lSpecializing in low frequency thermo-acoustics and particle therapy range verification, Acoustic Range Estimates (ARE), LLC is a small, spin-off company structured around development of acoustic techniques for range verification during proton therapy. Currently, there does not appear to be any commercial system that can provide a feedback loop confirming that proton therapy has been delivered accurately. A patient's skeletal structures are aligned with millimeter precision -- but soft tissue moves from day to day, and sometimes even during a treatment session. For instance, bowel gas shifts between treatment sessions as patient digests, and/or can even move while beam is being delivered. For abdominal tumors, therapists fly blind and can easily deliver an entire daily treatment incorrectly. Therefore, proton therapy is underutilized for abdominal tumors. A range verification solution c/would increase number of tumor sites for which proton therapy is justified.
