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AISHa

Hadronic Source Control System

AISHa

Hadronic Source Control System

A Teoresi Group project
Project

The AISHa project, now in its final stages, has resulted in designing and implementing an industrial control system capable of managing the new third hadronic source that the CNAO Foundation has added to the existing two.

Client

CNAO Foundation

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Industries
Scenario

Hadron therapy is a form of radiotherapy used for the treatment and cure of tumors, particularly those considered inoperable or resistant to traditional radiotherapy treatments. It is based on the use of hadrons, particles heavier than electrons and therefore more effective at destroying cancer cells. The CNAO Foundation, which was already providing treatments based on protons and carbon ions, decided to equip itself with a new hadronic source capable of generating several additional ion species. The new hadronic source, developed by the Fondazione CNAO in collaboration with INFN Catania and Pavia, required a control system to manage and supervise all its components, enabling both therapeutic operations and maintenance activities.

Challenges

This project presented multiple challenges from various perspectives. The CNAO Foundation transformed the prototype developed by INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics) into a machine for continuous therapies, while HiFuture designed, developed, and installed its industrial control system. The third hadronic source is, in fact, a unique machine, specifically created for the client.

Its control system is complex:

  • It must manage multiple instruments and devices with different communication technologies.
  • It must monitor the source’s conditions and respond in case of any anomalies.
  • It must have a human-machine interface capable of overseeing the entire system and, when necessary, managing detailed elements.
Our added Values

Our added value emerged from the expertise we developed in control systems based on National Instruments technology and our ability to transform complex product requirements— specific to industry professionals and a specialized sector — into hardware and software component requirements. This enabled us to manage the project in compliance with the regulations and standards of the biomedical sector.

 
Results

To date, the main achievement has been enabling the third hadronic source to generate the hadron beam necessary for therapies, thanks to the commands and supervision provided by the new control system. However, the project, now moving into its next phases, has the ultimate goal of being integrated into cancer treatment therapies.

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