Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

US federal regulator of byproduct nuclear material — relevant to medical imaging for PET tracers, Tc-99m generators, I-131 therapy, Y-90 brachytherapy and radioembolization, Ir-192 HDR brachy sources, and Co-60 Gamma Knife sources.

What NRC regulates in imaging

• 10 CFR Part 35 — medical use of byproduct material. Authorizes users, defines training, written directives, safety precautions.
• 10 CFR Part 20 — occupational + public dose limits.
• 10 CFR Part 30 — licensing of byproduct material generally.

Agreement States

37 US states have "Agreement State" status with the NRC — they regulate byproduct material themselves under programs NRC has determined are compatible. In Agreement States, the state radiation-control program issues licenses rather than the NRC.

Relevant clinical applications

• Brachytherapy (HDR, LDR)
• FDG PET
• Tc-99m MDP bone scan
• Cardiac SPECT
• Y-90 radioembolization

Related

• Regulatory hub
• Nuclear Medicine MOC
• Gamma Knife MOC (Co-60 sources)