Modular fluidic system developed to supply radioisotope used in targeted alpha therapy

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Schematic of solvent extraction module for astatine-211 (211At) isolation from dissolved bismuth cyclotron target. The process starts on the left side and proceeds to the right. Credit: Matthew O’Hara, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Astatine-211 shows promise for treating certain cancers, but it's hard to get enough to study. Researchers developed a better way by creating an automated process. The team translated a complex manual chemical process for isolating astatine-211 into three modules that work quickly and efficiently to produce a high-quality product. Currently, the system is being evaluated for its performance and consistency.

Source: Phys.org