Development of medicine-intended isotope production technologies at Yerevan Physics Institute

Abstract

Accelerator-based 99m Tc and 123 I isotopes production technologies were created and developed at A.Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory (former Yerevan Physics Institute - YerPhI). The method involves the irradiation of natural molybdenum (for 99m Tc production) and natural xenon (for 123 I production) using high-intensity bremsstrahlung photons from the electron beam of the LUE50 linear electron accelerator located at the YerPhI. We have developed and tested the extraction of 99m Tc and 123 I from the irradiated natural MoO3 and natural Xe, respectively. The production method has been developed and shown to be successful. The current activity is devoted to creation and development of the technology of direct production 99m Tc on the 100 Mo as target materials using the proton beam from an IBA C18/18 cyclotron. The proton cyclotron C18/18 (producer – IBA, Belgium) was purchased and will be installed nearby AANL (YerPhI) till end 2014. The 18 MeV protons will be used to investigate accelerator-based schemes for the direct production of 99mTc. Main topics of studies will include experimental measurement of 99m Tc production yield for different energies of protons, irradiation times, intensities, development of new methods of 99m Tc extraction from irradiated materials, development of target preparation technology, development of target material recovery methods for multiple use and others.