Table 1 Common types of radionuclide sources
From: Production of novel diagnostic radionuclides in small medical cyclotrons
| Â | Nuclear Reactors | Generators | Cyclotrons |
|---|---|---|---|
Principle of production | Target material inserted in the neutron flux field undergoes fission or neutron activation transmuting into radionuclide of interest | Long-lived parent radionuclide decays to short-lived daughter nuclide of interest. Daughter nuclide elution follows in pre-determined cycles | Target material irradiation by charged particle beams. Inducing nuclear reactions that transmute the material into radionuclide of interest |
Transmutation base | Neutrons | Decay | p, d, t, 3He, α or heavy ion beams |
Advantages | - Production of neutron rich radionuclides, mostly for therapeutic use - High production efficiency - Centralized production: one research reactor able to supply to large regions or in some cases globally | - Available on site, no need for logistics - Mostly long shelf life - Easy to use - Limited radioactive waste: returned to manufacturer after use | - Production of proton rich elements used as β+ emitters for PET scans - Decentralized production allows for back-up chains - High uptime - High specific activity in most cases - Small investment in comparison to nuclear reactor - Little long-lived radioactive waste |
Disadvantages | - Extremely high investment cost - High operational costs - Considerable amounts of long-lived radioactive waste - Long out-of-service periods - Trouble to back-up in case of unforeseen downtime - Demanding logistics, often involving air transport - Public safety concerns - Non-proliferation treaty concerns | - Supplies in cycles according to possible elution frequency; in-house use must be timed accordingly - Trace contaminants of long-lived parent nuclide in eluted product | - Regional network of cyclotrons and complex logistics needed for short-lived produced radionuclides - Radionuclide production limited depending on installed beam energy |