©OMUS4PT
What has the ATTRACT seed funding enabled you to do so far?
The ATTRACT seed funding is ideal to develop low TRL innovations. ATTRACT gave us the opportunity to realise and validate our concept to enhance iono-acoustics for high resolution proton therapy. At this moment we have validated the requirements and designed an opto-acoustic chip for extremely sensitive sensing of the shock-wave produced during proton therapy. The chip is currently being fabricated.
What challenges have you faced so far?
- To design, fabricate and validate an opto-acoustic chip in a one-year project is very challenging.
- Finding partners for the next phase within the current ATTRACT community is quite difficult.
Where does your ATTRACT journey go from here?
Next month, the fabrication of the opto-acoustical chip will be completed. In the last months of the project the concept and the chip will be validated. From this point we can explore routes to further improve the sensor concept and to implement the sensitive opto-acoustical sensor. A next phase project has to be defined with additional partners to have the entire development chain on board. In this project we have to realise a proper operating prototype sensor and to demonstrate the sensor on phantoms and finally with patients.
Sum up in two sentences the advantages of the ATTRACT Programme over other research funding schemes.
The ATTRACT programme is an initiator of innovative ideas. Attract funds feasibility studies, which can be further developed in other projects. Most H2020 programmes (especially the last rounds) are focusing on TRL2to4 (RIA) and even TRL4to6 (IA). Other academic research programmes such as ERC and FET have a more fundamental character, whereas ATTRACT is really boosting concept innovation from idea to application.
For more information
Visit the OMUS4PT project site.
