Nuclear medicines are assembled, loaded and tested at ANSTO's nuclear medicine facility before being distributed to hospitals all around Australia.
A bright future for nuclear medicine in Australia
The nuclear medicine community has welcomed the Australian Government’s decision to provide $30 million in funding to ANSTO for the design of a new nuclear medicine manufacturing facility.
Nuclear medicine products
If you’ve had a scan for heart disease or cancer, it’s likely you have benefited from the nuclear medicine manufacture and production here at ANSTO.
Tc-99m is the most important and commonly used nuclear medicine in the world today. Tc-99m is used to diagnose a variety of heart, lung, cancer and skeletal conditions.
A key role in Australia’s nuclear medicine production
Step 1 - Building 80 | Step 2 - ANM Building | Step 3 - Building 23 |
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A uranium alloy target is irradiated in the OPAL multipurpose reactor. Some of the uranium fissions into a range of isotopes, including Molybdenium-99 (Mo-99). | The manufacturing facility separates out the Mo-99. The bulk Mo-99 produced is suitable for export, but not for direct use in clinical settings. | The facility assembles, loads, tests and distributes 'finished' products including Mo-99. The Mo-99 is dispensed into an ANSTO radiopharmaceutical Gentech® Generator, where it decays to Tc-99m. |
The journey of nuclear medicine
Take a behind the scenes look as nuclear medicine makes its way from the OPAL reactor to medical centres around Australia.
Watch our video
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If you would like to place a product order or have any further questions please contact the Health team.
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