Recently, key components of the Hefei Superconducting Proton Therapy System, including "superconducting magnets," "energy degrader system," and "radiofrequency cavity system," have successfully undergone the entire development cycle from component design, processing and manufacturing, installation and debugging, to testing and operation. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the domestication of key components and represents a breakthrough in technology for Hefei Superconducting Proton Therapy System.

On May 4th, the successful low-temperature electrical performance test of the superconducting magnet was conducted, achieving a maximum magnetic field of 4.5 T. The superconducting magnet demonstrated high-precision current transmission and stable magnetic field operation for over 8 hours, meeting the preliminary testing requirements for this component in medical cyclotron. The experimental results fully validate the accuracy of the design, quench protection scheme, and the winding process of the superconducting magnet. Compared to room temperature cyclotron with the same energy, the main magnet's weight can be reduced by approximately two-thirds, significantly lowering the production and operational costs of the cyclotron.

On April 22nd, the graphite energy degrader made by HFICM team, a crucial component determining the precision and efficiency of the Hefei Superconducting Proton Therapy System's treatment end, successfully completed beam tests ranging from 70MeV to 230MeV at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), a world-renowned proton technology research and development application center in Switzerland. The experimental results received high praise from the participating experts. This successful testing signifies that HFCIM has the capability to independently develop the core components of the proton beam transport line, specifically the energy degrader.

On April 8th, the prototype of the radiofrequency cavity for the Hefei Superconducting Proton Therapy System cyclotron successfully completed the cold cavity test. The radiofrequency cavity is a crucial component in the cyclotron responsible for proton acceleration, and the formulation of its design and the achievement of important indicators are key to the stability and efficient output of high-energy protons. This prototype achieved a resonance frequency of 91.5MHz, a loaded Q value of approximately 2700, and other core indicators, marking the completion of the design for the superconducting cyclotron accelerator's radiofrequency cavity, and the formal initiation of cavity manufacturing.

On October 10, 2015, the People's Government of Hefei signed a framework agreement with the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to jointly establish the "Hefei Ion Medical Center." In December 2015, the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Russia signed a scientific cooperation agreement, leading to the establishment of the Sino-Russian Superconducting Proton Joint Center in Hefei. Together, they aimed to develop the first compact superconducting cyclotron proton therapy device in China and Russia.

In March 2016, as one of the seven independent innovation platforms under the "Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center," the Hefei Ion Medical Center initiated its independent research and development project through the establishment of Hefei CAS Ion Medical and Technical Devices Co., Ltd. (HFCIM). HFCIM deepened collaborations with advanced research institutions, high-end medical equipment manufacturers, and internationally renowned ion therapy institutions. Their goal was to develop an advanced domestic superconducting proton therapy system. The objective was to achieve rapid and high-quality industrialization of the superconducting proton therapy system, addressing a technological gap in China and further promoting the development of the country's health industry and the leapfrogging of the high-end medical equipment industry.