Medical Treatment Room Cave M

In the framework of the pilot project Carbon Ion Tumor Therapy 440 patients were treated in Cave M from December 1997 till July 2008. The excellent results of the accompanying clinical studies have led to the construction of the dedicated facility HIT, where clinical operation started in November 2009.

After the end of the patient treatments, Cave M with its unique irradiation devices is further being utilized for research programmes which are of particular interest for heavy-ion therapy:

Technical developments

• Rasterscan-method
• Irradiation of moving objects
• Beam monitor systems
• in-situ range localisation using PET-techniques

Radiation biology

• Biological verification of treatment plans
• Basic research

Dosimetry

• Verification of treatment plans
• Basic research on heavy-ion dosimetry
• Phantom irradiations

Technical Installations

Beam application:

• on beam: ¹²C Energy range 80 – 430 A MeV
• Control system for treatment irradiations
• Modes of operation: Patient / Experiment
• Safety interlock unit
• Intensity-controlled rasterscan-system
• On-line beam monitor
• PET-Gantry for in-situ range localisation

Medical technology:

• Patient table SIEMENS Z4
• Isocentric patient chair (5-Axes)
• X-Ray system for position verification (3 planes)
• Imaging intensifiers with analysis software
• Orthogonal positioning LASERs
• Safety systems

contact: Dieter Schardt