B dot Medical Inc. initiated full-scale development of an ultra-compact proton beam cancer treatment system replaceable with X-ray (LINAC) cancer treatment systems in April 2019.
Since 2016, proton therapy for pediatric cancer has been covered by the national insurance in Japan, and its application expanded to prostate cancer, head and neck malignancies, and bone and soft tissue tumors in 2018, anticipating a further increase in the number of patients. However, proton therapy systems(*1) are large and require dedicated facilities, making their installation exhaustive and costly.
Currently, a rotating gantry is used for irradiation from any angle, but its complex and large structure results in an overall increase in the size of the treatment system. To address this, B dot Medical devised a non-rotating gantry that bends proton beams without the need for rotation. This non-rotating gantry optimizes the beam shape using superconducting electromagnets as deflectors, significantly reducing the size of the conventional system. This development aims to create a proton therapy system that is easier to introduce into many hospitals. Moreover, it opens the possibility of introducing the system not only for initial adoption of proton therapy but also for replacement of existing X-ray cancer treatment systems both domestically and internationally.
B dot Medical, through the ongoing development of cutting-edge cancer treatment systems including proton therapy, is committed to contributing to the eradication of cancer.
*1: Proton therapy accelerates protons, nuclei of hydrogen atoms, at speeds of up to approximately 60% of the light speed. It irradiates the affected area from the beam delivery system in the treatment room, effectively destroying cancer cells. Proton therapy offers a high-precision radiation therapy with minimal side effects due to its concentrated dose to tumors and minimal radiation dose to healthy tissues, suggesting a treatment method with an anticipated high efficacy.
