Medical research
| Radioisotopes | ||
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The great majority of medically useful radioisotopes are made in a nuclear research reactor. Over 80% of the radioisotopes actually used in medical procedures worldwide come from reactors. The most commonly used radioisotope, molybdenum-99 ( which decays into technetium 99-m) can only be produced economically in a nuclear research reactor. | |
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| Cyclotron RPA | ||
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Cyclotrons also produce radioisotopes that complement those manufactured at ANSTO. Cyclotrons belong to a class of machines called particle accelerators. A cyclotron is an electrically powered machine that accererates charged particles to high speeds and them beams them to a suitable target, producing a nuclear reaction that creates a radioisotope. | |
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| Siemens Cyclotron | ||
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ANSTO will build new twin cyclotrons at its site in Sydney's south and produce the short-lived radiopharmaceutical FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) used in PET scanning. The facility gives ANSTO access to Siemens' exclusive international PET radiopharmaceuticals network (PETNET) which consists of 46 PETNET centres that enable hospitals to diagnose and treat patients and supporting institutions to undertake research into next generation radiopharmaceuticals. | |
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| PET | ||
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PET, or Positive Emmission Tomography, is one of the most sophisticated medical imaging technologies available today. The radioactive components of radiopharmaceuticals used in PET procedures are usually made in cyclotrons. At present, PET cameras are located in some hospitals of all major Australian cities. | |
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| PET scan | ||
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PET cameras are extremely sensitive. They can be used to detect very early signs of disease and to map how organs such as the brain and heart are functioning. Most radioisotopes used with PET have short half lives. | |
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| Medical radioisotopes | ||
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Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radiation to provide information about a person's body and the functioning of specific organs, ongoing biological processes, or the disease state of a specific illness. In most cases the information is used by physicians to make accurate diagnosis of the patient's illness. In certain cases radiation can be used to treat diseased organs or tumours. | |
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| Nuclear Imaging | ||
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Nuclear imaging is a technique that uses radioisotopes which emit gamma rays from within the body. To make a radiopharmaceutical, a radioisotope is attached to a pharmaceutical that is taken up by a specific organ, or specifically diseased tissues. | |
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