Nuclear medicines are assembled, loaded and tested at ANSTO's nuclear medicine facility before being distributed to hospitals all around Australia.
A bright future for nuclear medicine in Australia
The nuclear medicine community has welcomed the Australian Government’s decision to provide $30 million in funding to ANSTO for the design of a new nuclear medicine manufacturing facility.
Nuclear medicine products
If you’ve had a scan for heart disease or cancer, it’s likely you have benefited from the nuclear medicine manufacture and production here at ANSTO.
Tc-99m is the most important and commonly used nuclear medicine in the world today. Tc-99m is used to diagnose a variety of heart, lung, cancer and skeletal conditions.
A key role in Australia’s nuclear medicine production
Step 1 - Building 80 | Step 2 - ANM Building | Step 3 - Building 23 |
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A uranium alloy target is irradiated in the OPAL multipurpose reactor. Some of the uranium fissions into a range of isotopes, including Molybdenium-99 (Mo-99). | The manufacturing facility separates out the Mo-99. The bulk Mo-99 produced is suitable for export, but not for direct use in clinical settings. | The facility assembles, loads, tests and distributes 'finished' products including Mo-99. The Mo-99 is dispensed into an ANSTO radiopharmaceutical Gentech® Generator, where it decays to Tc-99m. |
The journey of nuclear medicine
Take a behind the scenes look as nuclear medicine makes its way from the OPAL reactor to medical centres around Australia.
Watch our video
Get in touch
If you would like to place a product order or have any further questions please contact the Health team.
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