Production of radioactive isotopes for medical application

Over the last few years the supply of radioactive isotopes for medical applications (in particular 99mTc), which are produced with research reactor such as the High Flux Reactor in Petten (NL), has been disrupted several times. The reactor (in Canada and the Netherlands) that provide by far the largest share of the worldproduction are over 50 years old now en will be decommissioning in the foreseeable future (Canada 2016; Netherlands around 2023). In order to warrant the supply of the isotopes either new reactors have to be build or alternative production routes based on accelerators have to be developed. Canada has chosen for the latter option while in the Netherlands the option to build a new reactor (Pallas) in Petten is being investigated.
In the report (only in Dutch) the choices for which the Netherlands stand are discussed among others with KVI-CART staff member prof. dr. Sytze Brandenburg.