Development of a remote purification apparatus with disposable evaporator for the routine production of high-quality 64Cu for clinical use

Abstract

We developed a new apparatus for the routine production of ⁶⁴Cu in clinical use. The apparatus has many disposable parts that stabilize the product quality (such that there is a low deviation of the concentrations of impurity metals in the product) and reduce the work load of preparation for routine production. We also developed a new evaporator using near-infrared heaters for disposable use. We conducted a production test using the new apparatus and evaluated product quality. The product yield was 6.3 ± 0.32 GBq (end of bombardment) (N = 4), the product quality in terms of the concentrations of impurity metals (Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Fe³⁺, Zn²⁺, Mn²⁺) was as good as that usually achieved, likely on the order of parts per billion, and the preparation time was reduced from 2 days to 1 day.