Production of carrier-free 188Re in the past ten years in Taiwan

Twenty clinical scale alumina-based 188W/188Re generators and carrier-free 188Re has been produced at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER-Taiwan) for over ten years. 2845.6 GBq (76.9 Ci) of 188Re-perrhenate solution has been eluted from generators during the past ten years. We have used the harvesting 188Re solution for labeling radiopharmaceuticals, such as 188Re-HEDP, 188Re-MDP, 188Re-microsphere, 188Re-lipiodol, and 188Re-sulfur colloid, etc. The average eluting yield of 188Re is 78.6±5.8% that was investigated at 1115 harvesting times from 20 generators. Each generator can be used more than six months but the Millipore needs to be changed every two months for smooth harvesting and high yield of 188Re solution.