Institute of Particle Physics and Accelerator Technologies
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Institute of Particle Physics and Accelerator Technologies

HITRIplus

The goal of the EU Horizon 2020 project «Heavy Ion Therapy Research Integration plus» (HITRIplus) is to integrate and propel biophysics and medical research on cancer treatment with heavy ions beams while jointly developing its sophisticated instruments. The “plus” comes from the ambition to prepare for the construction of a next generation heavy ion Research Infrastructure in the South East Europe, to boost research and cooperation in a region trying to rebuild after a troubled past.

HITRIplus has gathered a consortium spreading across 14 European countries. It involves all four European ion therapy centres, two world-class accelerator research centres, and 16 outstanding institutions, universities, industries. A strategic partner is the South East European International Institute for Sustainable Technologies, which federates eight countries in South East Europe.

Cancer is a central health problem for our society. Heavy ion beams irradiate tumours by focussing on the ill tissue while sparing the healthy part around, more effectively than any other irradiation treatment. The wider objective of HITRIplus is to provide radiation oncologists with a cutting-edge complementary tool to conventional Radiation Therapy, capable of treating the fraction of tumours that are not curable with X-rays or protons or have better survival rates or lower recurrences.

HITRIplus Transnational Access will integrate and open to external researchers the experimental programme of the five European facilities providing therapeutic ion beams. Its Networks will structure and foster the research on heavy ion therapy, including clinical and pre-clinical research. Joint Research Activities will develop new accelerator and beam delivery technologies to extend the reach of the present generation centres and to define a new European reference design, at lower cost and dimensions, to make cancer ion therapy more accessible and to open new markets to European industry.
 
RTU role in the project
RTU will be contributing to the WP7 gantry development task with its expertise in the mechanical engineering, 3D modelling and integration. It will be done in close collaboration and integrating within the relevant CERN development team along with experts of CNAO and other WP7 participants.

Prof. Torims and his team from the Center of High Energy Physics and Accelerator Technologies of RTU have considerable experience in the advanced accelerator integration projects. Such as ARIES proof-of-concept project “Development of hybrid electron accelerator system for the treatment of marine diesel exhaust gases”, where apart from the overall project management RTU was responsible for the overall design of the concept, mechanical engineering and mechatronics developments.

WP7 - Innovative accelerator design such as novel linear accelerator (linac) injector design for higher energy and current, a new multi-turn injection scheme for ion synchrotrons, and a combined slow and fast extraction for increasing the research reach towards alternative experimental and treatment modalities (e.g. FLASH therapy). The accelerator and gantry design work will be done in close collaboration with the European heavy ion therapy research centres, to profit of their operational experience and to integrate in the design licensing and operational requirements.

H2020 programme: Research Infrastructures

 

 

 

Implementation stage: submitted

Project partners: four European ion therapy centres, two world-class accelerator research centres, and 16 institutions, universities, industries. A strategic partner is the South East European International Institute for Sustainable Technologies, which federates eight countries in the South-East Europe.

Project implementation period: starting from 2021

The project team of RTU: 
Prof. Toms Torims