A Historic Breakthrough in Physics for Cancer and Heart Patients
DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2018 / A significant milestone has been reached in nuclear fusion by MIFTEC Laboratories, Inc. when they recently exceeded 1010 neutrons per pulse power level. This level of neutron flux is close to that which is needed to commercially produce radionuclides for nuclear medicine, and validates previous claims regarding the commercial viability of their fusion-powered device.With US Nuclear Corp. (OTC PINK: UCLE) being designated as the exclusive manufacturer of the MIFTEC isotope generators, and the failing state of the current medical isotope production facilities, the timing of this announcement for the company could not be better.
There are a number of distinct advantages to the MIFTEC Z-Pinch technology, but two, in particular, stand out; the first being the lack of long-term radioactive waste, and the second being the estimated 50% cost savings compared to current production methods. The lack of long-term radioactive waste is due to the fact that the Z-Pinch fusion reactor is fueled by an isotope of hydrogen from seawater rather than the highly enriched uranium that fuels the current fission reactor methods used to produce radioisotope products
The Current Situation
Radioisotopes are an essential part of both cancer treatment and medical diagnostic procedures. In combination with imaging devices which register the gamma rays emitted from within, they can study the dynamic processes taking place in various parts of the body. Over 10,000 hospitals and clinics worldwide use radioisotopes in nuclear medicine, of which about 90% are for diagnostic procedures.The most common radioisotope used in diagnosis is technetium-99m (Tc-99m) which comes from its precursor molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), with some 40 million procedures per year accounting for about 80% of all nuclear medicine procedures worldwide.
How the Tc-99m is created is a rather amazing process, and one that involves shipping highly enriched or low enriched uranium (HEU/LEU) under high security to one of only 5 radioisotope producing reactors located halfway around the world. Once the Mo-99 radioisotopes are created, they are then put onto commercial airliners to be sent halfway back around the world to the medical facilities where they are needed.
A great feature of these isotopes is their short half-life: The half-life of Mo-99 is approximately 66 hours and the half-life of Tc-99m is only about 6 hours, which means that the amount of radiation absorbed by the patient is kept to a minimum. Conversely, a not so great feature of Mo-99 and Tc-99m is this same half-life limitation, which means there is a very short time from manufacture to delivery to the patient before its usefulness expires. This is where MIFTEC Laboratories and US Nuclear Corp.’s goal of producing medical isotopes in a localized medical setting comes into play. By being able to produce the radioisotopes on site, the estimated cost savings are 50% from current production methods.
A Simple, Safe, and Effective Solution
The Z-Pinch fusion reactor is fueled by an isotope of hydrogen from seawater, leaving no long-term radioactive byproducts behind, which makes it ideal for use within localized medical settings.
Wednesday’s announcement that the Z-Pinch fusion reactor had reached 1010 neutrons per pulse is very significant news since that exceeds the minimum power level needed to produce radioisotopes (109 \ cm2 sec). MIFTEC Laboratories believes that a flux level of 1014 is possible with the Z-Pinch fusion reactor, which is a comparable flux level to what a fission reactor can produce.
The advantages of using a staged Z-Pinch fusion reactor versus a nuclear fission reactor are numerous, and includes the following:
- Generates no long-term radioactive waste
- No complex chemical processing is required
- Small facility can be placed closer to all major hospitals and universities
- Aside from Mo-99, the MIFTEC staged Z-Pinch device can produce other radionuclides used for diagnosis and treatment in nuclear medicine procedures
- Production cost is insignificant as compared to the current production methods
Conclusion
Two high profile isotope producing fission reactor closures this year highlight the critical state of the medical isotope infrastructure. As these dated fission facilities reach the end of their operational lives, the medical community faces a serious crisis with regard to shortages of these essential diagnostic and treatment tools.
The recent announcement by MIFTEC Laboratories, Inc. and US Nuclear Corp. on achieving 1010 neutron flux through the fusion process is a huge milestone towards providing a cheaper, more reliable, less dangerous solution to the current worldwide medical isotope crisis.
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