In this article, production methods and applications of copper radionuclides are overviewed with special attention toward 61 Cu, due to its interesting nuclear properties. Selection of production parameters for 61 Cu including: appropriate nuclear reaction, proton beam energy, target thickness and targetry method are discussed for NRCAM 30MeV medical cyclotron. 64 Zn(p,α) 61 Cu was selected as the best reaction and 61 Cu was produced by 22MeV proton bombardment of a 80μm thick natural zinc target. After 180μAh irradiation, the resultant activity of 61 Cu was 6.006Ci (12.015mCi/μAh). The chemical separation method was easy, quick and efficient (>95%) and yielded a no carrier added product with high chemical and radionuclidic purity (>99%). Detailed comparison with previous production methods confirms that our results are superior to other reports published to date.