Production of ↑(82)Rb via the ↑(82)Kr(p,n)-process on Highly Enriched ↑(82)Kr: a Remotely Controlled Compact System for Irradiation, Safe Handling and Recovery of the Target Gas and Isolation of the Radioactive Product

摘要

A remotely controlled compact system for the production of 6.5 h ↑(82m)Rb, a potential substitute for generator-produced 1.3 min ↑(82)Rb in myocardial blood flow studies, has been developed. The method utilizes the ↑(82)Kr(p,n)↑(82m)Rb process on 90% enriched ↑(82) Kr gas. Target development and other technological aspects relevant to the safe handling and recovery of the enriched gas are described. The product ↑(82m) Rb activity, deposited on the inner walls of the target, is efficiently isolated by introducing steam in several successive cycles, the total activity being concentrated in about 7 mL of water. The high-current production yield of ↑(82m)Rb over the energy range of E↓(p) = 14.5→10 MeV amounts to about 370 MBq (10 mCi)/μAh, i.e. about 90% of the theoretical value. The only radionuclidic impurity present was ↑(83)Rb (T↓(1/2) = 86.2 days) at a level of 0.04% of ↑(82m) Rb. The target system described is very versatile and can also be employed for production of other medically important radionuclides (e.g. ↑(81)Rb-↑(81m)Kr generator, ↑(83)Sr, etc.) using enriched gases as target materials. Copyright # 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd