Technology from IMP to Society----Institute of Modern Physics

Heavy Ion Medical Machine

HIMM has successfully established a complete industrial chain covering basic research, technological R&D, product demonstration, and industrial application. It serves as a model example of large-scale scientific facilities contributing to human health and addressing societal needs.Energetic carbon ions are characterized by high ionization density and high relative biological effectiveness (RBE), with a sharp dose maximum at a discrete penetration depth that coincides with the peak physical dose around the so-called Bragg peak. This concentrated energy deposition can be precisely targeted in three dimensions, minimizing the risk of direct damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Heavy ion beams are thus regarded as an optimal form of radiation for tumor radiotherapy, making heavy ion tumor therapy an area of growing global interest.The Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed a hospital-based tumor therapy facility known as the Heavy Ion Medical Machine (HIMM). The first demonstration HIMM facility was installed in Wuwei, Gansu Province, certified as medical equipment on September 29, 2019, and officially put into clinical operation on March 26, 2020. By the end of 2025, it is expected that 3,000 patients will have been treated using this facility, with remarkable therapeutic outcomes.Additional carbon ion therapy projects have been launched in cities including Lanzhou, Putian, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Changchun, and Jinan. Among these, the facilities in Lanzhou, Putian, Wuhan, and Hangzhou have already been put into clinical operation. As more carbon ion projects are constructed and commissioned, a greater number of cancer patients will benefit from HIMM technology.HIMM has successfully established a complete industrial chain covering basic research, technological R&D, product demonstration, and industrial application. It serves as a model example of large-scale scientific facilities contributing to human health and addressing societal needs.IMP continues to enhance the uniqueness and advanced capabilities of its medical devices to boost market competitiveness. The second-generation Heavy Ion Medical Machine (SIMM) in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, is currently under construction. This project will lay a solid technical foundation for advancing accessible healthcare and promoting the commercialization of heavy ion therapy technology.Figure 1. Heavy Ion Medical Machine-synchrotron accelerator (Image from IMP)Figure 2. The Second generation heavy Ion Medical Machine (Image from IMP)Contact:Ms. WangTel: 86-931-4969623mail: wangk@impcas.ac.cnADD: 509 Nanchang Road, Lanzhou Gansu, China,730000

Ion-track Etched Membrane Technology

As the most sophisticated pore membrane material in the world, ion-track etched membranes have some features such as controllable pore density, controllable and well-distributed pore diameter, regular pore formation and smooth membrane surface without fiber falling down. The ion-track etched membrane is also called nuclear pore membrane or track-etched membrane. After the polymeric film is penetrated by heavy ions, the pore diameter is enlarged through chemical etching, thus forming the ion-track etched membrane.As the most sophisticated pore membrane material in the world, ion-track etched membranes have some features such as controllable pore density, controllable and well-distributed pore diameter, regular pore formation and smooth membrane surface without fiber falling down.Industrialization FoundationThe Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL), constructed by the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Science, provides an unique prerequisite to manufacture ion-track etched membranes.In 2012, an irradiation terminal for ion-track etched membrane production was established at HIRFL, whose maximum irradiation area up to 10,000m2 per hour. In 2015, the etching bases were respectively established in Wuwei, Zaozhuang and Xuzhou, which are able to massively produce dozens of models of ion-track etched membrane. In 2019, the Ion-track Etched Membrane Industrial R&D Center and Huizhou Research Center of Ion-membrane Materials were set up in Huizhou, Guangdong province, engaging in new material studies, technical R&D as well as its popularization, with the focus on water treatment field. Huizhou Research Center of Ion-membrane MaterialsMain ProductsCurrently, the major products of ion-track etched membranes for sale include irradiation membranes, etched membranes, composite membranes, cell examination membranes, air filtration products, wastewater treatment membrane units and subassemblies, oxygen aerator tubes, materials for precise infusion sets, etc. Ion-track etched membrane materials for precise infusion setsSpecialized TCT filtration membranes Products for wastewater treatment, including membrane units & subassemblies Tubular ion-track etched membrane subassemblies Ion-track etched membrane oxygen aerator tubeOngoing Research ProjectsThe innovation & demonstration project for wastewater treatment by ion-track etched membranes is located at Hongda Road, Huinan High-tech Industrial Park, Huizhou, with a total investment amount up to RMB 10 million and capacity of treatment up to 5,000 tonnes per day.The indexes of produced water from wastewater can stably keep in accordance with relevant standards above Class V listed in Environment Quality Standards for Surface Water. (GB3838-2002).As the project has served as a good example, a future project is being planned, with the design capacity of treatment in total up to 20,000 tonnes per day and the estimated comprehensive profits reaching RMB 50 million per year.Industrialization DemandsIMP is committed to popularizing the industrial application of ion-track etched membrane materials in air filtration, wastewater treatment, purified water for household use, medical filtration, biological cell measuring, food and beverage filtration, anti-counterfeit labels and battery diaphragms, with a view to making the ion-track etched membrane technology accessible in life and benefiting the society and people. Industrial application of ion-track etched membrane technologyContact:Mr. HuTel: 0931-4969204mail: hulingang@impcas.ac.cnADD: 509 Nanchang Road, Lanzhou Gansu, China, 730000

Heavy Ion Beam Mutation Breeding and Bioproduct Development

Mutation breeding by heavy ion beam is a key generic technology that uses medium and high-energy heavy ion beams as mutagens to induce beneficial genetic variations in plants and microorganisms, thereby cultivating new varieties or strains. Characterized by high mutagenesis efficiency, broad mutation spectrum, rapid stabilization of achievements and strong versatility, heavy ion beam mutation breeding provides technical support for germplasm resource innovation and high-value bioproduct development.Mutation breeding by heavy ion beam is a key generic technology that uses medium and high-energy heavy ion beams as mutagens to induce beneficial genetic variations in plants and microorganisms, thereby cultivating new varieties or strains. Characterized by high mutagenesis efficiency, broad mutation spectrum, rapid stabilization of achievements and strong versatility, heavy ion beam mutation breeding provides technical support for germplasm resource innovation and high-value bioproduct development.Industrialization FoundationRelying on the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL) — Asia’s large-scale cyclotron with the highest energy and the most diverse ion species — the Biophysics Group has integrated the TR4 terminal, which combines real-time beam monitoring and an automated high-efficiency sample exchange system, to build an advanced heavy ion beam mutation breeding platform. It has practiced large-scale and efficient biological breeding for many consecutive years.To promote the transformation of research achievements, the Kejin Innovation Institute of Heavy Ion Beam Biological Industry in Baiyin was established in 2019. Focusing on mutation breeding, bioproduct R&D and promotion, as well as enterprise incubation, it has built a complete chain of "scientific research platform - technical practice - industrial implementation".Main productsThrough heavy ion beam mutagenesis, a variety of new plant and microbial strains have been cultivated:1) For food crops: Conventional rice varieties of the "Dongdao 122", "Dongdao 275", "Dongdao 211", "Dongdao 812", "Dongdao 862", "Dongdao 713" and "Dongdao 905", low-cadmium rice "Shaoxiang 100" and "Zhenliangyou 8612", and wheat "Longfu No.2" have been developed. Several varieties have achieved large-scale promotion.2) For energy crops: Sunflower varieties "Jinkui No.1" and "Jinshangkui No.1", and sweet sorghum "Jintian No.1" have been bred.3) Other characteristic new varieties include ornamental flower "Donghua xiacao" and medicinal plants Isatis indigotica Fort. "Zhongqing 1";4) In terms of microorganisms, multiple new strains have been selected: High-yield citric acid-producing strain (Aspergillus niger H4002), high-yield industrial lactic acid-producing strain (Bacillus coagulans 40-5007), Streptomyces avermitilis (AV203), High-yield yeast glucan-producing strain (HGC-100ML), High-efficiency carbon-fixing alkaliphilic salt lake green algae, Cellulase-producing bacteria, Silage fermentation lactic acid bacteria, Intestinal probiotics regulators, etc.5) Meanwhile, a variety of diversified bioproducts have been developed, including sweet sorghum jam, fructose-glucose syrup, glucan, ethanol, liquor, disinfectants, cellulase, silage inoculants, corn yellow silage fermentants, and probiotic solid beverages.Figure 1. Breeding of new rice varietiesFigure 2. New varieties of energy cropsFigure 3. New varieties of other plantsFigure 4. Biological products based on sweet sorghumFigure 5. Research and development of microbial-related preparationsFigure 6. Tea tree essential oil disinfectantOngoing research projectsThe project of biological germplasm Innovation by high-energy heavy ion beam irradiation and application research is performed in the incubator base of Baiyin High-tech Industrial Park, with a total investment of 10 million Chinese yuan. The project focuses on breeding research of crops, horticultural plants, industrial microorganisms with high-energy heavy ion beam irradiations and developing biological products with high value-added. In addition, new specifications of mutation breeding by high-energy heavy ion beams will be established. So far, we have obtained a series of achievements, including more than 30 new mutants of ornamental sunflower, 2 soybean mutation resource banks, 1 lavender cultivation technique, 1 set of lavender essential oil extraction technique. One strain of L-industrial lactic acid with high yield, two strains of Trichoderma longibrachiatum and Aspergillus Niger producing cellulase, three strains of excellent yeast, one strain of glucan yeast with high yield, sweet sorghum series jam, and one set of sustainable technique for the recovery of sucrose from sugar beet molasses.Industrialization DemandsWe are committed to promoting the application of heavy ion beam mutagenesis technology in biological resources such as food crops, cash crops, horticultural plants and microorganisms, creating new plants and microbial germplasm and new varieties/strains, developing high value-added biological products, and making contributions to the sustainable development of biological industry.

Industrial Electron Accelerator

Researchers at IMP took more than ten years for the R&D of the DG-type electron accelerator until the first industrialized accelerator entered the market in 2007. Up to now, it has been developed into a series of 5 models, and has gained a good reputation in the market. 1. The DG-type electron acceleratorThe DG-type electron accelerator is an industrial installation independently developed by the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). With the beam energy ranging from 0.5MeV to 2.5MeV, the maximum beam current of 150mA, the maximum power of 120kW and the power conversion efficiency of above 70%, the electron accelerator is quite suitable to be applied in industry for its compact structure, stable operation and simple maintenance.It took more than ten years for the R&D of the DG-type electron accelerator until the first industrialized accelerator entered the market in 2007. Up to now, it has been developed into a series of 5 models, and has gained a good reputation in the market.The DG-type electron accelerator is mainly used in the field of radiation processing, which refers to a new technology of processing matter and materials by means of ionizing radiation. Gradually developed after mechanical processing and chemical processing, it is one of the main application areas of peaceful use of atomic energy. Now widely used in various aspects of industry, agriculture, medical and health care, radiation processing has applied in industrial scale in a wide range of areas, such as cross-linking wire, cables, heat-shrinkable materials, rubber vulcanization, foamed plastics, medical supplies disinfection, food irradiation preservation, waste water and waste gas treatment.TypeEnergy（MeV）Current（mA）Power（kW）DG-0.50.3～0.515075DG-0.80.5～0.85040DG-1.20.8～1.25060DG-1.51.0～1.5100120DG-2.51.2～2.550100 Table. 1. The main parameters of DG-type electron accelerator Fig.1. The 3D picture of the DG-type electron accelerator Fig. 2. Application of electron accelerator in irradiation of wire and cable Fig.3. Application of electron accelerator in wastewater treatment2. The compact electron curtain acceleratorWith the continuous progress of science and technology and the improvement of living standards, people are paying more and more attention to environmental protection and food safety. Despite the various means of disinfection and sterilization, radiation method, both efficient and environmentally friendly, has been increasingly applied especially in developed countries.As a high-efficiency and low-energy electron accelerator, the curtain electron accelerator is generally employed in the fields of surface curing, film irradiation, food packaging, surface disinfection and sterilization, etc. Besides, it has been industrialized abroad and applied to the production lines.Early electron curtain accelerators were single-filament structures, and the emission of electron beams was limited. Due to the high processing capabilities required by the curing application in the late period, a multi-filament structure for emitting large beams was developed (the main manufacturers are ESI and PCT). The electron curtain accelerator developed by IMP is a traditional single-filament accelerator with a symmetrical coaxial structure. With a a simple and compact structure, the electron curtain accelerator is easy to be embedded in the production line for operation. Its main parameters are as follows:Electron beam energy：150keVAdjustable range of electron beam energy：100～150keVAdjustable range of electron beam current：0～10mASurface dose rate：about 760kGyMPMEnergy stability：≦±2%Beam stability：≦±2%Extraction window size：260×60mmUniformity of beam distribution：≦10%Vacuum under load operation：better than 5×10-4PaMaximum beam power：1.5kWBased on the electron curtain inactivated accelerator device independently developed by IMP, a joint R&D team has been formed by CGNPC, Tsinghua university, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and IMP. The team has conquered a series of core technological challenges of killing novel coronavirus with electron beams and conducted a range of simulation and verification experiments, which have verified the safety, effectiveness and feasibility of using electron beams to kill novel coronavirus on the packaging of cold-chain food packaging. In the future, this type of electron curtain accelerator is expected to play a greater role in the field of surface disinfection and sterilization.Fig.4. The 3D model of a compact electron curtain accelerator Fig.5. The schematic picture of compact electron curtain accelerator for cold-chain food packaging disinfection and sterilizationContact:Ms. WangTel: 86-931-4969624mail: wangwenlu@impcas.ac.cnADD: 509 Nanchang Road, Lanzhou Gansu, China, 730000