ITRF - The Laser-hybrid Accelerator for Radiobiological Applications (LhARA) - preliminary activity - WP4, Ionacoustic Dose Mapping
Lead Research Organisation:
Institute of Cancer Research
Department Name: Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging
Abstract
The LhARA collaboration's proposal for an initial five-year R&D programme designed to deliver the essential risk-mitigating R&D programme and to establish the technical design for the LhARA facility is presented in [https://ccap.hep.ph.ic.ac.uk/trac/raw-attachment/wiki/Communication/Notes/CCAP-TN-10.pdf]. The proposal was aligned to the timescale defined in the proposal to the UKRI Infrastructure Fund for the establishment of the Ion Therapy Research Facility (ITRF). LhARA formed the basis for this ITRF proposal, which is for resources to support a two-year "Preliminary Activity". The principal deliverable of the two-year Preliminary Activity is a complete Conceptual Design Report for the facility. This work package, WP4, is the preliminary ion-acoustic dose mapping component of the work.
| Description | Collaboration on ionacoustic proton beam dose profiling with the Ludwig Maximilian University |
| Organisation | Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich) |
| Department | Faculty of Physics |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Simulations of the LION laser-driven accelerator proton beamline at the Centre for Advanced Laser Applications at LMU, and experimental confirmation using pigmented phantoms 3D printed from the simulations and our multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) equipment, of expectations for ionacoustic dose profiling. Experimental measurements at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), of acoustic properties of components of a SmartPhantom, specification and purchase of acoustic sensors, construction of the liquid scintillator-filled SmartPhantom at Imperial College London (ICL) with scintillating fibres and acoustic sensors, and shipping of these to LMU in Munich for a week-long experiment. Time of four individuals (2 ICL, 1 ICR, 1 UoB) during that week onsite at LMU to conduct the experiments. Time following return to the UK for data analysis and reporting of results and findings (in progress). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at collaboration and planning meetings, providing 1-week of access to the LION proton beamline for the above-mentioned experiment to take place, experienced and expert staff to assist with the experiments with our SmartPhantom, overall hosting of the visit and collaboration meetings to discuss results and findings, and the writing of scientific paper(s) (in progress). |
| Impact | Preliminary conference publications reported in the publications section of ResearchFish on the design of this experiment, which is the first of its kind. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | MRes Cancer Technology project (Shurui Lyu) |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I am the primary supervisor of this MRes project in Cancer Technology. The student's name is Shurui Lyu. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Professor Kenneth Long is the associate supervisor. |
| Impact | No outputs yet. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | MRes Cancer Technology project (Xiangyi Chen) |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I am the associate supervisor of this MRes project in Cancer Technology. The student's name is Xiangyi Chen. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Professor Kenneth Long is the primary supervisor. |
| Impact | No outputs yet. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | MRes Cancer Technology project (Yu Hu) |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I am the primary supervisor of this MRes project in Cancer Technology. The student's name is Yu Hu. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Professor Kenneth Long as the associate supervisor. |
| Impact | No outputs yet. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Supported graduate students at the University of Toronto by accepting invitation to give a remote lecture to their seminar series (2025) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I gave the presentation "Novel ultrasound methodology for cancer research, diagnosis and treatment", as an Invited external lecture for the Centre of Pharmaceutical Oncology Seminar Series, University of Toronto Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, online, 13 Feb., 2025. This is organised by postgraduate students at the University of Toronto, for students. I specifically spoke about MSOT work and LhARA work, hence reporting here under the EPSRC and STFC awards related to this equipment and research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |