MEDICAL USE OF REACTORS

Journal/Book: PHYSICS IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY Vol. 8 No. 2 p. 125 June 1963. 1963;

Abstract: By G. L. BROWNELL PH.D. and W. H. ELLETT M.Sc.Physics Research Laboratory Massachusetts General Hospital Boston 14 Massachusetts § 1. INTRODUCTION THE design of nuclear reactors has progressed rapidly since the first demonstration of controlled fission within a graphite pile located beneath the stands of the Stagg Football Stadium at the University of Chicago. Reactors are now designed for a variety of special applications such as material testing research training and power. A recent survey (Nucleonics 1962) shows that at the present time 82 testing reactors 90 research reactors and 26 educational and training reactors are in operation or under construction. Of these only six specifically include biological research under their various uses and only one the medical research reactor at Brookhaven has been designed solely for medical and biological research. However many of the others have medical and biological applications and this area of activity will increase further as studies progress on the utility of reactors in bio-medical investigations. By far the most common medical use of a reactor is the production of radioisotopes. The production of a large number of radioisotopes has become a routine procedure and the various applications of these radioisotopes are the topic of many conferences and fill the pages of medical journals. In this review that important application of reactors will be considered only briefly and emphasis will be given to applications in which the reactor plays a more direct medical role. Nuclear reactors are distinguished from other radiation sources by their intense flux of thermal neutrons. Many research reactors at present have thermal neutron fluxes of the order of 1013 n/cm2 sec and several new reactors have fluxes exceeding 1014 n/cm2 see. Although the most obvious application of thermal neutrons is isotope production these neutrons also can provide copious sources of charged particles: tritons by means of the (3He) (n t) reaction; alpha-particles from either the 10B or 7Li (n ) reaction; fission fragments from uranium fission; and even beta-rays from short-lived radioisotopes. ... ___MH

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