Patent ID: 9269466
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: G21G,H05H

Claim Text:
1. An isotope production system comprising: a particle accelerator configured to produce a particle beam; and a target apparatus having a window configured to receive a particle beam and also separate production and condensing chambers, the production chamber configured to contain a starting liquid and located so that the particle beam is incident upon the starting liquid thereby generating radioisotopes and transforming a portion of the starting liquid into vapor, the target apparatus also including a fluid channel that extends between and fluidly couples the production and condensing chambers; and a gas line in fluid communication with the condensing chamber, the gas line configured to provide a working gas into the condensing chamber, through the fluid channel, and into the production chamber, the starting liquid interfacing with the working gas in the production chamber when the beam is initially incident upon the starting liquid during a radioisotope generation session; wherein the fluid channel is configured to allow the vapor to flow from the production chamber into the condensing chamber during the radioisotope generation session, the condensing chamber being configured to transform the vapor in the condensing chamber into a condensed liquid; wherein the vapor flows through a production cross-section of the production chamber, a channel cross-section of the fluid channel, and a condensing cross-section of the condensing chamber, each of the production, channel, and condensing cross-sections being taken perpendicular to a flow direction of the vapor and having a respective area, the production and condensing cross-sections being taken proximate to the fluid channel, wherein the areas of the production and condensing cross-sections are greater than the channel cross-section; wherein, upon completion of the radioisotope generation session, the gas line is configured to push the condensed liquid within the production chamber through an exit port that is in flow communication with the production chamber.