Evaluation Study for the Production of the Medical Isotope ^90Y, using a Cyclotron

The use of radioisotopes in therapy, medical imaging and laboratory tests is well-established worldwide. ^90Y is a very good therapeutic candidate for radioimmunotherapy applications. Traditionally, medical radioisotopes are produced using either nuclear reactors or proton accelerators. In this study, the medical isotope ^90Y has been produced using ^90Zr(n,p)^90Y nuclear reaction. Neutrons for the activation process were produced using ^natRh(p,xn) reaction with a 27 MeV proton beam from a cyclotron. Since ^90Y is a pure beta emitter, the gamma rays from the ^90Zr(n,2n)^89Zr reaction were used to quantify the incident neutron flux on the ^90Zr sample. Experimental results of the neutron production and ^90Y activity are presented.