In 2015 proton eye radiotherapy facility by the C-230 isochronous cyclotron has been commissioned. This new eye line – as well as its predecessor by the AIC-144 cyclotron – was developed and manufactured by the team of specialists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics and cooperating institutions. The new eye line complies with the legal articles and the requirements of the quality and safety standards applicable for the medical devices. The conformity to the relevant provisions of the Medical Device Directive has been examined by the notifying body and accompanied by the CE marking of the entire Proton Therapy System installed at the Cyclotrone Center Bronowice. Since 2016 the facility is in clinical use.

General view of the proton eye radiotherapy facility by the C-230 cyclotron.

The proton eye radiotherapy facility uses 70 MeV proton beam produced by the C-230 cyclotron. From the cyclotron the beam is transported to the therapy room through the system of vacuum pipes. In the therapy room the beam is formed accordingly to requirements of the treatment plan by the set of devices mounted on so called “optical bench”. The facility is controlled by the treatment control system. Dedicated devices like: X/Yscanner or 3D scanner, PMMA wheel, water phantom and set of ionization chambers with electrometers are applied for proton beam diagnostic and dosimetry.

The main parts of the Eye Line Treatment Room (ELTR) are:

Optical bench with proton beam forming and  monitoring elements such as: collimators, transmission ionization chambers, proton beam range and modulation regulation system.

Patient Position Verification System (PPVS) consists of: robotic treatment chair installed by Bureau Français d'Ingéniérie (BFI), video system, eye fixation and  light field system, two X-ray tubes with associated digital, x-ray image detectors (flat panels). All above mentioned elements are necessary to precise patient positioning, fixation treated eye and verification of the patient position during irradiation.

Treatment Planning System which is Eclipse Ocular Proton Planning (EOPP) from Varian Medical Systems. The settings of the planning system are compatible with geometric and dosimetric  parameters of the facilities. EOPP is used to prepare the  individual patient treatment plans.

The optical bench on the ELTR.

On the optical bench under raised cover there are visible elements of the forming system: range modulator and range shifter.

Transmission ionization chambers- part of double, independent dosimetry system and proton beam monitoring system.

Robotic therapeutic chair in position to patient seating.

X-ray tube- element of the verification patient position system.

The handle of the collimator with eye fixation system. On the both sides of the snout  are mounted two video cameras. In the background there is extended flat panel.

The PMMA wheel used to range and depth dose profile measurement

The X Scanner applied to lateral beam profiles measurement of the proton beam.

The interface of the Eclipse Ocular Proton Planning system.