Patent ID: 7466085

Claim:
An improved cyclotron for producing radioisotopes especially for use in association with medical imaging, the improvement comprising: a first platform defining a first recess; a first plurality of permanent magnets disposed in a circular array within said first recess; a second platform defining a second recess; a second plurality of permanent magnets disposed in a circular array within said second recess and corresponding to said first plurality of permanent magnets to define a plurality of permanent magnet pairs when said first platform and said second platform are engaged, wherein each of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs defines a gap between one of said first plurality of permanent magnets and one of said second plurality of permanent magnets; a vacuum chamber defined by said first recess and said second recess when said first platform and said second platform are engaged; a plurality of dees disposed within said vacuum chamber, one of said plurality of dees being disposed between pairs of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs, each of said plurality of dees defining a proximal end oriented toward a center of said circular array and an oppositely disposed distal end, wherein each of said plurality of dees defines an interior channel, and wherein said gap defined between each of said plurality of permanent magnet pairs being adapted to cooperate with said interior channel of each of said plurality of dees to define a volume through which ions generated by said an source travel, whereby said ions are accelerated through said interior channel of each of said plurality of dees and drift through said interior channel of each of said plurality of permanent magnets; and an oscillator in electrical connection with and in order to oscillate a polarity of each of said plurality of dees.