ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
May 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2026
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
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.
Educational Session|Panel|Plant Reliability
Monday, August 8, 2022|1:30–3:00PM EDT|Banyan 2
Session Chair:
Bill Eckes (INPO)
Track Organizer:
Emmett Wilmes (MPR)
Knowledge Manager:
Ashley Bridgmon (Southern Co.)
As the nuclear industry implements actions and initiatives to be competitive in a market with historically low natural gas prices and introduction of renewable generation sources such as wind and solar, maintaining high capacity factors is essential to keeping plants operating. There are typically more than 200 equipment failures events each year that result in lost generation. In September 2021, INPO issued IER 21-04 to address this issue and improve plant reliability in the industry. The IER approach to improving performance addresses changing behaviors and the culture of corporate and site staff to focus on plant reliability. These changes include using a consequence bias for risk identification and mitigation and cross-functional engagement. This session will provide an overview of the actions taken in the industry to respond to the IER recommendations. This session will include a INPO and utility panel discussion on programs, their results, and how they relate to addressing INPO IER 21-04.
Shawn Simons
INPO
To access session resources, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
Register NowLog In
Session Notes