PR89067

GENOA, Italy, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- Towards live imaging in cancer therapy

ASG Superconductors with Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) will build

the world's first prototype that tracks moving tumors with magnetic resonance

imaging (MRI) in real time during proton therapy, combining a rotating open MRI

device for the LINAC-MR system Alberta Health Services, with an actively

scanned clinical-akin proton beam at OncoRay, the Dresden-based National Center

for Radiation Research in Oncology. The rotating MRI device is produced by ASG

Superconductors, using the MROpen Evo technology-based helium-free

superconducting MgB2 magnet. Real-time MRI would make it possible to

synchronize the proton beam to tumor motion during radiation dose delivery. So

far, this has been impossible and therefore was a limiting factor for treating

moving tumors with this promising cancer therapy.

Proton therapy is an emerging radiation technology to irradiate tumors while

sparing the surrounding tissue better than conventional X-ray-based radiation

due to the finite penetration depth of the protons. However, the effectiveness

of proton therapy is limited by tumor motion, anatomical changes during therapy

and set-up inaccuracies in patient positioning.

With the new MRI device and its real-time, high-contrast imaging capabilities

for organs in the chest, abdomen and pelvis, Aswin Hoffmann from HZDR and his

team now intend to build a first prototype which might be used clinically at

some stage: "What is special about this MRI scanner is that it can be rotated

around the patient relative to the beam, allowing us to study dosimetric and

biological beam effects for MRI magnetic fields both perpendicular and parallel

to the proton beam."

ASG Superconductors is now producing a mid-field-strength open 0.5 Tesla MRI

device, which is specifically adapted to the requirements of real-time

MRI-guided radiation therapy by the Alberta Health Services LINAC-MR group and

its spin-off company MagnetTx Oncology Solutions. MagnetTx Oncology Solutions

is developing the gantry that is required to rotate the MRI scanner as well as

the image processing methods for automatically tracking the tumor in real time.

The design and manufacture of the entire 30-ton device is currently in full

swing. In summer 2022, the team plans to incorporate it in the actively

scanned, clinical-akin experimental proton beamline at the OncoRay facility.

"It is very exciting for ASG Superconductors to be part of this project in

collaboration with HZDR and MagnetTx," says Marco Belardinelli ASG Paramed MRI

Unit Director and adds, "seeing our MRI and MgB2 superconducting technology

used as a key component in new and innovative applications such as this one,

which will ultimately benefit the patients and the medical community, makes us

proud and even more confident we are moving in the right direction."

"Our partnership with HZDR and ASG has been extremely positive," says Mike

Cogswell, MagnetTx President and CEO. "We look forward to continuing to work

together to improve the cancer treatment industry."

"Thanks to this collaboration between HZDR and international industrial

partners, we are a big step closer to our goal of bringing significant

innovation to the field, especially to real-time image-guided proton therapy,"

says Hoffmann.

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1490634/ASG_Superconductors_Video.mp4

Source: ASG Superconductors S.p.A