INORGANIC ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS FOR 90SR/90Y GENERATOR

Because it is an energetic pure beta emitter with a half-life on the scale of days (64.1 hr) 90Y is seeing increasing interest as an isotope for use as a radiation source for radioimmunotherapy (RIT). Current processes for obtaining 90Y involve extracting and purifying the 90Y produced by the decay of 90Sr in solution using a liquid-liquid extraction process. The isotope is produced at a centralized location and shipped to users worldwide. The generator proposed here will permit the production of the desired isotope locally in a hospital or regional radiopharmacy where it can be used immediately. Phase I identified two inorganic ion exchange materials that can be loaded with a "cow" of 90Sr and "milked" to produce a carrier-free solution of 90Y ready for immediate use. In Phase II this technology will be further refined and used in the design of a generator capable of delivering a useful quantity of 90Y on a weekly basis in a chemical form suitable for radiopharmaceutical applications. The generator will be fabricated and its efficacy will be demonstrated. The superior long-term stability of the inorganic ion exchanger compared to organic ion exchange materials will be demonstrated.