Evaluation of two methods for concentrating perrhenate (188 Re) eluates obtained from 188 W-188 Re generator.

Two novel and simple methods for post-elution concentration (PEC) of (188)Re-perrhenate, using (i) a single diethyl amino ethyl (DEAE) cellulose anion exchanger column and (ii) a combination of Dowex-1 x 8 and AgCl columns, are described here. In the first system, 20-25 ml of (188)Re-perrhenate in acidic ammonium acetate was trapped in the small anion exchanger column of DEAE cellulose which was subsequently recovered in 4 ml of normal saline. In the second method, (188)Re-perrhenate eluate in 20-40 ml normal saline was trapped on a small strong base anion exchanger column, Dowex-1 x 8, and recovered in 5 ml of 0.2M NaI solution and finally processed over 1g AgCl column so as to obtain it in physiological saline solution in a final volume of 6.5 ml including 1.5 ml de-ionized water washings. In both the methods, the radiochemical purity of (188)Re-perrhenate was >98% and (188)W breakthrough was less than 10(-3)%.