Medical applications of high energy detector technologies

Development of a novel Proton CT device

We participate in the Bergen pCT collaboration, formed for the development of a sampling calorimeter to be used for imaging in cancer therapy. Irradiation of cancer tumors using well-focused hadron beams can be a very effective treatment as the patient receives less unnecessary dose, thus allowing for a deposit of high destructive dose close to the critical organs. Most commonly proton beams are used, but there are investigations with heavier hadrons like Helium [16]. The ALPIDE calorimeter (Fig. 1) is based on the silicon pixel detector developed for the upgrade of the Inner Tracking System of ALICE. We have estimated the performance of the detector design using Monte Carlo simulations [1]. The ALPIDE detectors are already being produced and tested, and the group is currently working on the last refinements of the electronics and mechanics.

Visualization of the Bergen pCT detector without the support structure
Figure 1. Visualization of the Bergen pCT detector without the support structure
 

In parallel, we are in the development of a data and image reconstruction algorithm based on machine learning techniques [4] as well as analytical methods [5] (Fig. 2).

A smile reconstructed with Richardson–Lucy Algorithm
Figure 2. A smile reconstructed with Richardson–Lucy Algorithm (20, 50 and 150 iterations).

[1] Bergen pCT Collaboration, Frontiers in Physics 8 (2020) 460.
[2] Bergen pCT Collaboration, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 958 (2020) 162626
[3] Bergen pCT Collaboration, Phys. Med. Biol. Volume 66 (2021) 035004
[4] Bergen pCT Collaboration, Acta Oncologica Volume 60 (2021) 11, 1413
[5] Ákos Sudár, TDK thesis, BME TTK (2021)

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