Europäisches Forschungszentrum für Teilchenphysik (CERN)

About CERN

CERN is the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. Scientists from all over the world use CERN's unique facilities to explore how the universe works, while pushing the boundaries of technology for the benefit of society. The laboratory is home to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) with a circumference of 27 km; the facility is currently being upgraded during Long Shutdown 3 to become the High-Luminosity LHC (HiLumi LHC), which is intended to increase the number of particle collisions by a factor of ten. In addition to fundamental research, CERN operates CERN-MEDICIS (Medical Isotopes Collected from ISOLDE), a facility for the production of unconventional radioisotopes for medical research, aimed at more precise patient imaging and treatment. The isotopes are distributed to hospitals and research centres in Switzerland and across Europe. Complementing this, CERN is engaged in knowledge and technology transfer as well as training programmes such as the Marie Skłodowska-Curie network MEDICIS-PROMED.

Site

Geneva/Meyrin

Processes

Production of unconventional radioisotopes for medical research (CERN-MEDICIS), Isotope mass separation (ISOLDE), Knowledge and technology transfer (Knowledge Transfer), Training programmes (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network MEDICIS-PROMED)

Materials

Isotope Mass Separator Online (ISOLDE), CERN-MEDICIS, High-Luminosity LHC

Industries

Particle physics, Accelerator technology, Nuclear medicine/Radiopharmaceuticals, Scientific computing, Medical technology (imaging/Hadron therapy)

1. 01

   Operation of the accelerator complex (including ISOLDE, SPS, LHC)

2. 02

   Isotope production at CERN-MEDICIS

3. 03

   Isotope mass separation (ISOLDE)

4. 04

   Distribution of isotopes to hospitals and research centres

5. 05

   Knowledge and technology transfer

6. 06

   Training (MEDICIS-PROMED)

Processes and Technologies

Locations

CERN-MEDICIS (Geneva/Meyrin)

CH

Radioisotope production for medical research

Materials

Radioisotopes (including 11C, 169Erbium, Terbium)

• ISOLDE isotope mass separator
• Accelerator complex

Facilities and Components

Inside the production

History

1. 1983

   Discovery of the W and Z bosons

2. 1989

   Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web at CERN

3. 2008

   Commissioning of the Large Hadron Collider (27 km)

4. 2012

   Discovery of the Higgs boson by ATLAS and CMS

5. 2015

   Start of the EU project MEDICIS-PROMED (duration until 31.12.2018, EU funding €2.8m; CERN share €795k; CERN as coordinator)

6. 2017

   CERN-MEDICIS enters the commissioning phase; first isotope production on 12.12.2017

7. 2018

   Formal launch of the CERN-MEDICIS collaboration with its first board meeting and signing of the Memorandum of Understanding

8. 2026

   Long Shutdown 3: conversion of the LHC into the High-Luminosity LHC (HiLumi); the SPS turns 50; letter of intent with Mistral on AI for science