System and method for generating molybdenum-99 and metastable technetium-99, and other isotopes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10242760-B2
Application number	US-201514949583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2015
Priority date	Dec 7, 2009
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

Accelerator based systems are disclosed for the generation of isotopes, such as molybdenum-98 (“99Mo”) and metastable technetium-99 (“99mTc”) from molybdenum-98 (“98Mo”). Multilayer targets are disclosed for use in the system and other systems to generate 99mTc and 98Mo, and other isotopes. In one example a multilayer target comprises a first, inner target of 98Mo surrounded, at least in part, by a separate, second outer layer of 98Mo. In another example, a first target layer of molybdenum-100 is surrounded, at least in part, by a second target layer of 98Mo. In another example, a first inner target comprises a Bremsstrahlung target material surrounded, at least in part, by a second target layer of molybdenum-100, surrounded, at least in part, by a third target layer of 98Mo.

First claim

I claim:

1. A system for generating isotopes, comprising:
an accelerator;
a source of charged particles coupled to the accelerator to inject charged particles into the accelerator;
a target positioned in the path of the accelerated charged particles, the target comprising:
a first, inner target material comprising a first isotope of molybdenum; and
a second, outer target material comprising a second isotope of molybdenum, the second outer target material at least partially surrounding the first, inner target material, the second, outer target material defining a passage for accelerated charged particles to the first, inner target material.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first isotope and the second isotope are different isotopes of molybdenum.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first, inner target material and the second, outer target material are separated by a gap.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first isotope and the second isotope each comprise molybdenum-98.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first isotope comprises molybdenum-100 and the second isotope comprises molybdenum-98.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the target further comprises a layer of hydrogenous material between the first, inner target material and the second, outer target material.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first inner target material comprises a Bremsstrahlung material;
the second target material comprises molybdenum 100; and
the target further comprises third target material comprising molybdenum-98 at least partially surrounding the second target material.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a target assembly containing the target;
a target chamber containing the target assembly; and
a drift tube coupling an output of the accelerator to the target chamber, defining the path from the accelerator to the target.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
electromagnetic coils adjacent to the drift tube, to selectively deflect the accelerated charged particle beam onto at least two locations on the target.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the accelerator is chosen from the group consisting of a cyclotron, a radio frequency quadrupole accelerator, and a linear accelerator.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
means for rotating the target.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source of charged particles comprises a source of deuterons.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the accelerated charged particles comprise accelerated deuterons;
the first, inner target material comprises molybdenum-98, wherein bombardment of the first, inner target material by the accelerated deuterons during operation generates molybdenum-99 and metastable technetium-99, and releases neutrons; and
the second, outer target material comprises molybdenum-98, wherein impact of the second, outer target material by the released neutrons generates molybdenum-99 and metastable technetium-99.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the target further comprises:
a layer of hydrogenous material between the first, inner target material and the second, outer target material.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the target defines a gap region between the first, inner target material and the layer of hydrogenous material.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source of charged particles comprises a source of electrons.

17. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electromagnetic coil adjacent to the path of the accelerated charged particles;
the electromagnetic coil being configured to selectively, sequentially deflect the accelerated charged particles to impact the first, inner target material at respective different locations.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first, inner target material is at an oblique angle with respect to a direction of the accelerated charged particles.

Assignees

• Varian Med Sys Inc

Inventors

• Clayton James E

Classifications

• G21G1/10 Primary

  by bombardment with electrically charged particles (irradiation devices G21K5/00) · CPC title

• G21G1/12

  by electromagnetic irradiation, e.g. with gamma or X-rays (applications of radiation G21H5/00; irradiation devices G21K5/00) · CPC title

• G21G1/001

  Recovery of specific isotopes from irradiated targets · CPC title

• G21G1/06

  by neutron irradiation · CPC title

• G21G2001/0036

  Molybdenum · CPC title