Advanced Proton Therapy Centers

Driven by our commitment to providing exceptional patient care, ProCure has developed therapeutic, diagnostic and logistical technologies that advance the delivery of proton therapy.

Treatment Rooms

ProCure Proton Therapy Centers offer three types of treatment rooms for the delivery of protons to the patient: inclined beam, fixed beam and gantry. Depending on the diagnosis and tumor location, one of the three is selected to achieve the most effective and efficient treatment approach. All treatment rooms feature a proprietary robotic patient positioning system that moves the patient into position for treatment.

Gantry

The gantry room combines 360° rotation with a sophisticated patient positioning system to provide precision treatment with a high degree of flexibility. It is particularly effective in treating hard-to-reach tumors, pediatric patients, and others that require a unique course of therapy.

Inclined Beam

ProCure's innovative and propriety inclined beam technology can treat many of the tumors that normally require a gantry, but with less setup time. The inclined beam can be positioned parallel to the patient or at a 60° inclined from the horizontal. The ProCure Proton Therapy Center in Oklahoma City will be the first proton therapy center in the U.S. with an inclined beam room.

Fixed Beam

The fixed beam system features a horizontal beam and is, as its name indicates, fixed in place. It is capable of treating most of the cancers for which proton therapy is indicated. Even though the actual delivery technology can't move, the precision and efficacy of the therapy is the same as with the inclined beam and the gantry.

Robotic Patient Positioning System

The robotic patient positioning system uses the most modern robotics technology for precise positioning. It allows the treatment of more tumors and increases the speed that protons are delivered to the tumor site. The positioning system received U.S. FDA clearance in April 2009 and was named RT Image's most valuable product in 2009.

Technology In Development

ProCure's research and development team is moving rapidly toward bringing new innovations to proton therapy. Here are a few on the horizon:

Image-Guided Proton Therapy (IGPT)

IGPT improves on conventional radiation therapy planning, which requires a CT simulation days prior to treatment. The IGPT system can be coupled with Cone-Beam CT (description below), ultrasound or electromagnetic signal positioning systems to further ensure precision in proton therapy delivery. With IGPT, digital radiographic panels are moved around the patient to take X-rays during treatment and ensure the tumor treated is in the proper position.

Cone-Beam CT Scanning Technology

Using a cone-shaped beam rather than a fan beam of X-rays to capture radiographic images, cone-beam CT produces 3-D images, an advance over the 2-D images currently in use. Cone-beam CT provides tumor volume data and detailed anatomical information useful for the precise delivery of protons. Although IGPT can be achieved by using ultrasound or other electromagnetic signal positioning systems, there are several advantages for using Cone-beam CT. Cone-beam CT allows for non-invasive image guidance of any site in the body. Cone-beam CT is planned for ProCure centers in development.

Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) Enabled by Spot Beam Scanning

IMPT uses spot beam scanning with protons to allow for the ultimate tumor conformality. Spot beam scanning spreads small diameter incident proton beams (less than 1 cm diameter) laterally across the tumor at a specific depth. The beam intensity for each spot is varied, resulting in a dose distribution that conforms exactly to the tumor's 2-D shape at that depth. Repeating this process for a range of decreasing proton beam energies allows treatment of the full tumor volume with any arbitrary 3-D shape.