Visit of Cyceron - Lycée Blaise Pascal Rouen

Visit of Cyceron

, par A. Pouliquen

In the afternoon,we went to Cyceron, a bio-medical imaging centre of research.
First we had a conference that presented the centre and explained the different equipment that we saw during the visit. It is a place where they use a particles accelerator to make radiotracers and to use them for medical projects like treatments for cancers.
Then researchers exlained to us how different machines work for obtaining usefull medical images. We saw an x-rays radiotherapy device on animals, a scanner combined with a PET and an MRI scanner.

Positrons are used in P.E.T → Positron Emission Tomography.

It is a diagnostic tool used to detect tumors and find out the cancer’s stage. It is a new way allowing to find precisely where the cancer is located in the body. This diagnostic is used to evaluate what kind of treatments can heal patients.

The PET-CT we saw in Cyceron (Caen). It combines a P.E.T and an X-ray Computed Tomography.

On the right hand side, the Image acquired by the PET and the Image acquired by the CT-scan
On the left hand side at the bottom of the screen, these images are combined into a single file which shows biological and functional information simultaneously.

A combined CT-scan and directive x-rays radiotherapy :
Nowadays, we use combined equipments , for example, a CT-scan and directive x-rays radiotherapy to be able to cure and to observe the tumour simultaneously. It is very important to minimize the dose used for each patient to avoid damaging healthy tissues.
It is a very interesting tool to prepare the project ARCHADE. ARCHADE is a hadron therapy research centre which will be built in 2016 near the GANIL and Cyceron.

The MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) :
It is a useful technique to obtain precise images of the body. This time we use a strong magnetic field and radio waves which interact with hydrogen atoms in our body. It is the only technique which avoids ionizing radiations !