Initiated in March 2016 to strengthen links and collaborations between scientists working on nuclear energy, ENSAR 2 ended in August 2021. GIP ARRONAX participated in the activities on radioisotopes for therapy and medical imaging of this European program.
Within the framework of the ENSAR 2 project, the RITMI (Radio-Isotopes for Therapy and Medical Imaging) sub-project, coordinated by CERN and the ILL (Institut Laue Langevin), aimed to develop new technologies for the production of medical radioisotopes that are impossible to produce with conventional methods in medical cyclotrons. This was made possible by the facilities of the ENSAR2 partners with unique technologies, such as intense alpha and light ion beams, high energy proton beams, high neutron flux and efficient mass separation methods.
The aim was to demonstrate that these technologies can be applied to provide radioisotopes in high demand for preclinical and clinical research, in this case alpha emitters and “matched pairs” of scandium isotopes. The work was also expected to lead to the construction of an isotope collection chamber on the ISOLDE facility at CERN.
GIP ARRONAX has used its cyclotron to produce scandium (Sc) isotopes, in particular 43 Sc, using 40Ca irradiated with alpha particles.
In addition, a collaboration between the GIP ARRONAX, through the work of the postdoc ENSAR2 Fabien Lafont, the ILL, the PSI and the CERN allowed to develop different concepts needed for the development of a shielded collection chamber. This collection chamber was then mounted and tested at ILL, then installed at ISOLDE on the GLM beam line in extension of the existing SSP collection chamber.
Contact : Ferid Haddad