DEVELOPMENT LINES OF THE ILIL LAB IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE “PNRR“
Il Tuscan Ecosystem for Innovation – Tuscan Health Ecosystem “THE”. The project develops on a regional scale with 100 M€+ funding and involves all the Tuscan universities and the main research institutions to accelerate innovation and clinical translation in crucial and topical societal areas, from preventive medicine to well-being, from diagnosis to personalized and precision treatment, from neurosciences to health robotics. The project includes a subproject (“Spoke”) coordinated by CNR-INO and dedicated to the development of new approaches to diagnostics and radiotherapy in oncology.
INO, with the ILIL laboratory, aims at the realization of a very high dose-rate radiotherapy source for FLASH radiotherapy with VHEE (Very High Energy Electrons) electron beams with energies between 100 and 250 MeV for FLASH treatment of deep seated tumors. The source is based on the innovative laser-linac technology which exploits plasms acceleration of particles with ultra-short pulsed lasers of high intensity, developed at the ILIL laboratory for over ten years. As part of the “THE” project, the complete dosimetric characterization of the source is envisaged, followed by preclinical studies and Monte Carlo modelling of treatment plans in pencil beam mode.
IPHOQS e EUAPS Infrastructures
The “THE” Project makes use of a strong synergy with two PNRR infrastructure projects, IPHOQS and EUAPS, which see the participation of the INO of Pisa in the framework of European Research Infrastructures selected by the Euro-pean Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) called EuPR-AXIA and Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI). The IPHOQS and EUAPS infrastructure development projects presented by the CNR in response to the Infrastructure Call of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) were recently selected with very high priority (first and second in the ranking of Physics and Engineering infrastructures).
The “THE” Project makes use of a strong synergy with two PNRR infrastructure projects, IPHOQS and EUAPS, which see the participation of the INO of Pisa in the framework of European Research Infrastructures selected by the Euro-pean Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) called EuPR-AXIA and Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI). The IPHOQS and EUAPS infrastructure development projects presented by the CNR in response to the Infrastructure Call of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) were recently selected with very high priority (first and second in the ranking of Physics and Engineering infrastructures).
ts part of the IPHOQS network, the upgrading of the ultrafast laser source with very high peak power of the ILIL laboratory (220 Terawatt) is expected. The unique laser source in Italy and among the most powerful in the world, allows the creation of compact accelerators of high-energy particles, sources of X-ray and gamma-ray radiation and studies of high energy density states of matter and other fundamental and applied plasma physics studies. The upgrade requires developments in the optical and laser fields, with particular reference to CPA laser technologies (Nobel Prize D. Strickland and G. Mourou, 2018) and electromagnetic and plasma technologies, Within the same infrastructure, the upgrading of the lines of particle beams and measurement stations for users for industrial and bio-medical applications is also envisaged. The upgrading requires advanced vacuum technologies, sensors, optomechanics, ICT, generation and control of ionizing radiation, specialized construction for research, etc. Finally, in the context of the EUAPS infrastructure, the creation of a laser line with high average power and high repetition frequency (100 Hz) is envisaged. This high average power laser enhancement will allow the development of high-dose-rate ionizing radiation at high average dose, for radiotherapy application in the new FLASH regime. The NEXT GENERATION EU (PNRR) programme for these lines of activity of the ILIL laboratory of the INO of Pisa foresee investments for a total of 9.3 M€.
Contact: Dr. Leonida A. Gizzi – leonidaantonio.gizzi@cnr.it, Mob. +393472213505