US Nuclear Strategic Investment in Fusion Energy Breakthrough Targets $7.5 Billion Medical Radioisotope Market for First Use
LOS ANGELES, CA, Jan. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via -- Less than one month ago, US Nuclear Corp. (OTC-QB: UCLE) announced that MIFTI, a company that US Nuclear Corp has invested in, reported breakout fusion power test results on the 4 Mega Ampere Machine at L3 Harris Lab in San Leandro, California. At about the same time, Cleantech Group, a well-known expert in clean technologies, published a , in which Dr. Hafiz Rahman, MIFTI President and Chief Scientist was quoted, “MIFTI’s recent experiments at L3 Harris produced a neutron yield of 10 to the 11th power; the highest level ever achieved by any private company in the world.”
With recent results of 150 billion neutrons per shot and predictions by leading computer predictive simulator codes of achieving greater then “break-even”, MIFTI expects that their Staged Z-Pinch fusion reactors will be able to generate abundant, low-cost, clean energy to the world’s electric power grids sooner than any other technology.
Radioisotopes are used in several industries, but most notably for advanced medical imaging and therapeutics to diagnose and treat cancer and heart disease. The market in the U.S. for medical radioisotopes is estimated at about $7.5 billion and it is important to note that this number could more than double if the supply was adequate, but it is not.
The DOE National Isotope Development Center, radioisotopes are produced in reactors by exposing suitable target materials to the intense reactor neutron flux for an appropriate time. While there is a global need for more radioisotope production, producing them requires large numbers of neutrons which are not easy to find.
Currently, the primary method for producing radioisotopes is by making them in outdated fission reactors. The industry is looking for other neutron sources to produce these radioisotopes, but they are difficult to find. One key drawback to the production of radioisotopes from fission reactors is that this method creates very costly nuclear waste disposal costs which are a key component in the pricing of today’s radioisotopes.
The required number of radioisotopes to make radioisotopes is 10 to the 12th or about 1 trillion neutrons. MIFTI’s recent breakthrough was very close (10 to the 11th) to that required number and is going back to L3 Harris in February 2024 for the next round of testing. This next experiment will be using substantially more power than previous testing and is predicted by the top predictive computer codes such as MACH2, Hydra, Flash and Chicago to be able to meet production requirements for abundant, low-cost radioisotope production.
A key differentiator of MIFTI’s fusion technology to produce neutrons is that it has the potential to produce radioisotopes at an estimated less than half the current cost because there are no high-priced nuclear waste disposal costs. And the machines are projected to be smaller and safer.
MIFTI is working on designing, proving, and building fusion generators that can supply enormous, low-cost, clean energy to the electric power grid and also produce medical radioisotopes. Since the machines for radioisotopes are smaller, less costly, and the fastest to build, radioisotope production is the quickest and lowest hanging fruit for this technology. The estimated timing to production and sale of radioisotopes is under 2 years from the date of final funding because a great deal of the design work and testing for the first machines has already been done. With successful world record neutron production in the past year of testing, US Nuclear Corp is targeting the medical radioisotope market for the first use of this breakthrough technology. U.S. Nuclear Corp. will provide updates as available.
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