As Mayo Clinic works to bring carbon ion therapy to the U.S. early next year, it has enlisted the software expertise of Cosylab, a Slovenia-based provider of cutting-edge software and electronics for particle accelerators and cancer therapy systems.

"We are thrilled to collaborate with such an institution as Mayo Clinic, one of the world's most renowned clinics in radiation therapy and medicine in general," said Mark Pleško, CEO of Cosylab, in a statement. "Together, we aim to redefine cancer care by harnessing the power of technology, innovation, and clinical expertise."

In 2022, Mayo Clinic kicked off construction on a $233 million integrated oncology building in Jacksonville, Florida, where it will offer proton beam and carbon ion therapy. In addition to a carbon ion system built by Hitachi, the three-story, 225,000-square-foot building will also include two proton beam treatment rooms, two linear accelerators, and CT and MR patient imaging.

Carbon ion therapy belongs to a family of particle therapies which include protons, helium and other ions. Carbon ions have a mass 12 times the weight and size of proton ions and are much more destructive to cancer cells and tumors, according to Mayo Clinic.

Carbon ion therapy is not currently FDA approved. However, working with Hitachi, Mayo Clinic intends to undertake a robust scientific evaluation and analysis of the technology's capabilities and identify which cancers would be most appropriate for treatment.

The newly-announced partnership focuses on integrating Mayo Clinic's research and algorithms with Cosylab's software to develop new clinical applications. The details of the collaboration will be presented at the PTCOG 62 Conference, underway in Singapore from June 10 to June 15, 2024.

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