Self-contained, closed system and method for generating and collecting a short-lived daughter radionuclide from a long-lived parent radionuclide

Claim 2

A method according to claim 2, said outlet being connected in closed fashion with a cannula, and said evacuated container having a pierceable wall, said evacuated container being coupled to said outlet by impaling said pierceable wall on said cannula to thereby apply said vacuum in said evacuated container to said source.

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, said source being a flexible, collapsible bag containing a predetermined amount of sterile eluant.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 4, including controlling the rate of flow of said eluate and removing any particulate matter which might be present in said eluate by passing said eluate through a microporous filter.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1, said vacuum drawing said eluant from said source, to and through said chamber and outlet in a closed system.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 6, said source having a flexible sidewall.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 6, said vacuum drawing said eluant from said source, to and through said chamber and said outlet without venting.

Claim 8

In a method of generating an eluaTe containing a desired daughter radionuclide by flowing an eluant, which is selectively solvent of said daughter radionuclide, from a source of said eluant to and through a chamber containing a parent radionuclide which spontaneously decays into said daughter radionuclide and from said chamber to an outlet for said chamber, the improvement comprising applying a vacuum to said outlet by coupling with said outlet the interior of a sealed evacuated collecting container to thereby draw said eluant from said source through said chamber and out of said outlet into said collecting container.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 9, said outlet being connected to a cannula and said evacuated collecting container having a pierceable wall, said evacuated container being coupled to said outlet by piercing said pierceable wall with said cannula to thereby apply said vacuum in said evacuated container to said outlet.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 9, said system being internally sterile, whereby said eluant withdrawn from said outlet into said collecting container is sterile.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 9, said eluant being drawn from said source through said chamber and into s aid evacuated container in a closed system.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 12, said eluant being drawn from said source through said chamber and into said evacuated container without venting.

Claim 13

A radionuclide generator system for generating a relatively short-lived daughter radionuclide from a longer-lived parent radionuclide which is spontaneously decayable into said short-lived daughter radionuclide, comprising a generator chamber containing said parent radionuclide and said daughter radionuclide supported on a substrate, said chamber having an inlet for inletting an eluant for selectively eluting said daughter from said chamber in the form of an eluate of said eluant and said daughter, and an outlet for outletting said eluate, a container containing a prepackaged and predetermined supply of said eluant and conduit means connecting said container to said inlet to provide a closed system from said container to said generator, said system including means for establishing a pressure differential between said eluant container and said outlet to force eluant through said chamber to form said eluate and to withdrawn said eluate from said outlet, by applying a vacuum to said outlet.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 14, wherein said eluant container has at least one collapsible sidewall.

Claim 15

A system according to claim 15, wherein said eluant container comprises an internally sterile and substantially pyrogen-free, flexible collapsible bag, wherein said eluant supply is sterile and substantially pyrogen-free and wherein said system is internally sterile.

Claim 16

A system according to claim 14 having an eluate withdrawing and collecting station for withdrawing and collecting eluate from said outlet and conduit means connecting said eluate collecting station with said outlet to provide a closed, system communicating therebetween, whereby said system is closed from container to eluate collecting station and whereby an eluate of said daughter is obtainable at said eluate collecting station to thereby provide a self contained generator system, said system being internally sterile.

Claim 17

A system as defined in claim 17, said conduit means connecting said generator outlet and said eluate collecting station having means for removing any particulate matter, which may be present in said eluate and to control the rate of flow of eluant through said generator chamber.

Claim 18

A system as defined in claim 18, said means for removing particulate matter comprising a microporous filter.

Claim 19

A system according to claim 19, wherein said microporous filter has a pore size of between 0.2 and 0.45 microns.

Claim 20

A radionuclide generator system for generating a relatively short-lived daughter radionuclide from a longer-lived parent radionuclide which is spontaneously decayable into said short-lived daughter radIonuclide, comprising a nonvented generator chamber containing said parent radionuclide and said daughter radionuclide supported on a substrate, said chamber having an inlet for inletting an eluant for selectively eluting said daughter from said chamber in the form of an eluate of said eluant and said daughter, and an outlet for outletting said eluate, a nonvented container containing a prepackaged and predetermined supply of said eluant and conduit means sealably connecting said container to said inlet to provide a closed nonvented system from said container to said generator, said system including means for establishing a pressure differential between said eluant container and said outlet to force eluant through said chamber to form said eluate and to withdraw said eluate from said outlet.

Claim 21

A system according to claim 21, said means for establishing a pressure differential including means for establishing a vacuum at said outlet to thereby draw said eluant through said chamber.

Claim 22

A system according to claim 22, said means for establishing a vacuum comprising an evacuated, sealed eluate collecting container at a predetermined vacuum and means for establishing closed system communication between said evacuated container and said outlet to withdraw eluate from said outlet.

Claim 23

A system according to claim 23, said means for establishing communication between said evacuated container and said outlet comprising a cannula sealably connected to said outlet by a conduit to provide a nonvented, closed system therebetween said evacuated container having a pierceable wall, whereby penetration of said pierceable wall by the cannula automatically causes said eluant to be drawn through said chamber into said evacuated container.

Claim 24

A system according to claim 24, said cannula having means for normally and sterility closing the same, said last mentioned means being removable from said cannula.

Claim 25

A system according to claim 21, said eluant container comprising a flexible, collapsible bag.

Claim 26

A system according to claim 26, having an eluate withdrawing and collecting station for withdrawing and collecting eluate from said outlet and conduit means sealably connecting said eluate collecting station with said outlet to provide a closed, nonvented system therebetween, whereby said generator system is closed from said eluant container to said eluate collecting station, said generator system including means for applying a vacuum to said eluate collecting station to withdraw eluant into and through said generator chamber and to said collecting station.

Claim 27

A system according to claim 27, said collecting station comprising a cannula and said means for applying a vacuum comprising a sealed, evacuated eluate collecting container having a pierceable wall adapted to be impaled on said cannula, whereby eluant is automatically withdrawn from said eluant container through said generator chamber and out said cannula into said evacuated container.

Claim 28

A system according to claim 28, said conduit means connecting said outlet and said collecting station having means to control the rate of flow from said eluant container and through said chamber and to remove any particulate matter which may be present in said eluate.

Claim 29

A system according to claim 29, said means for controlling rate of flow and removing particulate matter comprising a microporous filter.

Claim 30

A radionuclide generator system for generating a relatively short-lived daughter radionuclide from a longer-lived parent radionuclide, which is spontaneously decayable into said short-lived daughter radionuclide, comprising a sealed generator chamber containing said parent radionuclide and said daughter radionuclide, said chamber having an inlet for inletting an eluant for said daughter radionuclide to form an eluate of said daughter radionuclide in said eluant and an outlet for outletting said eluate, a sealed container containing a prepackaged supply of said eluant, said system being packaged with means sealably connectiNg said container with said inlet to provide a closed system communicating therebetween whereby said generator and container sealably attached thereto form a closed generator system and whereby said eluant is adapted to be withdrawn from said container into and through said generator without venting said system during said withdrawal said system including means for establishing a pressure differential between said eluant container and said outlet to force eluant through said chamber to form said eluate and to withdraw said eluate from said outlet.

Claim 31

A system according to claim 31, said container comprising a sealed, flexible, collapsible bag containing a predetermined amount of said eluant.

Claim 32

A system according to claim 32, including an eluate withdrawing and collecting station spaced from said outlet and conduit means sealably connecting said outlet with said collecting station to provide a closed system therebetween.

Claim 33

A system according to claim 33, wherein said withdrawing station comprises an eluate collecting cannula, whereby a vacuum may be applied to said outlet by impaling a pierceable wall of an evacuated eluate collecting container on said cannula to thereby draw said eluant through said generator chamber and withdraw said eluate from said cannula.

Claim 34

A system according to claim 34, said conduit means connecting said generator chamber with said cannula having therein means for controlling the rate of flow of eluant through said generator chamber and for removing any particulate material which may be present in said eluate.

Claim 35

A packaged radionuclide generator system for generating a relatively short-lived daughter radionuclide from a longer-lived parent radionuclide, which is spontaneously decayable into said short-lived daughter radionuclide, comprising a generator chamber containing said parent radionuclide and said daughter radionuclide said chamber having an inlet for inletting eluant for said daughter radionuclide to form an eluate of said daughter radionuclide in said eluant, and an outlet for outletting said eluate from said chamber, a source of eluant, conduit means connecting said source with said inlet, an eluate collecting station spaced from said outlet and conduit means sealably connecting said outlet with said station to provide a closed self-contained system therebetween, said system being packaged with said last mentioned conduit means sealably connecting said generator with said station and with said station supported at a level above said source of eluant.

Claim 36

A system according to claim 36, said station being a cannula, which is exposable for impaling thereon a pierceable wall of an evacuated sealed eluate collecting container.

Claim 37

A packaged, self contained composite radionuclide generator system for the local generation of a short-lived daughter radionuclide from a longer-lived parent radionuclide, which is spontaneously decayable into said short-lived daughter radionuclide, comprising a container for said generator system, a sealed generator chamber located in said container and containing a column of medium supporting said parent radionuclide and said daughter radionuclide generated therefrom, a confined source of a predetermined amount of said eluant located in said container for eluting the radionuclides in said chamber to selectively extract said daughter radionuclide therefrom, first conduit means located within said container sealably connecting said source of eluant with said column to provide a closed conduit therebetween, an eluant collecting station supported within said container and second conduit means located within said container sealably connecting said collecting station with said column to provide a closed conduit therebetween, whereby said source, generator chamber, collecting station and conduit means collecting the same are all packaged in closed communication with each other as a self contained unit in said generator system container said source of eluant being supported in said container below the Level of said station.

Claim 38

A system according to claim 38, said column being located within a shield for reducing external radiation from the radionuclides, spacer means within the container for positioning the shielded column in the container and spacing it inwardly from the container wall to further reduce the radioactivity external thereto.

Claim 39

A system according to claim 39, wherein said shielding means comprises a cylinder of radioactive shielding material encasing said column, said generator container comprising a canister and said means for positioning and spacing said shielded column comprising a cylinder of plastic material with a central well receiving said cylinder of shielding material containing said column, to thereby further reduce radiation external to said generator container.

Claim 40

A system according to claim 40, wherein said withdrawing station comprises a cannula disposed in a well in said spacing means in which a sealed evacuated eluate collecting container with a pierceable wall is adapted to be placed to impale said pierceable wall on said cannula so that said cannula penetrates said pierceable wall to apply a vacuum to said cannula and thereby draw said eluant through said column and out of said cannula into said evacuated container.

Claim 41

A system according to claim 41, wherein said spacing means includes a plurality of wells containing therein at least one of said evacuated eluate collecting containers for impalement on said cannula.

Claim 42

A radionuclide generator system for generating a relatively short-lived daughter radionuclide from a longer-lived parent radionuclide comprising a generator chamber containing said parent radionuclide and said daughter radionuclide supported on a substrate, means for inletting into said chamber an eluant for selectively eluating said daughter from said chamber in the form of an eluate of said eluant and said daughter and means for outletting said eluate from said chamber, a source of said eluant and means for establishing a vacuum at said outlet means comprising an evacuated, sealed eluate-collecting container and means for coupling said evacuated container to said outlet means to thereby apply a vacuum to said outlet means and draw said eluate from said source through said chamber and out of said outlet means into said sealed evacuated container.

Claim 43

A system according to claim 43, said means for coupling said evacuated container to said outlet comprising a cannula connected to said outlet, said evacuated container having a pierceable wall for penetration by said cannula to thereby cause said eluate to be drawn into and through said generator and outlet into said evacuated container.

Claim 44

A system according to claim 43, which is internally sterile, whereby said eluate withdrawn from said outlet means into said collecting container is sterile.

Claim 45

A system according to claim 43, said system being closed from said source to said evacuated container.

Claim 46

A system according to claim 46, said system being nonvented from said source to said evacuated container.