Techniques for on-demand production of medical isotopes such as Mo-99/Tc-99m and radioactive iodine isotopes including I-131

摘要

A system for radioisotope production uses fast-neutron-caused fission of depleted or naturally occurring uranium targets in an irradiation chamber. Fast fission can be enhanced by having neutrons encountering the target undergo scattering or reflection to increase each neutron's probability of causing fission (n, f) reactions in U-238. The U-238 can be deployed as one or more layers sandwiched between layers of neutron-reflecting material, or as rods surrounded by neutron-reflecting material. The gaseous fission products can be withdrawn from the irradiation chamber on a continuous basis, and the radioactive iodine isotopes (including I-131) extracted.

主权项

1. Apparatus for producing radioactive iodine isotopes comprising:
a neutron generator that is not a nuclear reactor; an irradiation chamber comprising a number of regions configured to receive NEU material to be fissioned upon irradiation by neutrons generated by the neutron generator, at least one non-moderating neutron-reflecting region, a gas inlet port, and a gas outlet port; wherein the gas inlet port, the gas outlet port, and the number of regions configured to receive NEU material are in gas communication; and wherein the at least one non-moderating neutron-reflecting region comprises one or more walls of the irradiation chamber formed of non-moderating neutron-reflecting material.