TOP IMPLART

Among the various type of proton accelerators that in the last 8 decades have been developed and posssibly commercialized in the world (cyclotron, synchrotrons, synchrocyclotrons and linacs) the project TOP-IMPLART has chosen a high frequency linac, with most of technology derived from conventinal radiotherapy equipments in order to make a compact machine with reasonably costs. A comparative Cost-Effectiveness Analysis has also been undertaken between Protontherapy and Advanced Radiotherapy.

TOP-IMPLART is the acronym of

� Oncologycal Therapy with Protons (TOP, from the generating program)

� Intensity Modulated Proton Linear Accelerator for RadioTherapy

TOP IMPLART (see also video in italian) is a complex proton linear accelerator, protontherapy dedicated, and with the important feature that proton flux can be changed during treatment for the best radio treatment performances. In figure below, the facility as will appear at the end of construction.

Protons use in as radiation agent is extending in modern radiotherapy. The heavier mass of these warrantied a more precise travel in human body and moreover they stop inside the body delivering the maximum dose at the end of their path (Bragg peak), giving that point after no radiation at all.

To be useful in RT proton have to be accelerated up to more than 200 MeV while for pelectron that produce x-rays a less than 15 MeV cover any need) and this is the major difficuty in their use since 200 MeV accelerators are huge and expensives. But their advantages nevertheless are too important to leave the affair unattended.

The project is carried on by ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), ISS (National Institute of Health), IFO (Istituti Fisioterapici Ospedalieri, Roma).

The IMPLART segment up to 150 MeV - basic layout shown in figure - is under construction and installation at ENEA-Frascati, chosen as test site for its validation before its transfer to a Rome hospital, that will be the clinical user.

The program was funded by Regione Lazio by a total grant of 11 M�. Other two tranches were transferred to ENEA for an overall funding of 6.5 M�. A further transfer of 2.3 M� is foreseen in 2020/2021.

The activities started in 2013. Actually the deadline of the agreement is 20 February 2022.