Preparation of small animal irradiation experiemnts with laser-accelerated protons


Preparation of small animal irradiation experiemnts with laser-accelerated protons

Kroll, F.; Beyreuther, E.; Brack, F.-E.; Gaus, L.; Karsch, L.; Kraft, S.; Metzkes, J.; Pawelke, J.; Schlenvoigt, H.-P.; Schürer, M.; Zeil, K.; Schramm, U.

Laser-driven ion acceleration has been considered a potential alternative for conventional accelerators that may provide for a more compact and cost-efficient particle therapy solution in the future. The beam properties of laser-accelerated beams strongly differ from quasi-continuous beams from synchrotrons or cyclotrons. Laser-driven ion bunches are typically picoseconds short, yet carry up to 10^13 particles with a broad energy spectrum and high divergence.

A current driving question is whether the highly intense pulsed ion beams obtain an equivalent biological effectiveness compared to quasi-continuous beams in the case that a living organism is irradiated. Therefore, a controlled small animal irradiation (LN229 glioblastoma cells on nude mouse ear) will be performed at the Dresden laser acceleration source Draco using an intense proton beam.

The talk gives a general overview on laser-acceleration efforts in the context of translational medical research at HZDR and focuses on the experimental preparation and characterization of a proton beamline based on two pulsed high-field (20 T) solenoid magnets. The magnets match the pulsed nature of the particle source and provide for efficient beam capture, transport and field formation. Two challenging experimental tasks will be critically discussed: First, 25 MeV proton beam production at mean dose rates of the order of Gy/min with a high degree of reproducibility. And second, the generation of homogeneous lateral and depth dose distributions by means of the beam transport system.

  • Lecture (Conference)
    BMTMedPhys 2017 - Jahrestagung der BIOMEDIZINISCHEN TECHNIK und Dreiländertagung der MEDIZINISCHEN PHYSIK, 10.-13.09.2017, Dresden, Deutschland
    DOI: 10.1515/bmt-2017-5044

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-26923
Publ.-Id: 26923