Prototype development of the beam diagnostic system of a proton therapy facility based on a superconducting cyclotron

A proton therapy facility (HUST-PTF) based on a 250 MeV isochronous superconducting cyclotron is under construction in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology. An energy degrader is used to modulate the beam energy from 70 to 230 MeV in HUST-PTF, and then transports the proton beams to one fixed-beamline room and two gantry rooms for clinical treatments. As a compromise between the cost and effectiveness of the beam diagnostic system, three kinds of commonly used detectors, scintillation screen, ionization chamber and Faraday cup are adopted to measure the proton beam profile, position and intensity in the HUST-PTF beamline. Here we introduce the latest progress on the development of the beam diagnostic system of the HUST-PTF beamline, including the physical, mechanical and control issues, as well as some test results of the front-end electronics.