Automated separation, purification and labeling system for 60Cu, 61Cu and 64Cu radionuclides and recovery thereof

摘要

A novel method for separating an irradiated ⁶⁰Cu or ⁶¹Cu or ⁶⁴Cu respectively from a composition containing ⁶⁰Ni or ⁶¹Ni or ⁶⁴Ni respectively therein comprises dissolving the irradiated ⁶⁰Cu or ⁶¹Cu or ⁶⁴Cu in a solvent acid to form an acidic solubilized composition, feeding the acidic solubilized composition onto an ion exchange column and removing an eluent comprising ⁶⁰Ni or ⁶¹Ni or ⁶⁴Ni ions. In an aspect the eluent is further processed for ⁶⁰Ni or ⁶¹Ni or ⁶⁴Ni recovery and recycling to prepare future targets. In an aspect ⁶⁰Cu or ⁶¹Cu or ⁶⁴Cu respectively is temporarily trapped into the ion exchange column resin and held for subsequent recovery by addition of 0.5 N HCl to elute out the ⁶⁰Cu or ⁶¹Cu or ⁶⁴Cu for further use or labeling. An enhanced process for labeling compounds with highly purified ⁶⁰Cu, ⁶¹Cu or ⁶⁴Cu comprises loading ⁶⁰Cu, ⁶¹Cu and ⁶⁴Cu elute onto a concentrating cartridge, collecting the 0.5N HCl eluent and admixing therewith 10-μL of ligand and 3N HCl solution in a reaction line to form a ^{60 or 61 or 64}Cu labeled product. In an aspect a further purification step comprises loading 10-mL sterile water into the reaction line and through the C₁₈ Sep-Pak cartridge to further purify the labeled product which is adherent in the cartridge and recovering ⁶⁰Cu, ⁶¹Cu and ⁶⁴Cu each as a separate and independent purified product.