Production Rates and Cost Estimates of 99mTc from Rhodium Targets Using Electron Accelerators

摘要

The production of 99ruTc from 99Mo has been widely studied and replacement techniques for 99Mo are being thoroughly investigated. Through photodisintegration processes such as (y,a) reactions, it is possible to create 99mTc from a solid rhodium target that is subjected to high energy photons. Since the cross section for this type of reaction is low, it is desirable to know if the amount of 99mTc that can be made from this reaction is enough to create at least one patient dose of 99mTc, which is approximately 30 mCi. If so, how much would each patient dose cost and this is cheaper or more expensive than the current market price for 99mTc? This paper shows the production rates of 99mTc from a rhodium target at a variety of end point energies on a Varian K15 linear electron accelerator. Furthermore, cost estimates based on accelerator cost, end point energy and shielding costs will also be presented.