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