A new device under development by a nuclear engineering professor will allow doctors to dispense accurate dosages of a drug made with actinium-225, an isotope that has been shown to be effective in treating—and curing—myeloid leukemia.

The device, devised by Assistant Professor Eric Lukosi and fabricated by master’s student William Gerding, is currently in production. Once it is built, it will go through testing at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“We’re slowly moving toward the demonstration of the device. It’s been fabricated; now we just need to package it and make sure it works,” Lukosi said. “This could help save lives.”

Lukosi’s device would act as a critical quality assurance measure, guaranteeing that patients receive treatments exactly as recommended by their physicians.