Overview

The University of Winnipeg in partnership with Acsion Industries and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and various other partners has formed The Prairie Isotope Production Enterprise (PIPE).

PIPE is a not-for-profit corporation based in Manitoba whose goal is to develop a reliable supply of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) for Canadian patients.

 World-Class Scientific Team 

PIPE is led by a world-class scientific team with impressive technical expertise. The technology was developed in our national laboratories and provincial institutes contributing to a solution in creating a reliable supply of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) for Canadian patients.

PIPE's technology uses an electron accelerator rather than a nuclear reactor to make the radioactive molybdenum, the starting radioisotope for producing Tc-99m. We spray electricity from the electron accelerator onto molybdenum metal. This produces the Mo-99 radioisotope. Next, a chemical processes is used to fabricate the Tc-99m compounds for hospitals and clinics across the country.

This process has no radioactive wastes that need to be managed like the current production methods that use uranium as a starting material. In fact, this process includes recycling where everything comes back to PIPE to be used again.

Canadian Control

PIPE's advisory board is expected to include representatives from the governments of Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, along with technical and financial advisors from the PIPE partners. The plan to to simplify the radioisotope supply chain and maintain each step in Canadian control.

As a not-for-profit organization, PIPE is also committed to working with other manufacturers in Canada to convert their products to useful Tc-99m sources. The goal is to make sure Canada has a multi-pronged solution to protect Canadian patients.

 

Benefits to Canadians