A Multileaf Collimator for Proton Radiotherapy

Studies at the Medical Technical Complex (MTC) of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna) developed an automatic multileaf collimator (MLC) under the working name Aura for forming therapeutic proton beam of defined cross-sectional shape (aperture) for use in a passive 3D conformal radiotherapy in the treatment of oncological disease of the head and neck. A prototype collimator was constructed using four pairs of leaves and was subjected to a series of experimental tests whose results satisfied the requirements. A full-scale MLC will be used as one of the main devices in the new dynamic irradiation system for deep-seated targets of complex shape.