Researchers in Krakow, Poland, have developed a new method for measuring hadron beam energy, aiming to improve the precision and safety of cancer treatment.
Improved Cancer Therapy Through Hadron Beam Control
Scientists from Krakow have harnessed the energy of hadron beams with two patents, seeking to enhance cancer treatment. This innovation is a nomination in the “Eureka – odkrywamy polskie wynalazki” (Eureka – discovering Polish inventions) competition hosted by Dziennik Gazety Prawnej.
The submitted invention is titled: “A novel method for measuring the energy and spread of a hadron beam based on the time-of-flight method.” It was developed by a team led by Dr. Wiktor Parol from the Henryk Niewodniczański Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow.
Understanding Hadron Beams
Hadrons are particles subject to strong interactions, composed of quarks; nucleons, such as protons and neutrons, are examples. A beam is a stream of particles, like protons, accelerated to high speeds and kinetic energies by devices called accelerators, explains Dr. Parol.
Precision Targeting of Tumors
High-speed beams allow scientists to probe matter or remove tumor tissue. Particles penetrate the body, depositing energy as they travel deeper, and releasing almost all their initial energy at the tumor’s depth, sparing surrounding tissues.
Measuring Beam Energy and Spread
Beam energy refers to the average kinetic energy of all protons within it. Each beam has a slight energy spread due to variations among protons. The new method also measures this spread, achieving an accuracy of less than 2.5 per mille in determining energy values, a strong result for a simple, millisecond-duration measurement.
Streamlining Treatment Planning and Verification
Currently, when medical physicists plan therapy, determining beam angles and radiation energy is only half the process. Producing the precise beam requires complex, time-consuming tests to ensure the cyclotron delivers the correct beam.
The Krakow researchers’ solution allows detectors to be mounted on the beam, with insertion and removal taking only seconds, and the measurement itself even faster. This enables testing before each patient’s therapy, increasing safety by identifying potential issues before irradiation.
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