Isotope generator
AssigneeTriumf
InventorAlexander Zyuzin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for generating and collecting a secondary compound that includes daughter isotope, such as 68Ga, resulting from the decay of a parent isotope, such as 68Ge, present in a precursor compound. The apparatus includes a generator system comprising a collector vessel, a cold trap and a pump, that are operatively connected to sources for introducing a precursor compound and an eluant solution, and optionally purging gases and oxygen scavengers, into the generator system. In a generation mode a substantial portion of the precursor compound is maintained in or flows through the collector vessel while in recovery mode substantially all of the precursor compound is confined in the cold trap while the collector vessel is flushed with an eluant to remove the collected secondary compound.
Claims25
A method for generating a secondary isotope from a precursor isotope comprising:
- introducing a charge into a generator system, the charge including a volume of a precursor compound that includes the precursor isotope, the generator system having operating conditions selected to maintain the precursor compound as a gas;
- maintaining the charge within the generator system for a period sufficient for a quantity of the precursor compound to decay and produce a target quantity of a secondary compound that includes the secondary isotope;
- collecting the secondary compound as a solid on a collection surface within the generator system;
- trapping a volume of the precursor compound in a cold trap arranged within the generator system, the cold trap being remote and separable from the collection surface and having operating conditions under which the precursor compound is a liquid or a solid;
- eluating the collection surface with an eluant solution to remove a major portion of the secondary compound from the collection surface and form an eluate containing substantially all of the secondary compound;
- removing the eluate from the generator system.
A method for generating 68Ga from a 68Ge precursor compound:
- introducing a charge into a generator system, the charge including a volume of 68Ge labeled GeH4 as the precursor compound;
- maintaining the charge within the generator system for a period sufficient for a quantity of the 68Ge labeled GeH4 to decay and produce a target quantity of a secondary compound that includes 68Ga;
- collecting the secondary compound on a collection surface within the generator system;
- trapping a volume of the 68Ge labeled GeH4 in a cold trap arranged within the generator system, the cold trap being remote and separable from the collection surface;
- eluating the collection surface with an eluant solution to remove a major portion of the secondary compound from the collection surface and form an eluate including 68Ga;
- removing the eluate from the generator system.
An apparatus for generating a secondary compound including an daughter isotope resulting from the decay of a parent isotope included in a charge of a precursor compound comprising:
- a generator system for receiving the charge of the precursor compound including a collector vessel, the collector vessel including a collection surface for the collection of the secondary compound, a cold trap, the cold trap including an external surface arranged and configured to be selectively exposed to a cryogenic liquid, a pump, lines connecting the collector vessel, the cold trap and pump, and valves for controlling the flow of fluid through the generator system;
- and
- a precursor compound source operatively connected to the generator system;
- a purge gas source operatively connected to the generator system;
- an oxygen scavenger compound source operatively connected to the generator system;
- an eluant source operatively connected to the generator system;
- and
- an eluate outlet operatively connected to the generator system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.