Patent attributes
An apparatus for an improved cyclotron for producing radioisotopes especially for use in association with medical imaging. The improved cyclotron is configured without a conventional electromagnetic coil. A plurality of dees and a plurality of permanent magnets are alternately disposed in a circular array, each defining a channel through which ions travel. The vacuum chamber wall defines an opening disposed at the center of the array, the opening being configured to receive an ion source. Positive ions flowing from the ion source are exposed to the magnetic field generated by permanent magnets. The positive ions are repelled as they exit a positively charged dee. Negatively charged dees pull the ions. Each time the particles pass through the gap approaching the dees and as they leave the dee and pass through the magnets, they gain energy, so the orbital radius continuously increases and the particles follow an outwardly spiraling path. The disclosure also includes a system composed of a particle accelerator combined with a microreactor or microfluidic chip to produce molecular imaging biomarkers.
