Isotopes for Medicine and the Life Sciences
Isotopes for Medicine and the Life Sciences

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1995-01-27

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 0309176697

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Radioactive isotopes and enriched stable isotopes are used widely in medicine, agriculture, industry, and science, where their application allows us to perform many tasks more accurately, more simply, less expensively, and more quickly than would otherwise be possible. Indeed, in many casesâ€"for example, biological tracersâ€"there is no alternative. In a stellar example of "technology transfer" that began before the term was popular, the Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessors has supported the development and application of isotopes and their transfer to the private sector. The DOE is now at an important crossroads: Isotope production has suffered as support for DOE's laboratories has declined. In response to a DOE request, this book is an intensive examination of isotope production and availability, including the education and training of those who will be needed to sustain the flow of radioactive and stable materials from their sources to the laboratories and medical care facilities in which they are used. Chapters include an examination of enriched stable isotopes; reactor and accelerator-produced radionuclides; partnerships among industries, national laboratories, and universities; and national isotope policy.

Radioisotopes in Industry
Radioisotopes in Industry

Author: John Ross Bradford

Publisher:

Published: 2013-05

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 9781258707200

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Contributing Authors Include P. C. Aebersold, J. R. Bradford, G. D. Calkins, And Many Others.

The Elements: A Very Short Introduction
The Elements: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Philip Ball

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2004-04-08

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 0192840991

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This Very Short Introduction traces the history and cultural impact of the elements on humankind, and examines why people have long sought to identify the substances around them. Looking beyond the Periodic Table, the author takes the reader on an engaging and entertaining tour: from the Greek philosophers who propounded a system with four elements - earth, air, fire, and water - to the modern-day scientists who are able to create their own.

The Supply of Medical Isotopes
The Supply of Medical Isotopes

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 122

ISBN-13: 9789264625099

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This report explores the main reasons behind the unreliable supply of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) in health-care systems and policy options to address the issue. Tc-99m is used in 85% of nuclear medicine diagnostic scans performed worldwide – around 30 million patient examinations every year. These scans allow diagnoses of diseases in many parts of the human body, including the skeleton, heart and circulatory system, and the brain. Medical isotopes are subject to radioactive decay and have to be delivered just-in-time through a complex supply chain. However, ageing production facilities and a lack of investment have made the supply of Tc-99m unreliable. This report analyses the use and substitutability of Tc-99m in health care, health-care provider payment mechanisms for scans, and the structure of the supply chain. It concludes that the main reasons for unreliable supply are that production is not economically viable and that the structure of the supply chain prevents producers from charging prices that reflect the full costs of production and supply.