Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne
National Laboratory have developed a safe and affordable way to
ensure a reliable U.S. supply of certain medical isotopes.
Although the invention is at a conceptual stage, it has the
potential to provide critical medical diagnostic material for
small regional hospitals. This innovative technology combines
two Argonne patents: a superconducting cage-like radio-frequency
(RF) cavity and a dual electron linear accelerator in an energy-
recovery configuration, said accelerator scientist John Noonan,
one of the project's principle investigators. The technology is
estimated to cost between $500,000 and $2 million to build. Even
at the high end of that price range, the technology pairing
would be affordable for even small hospitals to purchase and
operate, he said. In comparison, a conventional superconducting
electron linear accelerator has been proposed as a high-yield
medical isotope source. The estimated cost is $150 million. The
technology's affordabili