Module-assisted preparation of 64Cu with high specific activity

In this work the production of 64Cu via the 64Ni(p,n)64Cu reaction with optimized conditions for low current irradiation is presented. Different target setups and cleaning steps for lowering metal contaminations in the product were applied. 64Cu with high specific activities up to 1685 GBq/μmol was produced despite low overall activity (∼4.2 GBq per run). The module processing leads to a highly reproducible, reliable product quality (<1 μg Cu and <7 μg Ni). Besides its diagnostic value 64Cu may be of interest even for therapeutic purposes due to its decay characteristics.

► Theoretical comparison of 64Cu and 67Cu for therapeutical use. ► Evaluation of different target setups. ► Different specific activity determination methods in comparison. ► Detailed description of module operation. ► Optimized 64Ni recycling and purification.