RIKEN Uses Helium in Astatine-211 Production
- AKAP
- Apr 22, 2024
- 6 min read
RIKEN, a Japanese scientific research foundation, is using helium-4 beams in the innovative production of the radioisotope astatine-211, crucial for cancer treatment. Helium beams are directed at a bismuth target to synthesise astatine-211, leveraging the unique properties of helium to facilitate this reaction efficiently. This process is part of RIKEN's dual-purpose strategy, which merges fundamental nuclear physics research with practical medical applications, thereby expanding the scope and efficiency of astatine-211 production. Scientific research is a continuous demand driver for helium.
