A NEW LOW COST, COMPACT CYCLOTRON FOR POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY USING A SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNET

THIS PROJECT IS AIMED AT DESIGNING A LIGHT WEIGHT AND COMPACT NEGATIVE ION CYCLOTRON USING A SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNET. THE PROPOSED CYCLOTRON WILL COST 25% LESS THAN EXISTING RESISTIVE MAGNET CYCLOTRONS, WILL OCCUPY 50% LESS SPACE, AND WILL WEIGH APPROXIMATELY 4000 LBS COMPARED WITH 40,000 LBS FOR THE CONVENTIONAL CYCLOTRON. THE NEW CYCLOTRON OPERATING EXPENSE WILL BE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE OPERATING COST FOR THE CONVENTIONAL CYCLOTRON. THE HELIUM COST OF THE SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNET IS MORE THAN OFFSET BY THE ELECTRICAL COST OF THE CONVENTIONAL CYCLOTRON. THIS SUPERCONDUCTING CONCEPT FOR A MEDICAL CYCLOTRON WILL USE ALREADY DEVELOPED SHIELDING TECHNOLOGY, TARGETS, AND ION SOURCE TECHNOLOGY. THUS, THE DESIGN GOAL WILL BE TO BUILD ACYCLOTRON THAT WILL OCCUPY A SPACE OF 1 M DIAMETER BY 1.5 M HIGH, WEIGHING 4000 LBS AND CAPABLE OF PRODUCING CURIE QUANTITIES OF 11C, 15O, AND 18F AND 300-400 MCI OF 13N AMMONIA.