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2.4 | Brachytherapy units |
| With a total of 102 brachytherapy units, the downward trend evident over the past two years continued in 2005. Closure of the small units with limited brachytherapy activities was the reason for this drop. However, the breakdown between public sector (52) and private (50) remained stable. | ||
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2.5 | Nuclear medicine units |
With a total of 288 nuclear medicine units in service (comprising both in vivo and in vitro installations), the situation in 2005 remained on the whole stable in this sector. It should however be noted that the number of medical analysis laboratories using unsealed radioactive sources (radioimmunology laboratories) continued to fall. The public/private split between nuclear medicine units is 220 and 68 respectively. In 2005, 48 nuclear medicine units acquired positron emission tomography installations (PETSCAN cameras - PET camera coupled with a tomograph) using fluorine 18 in the form of fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG). According to information in the possession of the ASN, it would seem that about 550 specialist practitioners are today working in this field, to which should be added 1000 physicians involved in the operation of nuclear medicine units (interns, cardiologists, endocrinologists, etc.). |
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2.6 | Blood product irradiators |
| In 2005, 29 installations of this type were identified as operating in blood transfusion centres. Owing to the failure to replace the older appliances, and the concentration of blood product irradiation activities in a smaller number of facilities, 2005 saw a drop in the total number of appliances in relation to 2004. | ||
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3 | REGULATORY PROVISIONS CONCERNING MEDICAL APPLICATIONS OF IONISING RADIATION |
| Chapter 3 of this report presented the current status of radiation protection regulations. Here we will simply recall the provisions concerning medical applications of ionising radiation, in particular the licensing and notification systems. However, the provisions concerning the protection of persons exposed for medical purposes and already detailed in chapter 3 will not be gone over again. | ||
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3.1 | Notification or licensing of radiation sources used for medical purposes |
The Public Health Code (articles R. 1333-17 to R. 1333-44) sets licensing and notification provisions concerning all nuclear activities, in particular those linked to medical and biomedical research applications of ionising radiation (articles R. 1333-17 to R. 1333-20 and articles R. 1333-21 to R. 1333-25), whether or not the establishments are subject to the regulations applicable to installations classified on environmental protection grounds (see article L. 1333-4 of the Public Health Code). The following diagram presents the procedures governing the various medical and biomedical research applications, whenever it is relevant, these procedures do not replace those concerning sophisticated equipment as specified in articles L. 6121-1 to L. 6121-12 of the Public Health Code: |
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