NUKLEONIKA 2010, 55(1):113-118

CYCLOTRON PRODUCTION OF TECHNETIUM RADIONUCLIDES USING A NATURAL METALLIC MOLYBDENUM THICK TARGET AND CONSEQUENT PREPARATION OF [Tc]-BRIDA AS A RADIO-LABELLED KIT SAMPLE

Hossain Targholizadeh¹, Gholamreza Raisali², Amir R. Jalilian³, Nima Rostampour⁴, Mohammadreza Ensaf³, Mohsen K. Dehghan³

¹ Physics Department, Imam Hossein University,
Babaii highway, P. O. Box 16575-347, Tehran, Iran
² Radiation Applications Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute,
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, End of Kargare Shomali, P. O. Box 11365-3486, Tehran, Iran
³ Agricultural, Medical and Industrial Research School,
Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran,
Mahmood Abad Ave., Moazen boulevard, Rajaii Shahr, P. O. Box 31485-498, Karaj, Iran
⁴ Department of Medical Physics, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

Numerous studies have focused on the use of accelerators for production of ^99mTc, but all of these investigations have been performed at low-level currents. In this research, for the first time, we have constructed a high power level natural Mo target for production of ^99mTc radioisotope using cyclotrons. A high purity natural molybdenum target (130 mg/cm²), suitable for proton beam power level of several kilowatts, has been constructed using a thermal spray coating method. The target was irradiated in a Cyclone30 accelerator using 160 µA of 25 MeV proton beam energy for 1000 µA-h. The activity of produced ^99mTc was measured as 2.75 Ci. The technetium radionuclides produced were extracted using an MEK organic phase, followed by preparation of Tc-BRIDA as a radio-labelled kit sample. Animal biodistribution studies have been performed in rats. After administration of the radio-labelled Tc-BRIDA in rats, we observed most of the radioactivity accumulated in intestine as expected for IDA derivatives. The results of measurements show a successful production of Tc radionuclides (including ^99mTc) in the bombarded target and subsequent labelling of the kit with Tc. It is anticipated that the developed coating method for the production of high power Mo targets using enriched ¹⁰⁰Mo and a proton beam of about 1 mA is capable of producing about 100 Ci of ^99mTc per irradiated target. The developed high power Mo target, if constructed using enriched ¹⁰⁰Mo, could be a practical method for a large-scale production of ^99mTc for local applications near cyclotron facilities. Key words:

Close X