<p><strong>RADIOISOTOPES AND </strong><br><strong>RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS </strong></p><p>Radioisotopes are the unstable form of an element that emits radiation to become a more stable form — they have certain special attributes. These make radioisotopes useful in areas such as medicine, where they are used to develop radiopharmaceuticals, as well as many other industrial applications. </p><p><strong>THE PRODUCTION OF TECHNETIUM-99m RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS: </strong><br><strong>ONE POSSIBLE ROUTE </strong></p><p>irradiated U-235 targets </p><p><sup style="top: -0.333em;"><strong>99</strong></sup><strong>MO </strong><br><strong>PROCESSING </strong><br><strong>FACILITY </strong><br><strong>HOSPITAL </strong><br><strong>RADIOPHARMACY </strong></p><p>(mixing with biological molecUles that&nbsp;bind at different locations&nbsp;in the body, sUpporting a wide </p><p>range of medical </p><p>99m </p><p>tc is ideal for diagnostics becaUse of its short half-life (6 hoUrs) and ideal </p><p>gamma emission </p><p><strong>NUCLEAR REACTOR: TARGET </strong></p><p>applications) <br>6 hoUrs makes distribUtion difficUlt </p><p>99 </p><p>mo bUlk liqUid its parent nUclide, molybdenUm-99, is </p><p>prodUced; its half-life (66 hoUrs) makes it sUitable for transport </p><p>99 </p><p>mo/<sup style="top: -0.2498em;">99m</sup>tc </p><p><strong>IRRADIATION </strong></p><p>generators </p><p>99 </p><p>mo/<sup style="top: -0.2497em;">99m</sup>tc generators are prodUced and distribUted aroUnd the globe </p><p><sup style="top: -0.333em;"><strong>99</strong></sup><strong>MO/</strong><sup style="top: -0.333em;"><strong>99</strong></sup><strong>TC GENERATOR </strong><br><strong>MANUFACTURER </strong></p><p>Radioisotopes can occur naturally or be produced artificially, mainly in research reactors and accelerators. They are used in various fields, including nuclear medicine, where radiopharmaceuticals play a major role. </p><p>Radiopharmaceuticals are substances that contain a radioisotope, and have properties that make them effective markers in medical diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. The chemical presence of radiopharmaceuticals can relay detailed information to medical professionals that can help in diagnoses and treatments. Eighty percent of all diagnostic medical scans worldwide use <sup style="top: -0.2507em;">99m</sup>Tc, and its availability, at present, is dependent on the production of <sup style="top: -0.2498em;">99</sup>Mo in research reactors. </p><p>Globally, the number of medical procedures involving the use of radioisotopes is growing, with an increasing emphasis on radionuclide therapy using radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer. </p>