Project description
Design study of high-intensity cyclotron for production of medical radioisotopes
Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a metastable radioisotope that is used in countless medical diagnostic procedures. Nowadays it is almost exclusively produced in a few remaining ageing research reactors worldwide. Radiopharmaceuticals based on 99mTc are applied in imaging and functional studies of the brain, myocardium, thyroid, lungs, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, skeleton, blood as well as various tumours. Depending on the procedure, the 99mTc is bound to a compound that transports it to its target location. Direct production of 99mTc by proton cyclotrons is the most promising approach to increase its availability, yet the key challenge is the design of a compact high-intensity apparatus termed 'self-extracting cyclotron' (SEC). The EU-funded InnovaTron project will improve the magnet design and the beam-optics of the SEC based on new technological solutions.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
Coordinator
1348 Ottignies Louvain La Neuve
Belgium
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