Solid target disassembly apparatus and method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of medical isotope production, and particularly relates to a solid target disassembling device and method. The disassembling device comprises a pushing assembly, a first cutting assembly and a second cutting assembly. The pushing assembly comprises a horizontal moving module, a tray and a moving frame. The tray and the moving frame are both installed on the horizontal moving module. A groove is formed on the moving frame, and the tray is located on the lower side of the groove. The first cutting assembly comprises a support, a vertical moving module and a flywheel. The support is located on the upper side of the pushing assembly. A placing groove for installing the target is formed on the support. The vertical moving module is installed on the support and is perpendicular to the horizontal moving module. The flywheel is installed on the vertical moving module. The second cutting assembly comprises a driving mechanism and a cutting piece. The driving mechanism is located at the end of the horizontal moving module. The cutting piece is installed on the bottom side of the driving mechanism. The present application solves the problems of high safety risk, low efficiency, difficult disassembly and difficulty in ensuring the integrity of the target material in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical isotope production technology, and in particular to a solid target disassembly device and method. Background Technology

[0002] Medical radioisotopes have wide applications in medical diagnosis and treatment. Since the types of naturally occurring radionuclides are few, the vast majority of medical radioisotopes are artificially manufactured, such as through accelerator production, reactor production, and isotope generator production. Accelerators generate high-energy beams that bombard various targets to obtain the target nuclide. Targets are generally divided into solid targets and liquid targets. Solid targets, to ensure effective heat dissipation during irradiation, are welded to a copper support to form a single, integrated target, ensuring a tight fit. This utilizes the excellent thermal conductivity of copper and circulating cooling water to cool the target.

[0003] However, in the preparation process of medical isotopes, dissolving the irradiated target and extracting the required isotopes is a crucial step. The integrity of the target material disassembled from the copper holder directly affects the final yield of extracted isotopes. Due to the structure of solid targets, it is difficult to separate the target material from the copper holder without special tools and disassembly methods, especially when both the target material and the copper holder are radioactive. Manual separation is neither safe nor efficient.

[0004] In existing technologies, the separation of solid targets from copper supports mainly relies on manual operation using specialized tools. This method is not only inefficient, but also makes it difficult to guarantee the integrity of the target during disassembly. Furthermore, the presence of radioactive materials poses a serious threat to the health of the operators. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a solid target disassembly device and method to solve problems such as high safety risks, low efficiency, difficulty in disassembly, and difficulty in ensuring target integrity. By automating the disassembly process, the safety and efficiency of the disassembly process are improved, while ensuring the integrity of the target material, thereby increasing the yield and quality of isotopes.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0007] A solid target disassembly device includes: a pushing component, a first cutting component, and a second cutting component; the pushing component includes a transverse module, a tray, and a moving frame, both of which are mounted on the transverse module. The moving frame has a groove, and the tray is located below the groove; the first cutting component includes a support, a longitudinal module, and a flywheel. The support is located above the pushing component and has a placement slot for mounting the target. The longitudinal module is mounted on the support and is perpendicular to the transverse module. The flywheel is mounted on the longitudinal module; the second cutting component includes a driving mechanism and a cutting element. The driving mechanism is located at the end of the transverse module, and the cutting element is mounted on the bottom side of the driving mechanism. When the cutting element descends, it cuts the target into the tray.

[0008] The horizontal movement module of the pushing component is responsible for precisely pushing the target to the predetermined position, ensuring the accuracy of the cutting. Driven by the vertical movement module, the flywheel of the first cutting component cuts along the mating surface of the target and the copper support, initially separating them. The drive mechanism of the second cutting component provides power to lower the cutting component, achieving the final separation of the target. This automates the entire disassembly process, improving efficiency and safety.

[0009] Optionally, the disassembly device also includes a base, with the transverse module and bracket mounted on the base. The bracket is U-shaped and spans across the transverse module. The drive mechanism is also mounted on the base and located at the end of the transverse assembly. The entire device structure is more stable, and the U-shaped bracket provides additional support to ensure stability and accuracy during the cutting process.

[0010] Optionally, the traverse module is a linear traverse module, including a traverse motor, a track, bearing housings, a linear lead screw, a lead screw nut, and a moving seat. The bearing housings include an inner bearing housing and an outer bearing housing mounted on a base. The two ends of the linear lead screw are rotatably mounted on the inner and outer bearing housings, respectively. The traverse motor is mounted on the outer end of the linear lead screw. The moving seat is mounted on the linear lead screw via the lead screw nut and slidably mounted on the track. This structure allows the traverse module to move smoothly and precisely. The bearing housing design reduces friction and improves the smoothness of movement. The traverse motor ensures the power source for the traverse module, enabling automated control of the entire pushing process.

[0011] Optionally, the movable frame is mounted on the movable base. The groove shape of the movable frame matches the shape of the copper support to achieve a fixed constraint on the copper support. The groove depth is the thickness of the target, and there is an opening in the middle of the groove. The outline of the opening is larger than the outline of the target so that the separated target can fall smoothly into the tray during the second cut. The tray is placed on the movable base and aligned with the groove, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the target during the cutting process and ensuring that the target will not shift during the cutting process.

[0012] Optionally, the traverse module also includes limiting blocks, including an outer traverse limiting block and an inner traverse limiting block. The outer traverse limiting block is located on the outer end of the track, and the inner traverse limiting block is located on the inner end of the track. The use of limiting blocks ensures the extreme positions and reversals of the traverse module during movement, preventing excessive movement of the traverse module that could damage the equipment or reduce cutting accuracy, thus improving the safety and reliability of the entire device.

[0013] Optionally, the longitudinal movement module is a longitudinal linear movement module, with a longitudinal movement motor at one end. A motor mount is also installed on the longitudinal linear movement module, and a cutting motor that drives the flywheel is mounted on the motor mount. This design allows for precise control of the flywheel's cutting action, and the coordinated use of the longitudinal movement motor and the cutting motor ensures the stability and accuracy of the flywheel during the cutting process.

[0014] Optionally, the top of the support frame is a support plate with a groove perpendicular to the transverse module. The flywheel is located on the underside of the support plate, and the output shaft of the cutting motor passes through the groove and connects to the flywheel. This allows for more precise installation and positioning of the flywheel, and the groove facilitates the connection between the cutting motor and the flywheel, improving the stability and ease of maintenance of the entire device.

[0015] Optionally, the longitudinal movement module also includes limiting blocks, including an inner longitudinal movement limiting block and an outer longitudinal movement limiting block. These blocks are located at both ends of the longitudinal movement module and are used to limit the movement of the motor mount. The use of limiting blocks ensures the range of movement of the motor mount on the longitudinal movement module, preventing excessive movement of the motor mount that could damage the equipment or reduce cutting accuracy, thus improving the safety and reliability of the entire device.

[0016] Optionally, the drive mechanism is an electro-hydraulic press, which has a hydraulic rod. The cutting element is mounted at the lower end of the hydraulic rod and is a rectangular blade array, which includes a blade holder and blades. The profile of the blades is smaller than the cross-section of the target. This allows the cutting element to accurately separate the target. The rectangular blade array design improves cutting efficiency and accuracy, and facilitates subsequent processing.

[0017] This invention also provides a disassembly method using the aforementioned solid target disassembly device: First, a tray is placed under the movable frame and directly opposite the groove of the movable frame. The lateral movement module moves the movable frame and tray to the lower side of the placement slot of the support. Next, a copper support with the target is installed in the placement slot, with the target end of the copper support entering the groove of the movable frame. This step fixes the target in a suitable position, ready for cutting. Then, the flywheel rotates and, driven by the longitudinal movement component, cuts off the copper support and target that have entered the groove. This step achieves the initial separation of the target from the copper support. Finally, the lateral movement module continues to move the movable frame and tray under the second cutting component. The cut copper support and target move along with the movement within the groove of the movable frame. The drive mechanism lowers the cutting component, separating the target from the copper support, and the cut target falls into the tray. This step completes the final separation of the target, ensuring the integrity and safety of the target.

[0018] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0019] This device successfully separated the solid target from the copper support, ensuring the integrity of the target and avoiding the problem of reduced isotope yield caused by incomplete target separation. Furthermore, the automation of the target disassembly device eliminates manual operation, reducing the radiation risk to workers. Therefore, it achieves a fully automated target disassembly process, avoiding manual operation, reducing radiation risk to personnel, and improving safety performance.

[0020] Positioning via limit blocks is more accurate than traditional sensors and eliminates concerns about radiation affecting sensor signal transmission, thus improving the stability and lifespan of the target removal device. Secondly, the target does not require a separate clamping device; target positioning relies solely on placement in a fixed slot, simplifying the overall operation and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0021] The target dismantling device has a compact overall structure, small size, and simple design, which can effectively save space and can be used in small spaces such as hot chambers and glove boxes. Moreover, by changing the shape of the slot, it can be adapted to dismantle targets of different shapes.

[0022] Advantages of additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. In addition, the spacing or dimensions between the parts are exaggerated to show the position of each part, and the schematic diagrams are for illustrative purposes only.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the copper support and target.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a rectangular blade array provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the push component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the bracket provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the mobile frame provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the copper support, bracket, movable frame and tray provided in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembly process provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Hydraulic rod; 2. Electro-hydraulic press; 3. Rectangular blade array; 4. Inner bearing housing; 5. Inner lateral movement limit block; 6. Base; 7. Inner longitudinal movement limit block; 8. Bracket; 9. Copper support; 10. Outer lateral movement limit block; 11. Linear lead screw; 12. Outer bearing housing; 13. Linear lateral movement module; 14. Moving seat; 15. Lead screw nut; 16. Slide groove; 17. Cutting motor; 18. Longitudinal movement motor; 19. Motor base; 20. Linear lateral movement module; 21. Target; 22. Blade holder; 23. Blade; 24. Tray; 25. Flywheel; 26. Coupling; 27. Outer longitudinal movement limit block; 28. Moving frame; 29. ​​Groove; Detailed Implementation

[0033] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0034] Terminology Explanation:

[0035] The solid target is formed by welding a metal target to a copper support, thus ensuring good contact between the target and the copper support. This allows the copper support to more effectively dissipate the high temperatures generated during the irradiation process of the target. Figure 1 As shown, the target consists of a target 21 and a copper support 9. The copper support 9 has an inlet and outlet for water. Water flows through the bottom of the target, thus carrying away heat. The target 21 is thin, only 1 mm, and is completely submerged in the groove of the copper support and welded to the bottom of the groove, so the two are tightly bonded.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] To separate the target from the copper support and considering automated disassembly, this embodiment proposes an automatic target disassembly device. The main inventive concept is to first use a flywheel to cut the joint surface between the target and the copper support to obtain a 1mm thick target and a 1mm thick copper support around the target. Then, a rectangular blade array with the same outer contour size as the target is used to cut the 1mm thick target off the 1mm thick copper support, thereby obtaining a complete target.

[0038] Specific target dismantling devices, such as Figure 2 As shown. It mainly consists of an electro-hydraulic press 2, a longitudinal linear module 20, a transverse linear module 13, a base 6, a support 8, a copper support 9, a tray 24, a flywheel 25, and a rectangular blade array 3. The base 6 serves as the main support, and all other components of the target removal device are mounted on it. The hydraulic rod 1 on the electro-hydraulic press 2 drives the rectangular blade array 3 to perform the final shearing of the target. The rectangular blade array is as follows... Figure 3 As shown, it consists of a blade holder 22 and four blades 23.

[0039] In addition, before the final shearing, the copper support body needs to be cut with a flywheel to obtain a 1mm thick target and copper support portion. The cutting principle and composition of the flywheel are as follows:

[0040] The flywheel 25 is mounted on the cutting motor 17, which is mounted on the motor base 19. The motor base 19 and the longitudinal linear module 20 form a moving platform, and the flywheel 25 is below the bracket 8. Therefore, the bracket 8 has a sliding groove 16 in the same direction as the longitudinal linear module 20, so that the flywheel 25 can move normally along the axial direction of the longitudinal linear module 20 under the drive of the longitudinal motor 18, thereby achieving the purpose of cutting the target (the longitudinal motor 18 is connected to the lead screw by a coupling 26).

[0041] The longitudinal linear module 20 has an inner longitudinal limit block 7 and an outer longitudinal limit block 27 at each end. When the motor base 19 collides with either of them, the current of the longitudinal motor 18 will increase, thereby controlling the longitudinal motor 18 to stop rotating or rotate in the reverse direction to make the flywheel retract, thus completing the first cutting of the target.

[0042] like Figure 5 , Figure 7 As shown, the bracket 8 also has a slot for placing the copper support 9, and the placement posture is as follows. Figure 2 As shown, the robotic arm can directly grip both ends of the target and place it into the slot. Before placing the target, the target tray 24 should be positioned directly below the groove for placing the copper support 9. The movement of the tray is controlled by the horizontal linear module 13. Similarly, each end of the linear module has an inner horizontal limit block 5 and an outer horizontal limit block 10. When the horizontal linear module 13 stops at the outer horizontal limit block, the tray 24 can be picked up or placed. When it stops at the inner horizontal limit block, the electro-hydraulic press 2 can drive the rectangular blade array 3 to perform the final cut on the target. When it stops directly below the groove for placing the copper support 9, the copper support 9 can be placed into the slot. This is because when the target is placed into the slot, it is necessary to ensure that the end of the target is completely within the moving frame above the tray (e.g., Figure 6 (As shown)

[0043] like Figure 4The diagram shows the composition of the transverse linear module 13 and the tray. The transverse module is a transverse linear module 13, including a transverse motor, a track, bearing housings, a linear lead screw 11, a lead screw nut 15, and a movable seat 14. The bearing housings include an inner bearing housing 4 and an outer bearing housing 12 mounted on a base. The two ends of the linear lead screw are rotatably mounted on the inner and outer bearing housings, respectively. The transverse motor is mounted on the outer end of the linear lead screw. The movable seat is mounted on the linear lead screw via the lead screw nut and is slidably mounted on the track. The movable frame is mounted on the movable base 14. When the motor rotates, the nut mounting base will move the movable frame along the guide rail. The tray 24 is placed on the nut movable base 14 and directly below the movable frame. The aforementioned horizontal linear module 13 controls the movement of the tray. Since the upper end face of the movable frame has a groove 29 that matches the end of the target, when the tray moves to directly below the groove on the support 8 where the copper support 9 is placed, the target can be placed in the groove on the support 8 where the copper support 9 is placed. This allows the support 8 to constrain the large end of the target, and the groove 29 of the movable frame to constrain the end of the target. When the flywheel 25 cuts the copper support, it ensures the cutting accuracy and ensures that the 1mm target and copper support after cutting can be constrained in the groove 29 of the movable frame. This ensures that the subsequent rectangular blade array 3 can accurately cut the target, so that the target and copper support are finally separated.

[0044] Example 2

[0045] The specific target disassembly process is as follows: Figure 8 As shown, when the target needs to be disassembled, the robotic arm first places the tray 24 on the movable seat 14, so that the groove 29 on the movable frame 28 is aligned with the tray 24, as shown. Figure 8 As shown in the middle left figure.

[0046] Then, the motor of the horizontal linear module 13 rotates, causing the lead screw nut 15, carrying the tray 24 and the moving frame 28, to move to the support 8 directly below the placement slot for placing the copper support 9, and stop. The robotic arm grips the copper support 9 and places it into the placement slot on the support 8. At the same time, the target end of the copper support 9 enters the groove 29 on the moving frame, thus constraining the copper support 9. Figure 8 The middle image is shown.

[0047] Subsequently, the cutting motor 17 will drive the flywheel 25 to rotate, and the rotation of the longitudinal motor 18 will cause the flywheel 25 to make horizontal cuts along the straight module. When the motor base 19 hits the longitudinal inner limit block 7, the longitudinal motor 18 reverses, the flywheel 25 returns along the original path, and the longitudinal motor 18 and the cutting motor 17 stop when the motor base 19 hits the longitudinal outer limit block 27. At this time, the first cut has been completed.

[0048] Then, the motor of the transverse linear module 13 rotates, and the lead screw nut 15, carrying the tray 24, the moving frame 28, the cut 1mm thick target piece 21, and the copper support 9, moves to directly below the rectangular blade array 3. The moving seat 14 then collides with the transverse inner limit block 5, causing the motor of the transverse linear module 13 to stop rotating. Figure 8 As shown in the middle right figure, the electro-hydraulic press 2 is then started. Driven by the hydraulic rod 1, the rectangular blade array 3 on it descends and cuts the target 21. After cutting, the target 21 will fall into the tray 24. Then the motor of the transverse linear module 13 reverses, causing the tray 24 to return with the target 21 and stop at the transverse outer limit block 10. After stopping, the tray 24 can be taken out by the robot arm, thus obtaining the complete target 21.

[0049] While the specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, this is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art without creative effort based on the technical solutions of the present invention are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A solid target disassembly device, characterized in that, include: Push component, first cutting component, and second cutting component; The pushing component includes a transverse module, a tray, and a moving frame. The tray and the moving frame are both mounted on the transverse module. The moving frame has a groove, and the tray is located under the groove. The first cutting assembly includes a bracket, a longitudinal moving module, and a flywheel. The bracket is located on the upper side of the pushing assembly and has a slot for mounting the target. The longitudinal moving module is mounted on the bracket and is perpendicular to the transverse moving module. The flywheel is mounted on the longitudinal moving module. The second cutting assembly includes a drive mechanism and a cutting component. The drive mechanism is located at the end of the transverse module, and the cutting component is installed on the bottom side of the drive mechanism. When the cutting component descends, it cuts the target into the tray. The movable frame is mounted on the movable base. The shape of the groove of the movable frame matches the shape of the copper support. The depth of the groove is the thickness of the target. The groove has an opening in the middle. The outline of the opening is larger than the outline of the target. The tray is placed on the movable base and aligned with the groove. The transverse module also includes a limiting block, which includes an outer transverse limiting block and an inner transverse limiting block. The outer transverse limiting block is located on one side of the outer end of the track, and the inner transverse limiting block is located on one side of the inner end of the track. The longitudinal movement module also includes limiting blocks, which include an inner longitudinal movement limiting block and an outer longitudinal movement limiting block, located at both ends of the longitudinal movement module.

2. The solid target disassembly device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The disassembly device also includes a base, on which the transverse module and the bracket are mounted. The bracket is U-shaped and spans across the transverse module. The drive mechanism is also mounted on the base and is located at the end of the transverse assembly.

3. The solid target disassembly device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The lateral movement module is a lateral linear movement module, including a lateral movement motor, a track, a bearing housing, a linear lead screw, a lead screw nut, and a movable seat. The bearing housing includes an inner bearing housing and an outer bearing housing mounted on a base. The two ends of the linear lead screw are rotatably mounted on the inner bearing housing and the outer bearing housing, respectively. The lateral movement motor is mounted on the outer end of the linear lead screw. The movable seat is mounted on the linear lead screw via the lead screw nut and is slidably mounted on the track.

4. The solid target disassembly device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The longitudinal movement module is a longitudinal linear movement module. The end of the longitudinal linear movement module is a longitudinal movement motor. A motor mount is also installed on the longitudinal linear movement module, and a cutting motor that drives the flywheel to rotate is installed on the motor mount.

5. The solid target disassembly device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The top of the bracket is a support plate, and a sliding groove is formed on the support plate. The sliding groove is perpendicular to the transverse module. The flywheel is located on the lower side of the support plate, and the output shaft of the cutting motor passes through the sliding groove and is connected to the flywheel.

6. The solid target disassembly device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The driving mechanism is an electro-hydraulic press, which has a hydraulic rod. The cutting element is installed at the lower end of the hydraulic rod and is a rectangular blade array. The rectangular blade array includes a blade holder and blades, and the profile of the blades is smaller than the cross-section of the target.

7. A disassembly method for a solid target disassembly device as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, include: The tray is placed on the underside of the mobile frame and directly opposite the groove of the mobile frame. The lateral movement module moves the mobile frame and the tray to the underside of the placement slot of the bracket. The copper support with the target is installed in the placement slot, and the target end of the copper support enters the groove of the moving frame. The flywheel rotates and, driven by the longitudinal movement assembly, cuts off the copper support and target piece that have entered the groove; The lateral movement module continues to move the moving frame and tray to the lower side of the second cutting component. The cut copper support and target are located in the groove of the moving frame and move with it. The drive mechanism drives the cutting component to descend, separating the target and the copper support. The cut target falls into the tray.

Images