Radionuclide Production

As a specialist for customized radionuclide handling and production plants, we offer a wide range of production facilities for common radionuclides in nuclear medicine, corresponding radiopharmaceuticals and beyond. Our portfolio covers facilities for alpha, beta and gamma emitters. Their dimensions and capacities are well defined and adapted to the user’s needs. The provision of fully GMP-compliant solutions is possible.

Projects range from standalone module type devices for separation of radionuclides from irradiated target material (like the Kamadhenu system for electrochemical separation of Y-90 from a Sr-90 stock) to complete production plants which include the equipment and corresponding hot cells for commercial or industrial scale production of radionuclides or radiopharmaceuticals. We offer complete solutions for production lines for Mo-99/Tc-99m generators in an aseptic loading procedure (20-50 pcs. per batch) as well as large scale production lines with column sterilization technique for a batch size of 100-350 pieces. In addition upgraded aseptic loading plants are available for more than 100 pieces per batch.

Eckert & Ziegler also realizes production plants for I-131 from reactor irradiated targets of TeO2. These facilities can be designed with different shielding thickness in order to accommodate medium to high activities of irradiated material.

For the handling of the I-131 and the I-131 containing material advanced radiation safety features like local active carbon filters are applied. Heavy shielded hot cells with complete production equipment including the off-gas treatment for the production of Mo-99 from fission U-235 are also in the scope. The challenging task of the ongoing transition of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) as target material is taken with effective technical solutions. Production plants for further radionuclides and even sealed radiation sources are available too.

Eckert & Ziegler’s technical equipment is developed with long experience in handling of radioactive material. Hot cells and devices are adapted to special requirements of the client. In addition, we deliver support with consulting for setup and arrangement of new production sites and the integration of new production lines into already established ones. The necessary provisions for radiation safety and GMP compliance are always treated with the highest priority.

Several projects have been realized in the past three decades, including:

• Fission Mo-99 production facility
• Tc-99m / Ga-68 generator production facilities
• I-131 production facility and dispensing system for capsules and solution
• I-123/I 124/I 125 production units
• Y-90 and Lu-177 production facility
• Ir-192 industrial source production for radiography

Eckert & Ziegler is committed to deliver the best possible solution for your process and project. Therefore, we offer several services for the arrangement of facilities inside new or present premises together with our hot cell equipment. These include consulting and support for the determination of space, clean room, auxiliary and special additional requirements as well as material and personnel flow schemes, effectivity testing, measurement and customization of shielding and lead glass windows for your application.
Furthermore, we provide mock-ups for testing the functional handling and special combined transport and docking solutions for input and output of radioactive material into the hot cell. A dedicated project manager will support you from first contact, via design, installation and training to service and extension of your facility.