Test bench to commission a third ion source beam line and a newly designed extraction system

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Particle Accelerator Technology
• Radiation Oncology

Background:

• The Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT) utilizes electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion sources for proton and carbon ion therapy.
• Routine operations since 2006 involve two 14.5 GHz ECR ion sources.
• A need for helium beams for patient treatment necessitates the integration of a new ion source.

Purpose of the Study:

• To commission and validate a new Supernanogan ECR ion source and its associated extraction system and spectrometer line.
• To evaluate the beam quality improvements for helium, proton, and carbon beams using different extraction system configurations.
• To assess the feasibility of integrating the new ion source into the existing HIT production facility.

Main Methods:

• Installation of a third ECR ion source (Supernanogan) on a dedicated test bench at HIT.
• Systematic measurements with varied extraction system setups.
• Characterization of beam quality parameters for helium, proton, and carbon beams.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated successful commissioning of the Supernanogan ion source and its associated systems.
• Quantified improvements in beam quality for helium, proton, and carbon beams through optimized extraction configurations.
• Validation of the new ion source's performance for potential clinical application.

Conclusions:

• The new Supernanogan ion source and extraction system show promise for enhancing beam quality at HIT.
• Successful validation paves the way for integrating helium beam capabilities into clinical practice.
• Further development will focus on seamless integration into the production facility for expanded patient treatment options.