SBIR Phase I: Noble Metal Isotope Enrichment Using a Distributed Discharge Source

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9860868 This Small Business Innovative Research Phase I project will develop a new method for producing radioactive seeds for cancer brachytherapy. The existing method requires the use of an expensive cyclotron to make radioactive 103Pd. The production rate is therefore limited, the prices are high, and there presently exists a severe shortage of seeds for medical treatments. A new, highly efficient method is proposed for producing isotopically enriched 102Pd, the precursor for neutron activation to 103Pd. A novel process is also proposed for fabricating the seed, which can be performed without the need for handling radioactive liquids and thus promises to significantly reduce both manufacturing and medical treatment costs.