Latest technology for medicine and research
With MedAustron, one of the most advanced Centres for Ion Beam Therapy and Research in Europe is being built. It will focus on the treatment of cancer using ion beams. Highly complex, especially developed facilities on the cutting edge of technology will be used in the fight against cancer. Modern infrastructure and extensive technical facilities are available for doctors and scientists.
The MedAustron facility will include an accelerator section, a therapy area and its own research area.
The treatment area is equipped with three irradiation rooms for medical treatment associated with pre-and after-care. From 2013 on, test operation initially starts with a irradiation room which is equipped with a horizontal fixed beam line for protons and carbon ions. Later, a second room, provided with a vertical and horizontal beam line will be available. At full operation, the so-called proton gantry – a rotating radiation unit – will be brought in line.
In the accelerator division the heart of the plant – a circular particle accelerator with a perimeter of about 80 m, the synchrotron, will be implemented. There, the ions which were first generated in the ion sources and pre-accelerated in the linear accelerator, are held on circular orbits by magnets and are accelerated to 75 percent of the speed of light. Then the particles are transferred via the extraction lines to one of the four irradiation rooms.
The non-clinical research will be located in a separate part of the building. It will focus on basic research in radiation therapy, radiation biology, and medical radiation physics. For non-clinical research a special irradiation room with a horizontal beam line that can be suitably controlled will be at disposal. Here, a proton energy up to 800 MeV can be reached. In addition, the medical irradiation rooms outside of the clinical operations are used for non-clinical research. The particle beams can be used for this research purpose, during the nights and at the weekends. Additionally, the scientists have a chemistry lab and radiation biology laboratory at their disposal.
Dr. Kurt Hübner (Chairman of the Technical Advisory Board)
“The heart of MedAustron will be the synchrotron with a diameter of about 25 meters, filled by a linear accelerator. Cutting-edge technology for innovative treatment – thus, MedAustron will make a significant contribution to combat cancer.”
