US-20260124558-A1 - DEVICE FOR RECOVERING MEDICAL RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES

US20260124558A1US 20260124558 A1US20260124558 A1US 20260124558A1US-20260124558-A1

Abstract

A device for recovering a radioactive isotope of interest present in the urine of a patient, intended to be connected to toilets. The device includes a urine collector, a treatment unit, a pressure management system. The treatment unit includes a filtration and recovery device for each radioactive isotope of interest configured to filter and recover the radioactive isotope of interest, a sorting module connected to the urine collector configured to identify the radioactive isotope of interest in the collected urine and direct the collected urine to the filtration and recovery device corresponding to the detected radioactive isotope, and at least one primary storage chamber in fluidic connection with the filtration and recovery device configured to recover the corresponding radioactive isotope.

Inventors

Loïc DJAILEB

Assignees

Loïc DJAILEB

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20230929
Priority Date: 20220930

Claims (11)

1 - 10 . (canceled)
11 . A device for recovering at least one radioactive isotope of interest present in the urine of a patient, the device being intended to be connected to toilets, the device comprising a urine collector, a treatment unit, a pressure management system configured to move urine from the urine collector to and within the treatment unit, the treatment unit including: at least one filtration and recovery device specific to each radioactive isotope of interest, including an ion retention element and at least one reactive solution reservoir, the filtration and recovery device being configured to filter and recover the radioactive isotope of interest, a sorting module connected to the urine collector configured to identify the radioactive isotope of interest in the collected urine and direct the collected urine to the at least one filtration and recovery device corresponding to the detected radioactive isotope, at least one primary storage chamber in fluidic connection with each filtration and recovery device configured to recover the corresponding radioactive isotope.
12 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the sorting module is provided with a detection system configured to detect the radioactive isotope of interest.
13 . The device according claim 11 , further comprising: a primary storage chamber for each radioactive isotope of interest.
14 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the suction the urine of the patient is activated by detecting liquid in the urine collector.
15 . The device according to claim 11 , further comprising: a secondary storage chamber configured to recover aqueous elements of the collected urine, said secondary storage chamber being in fluidic connection with the sorting module and each filtration and recovery device.
16 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the pressure management system is configured to generate: a negative pressure in the sorting module in response to the detection of liquid in the urine collector, a positive pressure in the sorting module in response to the detection of the radioactive isotope of interest. a negative pressure in the primary storage chamber in response to a release of the reactive solution from the reservoir of the filtration and recovery device.
17 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the ion retention element of the filtration and recovery device is a cation exchange resin.
18 . The device according to claim 11 , further comprising: a stool collector.
19 . The device according to claim 11 , further comprising: a purification chamber.
20 . A method for recovering at least one radioactive isotope of interest present in the urine of a patient implemented by the device according to claim 11 , the method includes the steps of: collecting the urine of the patient by the urine collector, sucking the urine to the sorting module, detecting the radioactive isotope of interest and the radioactive isotope of interest to a corresponding filtration and recovery device, trapping the radioactive isotope of interest on the retention device of the filtration and recovery device, releasing the reactive solution in such a way as to release the radioactive isotope of interest, fluidically transferring and storing said radioactive isotope of interest to/in the primary storage chamber.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to devices that make it possible to recover radioactive isotopes from biological liquids. PRIOR ART In a manner known per se, nuclear medicine is the medical specialty using unsealed radioactive sources for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. More particularly, internal vectorised radiation therapy (IVR) is the therapeutic branch of nuclear medicine. The development thereof has been rapid in recent years, particularly in the context of the management of metastatic prostate cancer with so-called “177Lu-PSMA” treatments targeting PSMA, prostate specific membrane antigens (PSMA) expressed by cancer cells. During treatment with IVR, particularly with 177Lu-PSMA, most of the treatment is injected and eliminated by urine. In the current state of the art, this radioactivity is thereafter stored and then eliminated in nature when the regulatory threshold is reached. More precisely, currently in nuclear medicine departments, the management of liquid radioactive waste requires the installation of expensive furniture and logistics with the transport and storage of radioactivity in decay tanks. All of the elements currently used relate to: radiation-protected toilets,lead-sealed devices for the radiation protection of personnel,radioactive decay tanks,the systems for managing the concentrations of radioactive isotope(s) in aqueous solutions (non-selective). Before being disposed of in nature, liquid radioactive waste is stored and transported in decay tanks. The recent increase in indications for use of IVR, particularly in metastatic prostate cancer with 177Lu-PSMA, leads to an increased need for production of 177Lu (radioactive isotope used for this indication). In general, and beyond the example of prostate cancer cases, projections envisage an increase in IVR indications in the coming years with 177Lu but also with other radioactive isotopes (β, α emitters, etc.). The use of IVR in the coming years must meet major challenges related to the increase in indications. These challenges correspond schematically to: increasing production of radioactive isotopes,better control of the elimination of these radioactive isotopes, currently eliminated in nature.logistical adaptability for increasing patient reception. The radioactive waste generated by the patient has a half-life of less than 100 days and is subsequently eliminated in nature when the radioactivity is less than 10 becquerels per litre. This may generate, in the event of a significant increase in the number of patients to be treated, problems following saturation of the radioactive tanks related to the increasing number of patients treated. Currently known techniques make radiation protection possible for health personnel before elimination in nature, in compliance with the regulations in force. However, these techniques do not make it possible to: selectively isolate radioactive isotopes,isolate radioactive isotopes for the reintegration thereof into a GMP (good manufacturing practice) production line,create autonomous therapeutic units for the management thereof of radioactive waste and independent of a common radioactivity collection circuit (connected radioactive tank).integrate these units into a radiopharmaceutical drug production circuit. Therefore, there is currently a need for a technical solution to the above-mentioned list of problems. The present invention thus seeks to remedy all of these shortcomings. The object of the present invention is particularly to propose, on the one hand, a more economical solution for limiting both the production and storage of the necessary radioactive isotopes and, on the other hand, an environmental protection solution for limiting the pollution thereof by avoiding the discharge of said radioactive isotopes into nature. Another object of the present invention is to offer to care units the possibility of quickly adapting the need for protected room installation to the clinical need. SUMMARY This objective is achieved, in accordance with the invention, thanks to a device for recovering at least one radioactive isotope of interest present in the urine of a patient, the device being intended to be connected to toilets, the device comprising a urine collector, a treatment unit, a pressure management system configured to move the urine from the urine collector to and within the treatment unit, the treatment unit including: at least one filtration and recovery device specific to each radioactive isotope of interest, including an ion retention element and at least one reactive solution reservoir, the filtration and recovery device being configured to filter and recover the radioactive isotope of interest,a sorting module connected to the urine collector configured to identify the radioactive isotope of interest in the collected urine and direct the collected urine to the at least one filtration and recovery device corresponding to the detected radioactive isotope,at least on