A new approach for manufacturing and processing targets to produce Tc with cyclotrons.

The most important radioisotope for nuclear medicine is Tc. After the supply crisis of Mo starting in 2008, the availability of Tc became a worldwide concern. Alternative methods for producing the medical imaging isotope Tc are actively being developed around the world. The reaction Mo( p, 2 n)Tc provides a direct route that can be incorporated into routine production in nuclear medicine centers that possess medical cyclotrons for production of other isotopes, such as those used for Positron Emission Tomography. This paper describes a new approach for manufacturing targets for the ( p, 2n) nuclear reaction on Mo and the foundation for the subsequent commercial separation and purification of the Tc produced. Two designs of targets are presented. The targets used to produce Tc are subject to a number of operational constraints.They must withstand the temperatures generated by the irradiation, accommodate temperature gradients from cooling system of the target, must be resilient and must be easily post-processed to separate the Tc. After irradiation, the separation of Tc from Mo was carried out using an innovative two-step approach. The process described in this paper can be automated with modules that easily fit in standard production hot cells found in nuclear medicine facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]