Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HIL PT System (Revolutionary, cost effective, spatially efficient, proton therapy system for cancer treatment.)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2017-12-01 al 2018-03-31
Cancer is a global problem with 14.1 million new cases occurring annually and an expected increase of 68% by 2030. Ensuring effective and safe treatment remains a significant challenge for healthcare organisations. Studies have shown proton therapy to be effective in treating many types of tumours, including tumours of the prostate, brain, head and neck, central nervous system, lung, and gastrointestinal system as well as cancers that cannot be removed completely by surgery. Proton therapy is the most advanced type of external-beam radiation therapy; it uses protons - positively charged particles - at high energy to destroy cancer cells. Proton therapy is routinely used for cancer treatment. However widespread adoption is severely limited by the sheer size and expense of the systems. There are currently only 66 operational proton therapy facilities in the world, addressing only 3-5% of clinical demand. HIL Applied Medical overcomes these limitations through its ultra-compact and high-performance proton therapy system that overcomes these limitations saving up to 50% space and reducing costs by up to 80%.
HIL undertook a full analysis of both the technical and business potential of the HIL PT System concluding that it would be highly valuable for the medical industry. HIL reviewed the results achieved with their first two proton accelerators (low energy systems) to determine the engineering required for a high energy system. HIL defined the remaining engineering activities to be performed to scale-up the laser accelerator performance, achieve technical validation of the proton accelerator and the delivery system design, and achieve the first commercial sale. HIL also utilised the feasibility study to validate the regulatory pathway, scout missing stakeholders in the value chain and reach out to potential customers.
The expected outcome of the project is to successfully upgrade the system and demonstrate the clinical performance of the laser proton accelerator. The results will be used to apply for the CE Mark certification and enable commercialisation in Europe. The proton therapy system will enable widespread adoption of more advanced therapies at a more affordable price. The HIL PT System development will boost economic growth and create jobs within HIL.