NIDC Program Literature

For the first time since 1998, the United States has an operating stable isotope enrichment capability. The new Enriched Stable Isotope Prototype Plant (ESIPP), funded by the DOE IP and located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), takes an integrated approach to enriched stable isotope production by incorporating both electromagnetic separation and gas centrifuge technology. As a result, a wide range of enriched stable isotopes is now attainable domestically for basic research, medical, national security, and industrial applications.

In addition, the DOE IP owns ~250 stable isotopes spanning 59 elements available through the NIDC product catalog. Most of these were obtained through electromagnetic separation in Manhattan Project-era calutrons. These isotopes have served as feedstock for countless research efforts and applications, and they range in value from less than $1 to tens of thousands of dollars per milligram.

The routine use of radioisotopes in the fields of biology, medicine, and pharmaceuticals has led to safer and more effective diagnoses and treatments of numerous medical conditions, including cancer. As a result, millions of patients worldwide have experienced improved health and quality of life. Through its extensive network of national laboratories and partnering universities, the DOE IP develops, produces, and supplies isotopes that are critical components of these medical diagnostic and treatment options. Particle accelerators, research reactors, medical cyclotrons, and radiochemical processing laboratories are among the facilities that help the program meet this objective.

The DOE IP’s portfolio has grown over time to include more than 35 medically relevant isotopes available through the National Isotope Development Center (NIDC) product catalog, with several more under investigation at universities and national laboratories.