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Current Industry Developments in the Production of Mo-99
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Abstracts / Nuclear Medicine and Biology 37 (2010) 677–726
Our team has also examined the dissolution of the target and isolation of 99m TcO4 from the bulk mixture using ion chromatography, achieving 50% isolation yields during preliminary studies. To aid high-level production, we have designed a remote-operated purification system, which can use ionexchange or an alumina-based method of pertechnetate isolation. Similarly, this method can be applied to production of the positron emitter 94mTc using the 94Mo(p,n)94mTc transformation. doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.04.146 The MoRe project: an alternative route to the production of high specific activity 99Mo Suzanne Lapi a, Keith Ladouceur b, Thomas J. Ruth c, John M. D'Auria d a Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA b Advanced Applied Physics Solutions, Vancouver, BC, Canada c TRIUMF, Vancouver, BC, Canada d Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada The current world supply of 99Mo comes from nuclear reactors using highly enriched uranium targets. The reactors are aging (average age N50 years) and, recently, have been unreliable due to closures for repairs of leaks, leading to an unstable supply of this important radionuclide. Clearly, new methods to produce 99 Mo must be sought. The goal of the MoRe project is to optimize highthroughput ionization and mass separation of 99Mo from irradiated targets of stable 98Mo or 100Mo. In this manner, we aim to ultimately produce large quantities of high specific activity 99Mo for 99Mo/99mTc generators commonly used in diagnostic imaging. The 99Mo could be produced at multiple nuclear reactor sites or using either neutron generators or photon machines. To date, we have commissioned a small test ion source test facility with mass analyzer to explore the development of the first phase for this project. Recent progress on the ion source and mass separator design and operation of this Test Facility will be described including plans on the path to a full-scale demonstration. doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.03.015 The IAEA support to addressing shortages in and supplies
99
Mo production
Natesan Ramamoorthy, Pablo Adelfang, Edward Bradley, K. Alldred International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been assisting its member states (MS) in their pursuits for meeting domestic and regional needs of medical radioisotopes. In response to the crisis in the supplies of 99Mo since 4th quarter of 2007, the IAEA has stepped up its activities and also joined various international cooperation efforts (e.g., with NEA, AIPES) to address the shortages in supplies. The IAEA has helped identify research reactors capable of providing additional irradiation services, or undertaking production, to supplement industrial efforts. The on-going coordinated research project (CRP) on the use of LEU targets for 99Mo production has attracted greater attention in this context with some participant MS accelerating their projects towards enabling additional capacity, e.g., Chile and Poland. The proven expertise on gel generator option for 99mTc using (n,γ)99Mo, available from India and Kazakhstan, under the same CRP is also a notable feature. Catalysed by the IAEA, four reactors in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, along with a processing facility in Hungary, have formed Eurasia Isotopes Coalition and are planning production of (n,γ)99Mo using enriched 98Mo targets, based on experience already accumulated in Uzbekistan, and supply to generator manufacturers. The IAEA has also been regularly providing objective analysis and relevant technical information to MS, as for example, through the IAEA Nuclear Technology Review and events during general conferences (2009 and 2010). doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.04.168
Poster Communications CYCLOTECH — direct production of 99mTc using low-energy cyclotrons Richard R. Johnson a, Wm Gelbart b, Malcom Benedict c, Lidia Cunha d, Luis F. Metello d,⁎ a BSCI — Team BEST & UBC, Canada b ASD, Garden Bay, Canada c MDTI, USA d IsoPor SA & ESTSP.IPP, Portugal This article presents work in progress, to develop an efficient and economical way to directly produce 99mTc using low-energy cyclotrons. Our system uses the broad distribution of low energy cyclotrons and 100Mo (Target material) accessibility, being not based on the use of HEU (or even LEU) 235 Uranium. The production technique is based on 100Mo (p,2n) 99mTc reaction, whose production yields have already been documented. The aim of this system is to present 99mTc to nuclear medicine radiopharmacists in a routine, reliable and efficient manner that, remaining always flexible, entirely blends with actually established protocols. We have developed a Target Station to be installed on most of the existing positron emission tomography cyclotrons, tolerating up to 400 μA of beam. The Target Station permits the remote and automatic loading and discharge of the Targets from a carriage of 10 Target bodies. Several methods of Target material deposition and Target substrates are presented. The separation techniques presented are a combination of both physical and column chemistry. The object was to extract and deliver 99mTc in the identical form now in use in radiopharmacies worldwide. Finally, the Target material is recovered and can be recycled. doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.04.081 Current Industry Developments in the Production of Mo-99 Dewi M. Lewis Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA 99m
Tc seems an unusual choice for a radiolabel since the element does not exist naturally on Earth and its isotope production is complicated; but it has become the most commonly radionuclide used in nuclear medicine imaging. It is supplied via a 99mTc generator with 99Mo as the parent radionuclide raw material. The reasons for using 99mTc will be discussed and a description given of the extensive and expensive supply chain to provide 99mTc/99Mo generators to clinical centres around the world. Today, the world's supply of 99 Mo is centred mainly around five large research reactor operations who irradiate 235U targets and supply these targets to a handful of commercial suppliers for the fission production of radiopharmaceutical grade 99Mo. A review of the current global supply situation will be presented from an industrial perspective, including a forward look at the future availability of research reactors. The present-day “crisis” in the reactor availability will be discussed and a brief summary will be given of all the proposed alternative methods of production using both nuclear reactors and particle accelerators. One of these alternative methods is based on thermal neutron capture reactions produced during the irradiation of molybdenum targets in research reactors and the status of some of the proposals for this particular alternative method will be given. doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.04.140 The Tc-99m shortage: lessons learned Bernard Ponsard Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK·CEN, BR2 Reactor, B-2400 Mol, Belgium
Abstracts / Nuclear Medicine and Biology 37 (2010) 677–726
Our team has also examined the dissolution of the target and isolation of 99m TcO4 from the bulk mixture using ion chromatography, achieving 50% isolation yields during preliminary studies. To aid high-level production, we have designed a remote-operated purification system, which can use ionexchange or an alumina-based method of pertechnetate isolation. Similarly, this method can be applied to production of the positron emitter 94mTc using the 94Mo(p,n)94mTc transformation. doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.04.146 The MoRe project: an alternative route to the production of high specific activity 99Mo Suzanne Lapi a, Keith Ladouceur b, Thomas J. Ruth c, John M. D'Auria d a Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA b Advanced Applied Physics Solutions, Vancouver, BC, Canada c TRIUMF, Vancouver, BC, Canada d Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada The current world supply of 99Mo comes from nuclear reactors using highly enriched uranium targets. The reactors are aging (average age N50 years) and, recently, have been unreliable due to closures for repairs of leaks, leading to an unstable supply of this important radionuclide. Clearly, new methods to produce 99 Mo must be sought. The goal of the MoRe project is to optimize highthroughput ionization and mass separation of 99Mo from irradiated targets of stable 98Mo or 100Mo. In this manner, we aim to ultimately produce large quantities of high specific activity 99Mo for 99Mo/99mTc generators commonly used in diagnostic imaging. The 99Mo could be produced at multiple nuclear reactor sites or using either neutron generators or photon machines. To date, we have commissioned a small test ion source test facility with mass analyzer to explore the development of the first phase for this project. Recent progress on the ion source and mass separator design and operation of this Test Facility will be described including plans on the path to a full-scale demonstration. doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.03.015 The IAEA support to addressing shortages in and supplies
99
Mo production
Natesan Ramamoorthy, Pablo Adelfang, Edward Bradley, K. Alldred International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been assisting its member states (MS) in their pursuits for meeting domestic and regional needs of medical radioisotopes. In response to the crisis in the supplies of 99Mo since 4th quarter of 2007, the IAEA has stepped up its activities and also joined various international cooperation efforts (e.g., with NEA, AIPES) to address the shortages in supplies. The IAEA has helped identify research reactors capable of providing additional irradiation services, or undertaking production, to supplement industrial efforts. The on-going coordinated research project (CRP) on the use of LEU targets for 99Mo production has attracted greater attention in this context with some participant MS accelerating their projects towards enabling additional capacity, e.g., Chile and Poland. The proven expertise on gel generator option for 99mTc using (n,γ)99Mo, available from India and Kazakhstan, under the same CRP is also a notable feature. Catalysed by the IAEA, four reactors in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, along with a processing facility in Hungary, have formed Eurasia Isotopes Coalition and are planning production of (n,γ)99Mo using enriched 98Mo targets, based on experience already accumulated in Uzbekistan, and supply to generator manufacturers. The IAEA has also been regularly providing objective analysis and relevant technical information to MS, as for example, through the IAEA Nuclear Technology Review and events during general conferences (2009 and 2010). doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.04.168
Poster Communications CYCLOTECH — direct production of 99mTc using low-energy cyclotrons Richard R. Johnson a, Wm Gelbart b, Malcom Benedict c, Lidia Cunha d, Luis F. Metello d,⁎ a BSCI — Team BEST & UBC, Canada b ASD, Garden Bay, Canada c MDTI, USA d IsoPor SA & ESTSP.IPP, Portugal This article presents work in progress, to develop an efficient and economical way to directly produce 99mTc using low-energy cyclotrons. Our system uses the broad distribution of low energy cyclotrons and 100Mo (Target material) accessibility, being not based on the use of HEU (or even LEU) 235 Uranium. The production technique is based on 100Mo (p,2n) 99mTc reaction, whose production yields have already been documented. The aim of this system is to present 99mTc to nuclear medicine radiopharmacists in a routine, reliable and efficient manner that, remaining always flexible, entirely blends with actually established protocols. We have developed a Target Station to be installed on most of the existing positron emission tomography cyclotrons, tolerating up to 400 μA of beam. The Target Station permits the remote and automatic loading and discharge of the Targets from a carriage of 10 Target bodies. Several methods of Target material deposition and Target substrates are presented. The separation techniques presented are a combination of both physical and column chemistry. The object was to extract and deliver 99mTc in the identical form now in use in radiopharmacies worldwide. Finally, the Target material is recovered and can be recycled. doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.04.081 Current Industry Developments in the Production of Mo-99 Dewi M. Lewis Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA 99m
Tc seems an unusual choice for a radiolabel since the element does not exist naturally on Earth and its isotope production is complicated; but it has become the most commonly radionuclide used in nuclear medicine imaging. It is supplied via a 99mTc generator with 99Mo as the parent radionuclide raw material. The reasons for using 99mTc will be discussed and a description given of the extensive and expensive supply chain to provide 99mTc/99Mo generators to clinical centres around the world. Today, the world's supply of 99 Mo is centred mainly around five large research reactor operations who irradiate 235U targets and supply these targets to a handful of commercial suppliers for the fission production of radiopharmaceutical grade 99Mo. A review of the current global supply situation will be presented from an industrial perspective, including a forward look at the future availability of research reactors. The present-day “crisis” in the reactor availability will be discussed and a brief summary will be given of all the proposed alternative methods of production using both nuclear reactors and particle accelerators. One of these alternative methods is based on thermal neutron capture reactions produced during the irradiation of molybdenum targets in research reactors and the status of some of the proposals for this particular alternative method will be given. doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.04.140 The Tc-99m shortage: lessons learned Bernard Ponsard Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK·CEN, BR2 Reactor, B-2400 Mol, Belgium