AN AUTOMATIC BEAM CHARACTERIZATION INSTRUMENT FOR PROTON THERAPY APPLICATIONS

The characterization in the transverse plane of the beam is a fundamental step in the design of a proton therapy facility. In this paper we will describe an automatic system able to measure the transverse profiles of the proton beam used in the Catana facility at LNSCatania. The system has been designed as an autonomous equipment able to acquire optical images of the beam (after an interaction with a converter) and to elaborate them to extract the relevant parameters. The equipment may be interfaced to the rest of the control system of the facility and to the operator interface to provide high level control and monitoring tools. Operational experience will be discussed and the results so far obtained will be outlined.