Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of isolating a radioisotope to obtain a material with relatively high specific activity for production of a higher specific activity radiopharmaceutical, comprising:vaporizing a source compound containing a first isotope and a second isotope, the second isotope being a nuclear reaction product of the first isotope, the first isotope constituting a majority of the source compound, the second isotope being a radioisotope having a shorter half-life than the first isotope and having at least one of therapeutic and diagnostic properties when used as a radiopharmaceutical;ionizing the vaporized source compound to form charged atoms or molecules of the first isotope and the second isotope;separating the charged atoms or molecules to isolate the atoms or molecules of the second isotope; andcollecting the isolated charged atoms or molecules of the second isotope with an oppositely-charged collector to obtain a material having a specific activity above 30 curies/mg. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the source compound is vaporized in a vacuum. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein separating the charged atoms or molecules includes generating an electric field to extract and accelerate the charged atoms or molecules away from an ion source. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein separating the charged atoms or molecules includes generating a magnetic field to draw excess free electrons away from the charged atoms or molecules. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein separating the charged atoms or molecules includes injecting the charged atoms or molecules into a mass separator to isolate the atoms or molecules of the second isotope. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the isolated charged atoms or molecules of the second are collected with a collector assembly. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the collector assembly is water-cooled. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:producing the source compound with a (n,γ) or (γ,n) reaction. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first isotope is 98Mo or 100Mo. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second isotope is 99Mo. 11. A method of isolating 186Re to obtain a material with relatively high specific activity, comprising:vaporizing a source compound containing a primary Re isotope and 186Re, the 186Re being a nuclear reaction product of the primary Re isotope, the primary Re isotope constituting a majority of the source compound, the 186Re having a shorter half-life than the primary Re isotope;ionizing the vaporized source compound to form charged atoms or molecules of the primary Re isotope and 186Re;separating the charged atoms or molecules to isolate the atoms or molecules of 186Re; andcollecting the isolated charged atoms or molecules of 186Re with an oppositely-charged collector to obtain a material having a specific activity above 30 curies/mg. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the source compound is vaporized in a vacuum. 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the source compound is vaporized in an ion source at a temperature below about 1500° C. and a pressure below about 1 Torr. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the vaporized source compound is ionized with hydrogen plasma. 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the vaporized source compound is ionized by impinging atoms or molecules of the vaporized source compound onto a heated surface, the work function of the heated surface being different from the electron affinity of the atoms or molecules, thus resulting in charged atoms or molecules being ejected from the heated surface. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein the source compound is ionized in an ion source at a temperature below about 1500° C. and a pressure below about 1 Torr. 17. The method of claim 11, wherein separating the charged atoms or molecules includes generating an electric field to extract and accelerate the charged atoms or molecules away from an ion source. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the electric field is generated with extraction electrodes. 19. The method of claim 11, wherein separating the charged atoms or molecules includes generating a magnetic field to draw excess free electrons away from the charged atoms or molecules. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the separating involves a screening electrode. 21. The method of claim 11, wherein separating the charged atoms or molecules includes injecting the charged atoms or molecules into a mass separator to isolate the atoms or molecules of 186Re. 22. The method of claim 11, wherein the isolated charged atoms or molecules of 186Re are collected with a collector assembly. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the collector assembly is water-cooled. 24. The method of claim 11, wherein the primary Re isotope is 185Re or 187Re.