Abstract: An improved method for producing .sup.99m Tc compositions from .sup.99 Mo compounds. .sup.100 Mo metal or .sup.100 MoO.sub.3 is irradiated with photons in a particle (electron) accelerator to ultimately produce .sup.99 MoO.sub.3. This composition is then heated in a reaction chamber to form a pool of molten .sup.99 MoO.sub.3 with an optimum depth of 0.5-5 mm. A gaseous mixture thereafter evolves from the molten .sup.99 MoO.sub.3 which contains vaporized .sup.99 MoO.sub.3, vaporized .sup.99m TcO.sub.3, and vaporized .sup.99m TcO.sub.2. This mixture is then combined with an oxidizing gas (O.sub.2(g)) to generate a gaseous stream containing vaporized .sup.99m Tc.sub.2 O.sub.7 and vaporized .sup.99 MoO.sub.3. Next, the gaseous stream is cooled in a primary condensation stage in the reaction chamber to remove vaporized .sup.99 MoO.sub.3. Cooling is undertaken at a specially-controlled rate to achieve maximum separation efficiency.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 19, 1997
Date of Patent:
September 1, 1998
Assignee:
Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company
Inventors:
Ralph G. Bennett, Jerry D. Christian, S. Blaine Grover, David A. Petti, William K. Terry, Woo Y. Yoon
Abstract: An improved method for producing .sup.99m Tc compositions. .sup.100 Mo metal is irradiated with photons in a particle (electron) accelerator to produce .sup.99 Mo metal which is dissolved in a solvent. A solvated .sup.99 Mo product is then dried to generate a supply of .sup.99 MoO.sub.3 crystals. The crystals are thereafter heated at a temperature which will sublimate the crystals and form a gaseous mixture containing vaporized .sup.99m TcO.sub.3 and vaporized .sup.99m TcO.sub.2 but will not cause the production of vaporized .sup.99 MoO.sub.3. The mixture is then combined with an oxidizing gas to generate a gaseous stream containing vaporized .sup.99m Tc.sub.2 O.sub.7. Next, the gaseous stream is cooled to a temperature sufficient to convert the vaporized .sup.99m Tc.sub.2 O.sub.7 into a condensed .sup.99m Tc-containing product. The product has high purity levels resulting from the use of reduced temperature conditions and ultrafine crystalline .sup.99 MoO.sub.3 starting materials with segregated .sup.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 19, 1997
Date of Patent:
September 1, 1998
Assignee:
Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company
Inventors:
Ralph G. Bennett, Jerry D. Christian, Robert J. Kirkham, Troy J. Tranter