Cyclotron having permanent magnets

• US 7,466,085 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Best ABT, Inc. (TeamBest Group)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Biomarker Technologies, LLC (TeamBest Group)
• Inventors: Nutt, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene; Haissa
• Application Number:
  US11/736,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20080258653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 315500-502, 315/505, 315/507, 250/291, 250/427, 250/423.R, 250/423.F, 250/396.R, 250/492.1, 250/492.3, 250/492.21, 250/400, 313/62, 313/153, 313/359.1, 313/360.1, 313/362.1, 376/190, 376/192, 376/194, 376/196, 376/156, 376/158, 376/361
• US Class Current: 315/502
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 13/00 Magnetic resonance accelerators; Cyclotrons strophotrons, turbine tubes H01J25/62

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. An improved cyclotron for producing radioisotopes especially for use in association with medical imaging, the improvement comprising:

a first platform defining a first recess;

a first plurality of permanent magnets disposed in a circular array within said first recess;

a second platform defining a second recess;

a second plurality of permanent magnets disposed in a circular array within said second recess and corresponding to said first plurality of permanent magnets to define a plurality of permanent magnet pairs when said first platform and said second platform are engaged, wherein each of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs defines a gap between one of said first plurality of permanent magnets and one of said second plurality of permanent magnets;

a vacuum chamber defined by said first recess and said second recess when said first platform and said second platform are engaged;

a plurality of dees disposed within said vacuum chamber, one of said plurality of dees being disposed between pairs of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs, each of said plurality of dees defining a proximal end oriented toward a center of said circular array and an oppositely disposed distal end, wherein each of said plurality of dees defines an interior channel, and wherein said gap defined between each of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs being adapted to cooperate with said interior channel of each of said plurality of dees to define a volume through which ions generated by said an source travel, whereby said ions are accelerated through said interior channel of each of said plurality of dees and drift through said interior channel of each of said plurality of permanent magnets; and

an oscillator in electrical connection with and in order to oscillate a polarity of each of said plurality of dees.

2. The improved cyclotron of claim 1 wherein said first platform and said second platform cooperate to define a receptor adapted to receive said ion source such that said ion source is disposed at an approximate center of said circular array.

3. The improved cyclotron of claim 2 wherein said oscillator is adapted to induce a negatively charged alternating electric field on said plurality of dees, whereby positive ions generated from said ion source are accelerated within said improved cyclotron.

4. An improved cyclotron for producing radioisotopes especially for use in association with medical imaging, the improvement comprising:

a first platform defining a first recess;

a first plurality of permanent magnets disposed in a circular array within said first recess;

a second platform defining a second recess, said first platform and said second platform cooperating to define a receptor adapted to receive an ion source such that said ion source is disposed at an approximate center of said circular array;

a second plurality of permanent magnets disposed in a circular array within said second recess and corresponding to said first plurality of permanent magnets to define a plurality of permanent magnet pairs when said first platform and said second platform are engaged, wherein each of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs defines a gap between one of said first plurality of permanent magnets and one of said second plurality of permanent magnets;

a vacuum chamber defined by said first recess and said second recess when said first platform and said second platform are engaged;

a plurality of electrodes disposed within said vacuum chamber, one of said plurality of electrodes being disposed between pairs of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs, each of said plurality of electrodes defining a proximal end oriented toward a center of said circular array and an oppositely disposed distal end, wherein each of said plurality of electrodes defines an interior channel, and wherein said gap defined between each of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs is adapted to cooperate with said interior channel of each of said plurality of electrodes to define volume through which ions generated by said ion source travel, whereby said ions are accelerated through said interior channel of each of said plurality of electrodes and drift though said interior channel of each of said plurality of permanent magnets; and

an oscillator in electrical connection with and in order to oscillate a polarity of each of said plurality of electrodes.

5. The improved cyclotron of claim 4 wherein said oscillator is adapted to induce a negatively charged alternating electric field on said plurality of electrodes, whereby positive ions generated from said ion source are accelerated within said improved cyclotron.

6. The improved cyclotron of claim 4, wherein each of said plurality of electrodes is a dee.

7. An improved cyclotron for producing radioisotopes especially for use in association with medical imaging, the improvement comprising:

a first platform defining a first recess;

a first plurality of permanent magnets disposed in a circular array within said first recess;

a second platform defining a second recess;

a second plurality of permanent magnets disposed in a circular array within said second recess and corresponding to said first plurality of permanent magnets to define a plurality of permanent magnet pairs when said first platform and said second platform are engaged, wherein each of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs defines a gap between one of said first plurality of permanent magnets and one of said second plurality of permanent magnets;

a vacuum chamber defined by said first recess and said second recess when said first platform and said second platform are engaged;

a plurality of electrodes disposed within said vacuum chamber, each of said plurality of electrodes defining a dee, one of said plurality of electrodes being disposed between pairs of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs, each of said plurality of electrodes defining a proximal end oriented toward a center of said circular array and an oppositely disposed distal end, wherein each of said plurality of electrodes defines an interior channel, said gap defined between said one of said first plurality of permanent magnets and said one of said second plurality of permanent magnets being adapted to cooperate with said interior channel of each of said plurality of electrodes to define a volume through which ions travel, whereby said ions are accelerated through said interior channel of each of said plurality of electrodes and drift though said interior channel of each of said plurality of permanent magnets; and

an oscillator in electrical connection with and in order to oscillate a polarity of each of said plurality of electrodes.

8. The improved cyclotron of claim 7 wherein said first platform and said second platform cooperate to define a receptor adapted to receive an ion source such that said ion source is disposed at an approximate center of said circular array.

9. The improved cyclotron of claim 8 wherein said oscillator is adapted to induce a negatively charged alternating electric field on said plurality of electrodes, whereby positive ions generated from said ion source are accelerated within said improved cyclotron.

10. A system for producing a radiochemical, said system comprising:

a particle accelerator for generating a beam of charged particles having a maximum beam power of less than, or equal to, approximately fifty (50) watts, and for directing the beam of charged particles along a path, said particle accelerator and system including;

a first platform defining a first recess;

a first plurality of permanent magnets disposed in a circular array within said first recess;

a second platform defining a second recess;

a second plurality of permanent magnets disposed in a circular array within said second recess and corresponding to said first plurality of permanent magnets to define a plurality of permanent magnet pairs when said first platform and said second platform are engaged, wherein each of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs defines a gap between one of said first plurality of permanent magnets and one of said second plurality of permanent magnets;

a vacuum chamber defined by said first recess and said second recess when said first platform and said second platform are engaged;

a plurality of dees disposed within said vacuum chamber, one of said plurality of dees being disposed between pairs of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs, each of said plurality of dees defining a proximal end oriented toward a center of said circular array and an oppositely disposed distal end, wherein each of said plurality of dees defines an interior channel, and wherein said gap defined between each of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs is adapted to cooperate with said interior channel of each of said plurality of dees to define a volume through which ions generated by an ion source travel, whereby said ions are accelerated through said interior channel of each of said plurality of dees and drift through said interior channel of each of said plurality of permanent magnets; and

an oscillator in electrical connection with and in order to oscillate a polarity of each of said plurality of dees;

a target positioned in the path of the beam of charged particles, said target serving to receive a target substance having a composition selected for producing a radioactive substance during interaction with the beam of charged particles; and

a radiochemical synthesis subsystem having at least one microreactor and/or microfluidic chip, said radiochemical synthesis subsystem for receiving the radioactive substance, for receiving at least one reagent, and for synthesizing the radiochemical.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said first platform and said second platform cooperate to define a receptor adapted to receive an ion source such that said ion source is disposed at an approximate center of said circular array.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said oscillator is adapted to induce a negatively charged alternating electric field on said plurality of dees, whereby positive ions generated from said ion source are accelerated within said improved cyclotron.