Speaker
Dr
Simindokht Shirvani Arani
(Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute)
Summary
Ruthenium-106 is essential for ophthalmic brachytherapy but involves hazardous purification steps with radioactive, toxic intermediates. A semiautomated, enclosed system was developed to automate traditional chemical methods—oxidation to RuO₄, extraction into carbon tetrachloride, and hydrazine sulfate stripping—enhancing safety by containing volatile species and enabling remote operation. The system delivers medical-grade purity (>99%) and yields (60-80%) comparable to manual protocols, reduces operator exposure to nearly zero, decreases processing time by 20%, and improves reproducibility with minimal variation, providing a safer and more efficient approach to 106Ru purification.
Author
Dr
Simindokht Shirvani Arani
(Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute)
