Prompt gamma Compton camera for proton therapy

质子束疗法是一种放射疗法，它使用精确的高能粒子束来摧毁癌细胞。这种治疗方法特别适用于复杂的儿童癌症，提高了成功率，减少了副作用，如耳聋、智商下降和继发性癌症。它也可用于治疗脑癌和头颈癌。至关重要的是，要清楚地了解治疗期间所需的辐射量以及输送给患者的辐射量。该提案“质子癌症治疗期间用于几何和剂量学验证的瞬发伽马发射成像”旨在开发优化的探测器和方法，以允许对辐射输送进行真实的验证。这项任务是放射治疗过程的重要组成部分，然而，这对于质子比对于高能光子（在现有设施中使用）更具挑战性。该提案汇集了来自利物浦大学的辐射传感器专家、来自伦敦大学学院（UCL）和伦敦大学学院伦敦医院（UCLH）的成像专家以及来自Clatterbridge癌症中心的放射治疗专业人员。UCLH将成为英国两个新质子治疗中心之一的所在地，Clatterbridge是英国唯一现有的质子治疗设施。

Proton Beam Therapy is a type of radiotherapy, which uses a precision high-energy beam of particles to destroy cancer cells. The treatment is particularly suitable for complex childhood cancers, increasing success rates and reducing side- effects, such as deafness, loss of IQ and secondary cancers. It can also used to treat brain cancers and head and neck cancers. It is crucial that there is clear knowledge of the quantity of radiation required and also delivered to a patient during treatment. This proposal "Imaging of prompt gamma emissions during proton cancer therapy for geometric and dosimetric verification", aims to develop an optimised detector and methodology to allow real time verification of radiation delivery.This task is an essential part of the radiotherapy process, however this is significantly more challenging for protons than for high energy photons (which are utilised in existing facilities). The proposal brings together experts in radiation sensors from the University of Liverpool, imaging experts from University College London (UCL) and University College London Hospital (UCLH) and Radiation therapy professionals from the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. UCLH will be the home of one of the two new proton therapy centres to be built in England, Clatterbridge houses the only existing proton therapy facility in the UK.