Cobalt-60 is a radioactive isotope used in industrial applications and medical sciences, particularly in cancer therapy as an alternative to X-rays. It emits gamma rays for effective tumor treatment through teletherapy machines, which direct radiation at cancerous tissues while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. Originally introduced in the 1950s, cobalt therapy represented a significant advancement in radiotherapy but is now less common due to the high costs and need for specialized setup.

1. COBALT -60
SIR SYED UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND
TECHNOLOGY
SYED HAMMAD
AKHTER
2012-BM-071
PRESENTED TO
ENGR. FAHAD
AKBER

2. COBALT -60
 A radioactive form of cobalt -60
prepared by exposing cobalt to the
radiation of an atomic pulse is
useful in industry and medical
sciences.
 It is use in place of x-rays in
inspection of material to several
internal structures flames or
foreign objects.
 It is used in cancer therapy and as
a radiation tumor inn biology and
industry.
 Used for teletherapy
 Naturally cobalt appear as C59 but
artificially make it C40
 Unstable and emit radiation

3. Components
Stand in isocentric machines
Housing support assembly in
stands that focus the radiation at
one point
Gantry
Allows Gamma rays by the rotating
source around a fix position.
Beam collimator
Present in source housing and
prevent unwanted radiation
emission
Radioactive source
It is housed in capsule of metal to
prevent contamination and
dangerous emission
Machine console
Outside bunker (protect from

4. MEDICAL
APPLICATION
COBALT(CO):
Occurrence, properties and uses natural
cobalt is all stable isotope. Cobalt 59 from
which the largest lived artificial
radioactive isotope cobalt-60( 5-3)years
half life is produced by neutron irradiation
in a nuclear reactor.
RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPE:
Radioactive isotopes have many useful
application. In medicine, for example in
extensively employed as a radiation
source to arrest the development of
cancer.

5. CANCER TREATMENT
Cobalt therapy or cobalt-60
therapy is the medical use
of gamma rays from
the radioisotope cobalt-60 to treat
conditions such as cancer.
Beginning in the 1950s cobalt-
60 was widely used in external
beam radiotherapy (teletherapy)
machines, which produced a
beam of gamma rays which was
directed into the patient's body to
kill tumor tissue.
Because these "cobalt
machines" were expensive and
required specialist support they
were often housed in cobalt units.
Cobalt therapy was a
revolutionary advance in
radiotherapy in the post-World
War 2 period but is now being
Patient receiving cobalt-60 therapy in an early
teletherapy machine, probably early 1950s.
The cobalt is in the radiation head (top center),
which produces a beam of gamma rays which
penetrate the patient's body and strike the
tumor. Radiation passing through the patient is
absorbed by the lead shield opposite. During
therapy, the head unit rotates slowly around
the patient to reduce the radiation dose to
healthy tissue.