by
Barbara Kram, Editor | October 21, 2009
"It's [about the same] radio frequency that powers a radio station... [the proton] gains energy and spirals as it accelerates... and you deflect it out of the machine," said Dr. Maughan.
Inside the gantry,
Dr. Maughan explains
the multi-leaf collimator
Once the beam leaves the cyclotron, a long system of magnets adjusts the beam strength before it is sent to the treatment rooms. Four of the rooms are fitted with gantries--large rotating structures with 100-ton magnets to direct the beam at any angle. (The fifth room is a fixed-beam design.) The beam is also conformed through an adjustable multi-leaf collimator to target the tumor.
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Because the proton beam is so precise, it must be dispersed into the tumor. This is accomplished either through a scattering or a layered scanning technique. Penn can do both but plans to begin its work using scattered beams because they cause no problems with organ motion.
Research partners for Penn include the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the U.S. military. Vendor partners in some of the technology at the University of Pennsylvania Roberts Proton Therapy Center include Varian and IBA.
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