Superconducting accelerator technology firm Niowave has begun production of several medical radioisotopes using low-enriched uranium and a superconducting electron linear accelerator.
The company is manufacturing molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), iodine-131 (I-131), xenon-133 (Xe-133), and strontium-89 (Sr-89) under a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission at its Lansing, MI, operation.
Mo-99 is the parent isotope of technetium-99m (Tc-99m), a widely used radioisotope in medical diagnostic imaging, while I-131 is used for imaging and to treat hyperthyroidism. Xe-133 is inhaled for lung imaging, and Sr-89 is used to help relieve bone pain that can occur with certain types of bone cancer.
