Device and method for producing medical isotopes
AssigneeSHINE Technologies, LLC
InventorGregory Piefer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid nuclear reactor that is operable to produce a medical isotope includes an ion source operable to produce an ion beam from a gas, a target chamber including a target that interacts with the ion beam to produce neutrons, and an activation cell positioned proximate the target chamber and including a parent material that interacts with the neutrons to produce the medical isotope via a fission reaction. An attenuator is positioned proximate the activation cell and selected to maintain the fission reaction at a subcritical level, a reflector is positioned proximate the target chamber and selected to reflect neutrons toward the activation cell, and a moderator substantially surrounds the activation cell, the attenuator, and the reflector.
Claims14
A method of producing a medical isotope, the method comprising:
- exciting a gas to produce an ion beam;
- passing the ion beam to a target chamber including a target, the target and the ion beam reacting via a fusion reaction to produce neutrons, wherein the target comprises deuterium, tritium, or helium, or a combination thereof;
- reacting at least some of the neutrons with a neutron multiplier to produce additional neutrons;
- passing at least some of the neutrons to a neutron moderator and producing thermal neutrons;
- positioning a parent material in an aqueous solution within an annular activation cell positioned proximate the target chamber;
- maintaining a fission reaction at a subcritical level between the parent material and at least some of the neutrons, at least some of the additional neutrons, and at least some of the thermal neutrons;
- and
- producing the medical isotope via the fission reaction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.