Synchrotron for proton therapy
Proton Therapy Unit
Cutting-edge technology
We continuously improve our technology, as we are clear that technology and research means new opportunities for our patients.
The Clinic's Proton Therapy Unit is the first in-hospital Proton Therapy Unit based in a Cancer Treatment Centre in Spain and boasting an exclusive Hitachi synchrotron, a technological device that is currently only present in 32 clinical and academic centres, including international references in the field of cancer treatment such as the Mayo Clinic, the MD Anderson Cancer Centre, the John Hopkins St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and the Hokkaido University Hospital.
Over 60,000 patients have been treated worldwide with the Hitachi's proton therapy technology.
As a particle accelerator, it features the most modern and energy-efficient synchrotron available to date, given that it generates the least amount of secondary radiation.
In this sense, it is considered to be a "clean" accelerator, as it allows for accelerating the proton beam to obtain the precise energy required to reach each patient's tumour individually, without requiring artificial filters to generate the "braking" process (by changing the energy selected by the synchrotron for the beam itself).
The Clinic's device is equipped with a system that enables the proton-based treatment of tumours subject to respiratory movement as a mechanism fully integrated into the instrumental system. Its real-time tracking function allows for locating and quantifying the tumour's movement and synchronising the timing of the irradiation in order to ensure a minimal impact on the surrounding healthy tissue.