carrierfree

Carrierfree refers to a state where a substance, such as a radioisotope or a drug, is not accompanied by a significant amount of a stable isotope or another substance that serves as a carrier. In the context of radioisotopes, carrierfree means that the radioactive isotope is present in its pure radioactive form, without any stable isotope of the same element. This is important for applications where even a small amount of stable carrier would dilute the radioactivity to an undesirable level. For example, in medical imaging and therapy, using carrierfree radioisotopes maximizes the delivered dose of radiation to the target site while minimizing exposure to non-target tissues.

The production of carrierfree radioisotopes often involves nuclear reactions that produce the desired radioactive isotope while a stable isotope of the same element is not produced or is produced in negligible quantities. Techniques like spallation, neutron activation, or fission can be employed. The absence of a carrier is critical for achieving high specific activity, which is the ratio of radioactivity to mass. Higher specific activity allows for smaller doses of the radioactive material to achieve the desired therapeutic or diagnostic effect.

In the field of pharmaceuticals, the term carrierfree can also refer to drug delivery systems that do not rely on a carrier molecule or material to transport the drug. This might involve novel formulations or direct administration methods. However, the most common usage of "carrierfree" is in radiochemistry and nuclear medicine, emphasizing the purity of the radioactive substance.