Cyclotrons for Particle Therapy

TL;DR

This paper explains the workings, components, and advantages of cyclotrons in proton therapy, compares different types, and discusses recent developments aimed at reducing their size for medical applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of cyclotron technology in particle therapy, including recent innovations to miniaturize these accelerators.

Findings

Comparison between isochronous cyclotron and synchrocyclotron

Discussion of beam dynamics and subsystems

Presentation of new size-reduction developments

Abstract

In particle therapy with protons a cyclotron is one of the most used particle accelerators. Here it will be explained how a cyclotron works, some beam dynamics aspects, its major subsystems, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of a cyclotron for this application are discussed. The difference between the standard isochronous cyclotron and the synchrocyclotron is explained. New developments are presented and especially those which aim to reduce the size of the accelerator.