ECM Global Measurement Solutions (ECM) of Topsfield, Massachusetts is working with ProTom International (ProTom) of Flower Mound, Texas, to install a state-of-the-art proton therapy treatment center in Flint, Michigan, for McLaren Healthcare. This is the first in a series of proton therapy centers to be built by ProTom around the world for treating cancer patients.

The healthcare industry is rapidly embracing a new form of radiation treatment called “proton therapy.” Proton therapy is a combination of particle physics and oncology. It is defined as “a type of particle therapy which uses a beam of protons to irradiate diseased tissue, most often in the treatment of cancer.” This form of treatment has two distinct advantages over traditional X-ray (photon) radiation treatments: lower risk to surrounding tissue due to a highly accurate delivery method, and the ability to administer high dosages for specific tumor types. The key to the effectiveness of proton therapy is the accurate positioning of the components that accelerate, position, and deliver the beam of protons to the patient. Figure 1 depicts a patient on a patient-positioning robotic arm preparing to receive proton therapy.

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