WPCNR EAST END INSIDER. By John F. Bailey. September 24, 2004: WPCNR has received a communication from the developers of the compact proton accelerators being installed at the proton therapy center in Munich, Germany, as reported on the SwissInfo website Friday.

The Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland has developed a compact proton accelerator that is more powerful, and more precise the Loma Linda, California, Proton Accelerator, which would appear to mean the New York Presbyterian Hospital accelerator planned for the former Driving Range on the NYPH property, that will not come on line on the White Plains NYPH, until 2007 (WPCNR estimate) or later,  is obsolete now.

SWISS SHOCKER Received Today at WPCNR. Head of Proton Therapy notes compact proton accelerators far less expensive to install, and are more powerful than Loma Linda model approved for New York Presbyterian Hospital Campus. New York Presbyterian Hospital could not be reached for comment. Photo by WPCNR News.

Swiss Info, "Switzerland's News and Information Platform," in an article published today in Europe on the worldwide web reports the new "compact proton accelerators" created and manufactured by the Paul Scherrer Institute are being looked at seriously by Britain, Italy and France to "target tumours." The service reports the compact accelerators are being installed for use at a private proton therapy clinic in Munich, Germany, and will be treating patients with the "mini-proties" in 2006.

ACCELERATED AFFORDABLE PROTONS HOT IN MUNICH: The complete text of the article from Swiss Info published today  may be found at http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=511&sid=4911065. the article notes the effectiveness of the new compact proton accelerators and their economical cost to install. Photo by WPCNR News.

 WPCNR received an answer from Martin Jermann, Head of the Proton Therapy Program at the Paul Scherrer Institute, in Villegen (PSI) he reported by e-mail to WPCNR today. Here is the text of the e-mail pictured above:

Dear John Bailey

Compared to the Loma Linda facility, our technology is much more advanced.

With the new cyclotron, we can do also intensity modulated proton therapy, with much higher precision of the tumour treatment, compared to the "conventional" proton therapy. This results in a further reduction of the damange to the surrounding healthy tissue. The new 2D scanning system with a fast repainting capacity of our gantry will be able to treat moving tumours (i.e., lung, liver, breast cancer), in the long-term, combined with on-line imaging capabilities.

The compact gantry developed and operated at PSI has a diameter of only 4 meters (12 feet), almost 3 times less than the large onethrough gantries at Loma Linda and Massachussetts General Hospital Boston.

Does More, Better.

Our compact superconductive medical cyclotron, which was developed by Michigan State University, Accel Instruments GmbH and PSI, has a diameter of only 3.2 meters, i.e., 2 to 3 times less than the Loma Linda synchrotron. The ultimate goal of tumour treatment with intensity modulation (IMPT) will be only possible with a cyclotron and not with synchrotrons (the Loma Linda model).

Costs Considerably Less.

We have no data about costs of the planned facility at the New York Presbyterian Hospital ($100 Million estimated), but a cost reduction is obvious, looking at the above smaller dimensions of the rooms needed by the smaller and very compact components of the PSI facility.

Best regards,

Martin Jermann

Head of Proton Therapy Program

Paul Scherrer Institute

5232 Villigen-PSI

Switzerland

WPCNR will continue its delving into the differences. New York Presbyterian Hospital could not be reached for comment.