Polymer based radionuclide containing particulate material
The invention relates to a particulate material having a diameter in the range of from 5 to 200 microns comprising polymeric matrix stably incorporated radionuclide, processes for its production and method of radiation therapy utilising the particulate material.
1. A process for the production of a particulate material having a diameter in the range of from 5 to 200 microns comprising a polymeric matrix and a radionuclide, the process comprising the steps of:
solubilizing the radionuclide in a solubilisation solution,
preparing a slurry of the polymeric matrix in water,
transferring the slurry to a reaction vessel and adding the solubilized radionuclide to the reaction vessel,
mixing the slurry of the polymeric matrix and the radionuclide until homogenous, and
precipitating the radionuclide as a phosphate salt by the addition of tri-sodium phosphate solution, wherein the radionuclide is stably incorporated such that there is less than 0.4% unbound or unprecipitated radionuclide, and wherein the resulting particulate material has an activity of 3000 MBq.
2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the radionuclide is stably incorporated by precipitation into the polymeric matrix.
3. The process according to claim 1 wherein the radionuclide is yttrium-90.
4. The process according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric matrix is an ion exchange resin.