Control and Interlock Systems for the LIGHT Prototype

LIGHT (Linac Image Guided Hadron Technology) is a particle therapy system* developed by Advanced Oncotherapy plc. Accelerator, control and interlock systems are developed by its subsidiary A.D.A.M.SA, a CERN spin-off. The system is being designed to accelerate protons up to 230 MeV using a modular and compact 25-meter-long linear accelerator. It is being designed to operate in pulsed mode where beam properties (energy, pulse charge and spot size) can be changed at 200 Hz. A proof-of-concept accelerator is being assembled and tested at CERN (Geneva, Switzerland). Control and interlock systems are developed using an exploratory prototyping approach and COTS hardware. Requirements for the final LIGHT control and interlock systems are iteratively clarified through creation and refinement of these prototypes. We will continue to support the proof-of-concept accelerator activities while starting to design the final LIGHT control and interlock systems in parallel, building upon the knowledge acquired with the proof-of-concept accelerator. The matured final LIGHT control and interlock systems will gradually replace the prototypes to automate procedures and test the system before deployment