Module-assisted preparation of 64Cu with high specific activity

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Chemistry
• Radiopharmaceutical Production
• Medical Isotopes

Background:

• Copper-64 (64Cu) is a valuable radioisotope for medical imaging and therapy.
• Efficient and high-purity production methods are crucial for clinical applications.
• Existing production routes may face challenges with contamination and specific activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize the production of 64Cu via the 64Ni(p,n)64Cu reaction under low current irradiation.
• To minimize metal contaminants in the final 64Cu product.
• To achieve high specific activity 64Cu suitable for clinical use.

Main Methods:

• Irradiation of a 64Ni target using optimized low current conditions.
• Implementation of specific target setups and chemical purification steps.
• Analysis of product purity, specific activity, and reproducibility.

Main Results:

• Successful production of 64Cu with high specific activities (up to 1685 GBq/μmol).
• Achieved low levels of metal contamination (<1 μg Cu, <7 μg Ni).
• Demonstrated high reproducibility and reliability of the production module.

Conclusions:

• The optimized (64)Ni(p,n)(64)Cu reaction provides a reliable method for producing high-quality 64Cu.
• The produced 64Cu meets stringent purity requirements for diagnostic and potential therapeutic applications.
• The method offers a pathway to consistent and high-specific-activity 64Cu production.