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Accelerator applications for a better future

Livia Lapadatescu — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 07:56:21 +0000

Accelerator applications for a better future
by Jennifer Toes (CERN)

As some of the largest and most complex types of machinery in existence, particle accelerators have a huge role to play in scientific research, technological advancements, and across all of society through many different applications.

Since their creation some 90 years ago, particle accelerators have changed in size and shape and have increased both their complexity and power. In that time, accelerators have made many groundbreaking scientific discoveries and produced large amounts of information about the natural world.

Beyond basic science, accelerators are responsible for advances far outside the realm of physics. Spearheaded by Angeles Faus-Golfe (IFIC-LAL) and Rob Edgecock (University of Huddersfield), Work Package 4 of the EuCARD-2 project has produced a report entitled “Applications of Particle Accelerators in Europe (APAE)”. The report details the many applications of accelerators and related technology, with a specific focus on European requirements and competences.

Rob Edgecock said, “with nearly 40,000 in use around the world for a wide range of applications, particle accelerators already play an important role in everyday life. The APAE report documents these applications, and uses the expertise in EuCARD-2 to identify areas for improvement and potential new applications based on research technology.”

Europe is home to many world-renowned accelerator laboratories, including the most powerful accelerator in existence: the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, in Switzerland. Europe remains a key actor at the forefront of accelerator science and is well positioned to advance the field further.

The APAE report considered applications for health, industry, energy, security, and photon and neutron sources, and made recommendations to optimise accelerator science and technology in the future.

Accelerators play a role in healthcare, particularly in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Cancer is responsible for around a quarter of the deaths in Europe, and new diagnostic tests and treatments are always required.

Radiotherapy via the use of x-rays or particles allows both imaging and delivery of anti-cancer treatment deep into biological tissue. X-rays are produced by accelerating electrons in linear accelerators (linacs) to 4-20 MeV, while charged particles are accelerated to 230+ MeV by circular accelerators and used directly for therapy.

Radionuclides (radioactive isotopes) are also used for imaging techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and can be used to target specific types of cancer. New types of accelerators are required to fully exploit a number of exciting novel radionuclides for both imaging and therapy.

Several European studies have demonstrated that the number and capability of facilities able to offer radiotherapy and radionuclide treatment must be increased to meet the growing demand. To achieve this, new approaches and technologies must be developed, including more accurate imaging techniques and cost-effective accelerator components.

Industry make use of many technologies developed for, or as a result of, accelerator research. Accelerator beams are able to penetrate the surfaces of many materials, providing detailed insight and analysis.

Indeed, accelerators are able to sterilise equipment and surfaces, useful in clinical medical settings, as well as disinfect seeds and grains, which is crucial for food security. Some seeds are already treated with electron beams in Germany.

Accelerator beams also possess attractive thermal qualities, offering the ability to heat, melt and evaporate materials as required. Many industrial facilities across the globe make use of European electron beam accelerators: from melting metals to produce alloys, to evaporating materials to create surface coatings resistant to corrosion.

Beyond manufacturing, accelerators have the potential for a range of environmental benefits, including the treatment of wastewater, sewage and flue gases. Low energy electron beams can remove pollutants from the gases produced by industry, and ion beams can help analyse particles which may contribute to air pollution.

Analysis can also be carried out for cultural heritage purposes, for studying the composition, structure and providence of art and antiquities. In fact, the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF) hosts the Accélérateur Grand Louvre d'Analyse Elémentaire (AGLAE), which is dedicated to study and analysis for French museums.

The Ritratto Trivulzio by Antonello da Messina being analysed with an ion beam (credit: LABEC, INFN's Laboratory for Cultural Heritage and Environment, Italy)

Accelerators are a crucial source of high energy photons and intense neutron beams, both of which offer their own analytical abilities relevant for fields in both academia and industry.

Photon sources, such as the ALBA light source in Spain, are able to provide x-rays for use in biology, chemistry, environmental and materials science. Neutron sources, such as the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Sweden, which is currently under construction, offer similar capabilities, including the neutron scattering technique.

The analytical power provided by accelerators also lends itself to security functions, particularly for air, sea and rail border security. These security measures can help prevent the transport of illegal or stolen goods, identify crimes such as money laundering, and even be used for counter-terrorism.

X-ray screening of a truck

Accelerators also have applications for energy as the demand for it continues to grow. More efficient, sustainable, affordable and safer energy is also crucial in meeting this demand.

Nuclear power offers one such solution, but brings its own challenge via the production of nuclear waste. Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) can be used for nuclear waste disposal, and several European designs have already been conceived.

By identifying challenges in accelerator research and applications, the APAE report makes recommendations for how best to tackle these issues. This lays the groundwork for advancing both the role of accelerator science in society and European accelerator science across the globe.

In summary, APAE co-coordinator Angeles Faus-Golfe said, “Coordinating this effort has been enriching and rewarding. The main European experts in accelerator applications have contributed to the document and identified the key aims for European R&D into accelerator applications. The field has made an impressive progress in the last decade and has plenty of opportunities for the younger generations of researchers.”

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A partnership for global access to radiation therapy

Panagiotis Charitos — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 17:01:23 +0000

A partnership-mentorship approach for global access to radiation therapy
by Virginia Greco (CERN)

An electron linac for conventional treatments with X rays and electrons. Photo from the Clinic of Génolier (Credit: Max Brice, CERN)

On November 2016, CERN hosted a Workshop on Design Characteristics of a Novel Linear Accelerator for Challenging Environments, organized by Norman Coleman and David Pistenmaa from the International Cancer Experts Corps (ICEC) in collaboration with Manjit Dosanjh, from CERN.

The participation to the event was by invitation only and reserved to about 70 internationally-recognized experts in various fields correlated to radiotherapy for cancer treatment. They met to define a strategy for increasing access to radiotherapy to a larger number of people and to discuss possible solutions for geographical areas that present economic and technological challenges as well as a quickly changing political situation.

The idea of designing affordable equipment and developing sustainable infrastructures for delivering radiation treatment for cancer in countries that lack resources and expertise is a core mission of ICEC. Established in 2013 as a non-governmental organization, ICEC has set itself as an international sustainable mentoring network of cancer professionals, whose aim is to establish partnership projects in low- and medium-income countries, as well as in isolated indigenous communities of all countries, oriented at facilitating access to radiotherapy and improving the quality of the treatment offered.

This will be achieved by encouraging and supporting initiatives of local groups, providing mentorship and training, and guiding them through a number of steps to be completed in order to be recognized as high standard cancer care centres.

Leading experts coming from key international organisations, research institutes, universities, medical hospitals, companies producing equipment for conventional x-ray and particle therapy took the stage in turns at the workshop to share their knowledge and expertise and to discuss needs, goals and possible solutions. The key topics of discussion were the technology to be employed, sustainability, and training.

An essential step that ICEC and collaborating experts have to accomplish is designing a linear accelerator and associated instrumentation needed to deliver radiotherapy that would have to be operated in places where general infrastructures are poor of lacking, power outages and water supply fluctuations can occur and whose climatic conditions might be harsh.

The ideal facility should have a modular structure, in order to be easily shipped, assembled in-situ, upgraded and repaired. In order to be easily operated, the equipment also needs to have an intuitive and accessible interface, as a smartphone, even though it is highly technologically advanced.

A critical issue that was also discussed at the meeting at CERN was the treatment system sustainability after its installation. Specialized technical staff is required to maintain the equipment and promptly repair it, if needed, relying on availability of standard spare parts and replacement procedures that will be developed in order to make maintenance as easy as possible.

Difficulties of displacement and communication are also to be taken into account. As a consequence, these centres have to be designed modelled on the philosophy of a space station, where astronauts have spare components available and can easily replace faulty parts as pieces of lego, with remote guidance.

The participants to the workshop agreed that training is fundamental to make this ambitious project possible. ICEC’s strategy consists of setting up a team of mentors to guide local groups throughout the various phases of the programme. In this way, each centre located in a region with cancer treatment disparities and insufficient resources that is aiming at implementing radiotherapy would be associated with a centre in a resource-rich country and eventually become a reference centre for other local groups willing to undertake a similar path.

Professionals in oncology, radiotherapy and radiobiology, medical physicists as well as nurses and ancillary staff, will have to be identified in order to ensure assistance to remote locations. After completion of regular academic training, the personnel of the remote centre would be mentored and trained by ICEC’s experts through face-to-face lectures, periodic on-site visits and consultations via video-connection. This would ensure that, at a later stage, they would be able in turn to train future employees.

At the end of two intense days of debate and exchange of ideas, the participants have got a more precise picture of needs, limits and priorities, as well as a lot of input for further reflection. As a follow up, working groups will be established to address different aspects of the problem and the date for another global meeting fixed. An editorial board will write a report of the workshop, which will also be submitted for publication to medical journals.

The report emerging from the workshop will be published in various media and journals in order to highlight the initiative and obtain further momentum.

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