Monday 6 February 2012

G.E. ends bid to produce Technetium 99m

The solution seems to be simple, doesn't it? a new research reactor that replaces the aging NRU could supply medical isotopes for years to come, help Canada maintain and expand its expertise in nuclear R&D and neutron scattering for another 50 years... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/science/ge-ends-bid-to-create-a-supply-of-technetium-99m.html
"Dr. Andrew J. Einstein, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, who testified before a Senate committee in 2008 about the isotope shortage, said supplies were adequate at the moment. But he drew a biblical analogy. “This is the seven years of plenty,” he said. “It certainly is time to be preparing for supply beyond Chalk River.” Dr. Einstein said that when tech 99 was not available, doctors could use substitutes, but that these gave the patient larger radiation doses or provided poorer image quality to the doctor. And for some uses, doctors can substitute PET scans, he said. But the equipment is in high demand for other procedures, and many medical facilities do not have it."

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