The radionuclide research and production program at Brookhaven National Laboratory

The DOE-supported, open-quotes Radionuclide and Radiopharmaceutical Research for Medicineclose quotes program at BNL has a long record of accomplishment. In the 1950s and 1960s the Hot Lab Division was responsible for the development for such important isotopes as 90Mo, 90Sr, 132,133I, and especially the generator systems 90Mo/99mTc, 90Sr/90Y and 68Ge/68Ga. The role in the growth of nuclear medicine of the 99Mo generator was, and still is, critical. Another very important isotope, 201Tl for myocardial perfusion studies, was developed in the early 1970s. In 1972 program focus changed somewhat with the construction of the Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer (BLIP). This was the world's first facility to demonstrate the capability of a large proton linac for efficient no-carrier added radionuclide production by spallation reactions. It utilizes the excess beam capacity of the 200 MeV proton linac injector for the Alternating Gradient Synchroton. Over two dozen previously unavailable isotopes have been developed at the BLIP, including 67Cu, 68Ge, 82Sr, 96Tc, 123I, and 127Xe. Also, other promising isotopes were developed using the High Flux Beam Reactor, including 117mSn, 109Pd, 47Sc, and 199Au. Year-round operation with increased beam current can be implemented to alleviate the shortage of, and the interruption in, the supply of medically useful isotopes