Move of cyclotron Cyclone 18/9

After more than 25 years of loyal service, the old cyclotron has been removed from its protective 2-meter-thick concrete jacket. The cyclotron, a particle accelerator, has been used by BV Cyclotron VU since 1997 to produce radioisotopes for medical use. In the meantime we  moved to the Imaging Center Amsterdam, where our new Cyclone KIUBE cyclotrons are fully operational producing radioisotopes. Therefore the old cyclotrons have become obsolete.

Safety

The old cyclotron shut down last year to ensure that most radioactivity can decay and that the machine, weighing more than 20 tons, can be removed from the vault safely. The lifting and transport was agreed by  the ANVS (Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority).

Sustainability

After all these years of loyal service in Amsterdam, the cyclotron will now be transported to Romania where it will be installed again to produce radioactive isotopes. It is of course wonderful that this cyclotron will get a second life elsewhere in Europe. Later this year, two more cyclotrons will be repurposed, and preparations for this have already started.

Top team effort

It is not often that a cyclotron needs to be moved. A dedicated team worked hard to prepare this special transport, and everything went safely and smoothly today! A project we can be proud of.