JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (April 7, 2016) — The University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute today announced vendor selections for its $39 million expansion and upgrades. The project is being managed by the University of Florida Planning, Design & Construction Division.
UF Health Proton Therapy Institute has signed an agreement with IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) to install the proton therapy equipment manufacturer’s compact Proteus®One system. The single-room treatment system is the centerpiece of the multiphase project announced earlier this year. IBA will also install advanced treatment technologies to the existing proton therapy system.
The construction manager selected for the 10,000-square-foot expansion is Gilbane Building Company. The company’s Jacksonville office will oversee the project. Gilbane has extensive experience in building hospitals and health care facilities, including multiple proton therapy facilities in the United States.
The architectural firm chosen to design the expansion is Walker Architects, Inc. Based in Gainesville, Florida, recent projects include the renovation and expansion of the University of Florida’s J. Wayne Reitz Union.
The first phase of the project is underway and includes upgrades to the original system, targeted for completion by June 2016. Funded in part by a $5.8 million budget allocation by the Florida Legislature, the first phase includes adding rolling floors under the treatment tables in two of the gantries, a new imaging system and a new treatment planning system. These updates will enhance efficiency, patient and staff safety, and treatment accuracy.
Phase two will encompass the expansion design, construction and installation of the single-room proton therapy system.
Phase three involves retrofitting one treatment gantry with a dedicated pencil beam scanning nozzle and adding cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to all three existing gantries. Pencil beam scanning is an advanced form of proton therapy delivery using a thin beam of protons. Similar to the way one uses a pencil to color in a shape with back and forth strokes, pencil beam scanning uses back and forth strokes calibrated to the exact shape, size and depth of the treatment area. Pencil beam scanning will offer clinical advantages for treating certain kinds of cancer. CBCT is an imaging device used for accurate patient positioning.
About Proton Therapy
Proton therapy is an advanced form of radiation therapy that uses protons rather than traditional X-rays. It targets tumors and cancer cells more precisely. This means less damage to surrounding tissue which results in a lower risk of side effects and a better quality of life during and after cancer treatment.
UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization affiliated with the UF College of Medicine and the UF Health Cancer Center, a Florida Cancer Center of Excellence, dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art cancer treatment and setting new standards for treating and curing cancer. It is an accredited radiation oncology facility by the American College of Radiology. The cancer treatment facility houses both conventional radiation and proton therapy, and delivers proton therapy to 100 patients a day. For more information about the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, please visit www.floridaproton.org, or call toll-free 877-686-6009.
