Synchrotron radiation applications in medical research at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Conference · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

OSTI ID:628786

Thomlinson, W

In the relatively short time that synchrotrons have been available to the scientific community, their characteristic beams of UV and X-ray radiation have been applied to virtually all areas of medical science which use ionizing radiation. The ability to tune intense monochromatic beams over wide energy ranges clearly differentiates these sources from standard clinical and research tools. The tunable spectrum, high intrinsic collimation of the beams, polarization and intensity of the beams make possible in-vitro and in-vivo research and therapeutic programs not otherwise possible. From the beginning of research operation at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), many programs have been carrying out basic biomedical research. At first, the research was limited to in-vitro programs such as the x-ray microscope, circular dichroism, XAFS, protein crystallography, micro-tomography and fluorescence analysis. Later, as the coronary angiography program made plans to move its experimental phase from SSRL to the NSLS, it became clear that other in-vivo projects could also be carried out at the synchrotron. The development of SMERF (Synchrotron Medical Research Facility) on beamline X17 became the home not only for angiography but also for the MECT (Multiple Energy Computed Tomography) project for cerebral and vascular imaging. The high energy spectrum on X17 is necessary for the MRT (Microplanar Radiation Therapy) experiments. Experience with these programs and the existence of the Medical Programs Group at the NSLS led to the development of a program in synchrotron based mammography. A recent adaptation of the angiography hardware has made it possible to image human lungs (bronchography). Fig. 1 schematically depicts the broad range of active programs at the NSLS.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 628786
• Report Number(s): BNL--64696; CONF-970892--; ON: DE98000289
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
BLOOD VESSELS
BNL
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
CEREBRUM
COLLIMATORS
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
DICHROISM
FLUORESCENCE
IMAGES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LIGHT SOURCES
LUNGS
MICROSCOPES
POLARIZATION
PROTEINS
RADIOTHERAPY
SPECTRA
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
THERAPY