BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Although the possibility of treating rheumatoid arthritis, other inflamed joints, and cancer with yttrium-90 (9°39Y) is well known, a cost effective way to separate 90Y of sufficient purify that minimizes loss of radioactive Sr and does not generate a large waste stream is still needed. Y results from the decay of strontium-90 and 90Y decays to stable 9'Zr according to the following scheme : 90909090 Sr--- Y+B-Y- Zr + B- 38 29 Years 39 (0. 54 MeV) ; 39 64. 0 hours ao (2. 28 MeV) 90Y has a relatively short half-life (64. 0 h) and maximum beta energy (2. 28 MeV) which makes it suitable for a variety of therapeutic uses such as radiolabeling antibodies for tumor therapy or treating liver malignancies.

Although it is known that 90Y is suitable for immuno radiotherapy, scientists and doctors have encountered numerous difficulties using 90Y for medical treatments because of the absence of a cost effective way to separate 90Y of sufficient purity while minimizing loss of

radioactive Sr without generating a large waste stream. The following non-exclusive non- exhaustive list of difficulties in separating and purifying 90Y have limited the application of 90Y for medical treatment. Although the half-life and decay scheme of 90Y is appropriate for various radio therapy applications, 90Y must be capable of being produced in sufficient multi-curie quantities. Furthennore, before Y can be safely used in clinical applications, 90Y must be essentially free of 90Sr and any other trace elements. 90Y must be free of 90Sr by at least a factor of 107 because 90Sr can suppress bone marrow production. 90Y must also be free from any trace elements, such as Ca, Cu, Fe, Zn, and Zr, and other impurities because trace elements could interfere with the radio labeling process by competing with 90Y for binding sites. All of these difficulties must be overcome in a cost effective manner while minimizing loss of valuable radioactive Sr without generating large amounts of waste.

In the past, 90Y has been separated from 90Sr by solvent extraction, ion-exchange, precipitation, and various forms of chromatography, all of which fail to separate 90Y of sufficient quantity and purity in a cost effective manner that minimizes loss of radioactive Sr and does not generate a large waste stream. Numerous procedures use a cation exchange resin (e. g. Dowex 50) to retain 90Sr, while the 90Y is eluted with an aqueous solution such as lactate, acetate, citrate, oxalate, or EDTA. Several of these procedures have been proposed as the basis for a Y generator system.

U. S. Pat. 5, 100, 585, and U. S. Pat. No. 5, 344, 623 describe processes for recovering strontium and technetium from acidic feed solutions containing other fission products.

Another process for separating 90Y from 90Sr involves extacting 90Y from a dilute acid solution of 90Sr/90Y using bis 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid in dodecane. This procedure has the disadvantages of having a limited generator lifespan and accumulating radiolytic by-products in the 90Sr stock. This process also has the disadvantage of requiring repeated stripping of the initial extractant solution to reduce trace impurities and repeated washing of stock solution to destroy dissolved organic phosphates.

Kanapilly and Newton (1971) have described a process for separating multi-curie quantities of 90Y from 90Sr by precipitating 90Y as a phosphate. This process, however, requires adding nonradioactive yttrium as a carrier, yielding 90Y which are obviously not carrier free and hence unsuitable for site specific binding. This and other prior art teach the addition of only nonradioactive yttrium. This and other prior art do not teach the addition of nonradioactive strontium. In fact, the prior art teaches away from adding nonradioactive strontium.

U. S. Pat. 5, 368, 736 describes a process for isolating 90Y from a stock solution of 90Sr. The 90Sr solution is stored for a sufficient period of time to allow Y ingrowth to occur.

This process teaches the use of a series of Sr selective columns at the initial stages of the process. A major disadvantage is that 90Sr must be stripped off from each of the strontium- selective extraction chromatographic column because 90Sr is very valuable and it must be recycled to allow for new 90Y growth.

Unfortunately, all the various methods mentioned above suffer from one or more of the following disadvantages. The first disadvantage of these methods is that the concentration of trace elements is too high and the trace elements thereby compete with 90Y for binding sites, resulting in a decrease in 90Y labeling. Thus, it is necessary to either remove trace elements and

other impurities prior to antibody labeling or carry out postlabeling purification. The second disadvantage is that ion-exchange resins gradually lose capacity due to radiation damage. As a result, ion-exchange is considered suitable only for purifying and separating subcurie quantities of 90Y, which is less than the multi quantities of 90Y needed for clinical applications. The third disadvantage is that separating Y in acceptable purity and quantity while minimizing 90Sr breakthrough often requires using a series of long ion-exchange columns and impractically large volumes of eluent. A need still exists for a cost effective process of separating 90Y of sufficient quality and quantity without a series of 90Sr selective extraction chromatographic columns while minimizing loss of 90Sr and without generating large amounts of waste and using large volumes of eluent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a new process for separating and purifying multi-curie quantities Y of sufficient chemical and radiochemical purity suitable for use in medical applications without a series of 90Sr selective extraction chromatographic columns while minimizing loss of radioactive 90Sr parent and waste stream.

It is an object of the invention to separate 90Y from Sr by a highly selective and efficient Sr precipitation procedure and using Y selective resins and no Sr selective resins.

Another object of this invention is to provide a process for separating 90Y from Sr where 90Sr activity in 90Y is reduced by > 10'. It is a further object of the invention to provide a process for separating 90Y with an overall recovery of 90Y > 95%. Furthermore, another object of the invention is to provide a process for separating 90Y with an overall recovery of 90Sr > 99. 9% and improved purity with each processing run. Furthermore, another object of the invention is to

provide a rapid process for separating 90Y such that waste generation and radiation damage is minimum.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above-mentioned and other features of the invention will become more apparent and be best understood, together with the description, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Fig. 1 shows a single column arrangement for isolating 90Y from 90Sr in accordance with the following steps : dissolving strontium nitrate in H20 ; acidifying the strontium nitrate solution with concentrated nitric acid ; evaporating said solution ; separating 90Sr from solution by filtering or centrifuging ; evaporating the remaining Y enriched supernate ; dissolving the remaining 90Y enriched supernate in 0. 1 to 0. 2M HCL ; passing the supernate through an yttrium selective extraction chromatographic column containing alkyl alkylphosphonic acid ; rinsing the yttrium selective extraction chromatographic column with HCL ; and removing yttrium from yttrium selective extraction column with 1 to 2M HCL.

Fig. 2 shows a single column arrangement for isolating 90Y similar to Fig. 1 except that the yttrium selective extraction chromatographic column contains dialkylphosphinic acid instead of alkyl alkylphosphonic acid.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 depicts the new simplified process, with only one chromatographic column, for separating 90Y of sufficient purify and multi-curie quantity while minimizing loss of radioactive 90Sr. Initially, Y is separated from approximately 99. 7% of the"°Sr by precipitating the strontium as a nitrate salt from a nitric acid eutectic (16M). Essentially all of the yttrium

remains in solution together with any ferric iron and zirconium while the strontium is selectively precipitated out. To reduce the loss of valuable 90Sr to the yttrium supernate and to increase the ease of handling radioactive multi curie quantities of 90Y, stable strontium is added to the 90Sr.

At least 80 to 90% of the mass of strontium that is present in the initial"°Sr/'"'Y stock solution should be stable Sr, i. e., 86,87,88 Sr isotopes. Requiring that 80-90% of the strontium mass be stable strontium isotopes, as opposed to radioactive 90Sr, reduces the specific activity of the mixture. Minimizing amounts of 90Sr is crucial if one desires 90Y suitable for radio therapeutic applications. When 90Sr is present in great quantity, more steps and materials are needed to separate and purify 90Y. For example, three Sr selective chromatography columns are used in the process disclosed in US Patent 5, 368, 736. By contrast, this new process, which minimizes amounts of radioactive 90Sr, does not require any 90Sr selective chromatography. This new process thus saves money, space, time, and waste while decreasing 90Sr contamination.

As shown in Figure 1, precipitating strontium as a nitrate salt is achieved by first dissolving the strontium nitrate salt in H20, 1 Fig. 1. Approximately 10mL of H2O is used for one gram of Sr as the nitrate salt. If the initial weight of 90Sr is 20% by mass, one has 28 curies (200 mg) of radioactivity which is a very substantial amount. After dissolving the strontium nitrate in H20, 5mL of concentrated nitric acid is added, 2 (Fig. 1), the volume is reduced to 5mL by evaporating, 3 (Fig. 1). Centrifuging or filtering, 4 (Fig. 1), the mixture precipitates approximately 99. 7% of the Sr as strontium nitrate. Having started out with 1 g of Sr (=1 000mg), this means that 99. 7% or better of I g Sr precipitates out. (99. 7% of I g = 997 mg). Hence 997 mg of Sr precipitates out and 3 mg of the original starting Sr remains in the supernate. Of the

3mg Sr remaining in the supernate, only 0. 3 to 0. 6 mg are radioactive 90Sr if the initial mixture contained 10 to 20% 90Sr, respectively (10% of 3mg =0. 3 mg and 20% of 3mg=0. 6 mg).

The concentrated nitric acid supernate is evaporated to dryness, 5 (Fig. 1), and the residue dissolved in 2 to 4 mL of 0. 05-0. 4 M HCL, preferably 0. 1M HCL, 6. The acid does not have to be HCL. The acid may be a strong acid consisting of nitric acid (HNO3), perchlorate (HCL04), and sulfuric acid (H2S04) The resultant supernate load, 7, (Fig. 1) is passed through only one extraction chromatographic column, 10 (Fig. 1), (usually only one mL in bed volume) containing an alkyl alkylphosphonic acid extractant sorbed on an inert polymeric support. The extraction chromatographic column containing the alkyl alkylphosphonic acid extractant is highly selective for 90Y. The alkyl alkylphosphonic acid column selectively retains yttrium while all alkali and alkaline earth metal ions (including valuable 90Sr) and divalent transition and post transition metal ions pass through and are recycled back to the 90Sr stock solution, 7 and 8 (Fig. 1). The yttrium-selective extractant may be obtained from commercially available 2- ethylhexyl 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid. However, extraction chromatographic columns prepared from the material must undergo extensive purification using selected complexing agents and acids. The length of the carbon chain (CJ in alkyl alkylphosphonic acid can vary.

The alkyl alkylphosphophonic acid is preferably selected from any alkyls consisting of C5, C6, C7, C8, Cg, Clo and Cll. This description of alkyl alkylphosphonic acid is for purposes of illustration. The description of alkyl alkylphosphonic acid is not exhaustive and does not limit the invention to the chemical structure disclosed. For example, an alkyl alkylphosphonic acid with alkyls greater than eleven carbons or less than five carbons may be used.

Extensive rinsing (e. g. 20 bed volumes) of the alkyl alkylphosphonic acid extraction chromatographic column is carried out with 0. 05-0. 4 M, preferably 0. 1M HCL, 8 (Fig.

1), to reduce any 90Sr present by at least 104 and reduce the overall 90Sr activity by a factor of 10'. The acid to remove 90Sr does not have to be HCL. The acid may be a strong acid consisting of nitric acid (HNO3), perchlorate (HCL04), and sulfuric acid (H2S04). Before recycling the 90Sr that passes thru the yttrium selective column, this very small quantity of Sr can be purified by adding sufficient concentrated nitric acid to bring the final nitrate concentration to 3M HNO3 and then passing the resultant solution through a Sr selective column. The addition of the 9°Sr recovered from step 7 and 8 (Fig. 1) to that recovered from step 4 (Fig. 1) gives an overall recovery of 90Sr > 99. 9%. After rinsing the column, 90Y is eluted from the yttrium selective column in 4 bed volumes using 0. 5-3. 0 M, preferably 1 M HCL, 9 (Fig. 1) with an overall recovery of 90Y > 95%. Ferric iron and zirconium (IV) are retained on the column. The acid does not have to be HCL. The acid to elute yttrium may be a strong acid consisting of nitric acid (HN03), perchlorate (HCL04), and sulfuric acid (H2S04). Any trace of organic extractant or degradation products present in the purified 90Y are removed by passing the solution through a bed of a polymeric support such as Amberchrom XAD-7, step 11 (Fig. 1). Clinical applications require that the 90Y product be in < 0. 05M HC 1 making a final evaporation of the 90Y column strip necessary.

A small variation of the above process may be carried out by replacing the extraction chromatographic column containing the alkyl alkylphosphonic acid extractant 12 (Fig.

1), with a column containing a dialkylphosphinic acid extractant 21 (Fig. 2). The length of the carbon chain (Cn) in dialkylphosphinic acid may vary. Similar to alkyl alkylphosphonic acid, the

dialkylphosphinic is preferably selected from any alkyls consisting of C5, C6, C7, Cg, C9, CIO and C, l. The alkyls maybe straight chained or branched. This description of dialkylphosphinic acid is for purposes of illustration. The description of dialkylphosphinic acid is not exhaustive and does not limit the invention to the chemical structure disclosed. For example, a dialkylphosphinic acid with alkyls greater than eleven carbons or less than five carbons may be used. Phosphinic acid extractant is more stable to hydrolysis and radiolysis but requires a much lower acidity to effectively retain yttrium. To effectively retain 90Y (tell), a solution containing only 0. 01M hydrogen ion must be used.

The load for the dialkylphosphinic acid column is prepared by dissolving the residue obtained from evaporating the supernate in 0. 05-0. 4 HCL, preferably 0. 1 M HC1, 13 (Fig. 2), and passing this solution through a small (1 to 2mL) bed volume column containing a conventional strong base anion exchange resin on the acetate cycle. The acid does not have to be HCL. The acid may be a strong acid consisting of nitric acid (HN03), perchlorate (HCL04), and sulfuric acid (H2S04). The chloride in the load solution is replaced by acetate which in turn produces acetic acid. Acetic acid solutions are in the correct pH range for loading the phosphinic acid containing resin.

After loading the yttrium containing solution onto the dialkylphosphinic acid extraction chromatographic column, the column is rinsed with 0. 005-0. 04 HCL, preferably 0. 01M HCL, 19 (Fig. 2) to remove all traces of 90Sr to give an overall recovery of 90Sr > 99. 9% and reduce 90Sr activity by a factor of 104. The acid to remove 90Sr does not have to be HCL.

The acid may be a strong acid consisting of nitric acid (HNO3), perchlorate (HCL04), and sulfuric acid (H2S04). Yttrium is then eluted from the column using 0. 05-0. 3 HCL, preferably

0. 1M HC1, 20 (Fig. 2), with an overall recovery of 90Y > 95%. The acid to elute does not have to be HCL. The acid may be a strong acid consisting of nitric acid (HN03), perchlorate (HCL04), and sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Any traces of extractant or organic degradation products are removed by passing the solution through a bed of polymeric support. Preparation of the final 0. 05M HC1 solution may be carried out by dilution.

The following tables 1 and 2 describe the behavior of selected metal ions on yttrium selective resins. The following data about 90Y were used to calculate some of the information in Tables 1 and 2 : Specific activity of 90Sr (t, M2 = 28. 6 y) (R = 4. 61 x 10-8 min-1). 139 Ci/g or 139 milli-Ci/mg. One Curie of 90Sr = 7. 20 mg if pure. Specific activity of 90Y (t# = 64. 1 hrs.) 1. 80 x 10"min'). 0. 544 Ci/wg. One curie of 90Y = 1.84 µg. Table 1 corresponds to Fig. 1 when the extractant is alkyl alkylphosphonic acid. Table 1 data was collected under the following conditions : Alkyl Alkylphosphonic Acid on Amberchrom CG-71, Particle Size 50- 100Rm, Load 4. 0mL of 0. 1M HCL, Rinse 2. 0mL of 0. 1M HCI/fraction, and Strip 2. 0mL of l. OM HCL/fraction. Table 2 corresponds to Fig. 2 when the extractant is dialklyphosphinic acid.

Table 2 data was collected under the following conditions : Dialkylphosphinic Acid on Amberchrom CG-71, Particle Size 50-100µm, Bed Volume = l. 0mL, 0. 7 cm diameter, Flow Rate = l. OmL/sq. cm/min, Load 9mL of#1M Acetic Acid, Rinse 2. 0mL of O. O1M HCI/fraction, and Strip 2. 0mL of 0. 1M HCI/fraction.

Table 1. Behavior of Selected Metal Ions on Yttrium Selective Resin Percent of Total Measured in Each Fraction (for Fig. 1) LOAD RINSE STRIP 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Al 96 3 1-------- Fe 0. 1 0.03 - - - - - - - - - Mn 97 3 - - - - - - - - - Cu 96 3 1 - - - - - - - - Zn 95 4 0. 2 0. 1 - - - - - - - Sr 93 7 - - - - - - - - - Y------83 17 0. 1 - - Zur------ Cd 973--------- Pb 96 3 0. 3 0. 3 0. 2 - 0.4 - - - - Alkyl Alkylphosphonic Acid on Amberchrom CG-71, Particle Size 50-100µm, Load 4. 0mL of 0. 1M HCI, Rinse 2. 0mL of 1. OM HCL/fraction, and Strip 2. 0mL of 0. 1M HCL/fraction.

Table 2. Behavior of Selected Metal Ions on Yttrium Selective Resin Percent of Total Measured in Each Fraction (for Fig. 2) LOAD RINSE STRIP 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Al 7514 83------- Fe 89 11------- Mn 89 11 - - - - - - - - - Cu 91 9-- Zn 4 74 10 2 1 Sr 94 6--- Y - - - - - - 76 12 4 5 - Zur 48---- Cd 90 10 - - - - - - - - - Pb 88 12 Dialkylphosphinic Acid on Amberchrom CG-71, Particle Size 50-100µm, Bed Volume = l. OmL, 0. 7 cm diameter, Flow Rate = l. OmL/sq. cm/min, Load 9mL of ~ 1M Acetic Acid, Rinse 2. 0mL of 0.10M HCI/fraction, and Strip 2. 0mL of 0. 1M HCL ! fraction.

The foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. For example, 9'Y may be used for other therapeutic uses not mentioned. Various isotopes of yttrium, such as yttrium-87 and yttrium-91, may be purified using the yttrium selective resin as described herein, although modifications of various acid and extractant concentrations and columnar figure might be necessary. The embodiments were

chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application and thereby enable others of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention.