Alceo Metal

ALCEO Metal is an integrated system designed for the production of radioisotopes produced by the irradiation of a galvanic deposit of isotopes of Nickel and Cadmium: ⁶⁰Ni, ⁶¹Ni, ⁶⁴Ni and ¹¹⁰Cd to obtain radio-nuclides ⁶⁰Cu, ⁶¹Cu, ⁶⁴Cu and ¹¹⁰In available in the suitable form for the radio-pharmaceutical synthesis.

Target Shuttle is automatically transferred from the Hot Cell to the Cyclotron and vice-versa.

Main Components

TGT Cu – Target

The target is the component directly irradiated by the cyclotron beam: it is an enriched metal isotope (⁶⁰Ni, ⁶¹Ni, ⁶⁴Ni, ¹¹⁰Cd) which produces the positron emitter (⁶⁰Cu, ⁶¹Cu, ⁶⁴Cu ¹¹⁰In) during the bombardment. The metal isotope is carried by a cylindrical shuttle, that has an aluminum body with a platinum well. The enriched metal isotope (provided by the user) must be electroplated on the bottom of the shuttle platinum well. The shuttle dimensions are DxL=28x35mm

PTS – Irradiation unit

The irradiation unit is directly connected to the cyclotron and guarantees the correct positioning of the target in front of the beam port. Target positioning is fully automated. The unit is connected to its own “water and helium cooling system”. The cooling system is connected to the cyclotron cold water and helium circuit, as a normal liquid target.
The unit is connected to the EDS unit by a flexible tube (which has O.D.=35mm) for target transfer. Comecer has tested target transfer up to 50m distance between PTS and EDS units.

EDS – Transfer/Storage unit

It can be placed inside an hot cell, which is connected to the cyclotron by the O.D.=35mm flexible tube for the target transfer. It is an electro-pneumatic system that carries out automatically the following operations:

• automatic transfer of the targets between the hot cell and the cyclotron
• automatic connection of the PRF electrolytic cell to the target
• storage of four targets

PRF – Electrochemical /Purification module

It can be placed inside an hot cell and must be connected to the EDS module by two capillary lines. The PRF module contains the necessary components for the following operations:

• electrochemical deposition of the enriched metal isotope on the shuttle platinum well
• chemical removal (by acid dissolution)of the irradiated radioisotope from the target
• purification by Ion Chromatography of the produced isotope (⁶⁰Cu, ⁶¹Cu, ⁶⁴Cu ¹¹⁰In).

Its electrochemical cell can be placed on the EDS unit; in this way all the above operations are fully automated.

TADDEO – Universal Multipurpose Radio-Labelling Module

The module has been studied to automatically several labellings such as the ⁶⁴Cu-ATSM radio-pharmaceutical synthesis. It is a module built with the concept of the “disposable cassette”, so all the components that become in contact with the product are disposable. This fact avoids the module contamination and guarantees the product sterility. Comecer supplies the sterile cassette, while the preparation of the required synthesis reagents is customer responsibility.

Command and control system

ALCEO’s control system is made up of PLCs units.
Each single module is controlled by its own PLC.
The PLCs that control the PTS, EDS and PRF modules are all connected to a first Control PC, while Taddeo’s PLC is connected to a second Control PC.
Both the Control PCs have the function of HMI (Human Machine Interface).

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