Saskatchewan's first Cyclotron arrives at U of S
Construction of the cyclotron facility at the University of Saskatchewan achieved a significant milestone today with the arrival of the facility's heart: a state-of-the-art TR-24 cyclotron manufactured by Advanced Cyclotron Systems Inc. of Burnaby, B.C.
By Jennifer Thoma
"The arrival of this versatile and technologically advanced machine is an exciting step toward realizing the dream of our federal-provincial partnership to create a new Saskatchewan resource for research, education and innovation in nuclear medicine," said Karen Chad, U of S vice-president research.
"The cyclotron facility will build upon Saskatchewan's pioneering work in nuclear medicine and adds to our cluster of cutting-edge imaging technology, providing unparalleled opportunities for research into plants, animals and humans."
The cyclotron is a particle accelerator that produces radioisotopes by bombarding target materials with high-energy protons. The Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation (Fedoruk Centre) at the U of S will operate the cyclotron and an associated lab facility for research, innovation and training, as well as for producing medical isotopes for clinical use.
"This facility, the first in the province, will advance medical research, diagnosing diseases such as cancer, and providing radioisotopes for other areas of scientific research," said John Root, the Fedoruk Centre's interim executive director. "This powerful tool places Saskatchewan in the top tier of nuclear medicine research."
The cyclotron was placed by crane inside its new home on the U of S campus - a massive concrete vault adjoining a refurbished building that will house laboratory facilities to process radioisotopes produced by the cyclotron. These radioisotopes will be used in nuclear medicine, such as at the PET-CT scanner at Royal University Hospital, and for research.
Funding for the cyclotron and PET-CT scanner was announced March 4, 2011 by funding partners Western Economic Diversification Canada and the Saskatchewan government. Â Construction of the $25-million project began in June 2013 and is expected to be completed at the end of September 2014, with the facility becoming operational in October 2015.
For further information, contact:
Matthew Dalzell
Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation
306-966-3379
matthew.dalzell@usask.ca
Jennifer Thoma
Media Relations Specialist
University Marketing and Communications Team
306-966-1851
"The cyclotron facility will build upon Saskatchewan's pioneering work in nuclear medicine and adds to our cluster of cutting-edge imaging technology, providing unparalleled opportunities for research into plants, animals and humans."
The cyclotron is a particle accelerator that produces radioisotopes by bombarding target materials with high-energy protons. The Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation (Fedoruk Centre) at the U of S will operate the cyclotron and an associated lab facility for research, innovation and training, as well as for producing medical isotopes for clinical use.
"This facility, the first in the province, will advance medical research, diagnosing diseases such as cancer, and providing radioisotopes for other areas of scientific research," said John Root, the Fedoruk Centre's interim executive director. "This powerful tool places Saskatchewan in the top tier of nuclear medicine research."
The cyclotron was placed by crane inside its new home on the U of S campus - a massive concrete vault adjoining a refurbished building that will house laboratory facilities to process radioisotopes produced by the cyclotron. These radioisotopes will be used in nuclear medicine, such as at the PET-CT scanner at Royal University Hospital, and for research.
Funding for the cyclotron and PET-CT scanner was announced March 4, 2011 by funding partners Western Economic Diversification Canada and the Saskatchewan government. Â Construction of the $25-million project began in June 2013 and is expected to be completed at the end of September 2014, with the facility becoming operational in October 2015.
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For further information, contact:
Matthew Dalzell
Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation
306-966-3379
matthew.dalzell@usask.ca
Jennifer Thoma
Media Relations Specialist
University Marketing and Communications Team
306-966-1851