Radioactive investigational medicinal products

The peaceful application of nuclear reactors after World War II initiated the production of large quantities of radionuclides, which were introduced to medicine for the investigation of human physiology and disease. The application of radioactive tracers for clinical diagnosis and therapy increased hy the year, resulting in the widespread use of radioisotopes in clinical procedures. 

This chapter discusses production of radionuclides for beneficial use in science, medicine and technology. The nuclear fundamentals for the production processes have been given in Chapters 11 to 14. The formation of radionuclides is discussed in several Chapters e.g. cosmogenic reactions leading to the formation of short-lived radionuclides in nature (Ch. S and 10) thermonuclear reactions leading to the formation of long-lived radioactivity in the universe (Ch. 17) the synthesis of trans-uranium elements (Ch. 16 and 19-21). The production and isolation of separated fission products is treated separately (Ch. 19-21). This chapter discusses aspects of fundamental importance to the production of radionuclides by a variety of methods. Initially the principles are reviewed and, subsequently, the most advanced techniques for investigating short-lived radionuclides are described. 

Strontium possesses radioactive isotopes with mass numbers of 82, 85, 85m, 87m, 89, 90, 91, 92, and 93. Only a limited number of these isotopes has been applied to the fields of medicine, biology, and biochemistry. Sr, " Sr, and Sr were primarily used as markers for calcium metabolism Sr, an important product of nuclear fallout, was investigated because of its deleterious effects in humans and animals [4]. 

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