Compact proton accelerator for cancer therapy

An investigation is being made into the feasibility of making a compact proton dielectric wall (DWA) accelerator for medical radiation treatment based on the high gradient insulation (HGI) technology. A small plasma device is used for the proton source. Using only electric focusing fields for transporting and focusing the beam on the patient, the compact DWA proton accelerator system can deliver wide and independent variable ranges of beam currents, energies and spot sizes.