Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method for use in an apparatus for purifying the product of a reaction to synthesise a radiopharmaceutical compound, wherein the apparatus includes a chromatography separating device, a UV-absorption detector located at a UV-monitoring location, a radioactivity detector located at a radioactivity monitoring location, and a collection container having a collection inlet valve located at a collection location, the method comprising:determining a first eluent propagation time between the UV-monitoring location and the radiation-monitoring location;determining a second eluent propagation time from at least one of the UV-monitoring location and the radioactivity-monitoring location to the collection location;passing the synthesis product through the chromatographic separating device to produce a corresponding eluent;monitoring UV-absorption of the eluent to identify a first time period in which a substantially pure sample of the radiopharmaceutical compound is present at the UV-monitoring location;monitoring radioactivity of the eluent to identify a second time period in which a substantially high concentration of the radiopharmaceutical compound is present at the radioactivity-monitoring location;determining a third time period in which a substantially pure sample of the radiopharmaceutical compound is present at the collection location in a substantially high concentration, based upon said first time period, said second time period, said first eluent-propagation delay, and said second eluent-propagation delay; andopening the collection inlet valve during the third time period to collect the purified radiopharmaceutical compound in the collection container. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second eluent propagation times are determined based upon a flow rate of eluent and interior diameters and lengths of tubing connecting the UV-absorption detector, the radioactivity detector, and the collection inlet valve. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first time period and the second time period are identified based upon predetermined criteria of UV-absorption and radioactivity measured at the UV-absorption detector and the radioactivity detector respectively. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the predetermined criteria comprise thresholds of detected UV-radiation and detected radioactivity. 5. The method of claim 3 wherein the predetermined criteria comprise criteria obtained by analysis of measured peaks in UV-absorption and radioactivity. 6. The method of claim 3 wherein the third time period is determined based upon simultaneous satisfaction of the UV-absorption criterion and the radioactivity criterion at the collection location. 7. An apparatus for purifying the product of a reaction to synthesise a radiopharmaceutical compound, wherein the apparatus includes a chromatographic separating device, a UV-absorption detector located at a UV-monitoring location, a radioactivity detector located at a radioactivity monitoring location, and a collection container having a collection inlet valve located at a collection location, the apparatus further comprising:means for determining a first eluent propagation time between the UV-monitoring location and the radiation-monitoring location;means for determining a second eluent propagation time from at least one of the UV-monitoring location and the radiation-monitoring location to the collection location;means for monitoring the UV-absorption of the eluent to identify a first time period in which a substantially pure sample of the radiopharmaceutical compound is present at the UV-monitoring and location;means for monitoring radioactivity of the eluent to identify a second time period in which a substantially high concentration of the radiopharmaceutical compound is present at the radioactivity-monitoring location;means for determining a third time period in which a substantially pure sample of the radiopharmaceutical compound is present at the collection location in a substantially high concentration, based upon said first time period, said second time period, and said first eluent-propagation delay, and said second eluent-propagation delay; andmeans for opening the collection inlet valve during the third time period to collect the purified radiopharmaceutical compound in the collection container. 8. An apparatus for purifying the product of a reaction to synthesise a radiopharmaceutical compound, comprising:a chromatographic separating device;a UV-absorption detector located at a UV-monitoring location;a radioactivity detector located at a radioactivity-monitoring location;a collection container having a collection inlet valve located at a collection location;at least one microprocessor;at least one memory device operatively associated with the microprocessor; andat least one peripheral interface operatively associated with the microprocessor and enabling the microprocessor to receive UV-absorption data from the UV-absorption detector and radioactivity data from the radioactivity detector,wherein the memory device comprises computer executable instruction code stored therein which, when executed by the microprocessor, causes the microprocessor to:determine a first eluent-propagation time between the UV-monitoring location and the radiation-monitoring location;determine a second eluent-propagation time from at least one of the UV-monitoring location and the radiation-monitoring location to the collection location;receive UV-absorption data from the UV-absorption detector in order to identify a first time period in which a sample of the radiopharmaceutical compound is present at the UV-monitoring location;receive radioactivity data from the radioactivity detector so as to identify a second time period in which a substantially high concentration of the radiopharmaceutical compound is present at the radioactivity-monitoring location;determine a third time period in which a substantially pure sample of the radiopharmaceutical compound is present at the collection location in a substantially high concentration, based upon said first time period, said second time period, said first eluent-propagation delay, and said second eluent-propagation delay; andgenerate an indication, during said third time period, that the collection inlet valve should be opened in order to collect the purified radiopharmaceutical compound in the collection container. 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the peripheral interface comprises a data acquisition and control unit operatively interfaced with the UV-absorption detector and the radioactivity detector. 10. The apparatus of claim 8 further including at least one peripheral interface operatively associated with the microprocessor and enabling the microprocessor to control the collection inlet valve, whereby the collection inlet valve is opened during the third time period under automated control, in response to the generated indication. 11. The apparatus of claim 8 further including a user interface display, and wherein a visual indication is generated on the display during the third time period, whereby an operator of the apparatus opens the collection inlet valve under manual control.