Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HITRIplus (Heavy Ion Therapy Research Integration plus)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2021-04-01 do 2022-09-30
The HITRIplus Starting Community initiative aims at gathering a wide multidisciplinary consortium, in a collaborative and structured way, to favour the access of a larger number of researchers, clinicians and patients to this advanced treatment technique (elective for tumours not curable with x-rays and protons) and to reduce cost and size of the existing and future particle accelerators required to accelerate the ions to the treatment energy. Its Transnational Access will integrate and open to external researchers the experimental and clinical research programmes of the four European therapy facilities. Its NA pillar will link the community with research and industrial networks and will favour formation and information. Its Joint Research Activities will develop new accelerator and beam delivery technologies aiming also at extending the reach of the present generation of European ion therapy centres in terms of experimental programme and therapy techniques.
During the first 18 months of HITRIplus all WPs have performed as expected and planned, 10 out of 10 Deliverables and 10 out of 10 Milestones have been reached and documented.
WP1 has constantly supervised and coordinated all the financial and administrative aspects. Among the tools created we underline the INDICO webpage, where all WP meetings and related documents are stored and available, the Zenodo community as multi-disciplinary open repository.
WP2 strengthened and enhanced the hadron therapy community by social networks including twitter, YouTube; the monthly HITRIplus seminar has been particularly successful which now has global reach. WP2 has also helped to build bridges between experts and researchers by interacting with ENLIGHT, INSPIRE, EPTN, ESTRO and PTCOG communities.
In WP3 promising innovative use of carbon ions was selected for further development: LET/dirty-dose optimization for bulky diseases. A common database for sharing patient data has been created. The third subtask consists in promoting data sharing and common strategies in terms of dose constraints to organs at risk (OARs). In the SACRO trial the collected dose constraints will update the rectum dose constraints.
WP4 focuses on Innovation, technology transfer and industry relation and organised two meetings per year with the Technology Overview Committee. An industrial database was established. Several industrial companies expressed interest triggering the drafting of a MoU.
The goal of WP5 is to train and educate a new generation of researchers in Heavy Ion Therapy. One specialised course focussing on medical physics took place for about 60 students; a masterclass school held with 1050 registrants. Two internships and three secondment positions opened. Four already activated in P1.
The tasks of WP6 concern the provision of transnational access to the 5 European hadron accelerator facilities to clinical and scientific users. Over 100 hours of beamtime for research in 7 projects have been approved. In clinical TA, 3 applications for treatment have been submitted and approved.
WP7 has progressed in the design of new accelerator components, core of the next generation of accelerators for iontherapy. A SC synchrotron based on a triangular lattice with simple magnets and only 3 straight sections. Multi-turn injection with the most advanced ion source. Extraction in FLASH mode has been also studied. The reference design of the injector linac completed. Several configurations of the rotating SC gantry analysed with the final choice of a 360 degrees layout.
In WP8 the main SC bending magnet design parameters have been established: 4 T dipole field, 0.4 T/s ramp rate, 1 m length, 80 mm bore diameter, 25 % of loadline margin, iron yoke collar. It has been decided to pursue a CCT magnet layout based on Nb-Ti superconductor. The demonstrator magnet construction started.
WP9 focusses on a novel upright patient positioning. The upright position is taken as basis to develop carbon ion arc therapy. A Conceptual design report was compiled. The treatment planning system TRiP98 was also extended to this use.
WP10 defined an architectural model of multi-energy extraction from synchrotrons, reducing operation time and costs. Beam characteristic libraries and control systems were tracked and documented.
WP11 analysed the state-of-the-art and existing implementations for treatment room, accelerator control and patient safety systems. Innovative ideas are developing and the necessary requirements and technical solutions underway.
In WP12 a dosimetry standardization for radiobiological experiments to compare research results between centres has been defined. Same cell line and phantom for in vitro dosimetry by means of clonogenic survival are used.
WP13 set out the ethics requirements that the project must comply.
WP1 has constantly supervised and coordinated all the financial and administrative aspects. Among the tools created we underline the INDICO webpage, where all WP meetings and related documents are stored and available, the Zenodo community as multi-disciplinary open repository.
WP2 strengthened and enhanced the hadron therapy community by social networks including twitter, YouTube; the monthly HITRIplus seminar has been particularly successful which now has global reach. WP2 has also helped to build bridges between experts and researchers by interacting with ENLIGHT, INSPIRE, EPTN, ESTRO and PTCOG communities.
In WP3 promising innovative use of carbon ions was selected for further development: LET/dirty-dose optimization for bulky diseases. A common database for sharing patient data has been created. The third subtask consists in promoting data sharing and common strategies in terms of dose constraints to organs at risk (OARs). In the SACRO trial the collected dose constraints will update the rectum dose constraints.
WP4 focuses on Innovation, technology transfer and industry relation and organised two meetings per year with the Technology Overview Committee. An industrial database was established. Several industrial companies expressed interest triggering the drafting of a MoU.
The goal of WP5 is to train and educate a new generation of researchers in Heavy Ion Therapy. One specialised course focussing on medical physics took place for about 60 students; a masterclass school held with 1050 registrants. Two internships and three secondment positions opened. Four already activated in P1.
The tasks of WP6 concern the provision of transnational access to the 5 European hadron accelerator facilities to clinical and scientific users. Over 100 hours of beamtime for research in 7 projects have been approved. In clinical TA, 3 applications for treatment have been submitted and approved.
WP7 has progressed in the design of new accelerator components, core of the next generation of accelerators for iontherapy. A SC synchrotron based on a triangular lattice with simple magnets and only 3 straight sections. Multi-turn injection with the most advanced ion source. Extraction in FLASH mode has been also studied. The reference design of the injector linac completed. Several configurations of the rotating SC gantry analysed with the final choice of a 360 degrees layout.
In WP8 the main SC bending magnet design parameters have been established: 4 T dipole field, 0.4 T/s ramp rate, 1 m length, 80 mm bore diameter, 25 % of loadline margin, iron yoke collar. It has been decided to pursue a CCT magnet layout based on Nb-Ti superconductor. The demonstrator magnet construction started.
WP9 focusses on a novel upright patient positioning. The upright position is taken as basis to develop carbon ion arc therapy. A Conceptual design report was compiled. The treatment planning system TRiP98 was also extended to this use.
WP10 defined an architectural model of multi-energy extraction from synchrotrons, reducing operation time and costs. Beam characteristic libraries and control systems were tracked and documented.
WP11 analysed the state-of-the-art and existing implementations for treatment room, accelerator control and patient safety systems. Innovative ideas are developing and the necessary requirements and technical solutions underway.
In WP12 a dosimetry standardization for radiobiological experiments to compare research results between centres has been defined. Same cell line and phantom for in vitro dosimetry by means of clonogenic survival are used.
WP13 set out the ethics requirements that the project must comply.
Strengthening and enhancing the hadron therapy community, involvement of new experts and researchers by interacting with INSPIRE, EPTN, ESTRO, ENLIGHT and PTCOG communities.
Development of common standards and common treatment protocols of CIRT. Building common treatment database and platform to share data and define standards.
Dissemination of the HITRIplus technologies at benefit of EU industries.
Support the reinforcement of a knowledge-based multidisciplinary network of trained and well-informed students, researchers and practitioners.
Wider, simplified and efficient access to the best research infrastructures. Improved patient recruitment strategy and quality of life. Engagement with the wider medical community.
The accelerator designs that are under development will allow a wider access to ion therapy: a smaller and less expensive synchrotron, compact superconducting gantry, new positioning devices, new delivery and control systems that can be used also to upgrade the existing ion therapy centres. Innovation is fostered through a reinforced partnership of research infrastructures with industry:
Studies on radiobiological dosimetry will assure high inter-comparability for multicentre studies, integration and creation of common sets of data.
Development of common standards and common treatment protocols of CIRT. Building common treatment database and platform to share data and define standards.
Dissemination of the HITRIplus technologies at benefit of EU industries.
Support the reinforcement of a knowledge-based multidisciplinary network of trained and well-informed students, researchers and practitioners.
Wider, simplified and efficient access to the best research infrastructures. Improved patient recruitment strategy and quality of life. Engagement with the wider medical community.
The accelerator designs that are under development will allow a wider access to ion therapy: a smaller and less expensive synchrotron, compact superconducting gantry, new positioning devices, new delivery and control systems that can be used also to upgrade the existing ion therapy centres. Innovation is fostered through a reinforced partnership of research infrastructures with industry:
Studies on radiobiological dosimetry will assure high inter-comparability for multicentre studies, integration and creation of common sets of data.