A new targetry system for cyclotron production of pharmaceutical grade indium-111 radioisotope

Abstract The aim of this research is to present a new, fast, simple, low-cost and innovative method for the production and purification of pharmaceutical grade indium-111 chloride for use in nuclear medicine.In the previous methods for cyclotron production of indium-111 radioisotope, besides the need for high amount of enriched cadmium, in electrodeposition of enriched cadmium on copper backings for target preparation and its chemical dissolution step, impurities of isotopes of copper and zinc enter the final product. So, radiolabeling of such products was hard or impossible with some molecules. In this research, due to the proper selection of the target isotope, enriched cadmium-112, and the optimal proton bombardment energy, only very low amount radioisotopic impurities were produced and observed in the sample solution. After the separation process, the amounts of zinc-65 and indium-114 were less than the standard permissible amounts in indium-111 radiopharmaceuticals. The concentration of cadmium impurities in the final product was less than 0.1 ppm. The radionuclidic purity of the sample was confirmed by gamma ray spectroscopy, and it was found to be suitable for use in preclinical studies.