Medical isotopes to be developed at Saskatoon's Canadian Light Source

Officials at the University of Saskatchewan's Canadian Light Source say they'vedevelopeda new way to make medical isotopes, an advancement thatcould help answer the need for a reliable supply in Canadian hospitals.

Isotopes are used in PET and CT scans, which can effectively identify many types of cancer.

• The made-in-Canada isotope shortage facing medical scans

Right now, isotopes are created by using a nuclear reactor.But the Canadian Light Source (CLS), the national centre for synchrotron research, saidit hasinvented a non-nuclear-based method of production to create isotopes.

According to the CLS, the Medical Isotope Projectfacilityis the first of its kind in the world.It uses powerful X-rays to produce the isotopes, that can be shippedto medical centres across the country.

Officials saidthey could be used in medical testing within about sixmonths to a year.

We are excited to be producing medical isotopes at this critical time in history,CLS CEO Rob Lamb said in a news release. To be part of a project that will meet the health needs of so many Canadians, that is the most gratifying element.

Provincial and federal ministersjoined leaders of the project and Canadian Light Source executives today as they made the announcement.

In a news release,Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar MP Kelly Block said that, "today's achievement is welcome news for Canadian families and our community."

"Our investments in new technologies are supporting new milestones contributing to reliableglobal supplies of medical isotopes."