What is a cyclotron?
A cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator that is used for medical, industrial and research processes. It accelerates charged particles around a circle and aims them at a target that breaks the particles open. This method can be used to produce radioisotopes for medical purposes. The radiopharmaceuticals that are produced in a cyclotron have shorter half lives than those produced in the OPAL reactor. If we only used a cyclotron to produce radiopharmaceuticals for Australian patients, then people living in other states would not receive radiopharmaceuticals as they would have decayed by the time that they reached the patients. ANSTO’s National Medical Cyclotron is located at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. The radioisotopes produced there are used mainly to make radiopharmaceuticals for use in diagnostic imaging. A cyclotron is an electrically powered machine that accelerates charged particles to high speeds and beams them at a suitable target, producing a nuclear reacti
A cyclotron is the partner technology to the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanner. It is the technology that produces the radioisotope that is used to image patients during a PET scan. The radioisotopes produced by the cyclotron have a half life ranging from 2 minutes to 110 minutes, which necessitates production on-site for the shorter half life isotopes. A cyclotron operates by spinning charged particles in ever expanding circles until they hit a target producing the desired isotope This technology is similar to “linear accelerators” used by Cancer Care MB to treat cancer patients. Although the cyclotron produces radiation when it is turned on the unit itself is enclosed in lead and concrete shielding such that there is no increase to natural background radiation levels for those who work or live around or near the cyclotron facility. Cyclotrons are tightly regulated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to ensure that there is no radiation risk to workers, the public or th
A cyclotron is a circular particle accelerator in which hydrogen particles are accelerated and protons are extracted to create a proton beam. Higher velocity synchrotrons are also used at some proton treatment centers. top of page What’s the difference between proton radiation and traditional X-ray radiation? Traditional X-ray radiation affects everything in its path, so doctors often limit the radiation dose to minimize damage to critical organs. X-rays also continue to pass through the body after reaching the tumor, affecting the healthy cells beyond it. Proton radiation therapy achieves greater precision while providing a lower dose of radiation to healthy tissues. This advantage allows higher doses to be delivered to the tumor with a lower risk of hurting healthy cells. top of page Is proton therapy experimental? No. Proton therapy is not experimental. It is an established cancer treatment recognized by government and regulatory agencies. top of page Is proton therapy covered by in
Question submitted by: S. Smith of East Lansing A cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator – a machine used to create high-speed beams of atomic or sub-atomic particle. All of the objects around us are made up of atoms, and the atoms in turn are composed of sub-atomic particles: electrons, neutrons and protons. Although entire atoms can be accelerated, we sometimes want to separate sub-atomic particles from their normal atomic environments and accelerate electrons in a straight line, causing them to smash against the inside face of the picture tube in a TV. The cyclotron accelerates electrically charged particles in a circular path. Each time the particles complete a lap, they gain speed until they travel to very near the speed of light. At the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University, cyclotrons are finding use in both basic research and important applications. A medical cyclotron, developed at the NSCL and now installed at Harper Hospital i
