Cyclotron Design Studies for a Medical Ion Accelerator

A two year design study has been completed for medical ion accelerators with beams of sufficient range and intensity for therapy. The particles of main interest were ions between carbon and neon, but the generation of proton and neutron beams was studied also. Cyclotrons appear to be good injectors for a heavy ion medical synchrotron, particularly if neutron and/or isotope production is desired as well. They also offer a competitive solution for proton beams of 250 MeV. A superconducting cyclotron design for 380 MeV/u carbon was worked out, but a synchrotron for heavy ion beams of 400-600 MeV/u and 5 × 109 particles/sec was found to be more economical and flexible.