US 12,456,559 B2
Compact assembly for production of medical isotopes via photonuclear reactions
Michael A. Brown, Chicago, IL (US); Jerry A. Nolen, Jr., Chciago, IL (US); Walter F. Henning, St. Charles, IL (US); David A. Rotsch, Montgomery, IL (US); Sergey D. Chemerisov, Lisle, IL (US); and Jeongseog Song, Lisle, IL (US)
Assigned to UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Dec. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/544,843.
Application 17/544,843 is a division of application No. 16/146,975, filed on Sep. 28, 2018, granted, now 11,217,355.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/565,293, filed on Sep. 29, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0093283 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G21K 5/08 (2006.01); G21G 1/00 (2006.01); G21G 1/10 (2006.01); G21G 1/12 (2006.01)
CPC G21G 1/10 (2013.01) [G21G 1/001 (2013.01); G21G 1/12 (2013.01); G21K 5/08 (2013.01); G21G 2001/0084 (2013.01); G21G 2001/0089 (2013.01); G21G 2001/0094 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for producing medical isotopes, the system comprising:
a) a collimator module with an upstream end and a downstream end comprising a solid collimator heat sink defining a radiotransparent channel extending from the upstream end to the downstream end, the channel having a diameter, wherein the upstream end receives a radiation beam having a first cross-section, and the radiation beam passes through the channel from the upstream end to the downstream end;
b) a converter module comprising a converter positioned downstream of the collimator module, the converter module comprising a solid converter heat sink defining an aperture coaxial with the channel and terminating at a point proximal with the converter; and
c) a target module positioned downstream of the converter module, the target module comprising a target having a second cross-section and coaxially aligned with the channel and the aperture, wherein a front face of the target that faces the downstream end of the collimator module has a circular area with a diameter equal to the diameter of the channel, and a solid target heat sink in thermal communication with the target.