MULTIPASS – MULTIPle trAcker for Secondary particleS monitoring
- Project Code: P2022FZAC3
- Project start and end date: 30/11/2023 – 29/11/2025
- Extension date: 28/02/2026
- Funding source: MUR Call for Proposal n. 1409/2022 – NRRP – Next Generation EU, Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.1 – ‘Fund for the National Research Programme and Projects of Significant National Interest (PRIN)
- CUP: F53D23008520001
- CREF funding amount: 131.645,00 €
CREF Unit Leader
Participating research units
- National Coordinator (PI): INFN – Ilaria Mattei
- Research Unit: CREF – Michela Marafini
Research team and staff recruited within the project
- Coordinator of the research group: Michela Marafini
- Component of the research group: Marco Garbini
Results achieved
The project developed the FLUKA Monte Carlo framework to optimize the detector geometry and readout electronics. Dedicated user routines enabled both MC truth and reconstructed analyses, supporting the development of reconstruction algorithms for secondary protons, pair-production photons, and neutrons via double elastic scattering. Simulations of realistic proton and carbon-ion therapy treatments, based on CNAO clinical plans and patient CTs, guided detector design and SPAD-based readout optimization, predicting trigger efficiencies of about 20% with event rates of a few kHz. A feasibility study demonstrated the potential of MULTIPASS for 3D inter-fractional monitoring in carbon-ion therapy, successfully detecting anatomical changes that were not identified by the existing Dose Profiler. On the hardware side, a scalable FPGA-based control and acquisition system for the SBAM sensor was developed, supporting high-speed optical communication and stand-alone operation. A first Detection Unit prototype, consisting of about 100 X-Y scintillating fiber layers, was assembled and characterized with gamma sources, identifying 0.25–0.5 mm fibers as the optimal solution. A CMOS-SPAD tile prototype and dedicated readout electronics were designed, fabricated, and tested. Finally, the complete Detection Unit was successfully tested with a 227 MeV proton beam at CNAO, with data analysis currently underway.
Posters, dissemination materials, output
Thesis:
- Bachelor degree thesis from a student of the University of Milan. The title thesis is “Monte Carlo Study of the MULTIPASS Detector for Range Monitoring in Hadrontherapy”, with the project PI as external (INFN) advisor;
- Bachelor degree thesis from a student of the University of Milan. The title thesis is “On Data-Like Monte Carlo simulations of MULTIPASS detector for Hadrontherapy”, with the project PI as external (INFN) advisor;
- Master degree thesis from a student of the University of Milan. The title thesis is “3D Inter-Fractional Monitoring in 12C Ion Therapy: Simulation Study of MULTIPASS Detector Performance in the framework of the INSIDE Clinical Trial at CNAO”, with the project PI as external (INFN) advisor;
- PhD from CREF and Sapienza University of Rome unit started November 2025.
Activities for general public:
1) Presentation at a press event dedicated to the figure of Maria Skłodowska Curie 17 settembre 2024 CNRN Sessione Umano e Cosmico: “La radioterapia: le radiazioni che salvano la vita”.