip solution to the prepared ion exchange column. In this process, the strip solution volume comprises around 20 mL to around 40 mL. The strip solution may be added in multiple smaller aliquots (e.g., 410 mL, 210 mL, etc.) or the strip solution may be added all at once. The Ni in the strip solution does not bind to the chromatographic resin and freely passes through the column, while Cu and Co and other metals bind to the ion exchange column. The column flow through volume may be collected as a Ni recovery fraction.

[0071] The column may be rinsed with an additional volume of HCl having the same molarity as that of the strip solution to completely remove any residual Ni from the column. For example, the column may be rinsed with about 8 mL to about 10 mL of 9 M HCl. For example, the column may be rinsed with about 8 mL of 9 M HCl. The volume of HCl may be added in multiple smaller aliquots (e.g., 42 mL, 24 mL, etc.) or the volume of HCl may be added all at once. The column flow through from the 9 M HCl rinse may be collected and combined with the original Ni recovery fraction. The combined Ni recovery fraction may be further processed to recover the .sup.64Ni, which then may be recycled and used for plating additional cyclotron targets. Nickel recovery processes are well known in the art. On average, in tracer studies that mimicked a .sup.64Cu purification, about 98% of the target Ni present in a simulated strip solution may be recovered from the Ni recovery fraction. In various embodiments, the percentage of Ni recovered in the recovery fraction may range from about 40% to about 99% of the starting Ni.

(ii) Removing .SUP.61.Co

[0072] The ion exchange purification process further comprises adding a volume of HCl having a molarity from about 3 M to about 6 M to the ion exchange column to elute .sup.61Co (and metals other than Cu). In various embodiments, a volume of 3 M HCl, 4 M HCl, 5 M HCl, or 6 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. In specific embodiments, a volume (e.g., from about 10 mL to about 20 mL) of 4 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. For example, about 10 mL of 4 M HCl may be added to the column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 52 mL, 33.33 mL, etc.) or as a bolus or the eluent may be added all at once. The ion exchange column eluate may be collected as a first waste fraction that mainly comprises .sup.61Co.

[0073] The ion exchange column may be rinsed with an additional volume (e.g., from about 8 mL to about 10 mL) of NaCl having a molarity of about 3 M to 6 M in HCl having a molarity of about 0.01 M to about 3 M to elute residual .sup.61Co. In specific embodiments, a volume (e.g., 8 mL) of 5 M NaCl in 0.05 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 42 mL, 24 mL, etc.) or the eluent may be added all at once. The ion exchange column eluate from the 5 M NaCl eluent containing .sup.61Co may be collected and combined with the first waste fraction containing .sup.61Co.

[0074] Alternatively, the ion exchange column may be rinsed with an additional volume (e.g., from about 8 mL to about 10 mL) of HCl having a molarity from about 3 M to about 6 M to elute residual .sup.61Co. In specific embodiments, a volume (e.g., 8 mL) of 4 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 42 mL, 24 mL, etc.) or the eluent mL may be added all at once. The ion exchange column eluate from the 5 M HCl eluent containing .sup.61Co may be collected and combined with first waste fraction containing .sup.61Co.

(iii) Isolating .sup.64Cu

[0075] In one or more embodiments, the purification process further comprises adding a volume of HCl having a molarity from about 0.5 M to about 3 M to the ion exchange column to elute the .sup.64Cu. In certain embodiments, a volume of 0.5 M HCl, 1 M HCl, 2 M HCl, or 3 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. In specific embodiments, the .sup.64Cu may be eluted from the ion exchange column with a volume of 2 M HCl. For example, about 8 mL to about 20 mL of 2 M HCl may be added to the column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 42 mL, 45 mL, etc.) or as a bolus. The eluate comprising .sup.64Cu is collected as the product of the process. On average, about 80% of the .sup.64Cu present in the strip solution may be recovered in the eluate comprising .sup.64Cu. In various embodiments, the percentage of .sup.64Cu recovered in the eluate comprising .sup.64Cu may range from about 60% to about 100%. The .sup.64Cu in the eluate exists as .sup.64CuCl.sub.2.

[0076] In certain embodiments, the purification process further comprises adding a volume of HCl having a molarity from about 0.01 M to about 3 M to the ion exchange column to elute the .sup.64Cu. In certain embodiments, a volume of 0.05 M HCl, 1 M HCl, 2 M HCl, or 3 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. In specific embodiments, the .sup.64Cu may be eluted from the ion exchange column with a volume of 0.05 M HCl. For example, about 10 mL of 0.05 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 52 mL, 42.5 mL, etc.) or the eluent may be added all at once. The eluate comprising .sup.64Cu is collected as the product of the process. On average, in tracer studies that mimicked a .sup.64Cu purification, about 89% of the Cu present in a simulated strip solution may be recovered in the eluate comprising Cu. In various embodiments, the percentage of .sup.64Cu recovered in the eluate comprising .sup.64Cu may range from about 60% to about 100%. The .sup.64Cu in the eluate exists as .sup.64CuCl.sub.2.

[0077] The final eluate comprising .sup.64Cu may be evaporated to dryness (or to a smaller volume) and the resultant residue may be reconstituted in a volume of HCl having a molarity about 0.001 M to about 1 M. In various embodiments, the residue may be reconstituted in HCl having a molarity from about 0.005 M to about 0.5 M, from about 0.010 M to about 0.2 M, from about 0.025 M to about 0.1 M, or from about 0.04 M to about 0.06 M. In specific embodiments, the residue may be reconstituted in 0.05 M HCl to form a final product comprising .sup.64Cu.

[0078] The .sup.64Cu compositions prepared by the processes disclosed herein are described above in section (I).

(iv) Exemplary Ion Exchange Chromatography Purification Process

[0079] The 9 M HCl strip solution is passed through the ion exchange column, wherein .sup.64Cu and .sup.61Co bind to the resin and .sup.64Ni flows through the column. The column is rinsed with 9 M HCl to remove residual .sup.64Ni. The initial column flow through and the 9 M HCL rinse can be combined as the Ni recovery fraction. The column is rinsed with 4 M HCl to elute the .sup.61Co, which is a waste fraction. Lastly, the .sup.64Cu is eluted from the column with 2 M HCl.

(III) Processes for Producing Copper-64Purification Ion Exchange Chromatography

[0080] Another aspect of the present disclosure encompasses an additional process for purifying the .sup.64Cu from other metals in the strip solution by using a packed bed ion exchange chromatography column. The process comprises (a) bombarding a cyclotron target comprising .sup.64Ni with a proton beam to generate a bombarded target; (b) stripping the bombarded target with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to form a strip solution comprising .sup.64Ni, .sup.64Cu, .sup.61Co, and other metals; and (c) purifying the .sup.64Cu from the strip solution by chromatography, wherein the chromatography comprises (i) passing the strip solution through an ion exchange resin such that the .sup.64Cu and .sup.61Co bind to the ion exchange resin in the column, and .sup.64Ni passes through as a first flow-through fraction; (ii) rinsing the column with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to remove residual .sup.64Ni as a second flow-through fraction; (iii) rinsing the column with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 3 M to about 6 M to elute .sup.61Co as a first waste fraction; and (iv) adding a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 0.01 M to about 3 M to the column to elute the .sup.64Cu as a product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu.

(a) Bombarding the Target

[0081] Suitable cyclotrons and cyclotron targets are also described above in Section (II)(a) and below in Section (IV)(a). The cyclotron target may comprise a copper base layer that has been electroplated with gold to a thickness of about 50 m. The gold-plated cyclotron target then may be plated with enriched .sup.64Ni. The .sup.64Ni may be enriched to about 98%, about 99%, about 99.6%, or about 99.9% .sup.64Ni. The targeting mass of enriched .sup.64Ni may range from about 675 mg to about 825 mg, from about 700 mg to about 800 mg, from about 720 mg to about 780 mg, or about 750 mg. The plating area may range from about 17.3 cm.sup.2 to about 28.8 cm.sup.2, from about 18.4 cm.sup.2 to about 27.6 cm.sup.2, from about 20.7 cm.sup.2 to about 25.3 cm.sup.2, from about 21.8 cm.sup.2 to about 24.2 cm.sup.2, from about 22.0 cm.sup.2 to about 24.0 cm.sup.2, or about 23.0 cm.sup.2. The plated layer of .sup.64Ni may have a thickness from about 21 m to about 53 m, from about 26 m to about 48 m, from about 32 m to about 42 m, or about 37 m.

[0082] In the processes disclosed herein, the .sup.64Ni target area is bombarded with low energy protons to produce .sup.64Cu. In general, the proton beam of the cyclotron is adjusted to have an energy of less than about 20 MeV on the target. In some embodiments, the energy of the proton beam at the target can range from about 5 MeV to about 20 MeV, from about 7 MeV to about 18 MeV, from about 9 MeV to about 16 MeV, from about 10 MeV to about 15 MeV, from about 11 MeV to about 14 MeV, from about 12 MeV to about 13 MeV, or from about 12 MeV to about 14 MeV. In specific embodiments, the actual beam energy at the target is about 12 MeV.

[0083] The current of the proton beam may range up to about 408 A. In some embodiments, the current of the proton beam may range from about 100 A to about 150 A, from about 150 A to about 200 A, from about 200 A to about 250 A, from about 250 A to about 300 A, from about 300 A to about 350 A, or from about 350 A to about 410 A, from about 405 A to about 410 A, or about 408 A. In specific embodiments, the current of the proton beam may range from about 325 A to about 375 A, or from about 350 A to about 408 A.

[0084] The proton beam hits the target area at an angle. In some embodiments, the angle of the proton beam may range from about 1 to about 20, from about 2 to about 10, from 2 to about 8, from about 3 to about 6, or about 5. In other embodiments, the angle of the proton beam may be tangential to the target area.

[0085] In some embodiments, the beam strike has an elliptic shape with minor and major axes. The minor axes may range from about 25.8 mm to about 34.2 mm, from about 27.9 mm to about 32.1 mm, from about 28.8 mm to about 31.2 mm, or about 30.0 mm. The major axes may range from about 84.4 mm to about 63.6 mm, from about 79.2 mm to about 68.8 mm, from about 77.0 mm to about 71.0 mm, or about 74.0 mm. In certain embodiments, the minor and major axis of the elliptic beam strike may be about 30.0 mm and 74.0 mm, respectively. In some embodiments, the proton beam may strike about 70-80%, about 60-90%, or about 55-95% of the entire target face. In other embodiments, the total area covered by the beam may range from about 14.0 cm.sup.2 to about 30.0 cm.sup.2, from about 28.0 cm.sup.2 to about 16.0 cm.sup.2, from about 26.0 cm.sup.2 to about 18.0 cm.sup.2, or from about 25.0 cm.sup.2 to about 20.0 cm.sup.2, or 23.0 cm.sup.2.

[0086] The time of bombardment may range from about 0.5 h to about 24 h. In some embodiments, the time of bombardment may range from 0.5 h to about 8 h, from about 8 h to about 20 h, or from about 20 h to about 24 h. In other embodiments, the bombardment time may range from 1 h to about 24 h, from about 2 h to about 24 h, from about 4 h to about 24 h, from about 5 h to about 24 h, or about from 5 h to about 23 h. In certain embodiments, the bombardment time may range from about 1 h to about 19 h, from about 2 h to about 19 h, from about 3 h to about 19 h, from about 4 h to about 19 h, or from about 5 h to about 19 h. In other embodiments, the time of bombardment may be less than 19 h, less than 18 h, less than 17.5 h, less than 17 h, less than 16.5 h, less than 16 h, less than 15.5 h, or less than 15 h. In further embodiments, the time of bombardment may be about 8 h, about 9 h, about 10 h, about 11 h, about 12 h, about 13 h, about 14 h, or about 15 h. In specific embodiments, the time of bombardment may range from about 1 h to about 12 h or the time of bombardment may be about 12 h.

[0087] In some embodiments, a target comprising about 750 mg .sup.64Ni may be bombarded with a proton beam having an energy of about 10 MeV to about 20 MeV, about 11 MeV to about 18 MeV, or about 12 MeV to about 14 MeV and a beam current of 300 A to about 350 A, about 350 A to about 408 A, about 400 A to about 450 A, about 450 A to about 500 A, or 500+A for about 10 h, 12 h, 14 h, 16 h, or 19 h. In other embodiments, a plurality of targets comprising about 750 mg .sup.64Ni per target may be bombarded with a proton beam having an energy of about 10 MeV to about 20 MeV, about 11 MeV to about 18 MeV, or about 12 MeV to about 14 MeV and a beam current of 300 A to about 350 A, about 350 A to about 408 A, about 400 A to about 450 A, about 450 A to about 500 A, or 500+A per target for about 10 h, 12 h, 14 h, 16 h, or 19 h. In specific embodiments, two targets each comprising about 750 mg .sup.64Ni may be bombarded simultaneously with a proton beam having an energy of about 12 MeV to about 14 MeV and a beam current, incident on each target, of about 350 A to about 408 A for about 10 h, 12 h, 14 h, or 19 h.

[0088] The bombarded target may comprise from about 58 Ci to about 80 Ci of .sup.64Cu at the end of bombardment (EOB). The bombarded target also comprises unreacted .sup.64Ni and .sup.61Co that are produced during the bombardment process. In various embodiments, the bombarded target may comprise from about 38 Ci to about 52 Ci, from about 43 Ci to about 59 Ci, from about 48 Ci to about 66 Ci, from about 52 Ci to about 72 Ci, from about 56 Ci to about 77 Ci, from about 58 Ci to about 80 Ci of .sup.64Cu, from about 60 Ci to about 150 Ci of .sup.64Cu, or from about 60 Ci to about 200 Ci of .sup.64Cu, or greater than 200 Ci of .sup.64Cu In general, longer bombardment times will yield higher levels of .sup.64Cu. For example, bombardment times of about 12 h to about 16 h may yield about 43 Ci to about 72 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB, and bombardments times of about 19 h may yield about 58 Ci to about 80 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB. In general, the processes disclosed herein may produce from about 3.3 Ci/h to about 3.8 Ci/h of bombardment with proton beam having an energy of about 13 MeV and a current of about 350 A or about 408 A.

(b) Stripping the Bombarded Target

[0089] The next step of the process comprises stripping metals from the bombarded target. The metals are stripped from the target with a strong acid having a pKa of less than 1. Suitable strong acids include hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, hydrobromic acid, and sulfuric acid. In some embodiments, the bombarded target is stripped with HCl having a molarity from about 6 M to about 12.1 M. For example, the bombarded target may be stripped with about 6 M HCl, about 7 M HCl, about 8 M HCl, about 9 M HCl, about 10 M HCl, about 11 M HCl, or about 12.1 M HCl. In specific embodiments, the bombarded target is stripped with about 9 M HCl.

[0090] The stripping may comprise adding a volume of the strong acid to a chamber or holding vessel comprising the bombarded target, wherein the target is heated to a temperature from about 65 C. to about 100 C. In particular embodiments, the stripping is conducted at a temperature of about 75 C. After about 3-5 minutes, the acid may be removed and saved as the first strip solution. The target may be contacted with the strong acid several more times, and the resultant solutions combined with the first strip solution. The chamber holding the target then may be rinsed with the strong acid, and the rinse may be combined with the strip solutions to from the final strip solution. In particular embodiments, the bombarded target and the holding chamber may be contacted several times with aliquots (e.g., 5-10 mL) of the strong acid (e.g., HCl) to generate a final strip solution of approximately 20 mL to 40 mL.

[0091] In specific embodiments, the stripping comprises contacting the bombarded target with several aliquots of 9 M HCl, at a temperature of about 65 C. to about 100 C., and collecting the aliquots as the strip solution. The chamber holding the bombarded target may be rinsed with 9 M HCl, and the rinse combined with the strip solution. The strip solution comprises .sup.64Ni, .sup.64Cu, .sup.61Co, and can contain other metals (e.g., Fe).

[0092] The last step of the process comprises purifying .sup.64Cu from the other metals in the strip solution by chromatography. The process comprises passing the strip solution through a packed ion exchange resin bed using a controlled flow rate. Given the quantity of enriched nickel required to produce >25 Ci of .sup.64Cu, the existing purification process using AG 1-X8 resin is not a viable manufacturing process. .sup.64Cu recovery dropped from an average of 84% for a 50-mg .sup.64Ni plated target to approximately 75% for .sup.64Ni plated masses in the 60-90 mg range using the AG 1-X8 resin. Increasing .sup.64Ni plated masses up to as much as 750 mg could lead to even further reduction in .sup.64Cu recovery. Moreover, continued utilization of the AG 1-X8 resin would require partitioning the strip solution (described above) across multiple columns. The operational complexity required for performing this function manually using telemanipulators is not a robust manufacturing process. Instead, a high-capacity resin and pressure driven controlled flow rates are required as detailed in the following paragraphs.

[0093] The ion exchange column comprises a weak anion exchange resin. Weak anion exchange resins generally comprise polystyrene or polyacrylic ester frames that contain a primary, secondary, or tertiary amino group as the functional group. Suitable weak anionic functional groups include diethyl aminoethyl (DEAE) and dimethyl aminoethyl (DMAE). Examples of suitable weak anion exchange resins comprising tertiary ammonium groups include AmberLite FPA53 (available from Dupont) and TrisKem TK201 resin. In specific embodiments, the weak anion exchange resin is TK201 resin, 50-100 micron, and in the chloride form.

[0094] A variety of column sizes and bed volumes may be used to purify .sup.64Cu from the other metals in the strip solution. This process was developed to effectively isolate .sup.64Cu generated from about 750 mg of .sup.64Ni target material, using a weak anion exchange resin. The column uses about 2.7 g of weak anion exchange resin in a column having an inner diameter of about 1 cm. It is understood that the amount of weak anion exchange resin may range from about 2.4 g to about 3.0 g and the inner diameter of the column may range from about 0.7 cm to about 1.25 cm without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Similarly, the volumes of the eluents passed through the column may vary depending upon the size and volume of the column and/or the amount of .sup.64Ni target material. In general, the column ion exchange resin is equilibrated with HCl (e.g., 9 M HCl) prior to the chromatography process.

[0095] To effectively separate the quantities of metals in the process solution the packed resin requires a controlled, pressure generated flow. The 50-100 micron resin bead size equates to roughly 140-270 mesh (as compared to the 100-200 mesh AG 1-X8 resin) which requires a force greater than gravitational to permit flow. Flow rates in the range of 1 mL/min to 4 mL/min (75 cm/h to 300 cm/h) have been demonstrated to bind and elute the metals of interest in a manner that meets process requirements. One manner to control chromatography flow for radioisotopes is to use a Trasis Synthesizer. Using syringe drivers, a valve manifold system, and process specific programming parameters allows for delivery of the mobile phases at the prescribed flow rates and volumes. Alternatively, a manual process using a syringe driver and flow-controlled positive displacement (peristaltic) pump may be used to deliver the prescribed mobile phase flow rates and volumes.

(i) Removing .SUP.64.Ni

[0096] The separation process comprises adding the strip solution to the prepared ion exchange column. In this process, the strip solution volume comprises around 20 mL to around 40 mL. The strip solution may be added in multiple smaller aliquots (e.g., 410 mL, 210 mL, etc.) or the strip solution may be added all at once. The Ni in the strip solution does not bind to the chromatographic resin and freely passes through the column, while Cu and Co and other metals bind to the ion exchange column. The column flow through volume may be collected as a Ni recovery fraction.

[0097] The column may be rinsed with an additional volume of HCl having the same molarity as that of the strip solution to completely remove any residual Ni from the column. For example, the column may be rinsed with about 8 mL to about 10 mL of 9 M HCl. For example, the column may be rinsed with about 8 mL of 9 M HCl. The volume of HCl may be added in multiple smaller aliquots (e.g., 42 mL, 24 mL, etc.) or the volume of HCl may be added all at once. The column flow through from the 9 M HCl rinse may be collected and combined with the original Ni recovery fraction. The combined Ni recovery fraction may be further processed to recover the .sup.64Ni, which then may be recycled and used for plating additional cyclotron targets. Nickel recovery processes are well known in the art. On average, in tracer studies that mimicked a .sup.64Cu purification, about 98% of the target Ni present in a simulated strip solution may be recovered from the Ni recovery fraction. In various embodiments, the percentage of Ni recovered in the recovery fraction may range from about 40% to about 99% of the starting Ni.

(ii) Removing .SUP.61.Co

[0098] The separation process further comprises adding a volume of HCl having a molarity from about 3 M to about 6 M to the column comprising the ion exchange resin to elute .sup.61Co (and metals other than Cu). In various embodiments, a volume of 3 M HCl, 4 M HCl, 5 M HCl, or 6 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. In specific embodiments, a volume (e.g., from about 10 mL to about 20 mL) of 4 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. For example, about 10 mL of 4 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 52 mL, 33.33 mL, etc.) or the eluent may be added all at once. The ion exchange column eluate may be collected as a first waste fraction that mainly comprises .sup.61Co.

[0099] The ion exchange column may be rinsed with an additional volume (e.g., from about 8 mL to about 10 mL) of NaCl having a molarity of about 3 M to 6 M in HCl having a molarity of about 0.01 M to about 3 M to elute residual .sup.61Co. In specific embodiments, a volume (e.g., 8 mL) of 5 M NaCl in 0.05 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 42 mL, 24 mL, etc.) or the eluent may be added all at once. The ion exchange column eluate from the 5 M NaCl eluent containing .sup.61Co may be collected and combined with the first waste fraction containing .sup.61Co.

[0100] Alternatively, the ion exchange column may be rinsed with an additional volume (e.g., from about 8 mL to about 10 mL) of HCl having a molarity from about 3 M to about 6 M to elute residual .sup.61Co. In specific embodiments, a volume (e.g., 8 mL) of 4 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 42 mL, 24 mL, etc.) or the eluent mL may be added all at once. The ion exchange column eluate from the 5 M HCl eluent containing .sup.61Co may be collected and combined with first waste fraction containing .sup.61Co.

(iii) Isolating .sup.64Cu

[0101] The separation process further comprises adding a volume of HCl having a molarity from about 0.01 M to about 3 M to the ion exchange column to elute the .sup.64Cu. In certain embodiments, a volume of 0.05 M HCl, 1 M HCl, 2 M HCl, or 3 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. In specific embodiments, the .sup.64Cu may be eluted from the ion exchange column with a volume of 0.05 M HCl. For example, about 10 mL of 0.05 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 52 mL, 42.5 mL, etc.) or the eluent may be added all at once. The eluate comprising .sup.64Cu is collected as the product of the process. On average, in tracer studies that mimicked a .sup.64Cu purification, about 89% of the Cu present in a simulated strip solution may be recovered in the eluate comprising Cu. In various embodiments, the percentage of .sup.64Cu recovered in the eluate comprising .sup.64Cu may range from about 60% to about 100%. The .sup.64Cu in the eluate exists as .sup.64CuCl2.

[0102] The final eluate comprising .sup.64Cu may be evaporated to dryness (or to a smaller volume) and the resultant residue may be reconstituted in a volume of HCl having a molarity about 0.001 M to about 1 M. In various embodiments, the residue may be reconstituted in HCl having a molarity from about 0.005 M to about 0.5 M, from about 0.010 M to about 0.2 M, from about 0.025 M to about 0.1 M, or from about 0.04 M to about 0.06 M. In specific embodiments, the residue may be reconstituted in 0.05 M HCl to form a final product comprising .sup.64Cu.

[0103] The .sup.64Cu compositions prepared by this process are described above in section (I).

(IV) Processes for Producing Copper-64Purification by Extraction Chromatography and Ion Exchange Chromatography

[0104] Another aspect of the present disclosure encompasses an additional process for purifying the .sup.64Cu from other metals in the strip solution by a combination of extraction chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. The process comprises (a) bombarding a cyclotron target comprising .sup.64Ni with a proton beam to generate a bombarded target; (b) stripping the bombarded target with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to form a strip solution comprising .sup.64Ni, .sup.64Cu, .sup.61Co, and other metals; and (c) purifying the .sup.64Cu from the strip solution by chromatography, wherein the chromatography comprises (i) passing the strip solution through a first column comprising an extraction resin connected in series to a second column comprising an ion exchange resin such that the one or more metals (e.g., cationic iron) binds to the extraction resin in the first column, the .sup.64Cu and .sup.61Co bind to the ion exchange resin in the second column, and .sup.64Ni passes through both columns as a first flow-through fraction; (ii) rinsing the first and second columns with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to remove residual .sup.64Ni as a second flow-through fraction; (iii) rinsing the second column with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 3 M to about 6 M to elute .sup.61Co as a first waste fraction; (iv) rinsing the second column with a volume of NaCl having a molarity of about 3 M to 6 M in HCl having a molarity of about 0.01 M to about 3 M to elute residual .sup.61Co as a second waste fraction or rinsing the second column with an additional volume of HCl having a molarity of about 3 M to about 6 M to elute .sup.61Co as a second waste fraction; and (v) adding a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 0.01 M to about 3 M to the second column to elute the .sup.64Cu as a product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu. FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C present schematics or several embodiments of the dual chromatography purification process.

(a) Bombarding the Target

[0105] Suitable cyclotrons and cyclotron targets are also described above in Section (II)(a) and Section (III)(a). The cyclotron target may comprise a copper base layer that has been electroplated with gold to a thickness of about 50 m. The gold-plated cyclotron target then may be plated with enriched .sup.64Ni. The .sup.64Ni may be enriched to about 98%, about 99%, about 99.6%, or about 99.9% .sup.64Ni. The targeting mass of enriched .sup.64Ni may range from about 675 mg to about 825 mg, from about 700 mg to about 800 mg, from about 720 mg to about 780 mg, or about 750 mg. The plating area may range from about 17.3 cm.sup.2 to about 28.8 cm.sup.2, from about 18.4 cm.sup.2 to about 27.6 cm.sup.2, from about 20.7 cm.sup.2 to about 25.3 cm.sup.2, from about 21.8 cm.sup.2 to about 24.2 cm.sup.2, from about 22.0 cm.sup.2 to about 24.0 cm.sup.2, or about 23.0 cm.sup.2. The plated layer of .sup.64Ni may have a thickness from about 21 m to about 53 m, from about 26 m to about 48 m, from about 32 m to about 42 m, or about 37 m.

[0106] In the processes disclosed herein, the .sup.64Ni target area is bombarded with low energy protons to produce .sup.64Cu. In general, the proton beam of the cyclotron is adjusted to have an energy of less than about 20 MeV on the target. In some embodiments, the energy of the proton beam at the target can range from about 5 MeV to about 20 MeV, about 5 MeV to about 30 MeV, about 10 MeV to about 30 MeV, about 15 MeV to about 30 MeV, from about 7 MeV to about 18 MeV, from about 9 MeV to about 16 MeV, from about 10 MeV to about 15 MeV, from about 11 MeV to about 14 MeV, from about 12 MeV to about 13 MeV, from about 12 MeV to about 14 MeV, from about 15 MeV to about 20 MeV, from about 17 MeV to about 22 MeV, from about 20 MeV to about 25 MeV, from about 22 MeV to about 27 MeV, or from about 25 MeV to about 30 MeV. In specific embodiments, the actual beam energy at the target is about 12 MeV or about 13 MeV.

[0107] The current of the proton beam may range up to about 125 A to about 200 A, about 200 A to about 300 A, about 300 A to about 700 A, 350 A to about 700 A, 400 A to about 700 A, 450 A to about 700 A, 500 A to about 700 A. The current of the proton beam may range up to 400 A, up to 500 A, up to 600 A, up to 700 A, up to 800 A, up to 900 A, up to 960 A, or up to 1200 A. In some embodiments, the current of the proton beam may be split between two targets or a plurality of targets. In an example, the current of the proton beam for each target may be up to about 408 A. In some embodiments, the current of the proton beam for each target may range from about 100 A to about 150 A, from about 150 A to about 200 A, from about 200 A to about 250 A, from about 250 A to about 300 A, from about 300 A to about 350 A, or from about 350 A to about 410 A, from about 405 A to about 410 A, about 410 A to about 420 A, about 420 A to about 440 A, 440 A to about 460 A, or about 460 A to about 480 A. In specific embodiments, the current of the proton beam may range from about 325 A to about 375 A, or from about 350 A to about 408 A.

[0108] The proton beam hits the target area at an angle. In some embodiments, the angle of the proton beam may range from about 1 to about 20, from about 2 to about 10, from 2 to about 8, from about 3 to about 6, or about 5. In other embodiments, the angle of the proton beam may be tangential to the target area.

[0109] In some embodiments, the beam strike has an elliptic shape with minor and major axes. The minor axes may range from about 25.8 mm to about 34.2 mm, from about 27.9 mm to about 32.1 mm, from about 28.8 mm to about 31.2 mm, or about 30.0 mm. The major axes may range from about 84.4 mm to about 63.6 mm, from about 79.2 mm to about 68.8 mm, from about 77.0 mm to about 71.0 mm, or about 74.0 mm. In certain embodiments, the minor and major axis of the elliptic beam strike may be about 30.0 mm and 74.0 mm, respectively. In some embodiments, the proton beam may strike about 70-80%, about 60-90%, or about 55-95% of the entire target face. In other embodiments, the total area covered by the beam may range from about 14.0 cm.sup.2 to about 30.0 cm.sup.2, from about 28.0 cm.sup.2 to about 16.0 cm.sup.2, from about 26.0 cm.sup.2 to about 18.0 cm.sup.2, or from about 25.0 cm.sup.2 to about 20.0 cm.sup.2, or about 23.0 cm.sup.2.

[0110] The time of bombardment may range from about 0.5 h to about 24 h. In some embodiments, the time of bombardment may range from 0.5 h to about 8 h, from about 8 h to about 20 h, or from about 20 h to about 24 h. In other embodiments, the bombardment time may range from about 1 h to about 24 h, from about 2 h to about 24 h, from about 4 h to about 24 h, from about 5 h to about 24 h, or about from 5 h to about 23 h. In certain embodiments, the bombardment time may range from about 1 h to about 19 h, from about 2 h to about 19 h, from about 3 h to about 19 h, from about 4 h to about 19 h, or from about 5 h to about 19 h. In other embodiments, the time of bombardment may be less than 19 h, less than 18 h, less than 17.5 h, less than 17 h, less than 16.5 h, less than 16 h, less than 15.5 h, or less than 15 h. In further embodiments, the time of bombardment may be about 8 h, about 9 h, about 10 h, about 11 h, about 12 h, about 13 h, about 14 h, or about 15 h. In specific embodiments, the time of bombardment may range from about 1 h to about 12 h or the time of bombardment may be about 12 h.

[0111] In some embodiments, a target comprising about 750 mg .sup.64Ni may be bombarded with a proton beam having an energy of about 12 MeV to about 14 MeV and a beam current of about 350 A to about 408 A for about 10 h, 12 h, 14 h, 16 h, or 19 h. In specific embodiments, two targets each comprising about 750 mg .sup.64Ni may be bombarded simultaneously with a proton beam having an energy of about 12 MeV to about 14 MeV and a beam current, incident on each target, of about 350 A to about 408 A for about 10 h, 12 h, 14 h, or 19 h.

[0112] The bombarded target may comprise from about 58 Ci to about 80 Ci of .sup.64Cu at the end of bombardment (EOB). The bombarded target also comprises unreacted .sup.64Ni and .sup.61Co that are produced during the bombardment process. In various embodiments, the bombarded target may comprise from about 38 Ci to about 52 Ci, from about 43 Ci to about 59 Ci, from about 48 Ci to about 66 Ci, from about 52 Ci to about 72 Ci, from about 56 Ci to about 77 Ci, from about 58 Ci to about 80 Ci of .sup.64Cu, from about 60 Ci to about 150 Ci of .sup.64Cu, or from about 60 Ci to about 200 Ci of .sup.64Cu, or greater than 200 Ci of .sup.64Cu. In general, longer bombardment times will yield higher levels of .sup.64Cu. For example, bombardment times of about 12 h to about 16 h may yield about 43 Ci to about 72 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB, and bombardments times of about 19 h may yield about 58 Ci to about 80 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB. In general, the processes disclosed herein may produce from about 3.3 Ci/h to about 3.8 Ci/h of bombardment with proton beam having an energy of about 13 MeV and a current of about 350 A or about 408 A.

(b) Stripping the Bombarded Target

[0113] The next step of the process comprises stripping metals from the bombarded target. The metals are stripped from the target with a strong acid having a pKa of less than 1. Suitable strong acids include hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, hydrobromic acid, and sulfuric acid. In some embodiments, the bombarded target is stripped with HCl having a molarity from about 6 M to about 12.1 M. For example, the bombarded target may be stripped with about 6 M HCl, about 7 M HCl, about 8 M HCl, about 9 M HCl, about 10 M HCl, about 11 M HCl, or about 12.1 M HCl. In specific embodiments, the bombarded target is stripped with about 9 M HCl.

[0114] The stripping may comprise adding a volume of the strong acid to a chamber or holding vessel comprising the bombarded target, wherein the target is heated to a temperature from about 65 C. to about 100 C. In particular embodiments, the stripping is conducted at a temperature of about 75 C. After about 3-5 minutes, the acid may be removed and saved as the first strip solution. The target may be contacted with the strong acid several more times, and the resultant solutions combined with the first strip solution. The chamber holding the target then may be rinsed with the strong acid, and the rinse may be combined with the strip solutions to from the final strip solution. In particular embodiments, the bombarded target and the holding chamber may be contacted several times with aliquots (e.g., 5-10 mL) of the strong acid (e.g., HCl) to generate a final strip solution of approximately 20 mL to 40 mL.

[0115] In specific embodiments, the stripping comprises contacting the bombarded target with several aliquots of 9 M HCl, at a temperature of about 65 C. to about 100 C., and collecting the aliquots as the strip solution. The chamber holding the bombarded target may be rinsed with 9 M HCl, and the rinse combined with the strip solution. The strip solution comprises .sup.64Ni, .sup.64Cu, .sup.61Co, and can contain other metals (e.g., Fe).

[0116] The last step of the process comprises purifying .sup.64Cu from the other metals in the strip solution by two chromatography columns. The process comprises passing the strip solution through two columns connected in series, the first column comprising an extraction resin and the second column comprising an ion exchange resin.

[0117] Extraction chromatography resins generally comprise macroporous polymers that hold an organic complexing compound or extractant within the pore structure of the polymer. Suitable extraction chromatography extractants include tributylphosphate (TBP), carbamoyl-methylphosphine oxide (CMPO), di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), and dipentyl pentylphosphonate (DP[PP]). In some embodiments, the extraction chromatography extractant may be a mixture of CMPO and TBP (e.g., TRU resin; TrisKem). In specific embodiments, the extraction chromatography extractant is TBP. An example of a suitable impregnated macroporous polymer (i.e., resin) containing TBP is TrisKem TBP resin. In specific embodiments, the extraction resin may be TBP resin, 100-150 mesh, and in the chloride form.

[0118] The ion exchange column comprises a weak anion exchange resin. Weak anion exchange resins generally comprise polystyrene or polyacrylic ester frames that contain a primary, secondary, or tertiary amino group as the functional group. Suitable weak anionic functional groups include diethyl aminoethyl (DEAE) and dimethyl aminoethyl (DMAE). Examples of suitable weak anion exchange resins comprising tertiary ammonium groups include AmberLite FPA53 (available from Dupont) and TrisKem TK201 resin. In specific embodiments, the weak anion exchange resin is TK201 resin, 50-100 mesh, and in the chloride form.

[0119] A variety of columns sizes and bed volumes may be used to purify .sup.64Cu from the other metals in the strip solution. This process was developed to effectively isolate .sup.64Cu generated from about 750 mg of .sup.64Ni target material, using two distinct columns, containing extraction and weak anion exchange resins, connected in series. The first column comprises about 300 mg of extraction resin in a column having an inner diameter of 0.5 cm. It is understood that the amount of extraction resin may range from about 270 mg to about 330 mg and the inner diameter of the column may range from about 0.4 cm to about 0.6 cm without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The second column uses about 2.7 g of weak anion exchange resin in a column having an inner diameter of about 1 cm. It is understood that the amount of weak anion exchange resin may range from about 2.4 g to about 3.0 g and the inner diameter of the column may range from about 0.7 cm to about 1.25 cm without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Similarly, the volumes of the eluents passed through the column may vary depending upon the size and volume of the column and/or the amount of .sup.64Ni target material. In general, the columns containing extraction resin and ion exchange resin are equilibrated with HCl (e.g., 9 M HCl) prior to the chromatography process.

(iv) Removing Cationic Fe and .SUP.64.Ni

[0120] The separation process comprises adding the strip solution to the prepared extraction column connected in series to the prepared ion exchange column. In this process, the strip solution volume comprises around 20 mL to around 40 mL. The strip solution may be added in multiple smaller aliquots (e.g., 410 mL, 210 mL, etc.) or the strip solution may be added all at once. The Fe in the strip solution binds to the extractant (e.g., TBP) in the first column. The Ni in the strip solution does not bind to the chromatographic resins and freely passes through both columns, while Cu and Co and other metals bind to the ion exchange column. The columns flow through volume may be collected as a Ni recovery fraction.

[0121] The columns may be rinsed with an additional volume of HCl having the same molarity as that of the strip solution to completely remove any residual Ni from the columns. For example, the columns may be rinsed with about 8 mL to about 10 mL of 9 M HCl. For example, the columns may be rinsed with about 8 mL of 9 M HCl. The volume of HCl may be added in multiple smaller aliquots (e.g., 42 mL, 24 mL, etc.) or the volume of HCl may be added all at once. The column flow through from the 9 M HCl rinse may be collected and combined with the original Ni recovery fraction. The combined Ni recovery fraction may be further processed to recover the .sup.64Ni, which then may be recycled and used for plating additional cyclotron targets. Nickel recovery processes are well known in the art. On average, in tracer studies that mimicked a .sup.64Cu purification, about 98% of the target Ni present in a simulated strip solution may be recovered from the Ni recovery fraction. In various embodiments, the percentage of Ni recovered in the recovery fraction may range from about 40% to about 99% of the starting Ni.

(v) Removing .SUP.61.Co

[0122] The separation process further comprises adding a volume of HCl having a molarity from about 3 M to about 6 M to the second column comprising the ion exchange resin to elute .sup.61Co (and metals other than Cu). In various embodiments, a volume of 3 M HCl, 4 M HCl, 5 M HCl, or 6 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. In specific embodiments, a volume (e.g., from about 10 mL to about 20 mL) of 4 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. For example, about 10 mL of 4 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 52 mL, 33.33 mL, etc.) or the eluent may be added all at once. The ion exchange column eluate may be collected as a first waste fraction that mainly comprises .sup.61Co.

[0123] The ion exchange column may be rinsed with an additional volume (e.g., from about 8 mL to about 10 mL) of NaCl having a molarity of about 3 M to 6 M in HCl having a molarity of about 0.01 M to about 3 M to elute residual .sup.61Co. In specific embodiments, a volume (e.g., 8 mL) of 5 M NaCl in 0.05 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 42 mL, 24 mL, etc.) or the eluent may be added all at once. The ion exchange column eluate from the 5 M NaCl eluent containing .sup.61Co may be collected and combined with the first waste fraction containing .sup.61Co.

[0124] Alternatively, the ion exchange column may be rinsed with an additional volume (e.g., from about 8 mL to about 10 mL) of HCl having a molarity from about 3 M to about 6 M to elute residual .sup.61Co. In specific embodiments, a volume (e.g., 8 mL) of 4 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 42 mL, 24 mL, etc.) or the eluent mL may be added all at once. The ion exchange column eluate from the 5 M HCl eluent containing .sup.61Co may be collected and combined with first waste fraction containing .sup.61Co.

(vi) Isolating .SUP.64.Cu

[0125] The separation process further comprises adding a volume of HCl having a molarity from about 0.01 M to about 3 M to the ion exchange column to elute the .sup.64Cu. In certain embodiments, a volume of 0.05 M HCl, 1 M HCl, 2 M HCl, or 3 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. In specific embodiments, the .sup.64Cu may be eluted from the ion exchange column with a volume of 0.05 M HCl. For example, about 10 mL of 0.05 M HCl may be added to the ion exchange column. The eluent may be added in smaller aliquots (e.g., 52 mL, 42.5 mL, etc.) or the eluent may be added all at once. The eluate comprising .sup.64Cu is collected as the product of the process. On average, in tracer studies that mimicked a .sup.64Cu purification, about 89% of the Cu present in a simulated strip solution may be recovered in the eluate comprising Cu. In various embodiments, the percentage of .sup.64Cu recovered in the eluate comprising .sup.64Cu may range from about 60% to about 100%. The .sup.64Cu in the eluate exists as .sup.64CuCl.sub.2.

[0126] The final eluate comprising .sup.64Cu may be evaporated to dryness (or to a smaller volume) and the resultant residue may be reconstituted in a volume of HCl having a molarity about 0.001 M to about 1 M. In various embodiments, the residue may be reconstituted in HCl having a molarity from about 0.005 M to about 0.5 M, from about 0.010 M to about 0.2 M, from about 0.025 M to about 0.1 M, or from about 0.04 M to about 0.06 M. In specific embodiments, the residue may be reconstituted in 0.05 M HCl to form a final product comprising .sup.64Cu.

[0127] The .sup.64Cu compositions prepared by this process are described above in section (I).

(iv) Exemplary Extraction and Ion Exchange Chromatography Purification Process

[0128] The 9 M HCl strip solution is passed through a first column comprising an extraction resin connected in series with a second column comprising a weak anion exchange resin. The Fe in the strip solution binds to the extraction resin in the first column, .sup.64Cu and .sup.61Co bind to the ion exchange resin in the second column, and .sup.64Ni flows through both columns. The first and second columns are rinsed with 9 M HCl to remove residual .sup.64Ni. The initial column flow through and the 9 M HCL rinse can be combined as the Ni recovery fraction. The ion exchange column is rinsed with 4 M HCl to elute the .sup.61Co and then with 5 M NaCl in 0.05 M HCl or additional 4 M HCl to elute residual .sup.61Co. Lastly, the .sup.64Cu is eluted from the ion exchange column with 0.05 M HCl.

(V) Improving the Consistency of the Radiochemical Purity of a Radiopharmaceutical Composition

[0129] The present disclosure also includes a process for improving the consistency of the radiochemical purity (RCP) of radiopharmaceutical compositions comprising .sup.64Cu coordinated to a targeting ligand through an attached chelating group. Elemental copper (non-radioactive copper) is an existing copper .sup.64Cu chloride process impurity originating from the copper targets used during cyclotron bombardment. Improvements in target robustness and cyclotron optimization have reduced the level of elemental copper in the radiopharmaceutical composition comprising .sup.64Cu radiopharmaceuticals. It has been discovered that in some radiopharmaceuticals, RCP may be affected by the presence of elemental copper in the radiopharmaceutical product. For example, in the manufacture of some radiopharmaceutical, it was discovered that the RCP began to diminish as the bombardment process improved and reduced the concentration of elemental copper present in the purified .sup.64CuCl.sub.2 product. Adding elemental copper to the purified .sup.64CuCl.sub.2 product used to label some ligands was found to improve the RCP of the resulting labeled radiopharmaceutical. In such cases, to ensure consistent RCP between batches of .sup.64Cu radiopharmaceutical compositions produced, elemental or non-radioactive copper may be added to the reaction mixture comprising the .sup.64Cu eluate used to make the .sup.64Cu radiopharmaceutical composition. This process is referred to herein as spiking.

[0130] In one embodiment, the final radiopharmaceutical composition may include from at least about 0.1 ppm to about 5 ppm of elemental copper, about 1 ppm to about 5 ppm of elemental copper, about 2.5 ppm to about 7.5 ppm of elemental copper, about 5 ppm to about 10 ppm of elemental copper, about 5 ppm to about 30 ppm of elemental copper, about 5 ppm to about 50 ppm of elemental copper, about 30 ppm to about 75 ppm of elemental copper, or about 0.1 ppm to about 75 ppm of elemental copper. In some examples, the final radiopharmaceutical composition may include 1 ppm to 75 ppm, 2 ppm to 60 ppm, 5 ppm to 50 ppm, 10 ppm to 40 ppm, or 20 ppm to 30 ppm of elemental copper. The final radiopharmaceutical composition (and the elemental copper) may be in an injectable solution form.

[0131] In another embodiment, there is at least about 1 ppm, about 2 ppm, about 5 ppm, about 10 ppm, about 15 ppm, about 20 ppm, about 25 ppm, about 30 ppm, about 35 ppm, about 40 ppm, about 50 ppm, about 55 ppm, or about 60 ppm of elemental copper in the final radiopharmaceutical composition. In still a further embodiment, the amount to elemental, or non-reactive copper, in the final radiopharmaceutical composition is less than about 60 ppm.

[0132] As stated in sections (II)-(IV) above, the eluate comprising .sup.64Cu may be reconstituted in 0.05 M HCl.

[0133] The process of spiking the final radiopharmaceutical composition with elemental copper includes (i) preparing a solution comprising 0.05 M HCl solution with 5 ppm elemental copper; and (ii) reconstituting the .sup.64Cu eluate in the 5 ppm copper in 0.05 M HCl solution. FIG. 4A presents a schematic of an iteration of the process to prepare a 5 ppm elemental copper in 0.05 M HCl solution.

[0134] After target stripping, the strip solution may optionally be tested using an in-process copper spot test to determine the level of elemental copper in the strip solution. The process may proceed to purification if the result is less than about 20 ppm. If the result is greater than about 20 ppm, a second test may be performed at a determination level of 60 ppm. The process may proceed to purification if the result is less than 60 ppm, and the strip solution may be abandoned if the result is greater than 60 ppm. This process control point ensures that the level of elemental copper remains below the specification of not more than 75 ppm.

[0135] If the in-process spot test result is less than 20 ppm the .sup.64Cu eluate is reconstituted with about 5 ppm elemental copper in 0.05 M HCl solution. If the in-process spot test result is greater than about 20 ppm but less than about 60 ppm, the .sup.64Cu eluate may be reconstituted with 0.05 M HCl solution (no additional copper). The reconstituted .sup.64Cu eluate may then be dispensed for downstream radiolabeling processes to form a radiopharmaceutical composition. If the in-process spot test is greater than 60 ppm, the batch is abandoned, and a new target bombardment is completed. FIG. 4B presents a schematic of an iteration of the process to reconstitute the .sup.64Cu eluate in a 5 ppm copper in 0.05 M HCl solution.

[0136] In other embodiments, after target stripping, the strip solution may optionally be tested using an in-process copper spot test to determine whether a lower level of elemental copper is present in the strip solution. In such embodiments, the presence of elemental copper is tested to determine if it is greater than about 5 ppm but less than about 20 ppm, about 25 ppm, about 30 ppm, about 35 ppm, about 40 ppm, about 50 ppm, or about 55 ppm. The test then identifies the concentration limit of elemental copper that is desired for a particular radiopharmaceutical. If the batch exceeds a particular concentration of elemental copper, the batch is discarded. If it is below a particular concentration, the .sup.64Cu eluate is reconstituted with about 5 ppm elemental copper in 0.05 M HCl solution.

(VI) Cyclotron, Target Design, and Hot Cell

[0137] The present disclosure further includes a cyclotron configured to produce high activity amounts of .sup.64Cu. The cyclotron utilized in the present invention was uniquely designed to be configured to operate at a lower energy and/or a higher amperage. For example, the cyclotron disclosed herein may operate at a higher current up to 1200 A and at lower MeV energies below 15 MeV, while previous cyclotrons usually only operated up to 800 A at an energy of 15 MeV to 30 MeV. In non-limiting examples, the cyclotron may produce a proton beam with current of at least 800 A, at least 850, at least 900, at least 950, at least 1000 A, at least 1100 A, or at least 1200 A. In some embodiments, the beam may be split between multiple targets. In addition, the cyclotron disclosed herein may be configured to operate at energy levels lower than 15 MeV, while previous cyclotrons usually only operated at energy levels of 15 MeV to 30 MeV. For example, the cyclotron may be configured to generate a proton beam with an energy of up to 30 MeV, 15 MeV, 14 MeV, 13 MeV, 12 MeV, 11 MeV, or 10 MeV. A beam energy of 13 to 30 MeV may be important for the production of .sup.64Cu. In an example, when bombarding the target with 13 MeV energy, the attrition of power decreases as it passes through the .sup.64Ni to the key energy of 11 MEV, which may be the optimal energy to turn .sup.64Ni into .sup.64Cu.

[0138] The cyclotron configured to produce both lower energy and higher current used with the cyclotron target and processes as described herein then allows for the production of higher activity .sup.64Cu that was not achievable with the energy and current specifications of previously used cyclotrons.

[0139] The present disclosure also includes a cyclotron target that may be used with the cyclotron for generating radionuclides. Various embodiments are shown in the figures. The target may include a target body and a beam plate. The target body has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side surface around the sides of the target body between the top surface and the bottom surface. In some embodiments, the target body may have a ledge extending from the bottom surface. The beam plate has a top surface and a bottom surface. The target body and beam plate are connected using a plurality of screws and O-rings. The top surface of the target body may interface with the bottom surface of the beam plate when connected.

[0140] The target (e.g. the beam plate and the target body) may have a length of about 50 mm to about 200 mm, about 50 mm to about 75 mm, about 75 mm to about 100 mm, about 100 mm to about 125 mm, about 125 mm to about 150 mm, about 150 mm to about 175 mm, or about 175 mm to about 200 mm. The target may have a width of about 50 mm to about 100 mm, about 50 mm to about 60 mm, about 60 mm to about 70 mm, about 70 mm to about 80 mm, about 80 mm to about 90 mm, or about 90 mm to about 100 mm. In some examples, the ledge of the target body may extend 3 mm to 10 mm from the target body. Thus, the target body may have a length and width that is 6 mm to 200 mm larger than the beam plate. The target may have a height of about 15 mm to about 45 mm, about 15 mm to 25 mm, about 25 mm to about 30 mm, about 30 mm to about 35 mm, or about 35 mm to 45 mm. The beam plate may have a height/thickness of about 3 mm to about 10 mm, about 3 mm to about 5 mm, about 4 mm to about 6 mm, about 5 mm to about 7 mm, about 6 mm to about 8 mm, about 7 mm to about 9 mm, about 8 mm to about 10 mm, about 4 mm to about 4.5 mm, about 4.5 mm to about 5 mm, about 5 mm to about 5.5 mm, about 5.5 mm to about 6 mm, about 6 mm to about 6.5 mm, about 6.5 mm to about 7 mm, about 7 mm to about 7.5 mm, or about 7.5 mm to about 8 mm. In one example, the beam plate may have a thickness of about 6 mm.

[0141] The target may be plated with materials to be used in generating a desired radionuclide, such as .sup.64Cu or .sup.68Ge. In an embodiment, the beam plate may further include any material that can be electroplated. Depending on the material to be used for the target, the beam plate may include a pocket cut into the top surface of the beam plate. The pocket may be configured to contain a non-solid material that cannot be electroplated. In one example, the pocket may be configured to contain nickel germanium. In other example, the beam plate does not need to include a pocket. For example, the beam plate may include enriched nickel with electroplated copper.

[0142] The target body may further include an inlet for receiving a flow of water connected to an inlet of the beam plate and an outlet for receiving the flow of water from an outlet of the beam plate, such that water flows through the inlet of the target body, into the inlet of the beam plate, through a plurality of channels/cooling fins in the beam plate, out the outlet of the beam plate, and out the outlet of the target body.

[0143] The beam plate may have 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, or 30 channels/cooling fins. In some examples, the beam plate may have 5 to 10, 10 to 15, 15 to 20, 20 to 25, 25 to 30, 30 to 40, or 40 to 50 channels/cooling fins. Each channel/cooling fin may have a width of about 0.4 mm, about 0.5 mm, about 0.6 mm, about 0.7 mm, about 0.8 mm, about 0.8 mm, about 0.9 mm, or about 1 mm. Each channel/cooling fin may have a height ranging from about 3.5 mm to about 5.5 mm, about 3.5 mm to about 4 mm, about 4 mm to about 4.5 mm, about 4.5 mm to about 5 mm, or about 5 mm to about 5.5 mm. The channels/cooling fins may have the same height, different height, or combinations thereof. The water flow area within each of the channels/cooling fins may range from about 2 mm.sup.2 to about 2.5 mm.sup.2, about 2.5 mm.sup.2 to about 3 mm.sup.2, or about 3 mm.sup.2 to about 3.5 mm.sup.2. The channels/cooling fins may be spread across the beam plate and generally covers at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, or at least 80% of the length and/or width of the beam plate.

[0144] The beam plate may have a higher water flow area (i.e. more heat removed from the beam plate) as compared to prior targets with only 2-3 channels or water flow areas. The water flow area within the target and cooling fins may range from 40 mm.sup.2 to 45 mm.sup.2, 45 mm.sup.2 to 50 mm.sup.2, 50 mm.sup.2 to 55 mm.sup.2, 55 mm.sup.2 to 60 mm.sup.2, 60 mm.sup.2 to 65 mm.sup.2, 65 mm.sup.2 to 70 mm.sup.2, 70 mm.sup.2 to 75 mm.sup.2, 75 mm.sup.2 to 80 mm.sup.2, 80 mm.sup.2 to 85 mm.sup.2, or 85 mm.sup.2 to 90 mm.sup.2. In at least one example, the water flow area through 25 channels/cooling fins is about 77 mm.sup.2 to 78 mm.sup.2. The water flow rate within the target and cooling fins may range from 40 L/min to 90 L/min, 50 L/min to 90 L/min, 55 L/min to 90 L/min, 40 L/min to 50 L/min, 50 L/min to 55 L/min, 55 L/min to 60 L/min, 60 L/min to 65 L/min, 65 L/min to 70 L/min, 70 L/min to 75 L/min, or 75 L/min to 80 L/min, 80 L/min to 85 L/min, or 85 L/min to 90 L/min.

[0145] The channels/cooling fins may be rectangular in shape, cylindrical in shape, oval in shape, or have one rounded edge or end. In some embodiments, having a radius along a top edge of each of the channels/cooling fins improves the water cooling efficiency by up to 5%, up to 7%, or up to 10%, as compared to channels/cooling fins with a squared edge. The inlet and outlet of the beam plate may include cutout portions to widen the inlet to match the width of the area covered by the plurality of channels/cooling fins. This may reduce the turbulence of the water from the inlet entering the channels/cooling fins.

[0146] The target may include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 screws. The screws may be positioned around the perimeter of the beam plate and extend through the top surface of the target body to secure the beam plate to the target body.

[0147] The target body may further include one or more holes on the side surface. In some embodiments, there may be a hole at each location where a screw is within the target body. The hole may be perpendicular to the length of each screw. The holes may help to pull air out of the target and improve the pump down of the target.

[0148] The target may include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 O-rings. In an embodiment, the target may include an outer O-ring, an inner O-ring, an inlet O-ring, and an outlet O-ring. The outer O-ring may be configured to surround the outer surface of the target body. For example, the circumference of the outer O-ring may be approximately the same as the circumference of the target body. The outer O-ring may rest on the ledge extending from the bottom surface of the target body. The inner O-ring may be configured to be within the interface of the target body and the beam plate. In some examples, the target body may have an inset configured to hold the inner O-ring. The inset may be around the perimeter of the top surface of the target body. The inlet O-ring may be positioned within the inlet of the target body and the outlet O-ring may be positioned within the outlet of the target body. There may be high O-ring compression within the target. For example, there may be 35% O-ring compression.

[0149] In some embodiments, the beam plate may include one or more notches that are configured to receive one or more protrusions of the target base. The protrusions may have a triangular, pointed shape. For example, the notch may be a 90 degree (i.e., 90) angle. In some embodiments, protrusions and corresponding notches may be located where there is high point pressure. The shape and location of the protrusion and corresponding notch may help to minimize water to vacuum leak when thermal shock appears. For example, the notch may cut into an O-ring to minimize steam pressure and leaking.

[0150] In some embodiments, the beam plate may be made of copper and may be plated with further materials. For example, the beam plate may be made of oxygen-free Cu Alloy 101. The target base may be made of aluminum. For example, the target body may be made of Alu 6061-T6. The screws may be made of stainless steel. For example, the screws may be made of SS 18-8. The O-rings may be any O-ring known in the art, including but not limited to Viton 2-152 durometer 75A, Buna-N AS5668A Dash No 2-212, Markez Durometer 75A (2-152) W35760, any equivalent FFKM O-ring, or any suitable fluoroelastomer O-ring.

[0151] The target base may include one or more openings in the lower surface for reducing the weight of the target. For example, the target base may include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15 openings to reduce the weight of the target. The openings may have the same diameter, a different diameter, or combinations thereof. The target may have a weight ranging from 400 g to 600 g, 400 g to 450 g, 450 g to 500 g, 500 g to 550 g, or 550 g to 600 g. The target may have a weight that allows it to be transported in a transport tube in a hot cell. For example, the total target weight, including the O-rings, may be about 502 g for a copper target and about 496 g for a germanium target. The plating material may have a weight ranging from 450 mg to 650 mg, 450 mg to 475 mg, 475 mg to 500 mg, 500 mg to 525 mg, 525 mg to 550 mg, 550 mg to 575 mg, 575 mg to 600 mg, 600 mg to 625 mg, or 625 mg to 650 mg. The beam plate may have a plated surface area of 2000 mm.sup.2 to 3000 mm.sup.2, 2000 mm.sup.2 to 2100 mm.sup.2, 2100 mm.sup.2 to 2200 mm.sup.2, 2200 mm.sup.2 to 2300 mm.sup.2, 2300 mm.sup.2 to 2400 mm.sup.2, 2400 mm.sup.2 to 2500 mm.sup.2, 2500 mm.sup.2 to 2600 mm.sup.2, 2600 mm.sup.2 to 2700 mm.sup.2, 2700 mm.sup.2 to 2800 mm.sup.2, 2800 mm.sup.2 to 2900 mm.sup.2, or 2900 mm.sup.2 to 3000 mm.sup.2.

[0152] Design requirements for cGMP Hot Cells for recovering and purification of a radioactive Isotope. The Hot Cells Interior may be designed as a Grade C Environment, to eliminate possible contamination inside the Cells. (The official environmental classification for validation and commercial operation may remain Controlled Unclassified). The Hot Cells may be adjoined by guillotine doors with each other, completely furnished, shielded enclosures. Lead shielding may be for up to 107 Ci of .sup.64Cu.

[0153] To safely process up to 107 Ci of .sup.64Cu several distinct design considerations were needed. For safe and effective transport of the irradiated target, a target transport tube equipped to transfer the larger targets had to be built. The target strip cell was designed to hold the new target. The final product volumes will increase with activity, so a PLC controlled dispenser was programmed to accurately deliver solution volumes to meet product concentration requirements. A product safe and safe lift mechanism were designed to shield operators from the high activity levels when removing product from the hot cells.

[0154] In some embodiments, the hot cell may include chamber coating for acid resistance (e.g. SR65 ethylenechlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE)), a shielding requirement equivalent to shield up to 107 Ci of .sup.64Cu, two tele-manipulators per hot cell, a pneumatically operated target send/receive station, shielded waste chambers, a guillotine door connecting hot cells, the ability to operate under negative pressure, and an ionization chamber (dose calibrator) for sample measurements.

(VII) Specific Compositions and Methods of the Disclosure

[0155] Accordingly, the present disclosure relates in particular to the following non-limiting compositions and methods.

[0156] In a first composition, Composition 1, the present disclosure provides a composition comprising from about 20 Ci to about 110 Ci of isolated copper-64 (.sup.64Cu) and having a specific activity up to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

[0157] In another composition, Composition 2, the present disclosure provides a composition comprising from about 20 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu at the end of bombardment (EOB) of a single cyclotron run.

[0158] In another composition, Composition 3, the present disclosure provides a composition comprising from about 2 Ci to about 5 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB of a single cyclotron run of about 2 h or about 4 h.

[0159] In another composition, Composition 4, the present disclosure provides a composition comprising from about 5 Ci to about 9 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB of a single cyclotron run of about 6 h.

[0160] In another composition, Composition 5, the present disclosure provides a composition comprising up to about 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB of a single cyclotron run of about 12 h.

[0161] In another composition, Composition 6, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 1 to 5, wherein the composition has a specific activity from about 40 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64CU/g CU.

[0162] In another composition, Composition 7, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 1 to 6, wherein the composition has a specific activity from about 40 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 2300 mCi .sup.64CU/g CU.

[0163] In another composition, Composition 8, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 3 to 7, wherein the single cyclotron run comprises bombarding a nickel-64 target with a beam of protons having an energy of about 12 MeV to about 14 MeV.

[0164] In another composition, Composition 9, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 1 to 8, wherein the composition has a total content of trace metals of less than about 5 parts per million (ppm), the trace metals being cobalt, copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc.

[0165] In another composition, Composition 10, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 1 to 9, wherein the composition comprises a solution of hydrochloric acid (HCl).

[0166] In another composition, Composition 11, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in Composition 10, wherein the solution comprises about 0.001 M to about 3 M HCl.

[0167] In another composition, Composition 12, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in Compositions 10 or 11, wherein the solution comprises about 2 M HCl.

[0168] In another composition, Composition 13, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 10 to 12, wherein the solution comprises about 0.05 M HCl.

[0169] In another composition, Composition 14, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 10 to 13, wherein the .sup.64Cu exists as .sup.64CuCl.sub.2.

[0170] In another composition, Composition 15, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 1 to 14, wherein the composition further comprises a chelating agent or a bifunctional chelating agent in which the .sup.64Cu is coordinated therein.

[0171] In another composition, Composition 16, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in Composition 15, wherein the chelating agent or the bifunctional chelating agent is a macrocyclic compound, a bridged macrocyclic compound, a bicyclic compound, or an acyclic compound.

[0172] In another composition, Composition 17, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in Compositions 15 or 16, wherein the bifunctional chelating agent is DOTA.

[0173] In another composition, Composition 18, the present disclosure provides a solution comprising (i) about 2 Ci to about 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu that has a specific activity up to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu and (ii) HCl.

[0174] In another composition, Composition 19, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in Composition 18, wherein the specific activity of the solution is from about 40 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 2300 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

[0175] In another composition, Composition 20, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in Compositions 18 or 19, wherein the HCl has a concentration from about 0.001 M to about 3 M.

[0176] In another composition, Composition 21, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 18 to 20, wherein the HCl has a concentration of about 0.5 M.

[0177] In another composition, Composition 22, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 18 to 21, wherein the .sup.64Cu exists as .sup.64CuCl.sub.2.

[0178] In another composition, Composition 23, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 18 to 22, wherein the solution has a total content of trace metals of less than about 5 ppm, the trace metals being cobalt, copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc.

[0179] In another composition, Composition 24, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in any one of Compositions 18 to 23, wherein the solution further comprises a chelating agent or a bifunctional chelating agent in which the .sup.64Cu is coordinated therein.

[0180] In another composition, Composition 25, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in Composition 25, wherein the chelating agent or the bifunctional chelating agent is a macrocyclic compound, a bridged macrocyclic compound, a bicyclic compound, or an acyclic compound.

[0181] In another composition, Composition 26, the present disclosure provides a composition, as provided in Compositions 24 or 25, wherein the bifunctional chelating agent is DOTA.

[0182] In a first process, Process 1, the present disclosure provides a process for preparing copper-64 (.sup.64Cu) from nickel-64 (.sup.64Ni), the process comprising (a) bombarding a cyclotron target comprising .sup.64Ni with a proton beam to generate a bombarded target; (b) stripping the bombarded target with a volume of hydrochloric acid (HCl) having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to form a strip solution comprising .sup.64Ni and .sup.64Cu; and (c) purifying the .sup.64Cu from the strip solution by ion exchange chromatography comprising: (i) passing the strip solution through a column comprising an ion exchange resin such that .sup.64Cu binds to the ion exchange resin and .sup.64Ni passes through the column as a flow-through; (ii) rinsing the column with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 3 M to about 6 M; and (iii) adding a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 0.5 M to about 3 M to the column to elute the .sup.64Cu from the ion exchange resin and collecting an eluate comprising .sup.64Cu.

[0183] In another process, Process 2, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Process 1, wherein the cyclotron target comprises about 50 mg of .sup.64Ni plated in an area of about 4.0 cm.sup.2.

[0184] In another process, Process 3, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Processes 1 or 2, wherein the proton beam has an energy of about 10 MeV to about 14 MeV and a current of about 100 A to about 250 A.

[0185] In another process, Process 4, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 3, wherein the proton beam has an energy of about 12 MeV and a current up to about 225 A.

[0186] In another process, Process 5, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 4, wherein the bombarding proceeds for about 1 h to about 6 h.

[0187] In another process, Process 6, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 5, wherein after the bombarding, the bombarded target comprises from about 2 Ci to about 12 Ci of .sup.64Cu at the end of bombardment (EOB).

[0188] In another process, Process 7, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Process 6, wherein after about 2 h to about 4 h of bombarding, the bombarded target comprises from about 2 Ci to about 5 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB.

[0189] In another process, Process 8, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Process 6, wherein after about 6 h of bombarding, the bombarded target comprises from about 5 Ci to about 9 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB.

[0190] In another process, Process 9, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 8, wherein the stripping of the bombarded target is conducted at a temperature of about 65 C. to about 100 C.

[0191] In another process, Process 10, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 9, wherein the stripping comprises contacting the bombarded target three times with an aliquot of 9 M HCl for about 3-5 minutes each time, and collecting the aliquots as the strip solution.

[0192] In another process, Process 11, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 10, wherein the bombarded target is rinsed with an additional aliquot of 9 M HCl, which is then added to the strip solution.

[0193] In another process, Process 12, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 11, wherein the ion exchange resin is a strong anion exchange resin comprising trimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride groups.

[0194] In another process, Process 13, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 12, wherein the flow-through from passing the strip solution through the column is collected as a .sup.64Ni recovery fraction.

[0195] In another process, Process 14, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 13, wherein after passing the strip solution through the column, a further volume of 9 M HCl is added to the column and its flow-through is combined with the .sup.64Ni recovery fraction.

[0196] In another process, Process 15, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Process 14, wherein an average of about 82% of the target .sup.64Ni is recovered in the .sup.64Ni recovery fraction.

[0197] In another process, Process 16, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 15, wherein the rinsing comprises adding 4 M HCl to the column to elute cobalt, which is collected as a waste fraction.

[0198] In another process, Process 17, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 16, wherein the .sup.64Cu is eluted form the column with 2 M HCl.

[0199] In another process, Process 18, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 17, wherein an average of about 80% of the .sup.64Cu present in the strip solution is recovered in the eluate comprising .sup.64Cu.

[0200] In another process, Process 19, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 18, wherein the eluate comprising .sup.64Cu is evaporated to dryness and reconstituted in 0.05 M HCl, thereby forming a final product comprising .sup.64Cu.

[0201] In another process, Process 20, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Process 19, wherein the final product comprising .sup.64Cu comprises from about 2 Ci to about 12 Ci of .sup.64Cu.

[0202] In another process, Process 21, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Processes 19 or 20, wherein the final product comprising .sup.64Cu has a specific activity up to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

[0203] In another process, Process 22, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 19 to 21, wherein the final product comprising .sup.64Cu has a specific activity from about 40 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 2300 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

[0204] In another process, Process 23, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 19 to 22, wherein the final product comprising .sup.64Cu has a total content of trace metals of less than about 5 ppm, the trace metals being cobalt, copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, gallium, germanium, zinc, and combinations thereof.

[0205] In another process, Process 24, the present disclosure provides an additional process for preparing copper-64 (.sup.64Cu) from nickel-64 (.sup.64Ni), in which the .sup.64Cu is purified by a combination of extraction chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. The process comprises (a) bombarding a cyclotron target comprising .sup.64Ni with a proton beam to generate a bombarded target; (b) stripping the bombarded target with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to form a strip solution comprising .sup.64Ni, .sup.64Cu, .sup.61Co, and one or more trace metals; and (c) purifying the .sup.64Cu from the strip solution by chromatography, wherein the chromatography comprises (i) passing the strip solution through a first column comprising an extraction resin connected in series to a second column comprising an ion exchange resin, such that the one or more trace metals binds to the extraction resin in the first column, .sup.64Cu and .sup.61Co bind to the ion exchange resin in the second column, and .sup.64Ni passes through both columns as a first flow-through fraction. The process further comprises (ii) rinsing the first and second columns with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to remove residual .sup.64Ni as a second flow-through fraction; (iii) rinsing the second column with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 3 M to about 6 M to elute .sup.61Co as a first waste fraction; (iv) rinsing the second column with a volume of NaCl having a molarity of about 3 M to 6 M in HCl having a molarity of about 0.01 M to about 3 M to elute residual .sup.61Co as a second waste fraction or rinsing the second column with an additional volume of HCl having a molarity of about 3 M to about 6 M to elute .sup.61Co as a second waste fraction; and (v) adding a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 0.01 M to about 3 M to the second column to elute the .sup.64Cu as a product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu.

[0206] In another process, Process 25, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Process 24, wherein the cyclotron target at (a) comprises about 750 mg of .sup.64Ni plated in an area of about 23.0 cm.sup.2.

[0207] In another process, Process 26, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Processes 24 or 25, wherein the proton beam at (a) has an energy of about 10 MeV to about 15 MeV and a current of about 350 A to about 408 A.

[0208] In another process, Process 27, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 24 to 26, wherein the proton beam at (a) has an energy of about 13 MeV and a current of about 350 A to about 408 A.

[0209] In another process, Process 28, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 24 to 27, wherein the bombardment (a) proceeds for about 12 h to about 24 h, and the bombarded target comprises from about 46 Ci to about 82 Ci of .sup.64Cu at the end of bombardment (EOB).

[0210] In another process, Process 29, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Processes 28, wherein after about 16 h to about 20 h of bombarding at (a), the bombarded target comprises from about 56 Ci to about 75 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB.

[0211] In another process, Process 30, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Processes 28, wherein after about 19 h of bombarding at (a), the bombarded target comprises from about 62 Ci to about 73 Ci of .sup.64Cu at EOB.

[0212] In another process, Process 31, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 24 to 30, wherein the stripping at (b) comprises contacting the bombarded target with 9 M HCl, and the stripping at (b) is conducted at a temperature of about 65 C. to about 100 C.

[0213] In another process, Process 32, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 24 to 31, wherein the extraction resin in the first column at (c)(i) comprises tributylphosphate as a functional group, and the ion exchange resin in the second column at (c)(i) comprises a tertiary amine as a functional group.

[0214] In another process, Process 33, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 24 to 32, wherein the rinsing at (c)(ii) comprises 9 M HCl.

[0215] In another process, Process 34, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 24 to 33, wherein the first and second flow-through fractions are combined as a .sup.64Ni recovery fraction.

[0216] In another process, Process 35, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Process 34, wherein an average of about 98% of the target .sup.64Ni is recovered in the .sup.64Ni recovery fraction.

[0217] In another process, Process 36, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 24 to 35, wherein the rinsing at (c)(iii) comprises 4 M HCl, and the rising at (c)(iv) comprises 5 M NaCl in 0.05 M HCl or additional 4 M HCl.

[0218] In another process, Process 37, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 24 to 36, wherein the .sup.64Cu is eluted at (c)(v) with 0.05 M HCl.

[0219] In another process, Process 38, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 24 to 37, wherein an average of about 89% of the .sup.64Cu present in the strip solution is recovered in the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu.

[0220] In another process, Process 39, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 24 to 38, wherein the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu comprises from about 2 Ci to about 15 Ci of .sup.64Cu and has a specific activity up to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

[0221] In another process, Process 40, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 24 to 39, wherein the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu has a total content of trace metals of less than about 5 ppm, the trace metals being cobalt, copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc.

[0222] In another process, Process 41, the present disclosure provides a process for preparing .sup.64Cu from .sup.64Ni, the process comprising (a) bombarding a cyclotron target comprising .sup.64Ni with a proton beam to generate a bombarded target; (b) stripping the bombarded target with a volume of hydrochloric acid (HCl) having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to form a strip solution comprising .sup.64Ni, .sup.64Cu, .sup.61Co, and one or more other metals; and (c) purifying the .sup.64Cu from the strip solution by (i) passing the strip solution through a column comprising an ion exchange resin such that the one or more other metals binds to the ion exchange resin in the column, .sup.64Cu and .sup.61Co bind to the ion exchange resin in the column and .sup.64Ni passes through the column as a first flow-through fraction; (ii) rinsing the column with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to elute residual .sup.64Ni as a second flow-through fraction; (iii) rinsing the column with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to elute residual .sup.61Co as a first waste fraction; (iv) adding a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 0.01 M to about 3 M to the column to elute the .sup.64Cu as a product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu.

[0223] In another process, Process 42, the present disclosure provides a process for preparing .sup.64Cu from .sup.64Ni, the process comprising (a) bombarding a cyclotron target comprising .sup.64Ni with a proton beam to generate a bombarded target; (b) stripping the bombarded target with a volume of hydrochloric acid (HCl) having a molarity of about 6 M to about 12.1 M to form a strip solution comprising .sup.64Ni, .sup.64Cu, .sup.61Co, and one or more other metals; and (c) purifying the .sup.64Cu from the strip solution by (i) passing the strip solution through a column comprising an ion exchange resin such that .sup.64Cu binds to the ion exchange resin and .sup.64Ni passes through the column as a first flow-through fraction; (ii) rinsing the column with a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 3 M to about 6 M to elute residual .sup.64Ni as a second flow-through fraction; and (iii) adding a volume of HCl having a molarity of about 0.5 M to about 3 M to the column to elute the .sup.64Cu from the ion exchange resin and collecting an eluate comprising .sup.64Cu.

[0224] In another process, Process 43, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 42, wherein the plated material weight is from about 40 mg to about 800 mg.

[0225] In another process, Process 44, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 43, wherein the plated material weight is from about 550 mg to about 605 mg.

[0226] In another process, Process 45, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 44, wherein the plated surface area (also referred to as the plating area) is from about 3.0 cm.sup.2 to about 25 cm.sup.2.

[0227] In another process, Process 46, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 45, wherein the plated surface area (also referred to as the plating area) is from about 21 cm.sup.2 to about 24 cm.sup.2.

[0228] In another process, Process 47, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in Processes 1 to 46, wherein the proton beam has an energy of about 10 MeV to about 14 MeV and a current of about 30 A to about 1200 A.

[0229] In another process, Process 48, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 47, wherein the proton beam has an energy of about 13 MeV and a current of about 408 A.

[0230] In another process, Process 49, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 48, wherein the target is cooled using water flow through the target. The water flows through a series of cooling fins along the length of the target. The target includes 5 to 50 cooling fins.

[0231] In another process, Process 50, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 49, wherein the water flow surface area within the target and cooling fins ranges from 40 mm.sup.2 to 90 mm.sup.2.

[0232] In another process, Process 51, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 50, wherein the water flow rate within the target and cooling fins ranges from 40 L/min to 90 L/min.

[0233] In another process, Process 52, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 51, wherein the water flow rate within the target and cooling fins ranges from 50 L/min to 90 L/min.

[0234] In another process, Process 53, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 52, wherein the water flow rate within the target and cooling fins ranges from 55 L/min to 90 L/min.

[0235] In another process, Process 54, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 53, wherein the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu comprises from about 15 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and has a specific activity up to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

[0236] In another process, Process 55, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 54, wherein the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu comprises from about 15 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and has a specific activity from about 50 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

[0237] In another process, Process 56, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 55, wherein the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu comprises from about 15 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and has a specific activity from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 3800 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

[0238] In another process, Process 57, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 56, wherein the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu comprises from about 15 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and has a specific activity from about 50 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 6000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

[0239] In another process, Process 58, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 57, wherein the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu comprises from about 15 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and has a specific activity from about 100 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu to about 6000 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu.

[0240] In another process, Process 59, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 58, wherein the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu comprises from about 15 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and less than 10 ppm of .sup.67Cu, less than 9 ppm of .sup.67Cu, less than 8 ppm of .sup.67Cu, less than 7 ppm of .sup.67Cu, less than 6 ppm of .sup.67Cu, or less than 5 ppm of .sup.67Cu.

[0241] In another process, Process 60, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 59, wherein the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu comprises from about 15 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and less than 4 ppm of .sup.67Cu, less than 3 ppm of .sup.67Cu, less than 2 ppm of .sup.67Cu, less than 1 ppm of .sup.67Cu, less than 0.1 ppm of .sup.67Cu, or less than 0.05 ppm of .sup.67Cu.

[0242] In another process, Process 61, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 60, wherein the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu comprises from about 15 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and less than 10 ppm of .sup.68Zn, less than 9 ppm of .sup.68Zn, less than 8 ppm of .sup.68Zn, less than 7 ppm of .sup.68Zn, less than 6 ppm of .sup.68Zn, or less than 5 ppm of .sup.68Zn.

[0243] In another process, Process 62, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 61, wherein the product fraction comprising .sup.64Cu comprises from about 15 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and less than 4 ppm of .sup.68Zn, less than 3 ppm of .sup.68Zn, less than 2 ppm of .sup.68Zn, less than 1 ppm of .sup.68Zn, less than 0.1 ppm of .sup.68Zn, or less than 0.05 ppm of .sup.68Zn.

[0244] In another process, Process 63, the present disclosure provides a process, as provided in any one of Processes 1 to 62, wherein the product fraction comprising from about 15 Ci to about 110 Ci of .sup.64Cu and 0 ppm .sup.68Zn (i.e., an absence of .sup.68zinc).

Definitions

[0245] The features, structures, steps, or characteristics disclosed herein in connection with one embodiment may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more alternative embodiments.

[0246] The indefinite articles a and an, as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean at least one.

[0247] In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as comprising, including, carrying, having, containing, involving, holding, composed of, and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases consisting of and consisting essentially of shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.

[0248] The terms about and substantially preceding a numerical value mean10% of the recited numerical value.

[0249] Where a range of values is provided, each value between the upper and lower ends of the range are specifically contemplated and described herein.

[0250] The term carrier, as used herein refers to an inactive material deliberately added to a specified radioactive substance to ensure that the radioactivity will behave normally in all subsequent chemical and physical processes.

[0251] The term non-carrier added refers to a preparation of a radioactive isotope which is free from stable isotopes of the element in question. More precisely, a preparation of a radioactive isotope of high specific activity to which no isotopic carrier was intentionally added and which was not produced by irradiation of a stable isotope of the same element.

EXAMPLES

[0252] The following examples illustrate various non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure.

Example 1: Separation of Metals Via Ion Exchange Chromatography

[0253] According to the literature, a bombarded Ni target typically is dissolved in 6 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) and the resulting solution is purified via anion exchange chromatography. After the nickel has completely eluted from the column, the eluent is changed to low molarity HCl (often s 0.5 M) or water and the copper is collected as it is released from column. However, .sup.64Cu prepared this way typically contains some .sup.61Co, as Co elutes from the resin in 4 M HCl. Thus, to obtain better separation of Co and Cu, a trial separation of various metals was performed using solutions of 6 M, 4 M, and 2 M HCl to elute Ni, Co, and Cu, respectively.

[0254] A solution containing 5.0 mg/mL Ni and 25 g/mL each of Co, Cu, Fe, Zn, Hg and Pb in 6 M HCl was prepared to mimic an un-purified mixture. A glass Econo-column (0.7 cm20 cm) was dry-packed with 4.5 g of AG 1-X8 resin (16 cm bed height, 6 mL bed volume). The resin was pre-treated by washing the column with 30 mL of Chelex-treated H.sub.2O followed by 30 mL of 6 M HCl. This rinse cycle was repeated once more so that the final wash was with 6 M HCl. The columns were gravity drained and each wash was considered complete once droplet formation ceased.

[0255] The column was loaded with 10 mL of the metal solution (50 mg Ni, 250 g each added metal) and the flow through was collected as 25 mL fractions (load fraction). The column was eluted with the following: 52 mL aliquots of 6 M HCl (6 M fraction), 52 mL aliquots of 4 M HCl (4 M fraction), 52 mL aliquots of 2 M HCl (2 M fraction), and 15 mL aliquot of 0.5 M HCl (0.5 M fraction). Each eluate and an aliquot of the initial unpurified mixture were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Table 1 presents the amount of metal present in each fraction as a percentage of what was present in the initial unpurified mixture.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Percent of metal in each fraction. Load 6M 4M 2M 0.5M Ni 89.5 31.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 Co 36.5 46.5 16.7 0.0 0.0 Cu 0.0 0.0 9.6 80.6 0.1 Fe 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.7 40.7 Hg 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Pb 0.4 7.2 44.0 20.0 6.4 Zn 36.9 13.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

[0256] As expected, Ni was present in the load fraction and the 6 M HCl fraction. The majority of Cu was present in 2 M HCl fraction, with a small amount (9.6%) present in the 4 M HCl fraction. Co was observed in the load, 6 M HCl, and 4 M HCl fractions, with no co-elution with Cu in the 2 M HCl fraction. Thus, there was good separation of Ni and Co from Cu, with 80.6% of the total Cu collected in the 2 M HCl faction with no co-elution of either Ni or Co. The only other tested metals present in the 2 M HCl fraction were small percentages of Pb and Fe.

Example 2: Varying Molarity of Starting Acid

[0257] To determine whether early breakthrough of Co could be reduced, as well as Pb breakthrough in the 2 M HCl fraction, the molarity of the starting acid was increased to 9 M HCl.

[0258] A solution containing 5.0 mg/mL Ni and 25 g/mL each of Co, Cu, Fe, Zn, Hg and Pb in 9 M HCl was prepared. A column comprising 4.5 g of AG 1-X8 resin was prepared described above in Example 1. The column resin was pre-treated with 30 mL of Chelex-treated H.sub.2O followed by 30 mL of 9 M HCl. This rinse cycle was repeated once more so that the final wash was with 9 M HCl. The prepped column was loaded with 10 mL of the Ni solution (50 mg Ni, 250 g each added metal) and collected as 25 mL fractions. The column then was eluted, and fractions collected with the following: 52 mL fractions of 9 M HCl, 52 mL fractions of 4 M HCl, 52 mL fractions of 2 M HCl, and 15 mL of 0.5 M HCl. Samples of the eluates and the initial unpurified mixture were analyzed via ICP-OES. These data are presented in Table 2.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Percent of metal in each fraction. Load 9M HCl 4M HCl 2M HCl 0.5M HCl Ni 78.7 27.6 0 0 0 Co 3.1 0.9 94.0 0.3 0 Cu 0 0 2.1 93.0 0.1 Fe 0 0 0 9.0 41.4 Hg 0 0 0 0 0 Pb 10.6 83.2 4.7 0.1 0 Zn 36.8 12.9 0 0 0

[0259] The use of 9 M HCl as the starting acid concentration improved the overall separation process by shifting the elution profiles of Co and Pb. The majority of Co was eluted in the 4 M HCl fraction (rather than the earlier fractions), and the majority of Pb was eluted in the load and 9 M HCl fractions (rather than the 4 M HCl fraction). The 2 M HCl fraction contained mainly Cu with a low percentage of Fe and trace amounts of Co and Pb.

Example 3: Adjusting a CS-30 Cyclotron to Reduce Proton Beam Energy

[0260] Copper-64 may be produced by bombarding enriched nickel-64 with low energy protons (e.g., less than 14 MeV). At higher beam energies, the production of .sup.61Co and stable .sup.63Cu increases and .sup.64Cu production decreases, therefore .sup.64Cu production from .sup.64Ni via the (p,n) reaction is best performed with 12 MeV protons.

[0261] It has been generally assumed that CS-30 cyclotrons were not suitable for .sup.64Cu production because they may accelerate a proton beam up to about 30 MeV. It is generally accepted that a cyclotron cannot attain a beam energy lower than half of its maximum energy. Thus, the lowest energy attainable in CS-30 cyclotrons, in theory, is about 15 MeV.

[0262] The output energy of a cyclotron is given by the equation E=(rqB).sup.2/2 m, where E is the particle energy, r is the radius at which the targets are inserted, q is the charge on the particle of interest, B is the magnetic field, and m is the mass of the particle being accelerated. Since protons are being accelerated, the mass and charge are 1.67210.sup.27 kg, and 1.60210.sup.19 C, respectively. The magnetic field used in CS-30 cyclotrons is 1.847 T. FIG. 3 shows the proton energy as a function of the proton beam radius. This plot predicts a target radius of about 27.9 cm to attain a beam energy of about 12 MeV.

[0263] Thus, in order to produce the desired proton beam energy of 12 MeV, the location of the target was adjusted in the cyclotron so that the proton beam would strike the target at the smaller radius of about 27.9 cm.

[0264] Initial beam strikes with CS-30 curved targets showed that the proton beam went too far along one edge of the target, all of the way to the end, with no beam on the majority of the target face, completely missing the opposite edge. Only about 25% of the entire target face had beam on it, and half of that was on an unusable edge. With this arrangement, too much of the beam would be lost, and hence it is unsuitable. This was remedied by substituting a flat target for the curved one. Using a flat target allowed the beam to strike about one-fifth of the total target area (e.g., about one-fifth from the end of the target). The total area covered by the beam was 4 cm.sup.2. The beam strike from the flat target was acceptable. Tuning parameters of the CS-30 were determined to give the best beam strike at the new radius of 27.9 cm. Thus, by using a flat target, the target radius was reduced, and the energy of the proton beam could be reduced to about 12 MeV.

Example 4: Target Bombardments of Enriched Nickel-64

[0265] A CS-30 cyclotron adjusted as described above in Example 3 was used to produce .sup.64Cu. For this, about 50 mg of .sup.64Ni (99% isotopically enriched) was electroplated on a CS-30 cyclotron flat target comprising a copper base layer that had been electroplated with gold to a thickness of about 50 m. The plated area was about 4.0 cm.sup.2. The target was bombarded with a beam energy of about 12 MeV, a beam current of 200 A or 225 A, and bombardment time of 1 to 6 h. The target was stripped with 9 M HCl and the resultant solution was analyzed by HPGe gamma spectroscopy to determine .sup.64Cu yield at the end of bombardment (EOB). Table 3 shows results of preliminary runs.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Yield of Test Runs. Beam Bombardment .sup.64Cu Activity, Run Current Time calibrated to EOB 1 200 A 1 h 674.1 mCi 2 200 A 6 h 6,102 mCi 3 225 A 1 h 1,424.8 mCi 4 225 A 6 h 6,900.1 mCi

Example 5: Purification of Copper-64 from a Bombarded Nickel-64 Target

[0266] Flat CS-30 cyclotron targets that had been electroplated with 50 m of gold, were plated with enriched .sup.64Ni, targeting a mass of about 50 mg and a plated area of 4.0 cm.sup.2. The target was bombarded for 1 to 6 h with a beam energy of about 12 MeV and beam current of approximately 200 A or 225 A. The bombarded target was stripped using three 3.0 mL aliquots of 9 M HCl. During this time, the target stripping cell was heated to 75 C., and each aliquot was held for 3-5 minutes. After the hold time, the 3-mL aliquot was removed and placed in a holding vessel. The aliquots were collected together as one, approximately 9 mL strip solution.

[0267] The .sup.64Cu was isolated and purified by anion exchange chromatography essentially as described above in Example 2. For this, a glass ion-exchange column (inner diameter=1.0 cm, length=20 cm) was nitric acid washed, rinsed with high resistivity water, and packed with 4.5 g AG 1-X8 resin (chloride form), 100 to 200 mesh (8 cm bed height, 6 mL bed volume). The column resin was pre-treated by washing twice with Chelex-treated 18.2 M.Math.cm resistivity water followed by 9 M HCl.

[0268] The 9-mL strip solution was loaded onto a pre-treated ion-exchange column along with an additional 1 mL of 9 M HCl that was used to rinse the vessel holding the strip solution. The 10-mL load volume was eluted from the column by gravity at 1 mL per minute as the load fraction. Gravity filtration was used for all the solutions that passed through the column. The column was then rinsed with another 10 mL of 9 M HCl and the eluate was combined with the load fraction. The combined fractions (approximately 20 mL) comprised the .sup.64Ni recovery fraction. After the .sup.64Ni recovery fraction was collected from the column, 10 mL of 4 M HCl was added to the column. The eluate comprising cobalt was collected separately as a waste fraction. After the 4 M HCl fraction was collected from the column, 8 mL of 2 M HCl was added to the column. The 2 M HCl eluate collected in a separate vial and contained the .sup.64Cu product. The 2 M HCl eluate was evaporated to dryness and reconstituted in 0.05 M HCl to a target radioactive concentration of approximately 1.25 Ci/mL.

[0269] Aliquots of the strip solution and the eluates were analysed by gamma spectroscopy and/or with a dose calibrator to determine .sup.64Cu activity, and via ICP-OES to determine metallic content. The yield of .sup.64Cu at EOB for 15 runs ranged from 674 mCi (1 h bombardment at 200 A) to 8,706 mCi (6 h bombardment at 200 A). The average yield of .sup.64Cu at EOB for 8 runs that had a bombardment time of 6 h and beam current of 200-225 A was 67132.6 mCi (s.d.=1189.1). The average recovery of .sup.64Cu in the 2 M HCl eluate (relative to the strip solution) for the 15 runs was about 80% (s.d.=20%). After reconstituting the .sup.64Cu in 0.05 M HCl, the resulting specific activity of the .sup.64CuCl.sub.2 averaged 965.8 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu (s.d.=658) at EOB when measured by the dose calibrator, and 1,724.2 mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu (s.d.=750) at EOB when measured by the HPGe detector. The Cu content was determined via ICP-OES. Further analysis revealed no statistically significant difference between the dose calibrator and the HPGe detector. The dose calibrator method was preferred because it was more straightforward to use during manufacturing. The average recovery of .sup.64Ni (in the .sup.64Ni recovery fraction) from the 15 processed targets was about 82%.

[0270] Presented below is a detailed analysis of the purified product from three representative runs. For these runs, the target was bombarded for 6 h with a beam energy of approximately 12 MeV and beam current of 200 or 225 A. Total activity was measured with a dose calibrator calibrated for .sup.64Cu. Table 4 shows the activity of .sup.64Cu collected after the purification process. Table 4 also shows the purification process yields as amount of .sup.64Cu per total activity of the strip solution (as determined by dose calibrator).

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Recovery of .sup.64Cu During Purification Batch 1 Batch 2 Batch 3 Strip Solution (mCi) 9,872.0 10,625 10,798 2M HCl Eluate (mCi) 6,154.4 8,385 8,760 % .sup.64Cu recovery 62.3% 78.9% 81.1%

[0271] Table 5 presents the levels of trace metals in the 2 M HCl eluate.

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Trace Metal Analysis in 2M HCl Eluate Batch 1 Batch 2 Batch 3 Au (g/mL) 0 0 0 Co (g/mL) 0 0 0.047 Cu (g/mL) 0.343 0.745 0.673 Fe (g/mL) 0.102 0.117 0.261 Hg (g/mL) 0 0 0 Ni (g/mL) 0.434 0.403 0.484 Pb (g/mL) 0.031 0.031 0.886 Zn (g/mL) 0.114 1.899 2.448

[0272] Table 6 presents the specific activity of the .sup.64Cu product in the 0.05 M HCl solution.

TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Specific Activity of .sup.64Cu in 0.05M HCl Solution Batch 1 Batch 2 Batch 3 .sup.64Cu activity (i)mC 4,041.1 7,650.0 8,109.0 Cu mass (g) 2.0 8.2 5.7 Specific Activity 2,010.5 937.6 1,425.2 (mCi .sup.64Cu/g Cu)

Example 6. Separation of Metals Via Extraction and Ion Exchange Chromatography

[0273] A trial separation of various metals was performed using a combination of extraction chromatography and ion exchange chromatography to more effectively separate Cu from masses of Ni up to 750 mg, Co, Fe, and other transition metals.

[0274] A polyethylene (PE) column (0.7 cm20 cm) was vacuum-packed using 20 mL of 0.05 M HCl with 2.7 g of TK201 resin (about 5 cm to 6 cm bed height, about 1 mL to 2 mL bed volume). A PE frit was securely placed atop the packed resin bed. The packed PE column, containing TK201 resin, was rinsed with 20 mL of 0.05 M HCl under vacuum. The packed PE column was capped and stored at 4.4 C.

[0275] The pre-packed PE column containing 2.7 g of TK201 resin, stored in 0.05 M HCl at 4.4 C., and a 2 mL PE column containing 300 mg of TBP resin were pre-treated by washing each column with 10 mL of high-resistivity water (HRW) followed by 10 mL of 9 M HCl. The HRW and 9 M HCl were passed through each column at a flow-rate of 1 mL/min using a syringe pump. Each wash was considered complete once droplet formation ceased.

[0276] A solution containing 25.0 mg/mL Ni, 20.4 g/mL Co, 8.6 g/mL Cu, 8.1 g/mL Fe, and 10.3 g/mL Pb was prepared in 9 M HCl to simulate a bombarded target stripping solution.

[0277] The PE columns, connected in series, were loaded at a flow-rate of 1 mL/min using a syringe pump with 30 mL of the metal solution (746 mg Ni, 259 g Cu, 611 g Co, 244 g Fe, 309 g Pb) and the flow through was collected as a single 30 mL fraction (load fraction). The two columns were eluted with 24 mL aliquots of 9 M HCl (9 M fraction) and the flow through was collected. The ion exchange column was then eluted with the following: 25 mL aliquots of 4 M HCl (4 M fraction), 24 mL aliquots of 5 M NaCl in 0.05 M HCl (5 M NaCl fraction), and 25 mL aliquot of 0.05 M HCl (0.05 M fraction). Each eluate and an aliquot of the initial mixture were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Table 7 presents the amount of metal present in each fraction as a percentage of the starting amount in the simulated stripping solution mixture.

TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 Percentages of Various Metals in Each Fraction Element Load 9M HCl 4M HCl 5M NaCl 0.05M HCl Co 53.5 7.0 21.6 11.4 n.d.* Cu n.d. n.d. n.d. n.d. 86.5 Ni 88.3 10.1 0.03 n.d. n.d. Fe n.d. n.d. n.d. n.d. n.d. Pb 75.4 11.4 0 0 0 *n.d. = not detected or below the limits of detection

[0278] As expected, Ni was present in the load fraction and the 9 M HCl rinse fraction (98.4%). The Cu was measured only in the 0.05 M HCl fraction (86.5%). Co was observed in the load, 9 M HCl, 4 M HCl, and 5 M NaCl fractions, with no co-elution of Cu in the 0.05 M HCl fraction. Thus, there was good separation of Ni and Co from Cu, with 86.5% of the total Cu collected in the 0.05 M HCl faction with no co-elution of either Ni or Co.

Example 7: Analyses of Copper Cu-64 Chloride Compositions

[0279] Batches of copper Cu-64 chloride compositions of the present disclosure were prepared as described herein. Six batches were analyzed for quality control, including analysis for elemental impurities, radioactive concentration, radionuclidic identity, radionuclidic purity, and specific activity. The data for each batch is provided in Tables 8-13.

TABLE-US-00008 TABLE 8 Batch 1 Parameter Result Limit Elemental Impurities Co 0 g/mL 50 g/mL Cu 5 g/mL 75 g/mL Fe 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Ni 1 g/mL 75 g/mL Pb 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Zn 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Total Impurities 9 g/mL 100 g/mL Radioactive Concentration Radioactive concentration 737.5 Report mCi/mL value at mCi/mL date and time of calibration Radionuclidic Identity Radionuclidic Identity Conforms Gamma emission spectra at 511 keV and 1346 keV Radionuclidic Purity Cu-64 100.0% 98.9% at date and time of calibration Co-61 0% 1% at date and time of calibration Single other impurity Conforms 0.05% at date and time of calibration Total other impurities 0.0% 0.1% at date and time of calibration Specific Activity Specific Activity 83 6 mCi/g at date and mCi/g time of calibration

TABLE-US-00009 TABLE 9 Batch 2 Parameter Result Limit Elemental Impurities Co 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Cu 2 g/mL 75 g/mL Fe 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Ni 1 g/mL 75 g/mL Pb 0 g/mL 50 g/mL Zn 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Total Impurities 6 g/mL 100 g/mL Radioactive Concentration Radioactive concentration 627.5 Report mCi/mL value at mCi/mL date and time of calibration Radionuclidic Identity Radionuclidic Identity Conforms Gamma emission spectra at 511 keV and 1346 keV Radionuclidic Purity Cu-64 100.0% 98.9% at date and time of calibration Co-61 0% 1% at date and time of calibration Single other impurity Conforms 0.05% at date and time of calibration Total other impurities 0.0% 0.1% at date and time of calibration Specific Activity Specific Activity 98 6 mCi/g at date and mCi/g time of calibration

TABLE-US-00010 TABLE 10 Batch 3 Parameter Result Limit Elemental Impurities Co 0 g/mL 50 g/mL Cu 12 g/mL 75 g/mL Fe 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Ni 1 g/mL 75 g/mL Pb 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Zn 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Total Impurities 16 g/mL 100 g/mL Radioactive Concentration Radioactive concentration 722.0 Report mCi/mL value at mCi/mL date and time of calibration Radionuclidic Identity Radionuclidic Identity Conforms Gamma emission spectra at 511 keV and 1346 keV Radionuclidic Purity Cu-64 100.0% 98.9% at date and time of calibration Co-61 0% 1% at date and time of calibration Single other impurity Conforms 0.05% at date and time of calibration Total other impurities 0.0% 0.1% at date and time of calibration Specific Activity Specific Activity 46 6 mCi/g at date and mCi/g time of calibration

TABLE-US-00011 TABLE 11 Batch 4 Parameter Result Limit Elemental Impurities Co 0 g/mL 50 g/mL Cu 1 g/mL 75 g/mL Fe 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Ni 1 g/mL 75 g/mL Pb 0 g/mL 50 g/mL Zn 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Total Impurities 4 g/mL 100 g/mL Radioactive Concentration Radioactive concentration 703.8 Report mCi/mL value at mCi/mL date and time of calibration Radionuclidic Identity Radionuclidic Identity Conforms Gamma emission spectra at 511 keV and 1346 keV Radionuclidic Purity Cu-64 100.0% 98.9% at date and time of calibration Co-61 0% 1% at date and time of calibration Single other impurity Conforms 0.05% at date and time of calibration Total other impurities 0.0% 0.1% at date and time of calibration Specific Activity Specific Activity 176 6 mCi/g at date and mCi/g time of calibration

TABLE-US-00012 TABLE 12 Batch 5 Parameter Result Limit Elemental Impurities Co 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Cu 2 g/mL 75 g/mL Fe 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Ni 1 g/mL 75 g/mL Pb 0 g/mL 50 g/mL Zn 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Total Impurities 6 g/mL 100 g/mL Radioactive Concentration Radioactive concentration 711.0 Report mCi/mL value at mCi/mL date and time of calibration Radionuclidic Identity Radionuclidic Identity Conforms Gamma emission spectra at 511 keV and 1346 keV Radionuclidic Purity Cu-64 100.0% 98.9% at date and time of calibration Co-61 0% 1% at date and time of calibration Single other impurity Conforms 0.05% at date and time of calibration Total other impurities 0.0% 0.1% at date and time of calibration Specific Activity Specific Activity 129 6 mCi/g at date and mCi/g time of calibration

TABLE-US-00013 TABLE 13 Batch 6 Parameter Result Limit Elemental Impurities Co 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Cu 1 g/mL 75 g/mL Fe 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Ni 1 g/mL 75 g/mL Pb 0 g/mL 50 g/mL Zn 1 g/mL 50 g/mL Total Impurities 5 g/mL 100 g/mL Radioactive Concentration Radioactive concentration 712.5 Report mCi/mL value at mCi/mL date and time of calibration Radionuclidic Identity Radionuclidic Identity Conforms Gamma emission spectra at 511 keV and 1346 keV Radionuclidic Purity Cu-64 100.0% 98.9% at date and time of calibration Co-61 0% 1% at date and time of calibration Single other impurity Conforms 0.05% at date and time of calibration Total other impurities 0.0% 0.1% at date and time of calibration Specific Activity Specific Activity 143 6 mCi/g at date and mCi/g time of calibration

Example 8: Cyclotron

[0280] The 30 MeV variable energy cyclotron may be variable in energy down to 13 MeV to maximize production yields for .sup.64Cu. A variable energy 30 MeV cyclotron may be tuned down to about 15 to about 16 MeV. The cyclotron and ion source may also be capable of producing almost about 0.8 mA of current that may be split along two external beam lines (approximately about 375 A per beam line) running simultaneously.

[0281] Increasing currents to 375 A/target necessitates improvements in design of the target and the target station to handle much higher water flow rates than typical.

[0282] In some embodiments, production of .sup.64Cu on a new target and using a new beamline led to modifications to the Ni-64 targetry. The targets may require as much as 700 mg of .sup.64Ni. Target mass requirements were determined to maximize production yields, and the electroplating process to prepare targets was re-evaluated.

[0283] The .sup.64Ni thicknesses necessary to degrade protons of varying incident energies of about 12 to about 15 MeV to about 5 MeV were determined, and subsequently the mass of .sup.64Ni needed to obtain that thickness over a 23 cm.sup.2 plating area was calculated. It is assumed that the proton beam will strike the target at a beam angle of 85 incident to the target face (referred to as a 5 beam angle) over an area of 22.2 cm.sup.2, and that the strike area will be shaped like an ellipse with a major axis of 74 mm and minor axis of 30.1 mm.

[0284] Depending on the incident proton energy the following Ni-64 plating masses would be required (Table 14).

TABLE-US-00014 TABLE 14 Effective target thickness requirements to degrade proton beams of different incident energies to 5 MeV exit energy Incident proton Average proton Effective Actual Ni-64 mass energy exit energy thickness thickness required (MeV) (MeV) (m) (m) (g) 15.0 5.02 390 34 0.70 14.5 5.04 364 32 0.65 14.0 5.00 340 30 0.61 13.5 5.03 313 27 0.56 13.0 4.97 290 25 0.52

[0285] Targets plated with Ni masses of up to 805 mg were prepared using different plating baths to demonstrate feasibility (Table 15)

TABLE-US-00015 TABLE 15 Plating baths used to plate Ni onto an Au substrate over a 23 cm.sup.2 area Bath pH Plated mass (mg) NiCl.sub.2/NH.sub.4OH 11.5 743-759 11.6 749-767 NiCl.sub.2/NH.sub.4OH/SO.sub.4 11.7 794-805 NiCl.sub.2/NH.sub.4OH/H.sub.3BO.sub.3 9.3 305-298 9.8 732-745

[0286] Preparation of Ni targets at the required masses is feasible. It is reasonable to assume that if bombarded using the above outlined cyclotron parameters (i.e., 5 beam angle, 375 A current, 13-15 MeV protons) higher .sup.64Cu production yields are feasible. Calculations were performed to estimate potential production yields using the following assumptions that Ni density of the deposit is approximately 8.9 g/cm.sup.3 and the isotopic abundance of .sup.64Ni is 99.5% (see Table 16).

TABLE-US-00016 TABLE 16 Predicted .sup.64Ni (p,n)Cu-64 thick target yields at EOB for different incident proton energies and 5 MeV average proton exit energy.sup.a,b Time 12.0 12.5 13.0 13.5 14.0 14.5 15.0 (h) A*h MeV MeV MeV MeV MeV MeV MeV 1 375 4.690 5.069 5.410 5.716 5.991 6.241 6.468 2 750 9.131 9.869 10.532 11.128 11.664 12.150 12.592 3 1125 13.335 14.414 15.383 16.252 17.036 17.745 18.391 4 1500 17.317 18.718 19.976 21.105 22.122 23.043 23.882 5 1875 21.087 22.793 24.324 25.699 26.938 28.059 29.081 6 2250 24.657 26.651 28.442 30.050 31.498 32.809 34.004 7 2625 28.037 30.305 32.341 34.170 35.816 37.307 38.665 8 3000 31.237 33.764 36.033 38.070 39.905 41.566 43.079 9 3375 34.268 37.040 39.529 41.764 43.777 45.599 47.259 10 3750 37.138 40.142 42.840 45.261 47.442 49.417 51.216 11 4125 39.855 43.079 45.974 48.573 50.914 53.033 54.964 12 4500 42.428 45.860 48.942 51.709 54.200 56.457 58.512 13 4875 44.864 48.493 51.752 54.678 57.313 59.698 61.872 14 5250 47.171 50.987 54.413 57.489 60.260 62.768 65.053 15 5625 49.355 53.348 56.933 60.151 63.050 65.674 68.065 16 6000 51.423 55.583 59.319 62.672 65.692 68.427 70.918 17 6375 53.382 57.700 61.578 65.059 68.194 71.033 73.619 18 6750 55.236 59.704 63.717 67.319 70.563 73.500 76.176 19 7125 56.992 61.602 65.742 69.459 72.806 75.837 78.598 20 7500 58.655 63.399 67.660 71.485 74.930 78.049 80.890 21 7875 60.229 65.101 69.476 73.404 76.941 80.144 83.062 22 8250 61.720 66.712 71.196 75.220 78.845 82.127 85.117 23 8625 63.131 68.238 72.824 76.941 80.649 84.006 87.064 24 9000 64.468 69.683 74.366 78.570 82.356 85.784 88.907 .sup.aValues are presented in Ci; .sup.bNote: Higher energies require an increased target mass to achieve predicted EOB yield (see Table 16)

Example 9: Improving the Radiochemical Purity of the Final Radiopharmaceutical Composition

Formation of 5 ppm Elemental Copper in 0.05 M HCl Solution

[0287] Four (4) liters of five (5) ppm elemental copper in 0.05 M HCl solution was prepared by adding 3000 mL of High Resistivity Water (HRW) to an appropriately sized container (flask, carboy, etc.). 16.8 mL of concentrated HCl and 53.7 mg of copper chloride (II) dihydrate were then added to the container. The solution was mixed to dissolve the solids, and then the container volume was brought up to 4000 mL with HRW. The container was mixed, and then the solution was transferred to 1 L bottles. The bottles were quarantined until passing laboratory results are received. FIG. 4A presents a schematic of an iteration of the process.

COPPER-64 COMPOSITIONS AND PURIFICATION PROCESSES FOR THE PREPARATION OF NOVEL COPPER-64 COMPOSITIONS

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