Manufacturing the Future Theragenics' Michael Krachon on Precision, Particles, and Patient-Saving Innovation
Meet Michael Krachon, President of Theragenics Interventional
"The manufacturing process itself is challenging because there are really three distinct aspects of it," shares Michael Krachon, President of Theragenics Interventional, in our latest Manufacturing the Future episode. "We have to make the radioisotope itself, then put it into the seeds, and then put the seeds into custom configurations for each patient." This insights-packed conversation reveals the incredible precision required when manufacturing devices smaller than a grain of rice that save lives.
Theragenics tackles a manufacturing challenge like no other: creating medical devices that are tiny, radioactive, and perishable. These brachytherapy seeds, used primarily for cancer treatment, must be manufactured with absolute precision because they'll be implanted directly into patients. The complexity is staggering: managing radiation safety, tracking invisible materials, ensuring perfect quality in something the size of a grain of rice, and dealing with a product that has a limited useful life due to radioactive decay.
Founded over forty years ago, Theragenics has grown into a global manufacturer with one of the country's largest "cyclotron farms" — specialized equipment that creates the radioactive isotopes used in their products. Through multiple acquisitions, including Needle Tech, Galt Medical, and Aerotech, they've diversified their capabilities while maintaining their focus on life-saving medical technology. Over their history, they've manufactured more than 21 million seeds, a massive production volume that, as Michael notes with wonder, "would all fit in almost a cigar box."
In This Episode
In this fascinating conversation, Michael takes listeners behind the scenes of this highly specialized manufacturing operation. From the stringent radiation safety protocols that protect workers to the challenges of supply chain management for components measured in fractions of millimeters, the episode reveals manufacturing excellence at its most precise. Michael also discusses how emerging technologies like AI, targeted robotics, and 3D printing are opening new possibilities for Theragenics while they maintain the extraordinary quality standards necessary when manufacturing devices that patients' lives depend on. It's a rare glimpse into a manufacturing environment where there's no room for error — because getting it right means saving lives.
Topics- The unique challenges of manufacturing radioisotope-based medical devices that are simultaneously tiny, radioactive, and perishable with strict time constraints.
- How Theragenics operates one of the country's largest "cyclotron farms" to create radioisotopes that become components in life-saving cancer treatment devices.
- The extensive radiation safety protocols and monitoring technologies implemented to protect employees working with radioactive materials.
- Managing precise manufacturing processes for implantable medical devices the size of a grain of rice that must be perfectly made every time.
- Balancing innovation with strict regulatory requirements in a field where product quality directly impacts patient outcomes and safety.
- Supply chain and inventory management strategies for components measured in fractions of millimeters that cannot use traditional tracking technologies.
- The impact of COVID-19 on workforce management and the challenges of rebuilding institutional knowledge after experienced staff turnover.
- Future technology applications including AI for production planning, targeted robotics for employee safety, and 3D printing for specialized components.
- The critical importance of customization in medical device manufacturing, with each cancer patient receiving a uniquely configured product.
- Advice for manufacturing leaders about cross-industry learning, relationship building, and engaging directly with technicians to solve manufacturing challenges.
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