Accelerator and detector physics at the Bern medical cyclotron and its beam transport line

Cyclotrons are used in medical applications mostly for radioisotope production for positron emission tomography (PET) and proton therapy. PET is a diagnostic technique requiring daily production of radiotracers. Most of the PET cyclotron centres produce 18F for the synthesis of fl uorodeoxyglucose (FDG). The cyclotron laboratory in Bern is a part of the SWAN project aiming at the realization of a combined centre for radioisotope production, proton therapy and multi-disciplinary research [1]. The laboratory is equipped with an 18-MeV IBA high current cyclotron accelerating H− ions, as shown in Fig. 1. There are eight proton out-ports. Four of them are equipped with 18F liquid targets. One out-port is dedicated to the beam transport line (BTL) ending in a separate bunker. The cyclotron can produce 500 GBq of 18F in about 80 min, corresponding to about 250 GBq of FDG. The BTL allows carrying out multi-disciplinary research in parallel with daily radioisotope production [2]. The beam line consists of an upstream collimator, X-Y steering magnets, two quadrupole doublets, a neutron shutter, two beam viewers with Faraday cups for measuring the current and a beam dump. The beam dump can be replaced with a specifi c experimental apparatus. A schematic view of the cyclotron and the BTL is presented in Fig. 2. The BTL was designed to perform research activities on accelerator and detector physics, radiation protection, radiation biophysics, radiochemistry and radiopharmacy. In the next sections, some selected recent developments on novel detectors Accelerator and detector physics at the Bern medical cyclotron and its beam transport line Martin Auger, Saverio Braccini, Antonio Ereditato, Marcel Häberli, Elena Kirillova, Konrad P. Nesteruk, Paola Scampoli