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Equipment
State of the Art Superconducting Accelerator
Proton therapy uses a particle accelerator-in this case, a 250-MeV superconducting cyclotron-to generate proton beams and deposit them accurately within tumors while sparing adjacent healthy tissues and organs. Unlike the more common photon radiotherapy, with beams that pass all the way through the patient's body, proton therapy beams can be set to stop and distribute most of their radiation dose at the depth of the tumor. This makes it possible to protect more healthy tissue, reducing side effects. A beam transport system carries the proton beam from the cyclotron to the patient in a treatment room.
Image courtesy of Varian Medical Systems |
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Beam Delivery to the Gantries
The facility includes rotating gantries and fixed beam rooms. Each three-story 200-ton steel gantry revolves 360 degrees around a patient so the proton beam can be delivered at any angle. In the fixed beam rooms, the patient is seated in a special chair or couch which is moved around the beam to a precise position. |
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Inside the Gantry
The proton delivery system is positioned to place the beam exactly in the tumor. The patient feels nothing during the treatment
.Photo courtesy of F. Carter Smith,
FCS Photos |
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