Sanders Medical Products

What Sanders Medical Products does

Sanders Medical Products, Inc. is a privately held, Knoxville, Tennessee-based manufacturer founded in 1994 that specializes in positron emission tomography (PET) and nuclear medicine calibration radioactive sources. The company sells rod, pin, cylinder phantom, and point sources manufactured from Ge-68 nuclide (270.8 day half-life, 511 keV photon energies), along with accessory hardware such as Phantom Shields and the option of custom geometries for special orders. Its manufacturing stack relies on proprietary processes including precision laser welding for hermetic seal, laser-engraved traceability, and automated uniformity scanning at 5mm increments across the full source length, with a warranted non-uniformity within +/-5%. Products comply with NRC, FDA, CE, and ISO manufacturing standards and meet ANSI ratings C32312 and C22212 for encapsulated sources.

Name

Sanders Medical Products

Legal name

Sanders Medical Products, Inc.

Website

https://sandersmedical.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sanders Medical Products is a privately held Knoxville, Tennessee manufacturer founded in 1994 that produces Ge-68 calibration radioactive sources for PET scanners and accessories for healthcare imaging facilities worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Device Manufacturing

NAICS

Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing (334517), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Nuclear Medicine Imaging Tracers & PET/SPECT Supply Chain (FDG, Ga-68, logistics/cold chain) (EUAKAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radioisotope Production (Reactor/Cyclotron/Gamma) (HLAIAGAD), Medical Radioisotope Production (Reactor/Cyclotron, Mo-99/Tc-99m, I-131, Lu-177, etc.) (EUAKAIAA)

Keywords

• PET calibration sources
• Nuclear medicine sources
• Radioactive calibration sources
• Ge-68 sources
• Medical imaging calibration

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. PET Calibration Sources Sales: Sale of radioactive calibration sources including rod, pin, cylinder phantom, and point sources for PET scanners. Sources are sold with 12-month replacement cycles. Custom activities and geometries available for special orders. Shipping containers are D.O.T. and IATA compliant.
2. PET Accessories Sales: Sale of PET accessories including Phantom Shields for storing standard 20cm PET cylinder phantoms, with four caster wheels for mobility.
3. Professional Services: Regulatory assistance for RAM license procurement, source installation services for select camera models, and source disposal services for spent sources at no charge (shipping charges extra).
4. Regulatory Compliance Services: Assistance in obtaining proper Radioactive Materials license documentation, license amendment guides, and SSDR documentation support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sanders Medical Products manufactures and sells radioactive calibration sources for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Nuclear Medicine scanners using Ge-68 nuclide. Their core product portfolio includes rod and pin sources, cylinder phantom sources, and point sources used for scanner set-up, calibration, normalization, and patient attenuation correction. The company also supplies Phantom Shields for storage and provides regulatory licensing assistance, source installation, and disposal services for healthcare imaging facilities worldwide.

Product overview

Sanders Medical Products is a specialized manufacturer of PET (Positron Emission Tomography) and Nuclear Medicine calibration radioactive sources, in operation since 1994. Their core product portfolio consists of Rod and Pin Sources, Cylinder Phantom Sources, Point Sources, and Phantom Shields—all using Ge-68 nuclide (270.8 day half-life, 511 keV photon energies). Custom Sources are developed in cooperation with scanner manufacturers. The company provides an integrated service offering including regulatory licensing assistance, source disposal, and installation services. Their sources are approved by all major PET scanner manufacturers and are warranted for the life of the source.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rod and Pin Sources Radioactive calibration sources used for scanner set-up, periodic calibration, normalization, and patient attenuation correction. Available in double-encapsulated stainless steel tubing with precision laser-welded ends and permanent laser markings for traceability. Non-uniformity warranted within +/-5%.
• Cylinder Phantom Sources Calibration sources with radioactive element uniformly distributed in a cylindrical mold (20 cm diameter by 19 cm long) used for scanner set-up and periodic calibration in 2D and 3D modes. Each one is scanned on a PET/CT scanner for uniformity, with data CD provided upon request.
• Point Sources Calibration sources used for scanner set-up and periodic calibration, spot markers for anatomical points of interest, and transmission sources for attenuation correction measurements. Radioactive element is typically 1-2 mm in diameter inside a stainless steel tube.
• Phantom Shields Storage containers for standard 20cm PET cylinder phantoms regardless of manufacturer. Feature steel-jacketed lead attenuation for 511 keV gamma radiation, four caster wheels, and detachable pull handle. Total weight 144 kg/316 lbs.
• Custom Sources Custom radioactive sources developed in cooperation with leading scanner manufacturers for special orders with custom activities and geometries.
• Regulatory Assistance Services Assistance to help customers obtain proper Radioactive Materials (RAM) licenses to possess Ge-68 sources, including documentation support, license amendment guides, and SSDR documentation support.
• Source Disposal Services Provides shipping documents for returning spent, replaced sources for disposal at no charge upon request. Shipping charges extra.
• Installation Services Source installation service for select camera models.

Quantifiable outcome

• Non-uniformity within +/-5% (warranted)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GE HealthcarecoreTechnology or IntegrationSanders Medical Products sources are approved for use with GE Healthcare PET scanners including Discovery ST, Discovery PET-CT 600, Discovery PET-CT 690, Advance, Advance NXi, Discovery LS, and preclinical LabPET scanners. The company provides specification sheets and license amendment guides for GE products.
• Siemens Medical SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationSanders Medical Products supplies complete source kits and individual sources for Siemens PET scanners including Biograph, Biograph Pico, Biograph True-V, mCT, Accel, HR+, and Exact systems. Offers specialized PET/MR compatible sources.
• Philips Medical SystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationSanders Medical Products provides reference rod sources for Philips ADAC MCD SPECT/MCD systems.
• Concorde MicrosystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationSanders Medical Products supplies sources for Concorde Microsystems microPET preclinical PET scanners including transmission point sources, cylinder phantoms, and calibration line sources.
• Hamamatsu PhotonicscoreTechnology or IntegrationSanders Medical Products provides accessory specification downloads for Hamamatsu Photonics medical systems.
• Shimadzu Medical SystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationSanders Medical Products supplies Ge-68 sources for all Shimadzu Medical Systems PET scanner models.
• Positron CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationSanders Medical Products is an approved source supplier for Positron Corporation PET scanners including Attrius, Auricle, HZ, Attrius L, and HZL dedicated PET systems.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Curium Pharma: Curium (formerly IBA Molecular) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of radiopharmaceuticals and PET/SPECT isotopes. It supplies FDG, Ga-68 generators, and other nuclear medicine products, competing with Sanders Medical in adjacent parts of the PET imaging supply chain that touches the same hospital customer base.
• Jubilant DraxImage: Jubilant DraxImage manufactures and distributes radiopharmaceuticals including I-131 and other SPECT/PET products, and operates one of the largest commercial nuclear pharmacy networks in North America. It is comparable to Sanders Medical as a vertically integrated radioisotope player serving the same nuclear medicine customer base.
• Eckert & Ziegler: Eckert & Ziegler is a publicly traded German manufacturer of radioisotopes and radiation sources for medical, industrial, and scientific use. It is the closest direct competitor to Sanders Medical in PET/SPECT calibration and reference source production, with overlapping regulatory footprint (NRC/CE/ISO) and global distribution.

Emerging players

• Bracco Imaging: Bracco Imaging develops and distributes diagnostic imaging agents and devices, including contrast media and radiopharmaceuticals used in the same imaging suites where PET calibration is performed. It is comparable as a supplier of consumables into the same nuclear medicine workflow rather than as a calibration source manufacturer.
• Lantheus Holdings: Lantheus is a U.S. diagnostic radiopharmaceutical company focused on PET and SPECT agents, including products used in the same imaging suites where Sanders Medical's calibration sources operate. It is comparable as a downstream node in the nuclear imaging supply chain rather than as a direct calibration competitor.
• NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes: NorthStar produces Mo-99/Tc-99m and is expanding into non-uranium-based medical radioisotope production, addressing the same nuclear medicine supply chain Sanders Medical serves. It is an emerging U.S.-based source of supply for the imaging centers that buy calibration sources.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Healthineers: Siemens Healthineers manufactures PET, SPECT, and PET/MR scanners (Biograph, mCT families) and also operates PETNET Solutions, a major FDG distribution network. Like GE, it is both an OEM approver of Sanders Medical sources and a broad incumbent in the nuclear imaging ecosystem with the scale to vertically integrate if it chose to.
• Philips Medical Systems: Philips manufactures PET and SPECT systems and validates Sanders Medical reference rod sources for its ADAC MCD platforms. It is comparable as a broad incumbent OEM and potential vertical integrator in the same imaging suites Sanders Medical serves.
• GE Healthcare: GE Healthcare is a leading PET and PET/CT scanner manufacturer that approves Sanders Medical sources for its installed base. As a broad incumbent in molecular imaging, GE could in principle choose to bundle or vertically integrate calibration sources, making it both a critical channel partner and a potential competitive threat.

Others

• Cardinal Health (Nuclear & Precision Health Solutions): Cardinal Health operates one of the largest radiopharmaceutical distribution networks in the U.S., reaching nearly every hospital that uses PET tracers. It is comparable as a distribution and logistics layer adjacent to Sanders Medical's D.O.T./IATA-compliant shipping business and touches the same end customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sanders Medical Products