General aspects of the cyclotrons and radiochemical separation of: 11 C, 15 O, 18 F and 14 N

The particle accelerators, as the cyclotrons, are extraordinarily important as tools for the radioisotope production and its application in the area of the medicine. In this time, another method exists for the production of artificial radioisotopes, based on the irradiation of samples with alpha particles or with neutrons coming from a natural radioisotope being obtained a neutron source (Ra + Be, Rn + Be, Po + Be). However, its can be obtained a great quantity of radioisotopes by means of cyclotrons in very short time, compared with other methods. After the second world war, artificial radioisotopes took place by means of reactors and its had many applications, not only medical and in little time the accelerators were manufactured that were more indispensable that the reactors to produce radioisotopes with medical aims. For this reason, the accelerators, in few years became in machines very important for the production of artificial radioisotopes and consequently its were developed techniques of radioactive traces progressively more sophisticated, since it is evident that the production of radioactive nuclei through nuclear reactors its cannot satisfy all the demands. In general terms, only the neutrons can be used as nuclear projectiles in reactors and as a result, the production spectra of radioisotopes is limited and as alternative it is unavoidable that the cyclotrons are a good tool for this end. The use of a cyclotron to produce radioisotopes, it can be justified, only if the following conditions are completed. 1. If the radioisotopes of an element produced in a reactor don't favor with the nuclear properties for the purposes of the traced studies, for example: if the half life is very short or very big, if the decay system not to suit him. 2. If the wanted radioisotope cannot produce in the reactor with enough specific activity. (Author)