Abstract: A system and method for monitoring cyclotron operation includes a sensing and monitoring system having vacuum sensor for sensing whether an acceleration chamber associated with the cyclotron is evacuated, a target sensor for sensing various target conditions which would indicate a faulty target condition, and a synthesis sensor for sensing whether the synthesis of the positron-emitting radio chemical is proceeding as desired. The system and method also includes an alarm feature for alarming or otherwise notifying a radio chemist or technician that one or more of the aforementioned cyclotron failures has occurred before the failure damages equipment or otherwise causes a significant delay or cancellation in the production of the radio chemical which is subsequently injected into a patient during a positron-emitting tomography procedure. The system and method senses the various fault conditions and generating one or more user-friendly display and subsequent alarm in response thereto.