First Chinese 10 MeV ultra-compact medical cyclotron successfully developed

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CNNC, PUBLISHED 12.05.2026

The China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), under the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), has successfully developed the country's first 10 MeV ultra-compact medical cyclotron, with all key performance indices meeting design requirements. The cyclotron can produce a range of commonly used short-lived medical isotopes, including Fluorine-18, Gallium-68, and Carbon-11. These isotopes are widely used as imaging agents in nuclear medicine, enabling precise tumor detection and early diagnosis.

Featuring a compact size, lower cost, and easy maintenance, the cyclotron supports the "on-site production, immediate use" model for short-lived isotopes, providing strong technical support for the miniaturization and practical deployment of medical cyclotrons.

Conventional isotope production equipment has long been constrained by large size and high cost, limiting broader adoption of nuclear medicine technology. To address this, the CIAE research team overcame multiple technical challenges, reducing the footprint of the main unit to just 1.4 meters by 1.4 meters, significantly expanding application scenarios. The team also developed multi-isotope target technology, allowing a single cyclotron to flexibly produce a range of commonly used isotopes. Supported by CIAE's industrial fund and independently invested, the cyclotron adopted the advanced Integrated Product Development (IPD) model, completing the core system in just 10 months.

Going forward, CIAE will continue to optimize system performance, strengthen collaboration with industry and medical institutions, and advance drug synthesis validation and standardization of the full isotope production system - further supporting the high-quality development of China's nuclear technology application sector.

Topics: Asia, China

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