Patent ID: 8050377

Claim:
An irradiation target retention system comprising: at least one irradiation target retention device, dimensioned and shaped to fit within a nuclear fuel rod such that a central axis of the at least one irradiation target retention device is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the fuel rod in which the at least one irradiation target retention device is dimensioned and shaped to fit, fabricated of a material configured to substantially maintain its physical and neutronic properties when exposed to the neutron flux in the operating nuclear reactor, and individually defining each of a plurality of bores, each of the bores being defined with a bottom in the irradiation target retention device in a direction of the central axis of the irradiation target retention device such that the bores do not pass entirely through the irradiation target retention device in the direction of the central axis of the irradiation target retention device, each of the bores being offset from the central axis of the irradiation target retention device; and at least one irradiation target contained in the irradiation target retention device by one of the bores, the irradiation target configured to substantially convert to a radioisotope when exposed to a neutron flux in an operating nuclear reactor.