Project description
Cost-effective proton therapy
Proton therapy is a type of radiation therapy that uses a beam of high-energy protons to target and destroy cancer cells. Contrary to conventional X-ray radiation, proton therapy is safer as it is less likely to damage nearby healthy tissues. The EU-funded HIL PT System project aims to address the size and cost limitations of existing proton therapy instrumentation by developing an ultra-compact, high-performance system. Project partners envision making proton therapy widely accessible for the treatment of various types of cancer, including brain cancer, breast cancer, as well as paediatric tumours. Given the expected increase in cancer incidence in the coming years, the HIL PT System instrument offers an important treatment tool.
Objective
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 (PT) 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.
PT is the most advanced type of external-beam radiation therapy that uses protons at high energy to destroy cancer cells. It can be used alone or combined with other treatments e.g. radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and/or immunotherapy. PT is routinely used for cancer treatment, however it is limited by the sheer size and expense of the systems. There are currently only 102 operational PT facilities in the world, addressing less than 5% of clinical demand.
HIL has developed an ultra-compact, high-performance system for Proton Therapy. HIL’s advanced particle accelerator and beamline technologies make PT widely accessible by offering highly cost-effective single-room solutions. During this complimentary blended finance project, HIL intends to develop and manufacture its pre-Beta system in Israel's first PT centre. In addition, the development of the Beta version of the system will be carried out, which will enable the company to launch its first sales and undertake additional crucial commercial activities, preparing the company for widespread market penetration.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiology
- natural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsparticle physicsparticle accelerator
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinesurgery
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncology
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyimmunotherapy
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
9139000 Jerusalem
Israel
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.