Coos, Richard

Heuskin, Anne-Catherine

Lucas, Stephane

Schoenauen, Lucas

Tabarrant, Tijani

Background: Recent investigations in vivo showed that short pulses of photons and electrons with high dose rate (&gt; 40 Gy/s), known as FLASH dose rate, are less harmful for healthy tissues and as efficient as conventional dose-rate irradiation to inhibit tumor growth. In the case of protons however, FLASH effects have not been studied much in part due to the limited availability of facilities that can achieve such high dose rates.Methods: In order to investigate the biological mechanism behind FLASH effect with proton beam accelerated from a continuous particle accelerator, we developed an electromagnetic deflection system, allowing us to control the exposure time of cells to the high current beam on the ALTAÏS particle accelerator at LARN laboratory. We also developed a real-time beam profile read-out using a scintillator and a CCD camera to allow us to observe the topography of the beam and ensure its homogeneity. Finally, the dose-rate is given by a faraday cup by reading the current of the beam. The irradiation set up for CONV-PT is already available at LARN and will be used to compare the results of FLASH with CONV-PT.Results: The complete system has been validated using unlaminated ETB3 and HD-V2 Gafchromic film to ensure the dose deposition and its homogeneity in the sample holder.Conclusion: A simple and complete pulsing device is proposed to allow in vitro proton irradiation compatible with a continuous-beam particle accelerator. This system could allow other facilities to start doing in vitro flash research

EXPERIMENTAL FLASH SET-UP USING A LOW ENERGY PROTON BEAM FOR IN-VITRO IRRADIATION

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