STATUS OF ISL: CONVERTING A MULTI-PURPOSE ACCELERATOR TO A DEDICATED PROTON THERAPY FACILITY

The ion beam laboratory ISL produced fast light and heavy ions for research and applications in solid-state physics, medicine, and industry. In fall 2004 the board of directors decided to close down ISL at the end of 2006. However, in December 2006, a cooperation contract between the Charite (Berlin’s Universities Hospital) and the Hahn-Meitner-Institut (HMI) was signed to ensure the continuation of the eye tumour therapy, so far unique in Germany. Accelerator operation will be continued with reduced man-power, requiring modifications of the set-up of the accelerators. A new, dedicated injector for protons will be installed. The key issue will be simpler operations and restriction to the new task to supply protons for the therapy with less man-power but keeping the same high reliability as before. The last two years of operation of ISL as a full multipurpose accelerator will be shown and examples of the research work will be demonstrated. The conversion of a multi-ion, variable energy accelerator (see fig. 1) to a dedicated accelerator for eye tumour therapy will be discussed.