Cyclotrons

Tracer production and PET/CT go hand in hand. Because of the relatively short half-lives of PET radioisotopes, it’s a race against the clock to produce a radioactive isotope, synthesize it into a radiopharmaceutical and get it to the patient. To go in search of true discovery with PET, access to a cyclotron is necessary, and yet they are considered the most difficult and sophisticated part of a PET installation.

With the end goal of making true discovery possible for more healthcare providers, each system in our portfolio of cyclotrons is designed to make it easier to implement and operate a tracer production facility. To accomplish this, we focus on three key areas of innovation: reduced risk of radiation, ease of use and reliability.

Our systems are all based on our industry-leading vertical, mid-plane cyclotron design. This design has minimal space requirements and, when combined with quick-release components, it significantly reduces radiation dose to maintenance personnel.

Our systems are also fully automated, so that isotope production requires no more than five simple steps from start to finish. As a result, routine operation can be performed by a trained hospital technician, which significantly simplifies the initial setup and daily operation of a facility.

Lastly, our cyclotrons are built for reliability with an unmatched, guaranteed uptime and backed by the largest footprint of service support in the industry.

Starting with these foundational principles, we built a portfolio of cyclotrons designed to meet your unique needs for capacity, siting and tracer types. Whether you are building a PET facility from the ground up to support an entire region, or looking for an in-house solution, our cyclotrons will quickly put your organization on the path to true discovery.

Read about GE Healthcare's global leadership in PET Cyclotrons and the recent installment of its 400th unit.

Above all else, the PETtraceTM 800 Series of cyclotrons is known for being highly reliable. This, together with a high production capacity, has made it one of the most preferred cyclotrons in the world.

The PETtrace 800 Series has a beam extraction efficiency above 99.9 percent. Two carousels, each equipped with six carbon foils, are used to extract the beam. In addition, the extraction system can operate in single mode, or it can simultaneously irradiate two targets in dual mode. This efficient extraction technology results in a high production capacity.

It is also versatile and scalable. The entire series is built around a compact, negative-ion cyclotron with our vertical, mid-plane design. It features both proton and deuteron acceleration capability and you can further configure the system with various targets and process systems. This allows you to either increase your capacity or your tracer portfolio as your production needs grow.

To simplify site planning and streamline your building project, you can choose to equip any cyclotron in the PETtrace 800 Series with a radiation shield. Using a series of strategically designed lead and polyethylene blocks along with steel tanks filled with boronated water, the radiation shield removes the need for the large bunker that’s typically used for high energy cyclotrons.

With the PETtrace 800 Series, you can reliably deliver FDG to a large number of clients, or supply a research program with a wide range of tracers. It offers the efficiency required to facilitate your clinical schedules, flexibility for research protocols and the performance necessary to meet regional distribution demands.

Maximize your tracer production capacity

Versatility to produce a wide variety of different tracer-based compounds

Streamline workflow with a fully automated production sequence

Improve your capital efficiency with a small system footprint that is easy to install and easy to maintain

Reduce dose to personnel through an industry-leading design and integrated shielding

Secure your investment with a continuous upgrade path that allows you to increase capacity and add new features

Simplify site planning with a radiation shield option that eliminates the need for a large bunker infrastructure

MINItrace™ Qilin combines a small footprint with the capacity to go beyond in-house production to local distribution. It’s a fully automated, positron-emitting cyclotron capable of producing the isotopes needed to cover 99 percent of all clinical PET procedures. In addition, it can run several productions consecutively with high reliability. This gives it the capacity needed to support three to four in-house scanners, while also meeting your local distribution needs.

This highly versatile cyclotron can be configured in a number of different ways. By selecting different target systems and chemistry modules, you can explore tracer production for programs beyond oncology, such as neurology and cardiology.

MINItrace Qilin has one of the smallest footprints of all clinical cyclotrons, so it is easy to site and easy to install. It also comes with a self-shield option, giving you the flexibility to place it within an existing building.

Explore tracer production for programs beyond oncology, such as neurology and cardiology

Optimize production times by running several productions consecutively with high reliability

Streamline workflow with a fully automated production sequence

Improve your capital efficiency with a small system footprintthat has minimal siting requirements

Reduce dose to personnel through an industry-leading design

Secure your investment with a continuous upgrade path that allows you to increase capacity and add new features

Automated, easy-to-use and economical, GENtrace™ is the ideal single-particle cyclotron for hospitals looking to bring their tracer production in-house. Although it is optimized for production of FDG, it has the flexibility to accommodate research programs as well. With a 12-15 dose capacity per round of production and the ability to run consecutive rounds with no down time, it has sufficient capacity for hospitals with one or more PET/CT systems.

GENtrace includes several technical innovations that increase its reliability and make it easier to use. A turbo molecular pump provides a clean vacuum that enables a robust and stable beam and decreases the need for service interventions. The magnet yoke further increases its reliability and also improves the radiation shield by replacing the standard vacuum chamber and completely encapsulating the acceleration chamber.

In addition to the radiation protection provided by a vertical, mid-plane design, GENtrace features the industry’s most efficient radiation shield with an average surface dose of less than 3 μSv/h. This low dose rate is important because it allows siting in existing rooms without the need for additional infrastructure. The shield is also modular, which further simplifies the process of transporting it into an existing building.

Streamline workflow with a fully automated production sequence

Reduce dose to personnel through an innovative combination of radiation shielding technology and system design

Minimize maintenance downtime with reliable production designed to last for six months before requiring service

Improve your capital efficiency with a small system footprint that has minimal siting requirements and can be installed with little impact to any existing buildings

Secure your investment with a continuous upgrade path that allows you to increase capacity and add new features