Tantalum-178--a short-lived nuclide for nuclear medicine: development of a potential generator system.

We describe a chemical separation that may form the basis of a generator system for the short-lived radionuclide Ta-178 (T 1/2 = 9 min). The parent nuclide W-178 (T 1/2 = 21.7 days) is loaded on an anion-exchange column and the daughter eluted with a mixture of dilute hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The yields of tantalum and the breakthrough of the tungsten parent as a function of the eluting conditions are discussed, and preliminary animal distribution data are presented for various treatments of the eluant solution.