Cross section measurement of terbium radioisotopes for an optimized &lt;sup&gt;155&lt;/sup&gt;Tb production with an 18 MeV medical PET cyclotron

Dellepiane, Gaia; Casolaro, Pierluigi; Favaretto, Chiara; Grundler, Pascal V.; Mateu, Isidre; Scampoli, Paola; Talip, Zeynep; van der Meulen, Nicholas P.; Braccini, Saverio

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110175

Cross section measurement of terbium radioisotopes for an optimized ¹⁵⁵Tb production with an 18 MeV medical PET cyclotron

Dellepiane G, Casolaro P, Favaretto C, Grundler PV, Mateu I, Scampoli P, Talip Z, van der Meulen NP & Braccini S

Citation

Dellepiane, G., Casolaro, P., Favaretto, C., Grundler, P. V., Mateu, I., Scampoli, P., … Braccini, S. (2022). Cross section measurement of terbium radioisotopes for an optimized ¹⁵⁵Tb production with an 18 MeV medical PET cyclotron. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 184, 110175 (14 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110175

Persistent URL https://www.dora.lib4ri.ch/psi/islandora/object/psi:41421

¹⁵⁵Tb [t_1/2 = 5.32 d, E_γ = 87 keV (32%); 105 keV (25%) (IAEA, 2021)] is a novel promising radionuclide for theranostic applications in nuclear medicine. Its physical properties make it suitable for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging, while its chemistry allows it to be used as a diagnostic partner for therapeutic radiolanthanides or pseudo-radiolanthanides, such as ¹⁷⁷Lu and ⁹⁰Y. Moreover, ¹⁵⁵Tb could be used as a precise diagnostic match for the β⁻-emitter ¹⁶¹Tb, opening doors for the true theranostics concept. The availability of ¹⁵⁵Tb in quantity and quality suitable for medical applications is an open issue and its production with medical cyclotrons via the ¹⁵⁵Gd(p,n)¹⁵⁵Tb and ¹⁵⁶Gd(p,2n)¹⁵⁵Tb nuclear reactions represents a possible but challenging solution. For this purpose, an accurate knowledge of the production cross sections is mandatory. In this paper, we report on the measurement of the production cross sections of ¹⁵⁵Tb and other terbium radionuclides formed by proton irradiation of ^natGd₂O₃, ¹⁵⁵Gd₂O₃ and ¹⁵⁶Gd₂O₃ enriched targets, performed at the Bern University Hospital cyclotron laboratory. On the basis of the obtained results, the production yield and purity were calculated to assess the optimal irradiation conditions. The results of several production tests are also presented.