Hitachi Ltd. has agreed to install a proton beam therapy (PBT) system at Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CUN) in Madrid.

Equipped with a compact synchrotron accelerator, the Hitachi Proton Beam system provides users with more control over the energy exerted during procedures.

“Hitachi PBT system uses synchrotron, a type of particle accelerator that enables beam delivery at selected energy levels, thereby making treatment more efficient with much less neutron generation,” a spokesperson for Hitachi who wished to remain anonymous told HCB News.

The system also consists of a full rotating gantry with cone beam CT technology and offers spot scanning capabilities, a product of advancing the uniform beam extraction technology of the accelerator and beam control technology with high accuracy.

The use of spot scanning capabilities enables the Hitachi PBT system to treat certain forms of cancer with more accurate irradiation and reduced side effects; without the need for patient-specific collimators and boluses; and reduced unnecessary secondary radiation due to a high proton beam usage factor.

The system is also flexible, and includes the option to add additional gantry treatment rooms at a future date.

Hitachi earlier this year expressed a “willingness” to work with Turkey to install the first particle beam therapy system there. It also celebrated in 2016 the tenth anniversary of the opening of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s proton therapy center, which uses its system.

The one in Spain is expected to be up and running in the spring of 2020. Maintenance following installation is also included in the agreement.

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