Patent ID: 8257681

Claim:
A method of preparing a high-specific-activity 117m Sn composition, the method comprising: exposing a target layer enriched in 116 Cd to an α-particle ion beam with an incident kinetic energy of about 30 MeV to about 60 MeV to convert a portion of the 116 Cd in the target layer to 117m Sn; dissolving the target layer to form an intermediate solution containing the 117m Sn and the 116 Cd; preparing an ion exchange resin column; loading the intermediate solution onto the ion exchange resin column; eluting the 117m Sn and the 116 Cd from the ion exchange resin column with an eluent solution to separate at least a portion of the 117m Sn from at least a portion of the 116 Cd; and collecting at least a portion of the eluent solution discharged from the ion exchange resin column to provide a product enriched in the 117m Sn, wherein the 117m Sn in the product has a specific activity of greater than 100 Ci/g, and wherein the ion exchange resin is pretreated with an oxidant prior to loading the intermediate solution onto the ion exchange resin column.