Heatseal
AssigneeGe Healthcare Limited
InventorsChristoph Mosdzianowski, Philippe Dumont, Sali Kuci
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to systems and methods to facilitate replacement between runs of a kit or cassette from an automated radiosynthesis device located in a hot cell. The method and apparatus of the invention enable automated disconnection of the outlet line by sealing the tubing hermetically by means of heat and by cutting the tubing where it is sealed in such a way that there is no risk of environmental contamination with radioactive material. The invention enables disconnection of the outlet line without manual intervention before opening the shielded enclosure.
Claims31
A method comprising:
- (i) providing a kit that can be fitted to an automated radiosynthesis device in order to synthesise a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer and one or more sections of thermoplastic tubing, wherein a shielded enclosure contains the radiosynthesis device;
- (ii) fitting said kit and said one or more sections of thermoplastic tubing to the automated radiosynthesis device;
- (iii) introducing a PET isotope into said kit to carry out a radiochemical process to form a radiolabelled product;
- (iv) transferring said radiolabelled product from said kit to a product collection device and/or a product processing device;
- and,
- (v) heat sealing and cutting said one or more sections of thermoplastic tubing, wherein the heat sealing and cutting said one or more sections of thermoplastic tubing takes place within the shielded enclosure containing the radiosynthesis device.
An apparatus comprising:
- (i) an automated radiosynthesis device, wherein a shielded enclosure contains the radiosynthesis device;
- (ii) a kit that can be fitted to an automated radio synthesis device in order to synthesise a PET tracer;
- (iii) one or more sections of thermoplastic tubing;
- (iv) a heat sealing and cutting device located proximal to said one or more sections of thermoplastic tubing, wherein the heat sealing and cutting said one or more sections of thermoplastic tubing takes place within the shielded enclosure containing the radiosynthesis device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.