A 3D-printed device for separating short-lived radioisotopes from target ions

Go Kagawa; Yumi Sugo; Tomotaka Tachibana; Ouju Nogawa; Kentaro Saeki; Noriko S Ishioka; Masanobu Mori; Kei Toda; Shin-Ichi Ohira

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2025.112052

A 3D-printed device for separating short-lived radioisotopes from target ions

Appl Radiat Isot. 2025 Nov:225:112052. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2025.112052. Epub 2025 Jul 16.

Authors

Go Kagawa¹, Yumi Sugo², Tomotaka Tachibana³, Ouju Nogawa³, Kentaro Saeki⁴, Noriko S Ishioka⁵, Masanobu Mori⁶, Kei Toda⁷, Shin-Ichi Ohira⁸

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8555, Japan.
² Department of Quantum-Applied Biosciences, Takasaki Institute for Advanced Quantum Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, 370-1292, Japan. Electronic address: sugo.yumi@qst.go.jp.
³ Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono-cho, Kochi, 780-8520, Japan.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan.
⁵ Department of Quantum-Applied Biosciences, Takasaki Institute for Advanced Quantum Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, 370-1292, Japan.
⁶ Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono-cho, Kochi, 780-8520, Japan. Electronic address: mori@kochi-u.ac.jp.
⁷ Department of Chemistry, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8555, Japan.
⁸ Department of Chemistry, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8555, Japan. Electronic address: ohira@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.

PMID: 40695151
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2025.112052

Abstract

The separation of metal radioactive isotopes (RIs) generated in a cyclotron is a crucial process. This report describes the development of a newly designed 3D-printed device for such separation. The 3D-printing fabrication approach offers a cost-effective method for manufacturing single-use devices. The overall separation process involved selective chelate formation, adsorption of the target ion, and finally, UV radiation-induced decomposition of the metal complex. All of these steps are achieved in-line in the developed device. Moreover, this novel system can handle practical solution volumes (approximately 10 mL) containing the dissolved RI and target and is designed to be disposable. The separation performance was evaluated using the following RI/target systems: ⁶⁷Ga/Zn and ⁸⁹Zr/Y. The developed device enables universal separation by changing the chelate formation conditions, i.e., acid concentration. Nearly quantitative RI recoveries are achieved without target contamination, and a highly pure RI solution can be obtained automatically within 30 min. The universal and cost-effective separation device presented herein is therefore suitable for a wide range of RI-related applications.

Keywords: 3D-printed device; Separation; Short-lived radioisotope; UV radiation; ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.