# US 12,014,838 B2 · Radioisotope target station > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,014,838 B2 - Document ID: US12014838B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/113,817 - Filed: 2018-08-27 - Published: 2020-02-27 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-27 - Assignees: Uchicago Argonne, LLC - Applicants: Uchicago Argonne, LLC - Inventors: David A. Rotsch; Nicholas A. Smith; David A. Ehst; Sergey A. Chemerisov; Jerry A. Nolen, Jr.; Michael Alexander Brown; James J. Grudzinski; James L. Bailey; Ronald T. Kmak - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12014838B2 ## CPC - G21G 1/12: by electromagnetic irradiation, e.g. with gamma or X-rays (applications of radiation G21H5/00; irradiation devices G21K5/00) - G21G 1/10: by bombardment with electrically charged particles (irradiation devices G21K5/00) - G21K 5/08: Holders for targets or for other objects to be irradiated - H05H 6/00: Targets for producing nuclear reactions (supports for targets or objects to be irradiated G21K5/08 {; preparation of tritium C01B4/00; targets, e.g. pellets for fusion reactions by laser or charged particles beam injection H05H1/22}) - G21G: CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS; RADIOACTIVE SOURCES (applications of radiation in general G21H5/00; handling particles, e.g. neutrons, or electromagnetic radiation not otherwise provided for G21K) - G21K: HANDLING OF PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; IRRADIATION DEVICES; GAMMA RAY OR X-RAY MICROSCOPES - H05H: PLASMA TECHNIQUE (apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays H05G2/00); PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS ## Abstract A system for producing and harvesting radioisotopes is provided, the system having a converter housing defining a first beam window; a converter carrier and cartridge in slidable communication with the converter housing; a target housing positioned downstream from the converter housing, the target housing defining a second beam window; and a target carrier in slidable communication with the target housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system positioned at a downstream end of a LINAC for producing radioisotopes, the system comprising: a) a modular converter housing having an upstream end having a first window and a downstream end, wherein the upstream end opposes and is physically separated by an air gap from a downstream end of the LINAC; b) a converter carrier supporting converter plates, the converter slidably disposed in an aperture in an underside of the converter housing; c) a modular target housing positioned downstream from, and separate from, and reversibly attached to the converter housing, the target housing having a second window; and d) a target carrier including a target capsule encapsulating target material, wherein the target capsule is removably fastened to the target carrier to prevent rattling of the capsule within the target carrier and the target carrier is slidably disposed in an aperture in a top side of the housing, wherein the converter housing and the target housing define a tunnel receiving a particle beam emanating from the LINAC, wherein the tunnel is coaxial to the particle beam. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the target carrier comprises an upwardly projecting tongue with an aperture to serve as a grasping point for an overhead crane, whereby the target carrier is inserted from the top of the target housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system as recited in claim 2 wherein insertion of the target carrier in the target housing is controlled remotely. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a converter housing coolant inlet, a converter housing coolant outlet, a target housing coolant inlet and a target housing cooling outlet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system as recited in claim 4 wherein a first coolant fluid flows into the converter housing via the converter housing coolant inlet and physically contacts the plates. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system as recited in claim 5 wherein a second coolant flows into the target housing via the target housing coolant inlet and contacts the target capsule and the first coolant fluid is different than the second coolant fluid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The system as recited in claim 4 wherein a first coolant fluid flows into the converter housing via the converter housing coolant inlet and contacts the converter plates and flows into the target housing via the target housing coolant inlet and contacts the target capsule. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the target capsule is disposed at the bottom end of the target carrier so that the target capsule intersects the particle beam line when the target carrier is seal to the aperture of the target housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the target capsule contains between 1 mg and 100,000 mg of the target material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first window has a convex side facing the converter plates. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first window has a flat topography relative to the upstream end. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the beam comprises an incident electron beam having an energy ranging from 0 MeV to 100 MeV. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the beam comprises an incident electron beam having a beam power ranging from 0 kW to 100 kW. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the target capsule is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the particle beam. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the converter carrier is removably received by the converter housing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the converter carrier is configured to receive different types of converter plates and plate geometries. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the converter carrier slidably communicates with the converter housing in a direction that is perpendicular to the tunnel.