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Reimagining nuclear materials for the future of medicine
Nuclear medicine has come a long way since Henri Becquerel first observed the penetrating energy of radioactive materials in 1896. Today, technetium-99m alone is used in more than 40 million diagnostic procedures every year—from cardiovascular imaging and bone scans to cancer detection—making it the undisputed workhorse of nuclear medicine. That single statistic tells you something important: An enormous portion of modern diagnostic medicine rests on a surprisingly narrow foundation, one built around a small number of aging research reactors that were never originally designed for continuous isotope production.
Cesare Marchetti
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 90 | Number 4 | August 1985 | Pages 521-526
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE85-A18502
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The penetration of nuclear energy around the world is analyzed by logistic analysis. The results show that despite some ups and downs, nuclear use keeps up a regular rate of growth, and, worldwide, grows much faster than could be expected from previous regularities in the penetration of oil and gas. This growth may be attributed to the fact that nuclear energy found in the electrical grid a ready-made distribution network. The question of what network to develop next is crucial if the pace is to be kept.