THE ROLE OF THE CYCLOTRON IN MEDICAL RESEARCH
The uses of radioactive isotopes in medical research can be conveniently divided into three principal categories; namely, the applications as tracers for the study of metabolic phenomena, as diagnostic aids in clinical medicine, and finally their role in therapy. Frequently radioisotopes available from the chain-reacting pile do not have a sufficient degree of specific activity for satisfactory use. A number of radioisotopes which can be produced with high specific activity in the pile possess half-lives too short to be of any practical value. Then, there are a few cases in which the desired radioisotope may be made in the pile with high specific activity, but concomitantly there is formed another radioisotope of the same element whose half-life is of such duration as to render its use hazardous in man. Finally, there are several elements of biological and medical interest whose radioactive isotopes can be produced only by the cyclotron.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Physics Division
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 1001070
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-925; TRN: US201102%%405
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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