Production of .sup.64 Cu and other radionuclides using a charged-particle accelerator

A method for producing a radionuclide from a target nuclide using an accelerator capable of generating a beam of charged particles at energies of at least about 5 MeV, the method comprising

• loading a solid target comprising the target nuclide in a target holder,
• irradiating the target with the charged-particle beam at energies of at least about 5 MeV to form the radionuclide,
• transferring the irradiated target from the target holder to a fluid conveyance system comprising a transfer fluid moving through a transfer line,
• conveying the irradiated target using the conveyance system, and
• separating the radionuclide from unreacted target nuclide.

A method for producing a radionuclide from a target nuclide using an accelerator capable of generating a beam of charged particles at energies ranging from about 5 MeV to about 25 MeV, the method comprising

• loading a solid target in a target holder adapted for use with the accelerator, the target comprising a substrate consisting essentially of an inert material and a target layer electroplated on a surface of the substrate, the target laver consisting essentially of a target nuclide capable of reacting with charged particles generated by the accelerator at energies ranging from about 5 MeV to about 25 MeV to form the radionuclide and having a projected thickness that will produce at least about 50% of the thick target yield for the reaction,
• irradiating the target with a beam of charged particles generated by the accelerator for at least about one hour to form the radionuclide, the beam having an energy ranging from about 5 MeV to about 25 MeV and a current sufficient to produce a clinically significant yield of the radionuclide,
• removing the irradiated target from the target holder,
• transferring the removed irradiated target to an automated separation system, and
• separating the radionuclide from unreacted target nuclide using the automated separation system.

A method for producing a radionuclide from a target nuclide using an accelerator capable of generating a beam of charged particles at energies ranging from about 5 MeV to about 25 MeV, the method comprising

• loading a solid target in a target holder adapted for use with the accelerator, the target comprising a substrate consisting essentially of an inert material and a target layer electroplated on a surface of the substrate, the target layer consisting essentially of a target nuclide capable of reacting with charged particles generated by the accelerator at energies ranging from about 5 MeV to about 25 MeV to form the radionuclide and having a projected thickness that will produce at least about 50% of the thick target yield for the reaction,
• irradiating the target with a beam of charged particles generated by the accelerator for at least about one hour to form the radionuclide, the beam having an energy ranging from about 5 MeV to about 25 MeV and a current sufficient to produce a clinically significant yield of the radionuclide,
• transferring the irradiated target from the target holder to a fluid conveyance system
• conveying the irradiated target using the conveyance system, and
• transferring the irradiated target from the conveyance system to the separation system.

A method for producing .sup.64 Cu suitable for use in preparing a radiopharmaceutical agent for clinical applications, the method comprising

• loading the target in a target holder suitable for use with an accelerator capable of generating the proton beam at energies greater than about 5 MeV,
• irradiating a target comprising isotonically enriched .sup.64 Ni with a proton beam to produce .sup.64 Cu according to the reaction .sup.64 Ni(p,n).sup.64 Cu in an amount which is at least sufficient for preparing a radioimaging agent, the proton beam having an energy of at least about 5 MeV and a current at least sufficient to produce an amount of .sup.64 Cu sufficient for clinical use in a radioimaging agent during the period of irradiation,
• removing the irradiated target from the target holder,
• transferring the removed irradiated target to an automated separation system suitable for separating .sup.64 Cu from unreacted .sup.64 Ni, and
• separating .sup.64 Cu from unreacted .sup.64 Ni, the separated .sup.64 Cu having a specific activity at least sufficient for clinical use in a radioimaging agent.