DMC developed a positioning system which was able to position a proton beam with very high precision over a patient. This positioning could be accomplished automatically by a supervisory control system or manually using the Mobile Panel.
Safety PLC functions were implemented to allow the system to be easily integrated into the required safeties for the proton beam treatment chamber. Due to the nature of human treatment, the system had to be designed to gracefully recover from the safety system being triggered in the course of treatment. As a result, the motion system can retain its position in all cases except a mechanical motion failure or complete power loss. This allows for quick resumption of treatment after resolution of any immediate patient issues.