PARTICLE BEAM ISOTOPE GENERATOR APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD
An isotope generation apparatus is disclosed including: an ion beam source of any of the types described herein; an extractor for extracting the ion beam from the confinement region, where the beam includes a portion of multiply ionized ions in a selected final ionization state; a target including a target material; and an accelerator for accelerating the ion beam and directing the ion beam to the target. The ion beam directed to the target transmutes at least a portion of the target material to a radio-isotope in response to a nuclear reaction between ions in the selected final ion state and atoms of the target material.
1 . A method comprising:
generating an ion beam, said generating comprising the steps of:
providing a chamber disposed about a longitudinal axis and containing a gas;
producing a magnetic field in a confinement region within the chamber, wherein the confinement region is disposed about the axis and extends along the axis from a proximal end to a distal end, and wherein the magnetic field comprises:
a first magnetic mirror located at the proximal end of the confinement region;
a second magnetic mirror located at the distal end of the confinement region;
a substantially uniform magnetic field disposed about and directed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the substantially uniform magnetic field being located between the first and second magnetic mirrors;
producing a time varying electric field to drive the cyclotron motion of electrons located within the confinement region;
causing said driven electrons interacting with the gas to form a confined plasma; and
confining the plasma in the confinement region such that a portion of atoms in the plasma experience multiple ionizing interactions with the driven electrons to form multiply ionized ions having a selected final ionization state;
directing the ion beam to a target comprising a target material; and
transmuting at least a portion of the target material to a radio-isotope by a nuclear reaction between ions in the selected final ion state and atoms of the target material.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the time varying electric field has a frequency substantially tuned to the electron cyclotron resonance frequency corresponding to the substantially uniform magnetic field.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the electron cyclotron resonance driver drives the cyclotron motion of electrons located throughout a volume surrounding the substantially uniform magnetic field.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the ion beam comprises accelerating the ion beam.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion beam has a current of 1 mA or greater.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion beam has a current of 10 mA or greater.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion beam has a current of 20 mA or greater.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion beam has a current of 50 mA or greater.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein at least 70% of the ions in the selected final ionization state.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein at least 80% of the ions in the beam are in the selected final ionization state.
11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein at least 90% of the ions in the beam are in the selected final ionization state.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the atoms of the target material have a longer half life than the radio-isotope.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ions in the selected final ion state comprise alpha particles or 3 He ++ ions.
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the nuclear reaction between ions in the selected final ion state and atoms of the target material comprise at least one from the list consisting of: 96 Zr(α,n) 99 Mo, 209 Bi(α,2n) 211 At, 144 Sm(α,γ) 148 Gd, 147 Sm(α,3n), 148 Gd, 114 Cd(α,n) 117m Sn, and 116 Cd(α,3n) 117m Sn.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the radio-isotope comprises 99 Mo, said method further comprising:
generating a diagnostic or therapeutic effective dose of 99m Tc from the 99 Mo by negative beta decay.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the entire diagnostic or therapeutic effective dose of 99m Tc is generated without the use of a nuclear fission reactor.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the radio-isotope comprises 111 In, said method further comprising:
generating a diagnostic or therapeutic effective dose of 111 In.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the entire diagnostic or therapeutic effective dose of 111 In is generated without the use of a nuclear fission reactor.
19 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the radio-isotope comprises at least one selected from the list consisting of: 18 F, 123 Xe, 123 I, 67 Ga, 111 In, 131 Ba, 68 Ge, 82 Sr, 82 Rb, 89 Sr, 153 Sm, 124 I, 211 At, 148 Gd, 76 Br, 199 Tl, 100 Pd, 128 Ba, 117m Sn and 229 Th.
20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nuclear reaction comprises fission of atoms in the target material stimulated by bombardment with the ions in the selected final state.
21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target comprises a layer of a first target material overlaying a second target material, the method further comprising:
directing the ion beam at a first energy to the layer of first target material such that:
a first portion of the ions in the beam transmute a portion of the first target material into a first radio-isotope by a first nuclear reaction between the first portion of ions and atoms of the first target material;
a second portion of the ions in the beam interact with the layer to be decelerated to a second energy, and
the second portion of the ions in the beam transmute a portion of the second target material into a second radio-isotope by a second nuclear reaction between the second portion of ions and atoms of the second target material.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the ions at the first energy more preferentially drive the first nuclear reaction than the second nuclear reaction, and the ions at the second energy more preferentially drive the second nuclear reaction than the first nuclear reaction.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein:
the first target material comprises 109 Ag,
the second target material comprises 96 Zr,
the first nuclear reaction comprises 109 Ag(α,2n) 111 In,
the second nuclear reaction comprises 96 Zr(α,n) 99 Mo,
the first energy is about 28 MeV, and
the second energy is about 14 MeV.
24 . An isotope generation apparatus comprising:
an ion beam source which generates an ion beam, the source comprising:
a chamber disposed about a longitudinal axis and containing a gas;
a magnetic confinement system configured to produce a magnetic field in a confinement region within the chamber, wherein the confinement region is disposed about the axis and extends along the axis from a proximal end to a distal end, and wherein the magnetic field comprises:
a first magnetic mirror located at the proximal end of the confinement region;
a second magnetic mirror located at the distal end of the confinement region;
a substantially uniform magnetic field disposed about and directed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the substantially uniform magnetic field being located between the first and second magnetic mirrors; and
an electron cyclotron resonance driver which produces a time varying electric field which drives the cyclotron motion of electrons located within the confinement region, said driven electrons interacting with the gas to form a confined plasma, wherein:
during operation, the magnetic confinement system confines the plasma in the confinement region such that a portion of atoms in the plasma experience multiple ionizing interactions with the driven electrons to form multiply ionized ions having a selected final ionization state
an extractor for extracting the ion beam from the confinement region, wherein the beam comprises a portion of the multiply ionized ions in the selected final ionization state;
a target comprising a target material; and
an accelerator for accelerating the ion beam and directing the ion beam to the target;
wherein the ion beam directed to the target transmutes at least a portion of the target material to a radio-isotope in response to a nuclear reaction between ions in the selected final ion state and atoms of the target material.
25 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the ion beam has a current of 1 mA or greater.
26 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the ion beam has a current of 10 mA or greater.
27 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the ion beam has a current of 20 mA or greater.
28 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the ion beam has a current of 50 mA or greater.
29 . The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein at 60% of the ions in the beam are in the selected final ionization state.
30 . The ion source of claim 27 , wherein at least 80% of the ions in the beam are in the selected final ionization state.
31 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the atoms of the target material have a longer half life than the radio-isotope.
32 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the ions in the selected final ion state comprise alpha particles or 3 He ++ ions.
33 . The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the nuclear reaction between ions in the selected final ion state and atoms of the target material comprise at least one from the list consisting of: 96 Zr(α,n) 99 Mo, 209 Bi(α,2n) 211 At, 144 Sm(α,γ) 148 Gd, 147 Sm(α,3n) 148 Gd, 114 Cd(α,n) 117m Sn, and 116 Cd(α,3n) 117m Sn.
34 . The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the radio-isotope comprises at least one selected from the list consisting of: 18 F, 123 Xe, 123 I, 67 Ga, 111 In, 131 Ba, 68 Ge, 82 Sr, 82 Rb, 89 Sr, 153 Sm, 124 I, 211 At, 148 Gd, 76 Br, 199 Tl, 100 Pd, 128 Ba, 117m Sn, and 229 Th.
35 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein:
the electron cyclotron resonance driver produces a time varying electric field having a frequency substantially tuned to the electron cyclotron resonance frequency corresponding to the substantially uniform magnetic field; and
the electron cyclotron resonance driver drives the cyclotron motion of electrons located throughout a volume containing the substantially uniform magnetic field.
36 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the magnitude of the substantially uniform magnetic field varies by less than 10% over a region disposed about the longitudinal axis, said region located midway between the first and second magnetic mirrors and extending along the longitudinal axis over a distance equal to at least about 25% of the axial distance between the first and second magnetic mirrors.
37 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the magnitude of the substantially uniform magnetic field varies by less than 5% over a region extending at least 15 cm along the longitudinal axis.
38 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the magnetic field is azimuthally symmetric about the longitudinal axis throughout the confinement region.
39 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the target comprises a layer of a first target material overlaying a second target material.
40 . The apparatus of claim 39 , wherein the accelerator directs the ion beam at a first energy to the layer of first target material such that:
a first portion of the ions in the beam transmute a portion of the first target material into a first radio-isotope by a first nuclear reaction between the first portion of ions and atoms of the first target material;
a second portion of the ions in the beam interact with the layer to be decelerated to a second energy, and
the second portion of the ions in the beam transmute a portion of the second target material into a second radio-isotope by a second nuclear reaction between the second portion of ions and atoms of the second target material;
wherein the ions at the first energy more preferentially drive the first nuclear reaction than the second nuclear reaction, and the ions at the second energy more preferentially drive the second nuclear reaction than the first nuclear reaction.