Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method for producing 99mTc, comprising:providing an aqueous solution comprising dissolved 100Mo-molybdate ions,providing a proton beam having an energy suitable for inducing a 100Mo(p,2n)99Tc nuclear reaction when 100Mo-molybdate ions are irradiated,irradiating the aqueous solution with the proton beam and inducing a 100Mo(p,2n)99Tc nuclear reaction,applying a solvent extraction method to dissolve the 99Tc into solution with the solvent and separate a resulting 99Tc-loaded solvent solution from the aqueous solution containing dissolved 100Mo-molybdate ions. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the extraction method comprises a solvent extraction method using methyl ethyl ketone. 3. The method of claim 1, comprising recycling dissolved 100Mo-molybdate ions remaining in solution after the 99Tc extraction to additional aqueous solution to be irradiated. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the aqueous solution with dissolved 100Mo-molybdate ions is an aqueous solution of a 100Mo-molybdate salt, and wherein a nuclear reaction which leads to at least one cation end product is induced in the aqueous solution by irradiating cations of the 100Mo-molybdate salt in solution with the proton beam. 5. The method of claim 4, comprising:after extracting the 99Tc, recycling the remaining solution containing dissolved 100Mo-molybdate ions to additional aqueous solution; andremoving the at least one cation end product before returning to the aqueous solution. 6. The method of claim 4, comprising after extracting the 99Tc from the aqueous solution, cleansing the extracted 99mTc of impurities resulting from the nuclear reaction which leads to at least one cation end product. 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the 100Mo-molybdate salt comprises 6Li2100MoO4, and wherein the at least one cation end product comprises 3H. 8. The method of claim 4, wherein the 100Mo-molybdate salt comprises Na2100MoO4, and wherein the cation end product comprises 18F. 9. The method of claim 4, wherein the 100Mo-molybdate salt comprises K2100MoO4, and wherein the cation end product comprises Ca ions. 10. The method of claim 4, comprising after extracting the 99mTc, returning the remaining dissolved 100Mo-molybdate ions to the aqueous solution and removing the at least one cation end product using an ion exchanger. 11. The method of claim 4, comprising after extracting the 99Tc from the aqueous solution, using an ion exchanger to cleanse the extracted 99Tc of impurities resulting from the at least one cation end product.