Open AccessTarget foil rupture scenario and provision for handling different models of medical cyclotrons used in India
Author(s) -
V S Shaiju,
S.K. Sharma,
Rajesh Kumar,
B Sarin
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of medical physics/journal of medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.292
H-Index - 24
eISSN - 1998-3913
pISSN - 0971-6203
DOI - 10.4103/0971-6203.54851
Subject(s) - cyclotron , foil method , medical physics , nuclear engineering , nuclear medicine , medicine , nuclear physics , engineering , materials science , physics , electron , composite material
Medical cyclotron is a particle accelerator used in producing short lived radiotracers such as (18)F, (11)C, (15)O, (13)N etc. These radiotracers are labeled with suitable pharmaceuticals for use to gather information related to metabolic activity of the cell using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan. Target foil rupture is considered one of the major emergency situations during medical cyclotron operations because there is a potential of over exposure to the working personnel. Radiation protection survey of a self-shielded medical cyclotron installation was carried out during normal and emergency conditions. It is found that the induced activity in the target foil increases with its successive usages. As a case study, we have evaluated the emergency handling procedures of GE PETtrace-6 medical cyclotron. Recommendations have also been made to reduce personal exposure while handling the target foil rupture condition such as the use of L-Bench near the target area and participation of experienced personnel.