Current Event: A Petite Particle Accelerator: A Proton Gun For Killing Tumors

       Imagine having a friend or family member who has a tumor that can kill them. Would you do anything? Would you pay any amount? Well I know I would. The usual treatment is using radiation. The problem with that is that it is not that precise. It has a high chance to damage other tissue. There was a solution for this. What is called proton therapy which shoots a beam directly into the tumor. It is very precise and barely damages surrounding tissue. The problem with proton therapy is that you needed a huge particle accelerator facility. Which is as big as an airplane hangar.
      Not only is the facility huge but it costs about $100 million just to build. So there is only 37 working facilities in the world. 10 of which are in the U.S. In the past year only 10,000 people were treated. Which is less than the 5% of the patients that need it. We now have a solution for this problem which is a safer and cheaper way of getting rid of that tumor. What is being developed now is a Proton Gun that is shot into the person and is able to destroy the tumor. It is being created by a company in Livermore, California called the Compact Particle Acceleration Corporation. They are creating a 13 foot long particle accelerator which is just like proton therapy but cheaper. It only costs $30 million more that half the amount of one facility. It uses magnets that generate a electromagnetic field. Which pushes the charged particles. Since they are still in development and at hard work it will take until 2015 for it to be available for use. My opinion on this article does not vary. I think that they should continue their work since it will help so many people. We are not that far away from the time it will be released. I believe that this is a great new invention. It takes a huge facility and fits it into a small 13 foot long proton gun. Since it will help our country and maybe even the whole world, it should be given to hospitals for a small fee or even free. It will help so many and i think we need it as soon as possible.

      Here are some pictures to show you what it looks like. Picture and article from: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-03/petite-particle-accelerator-proton-gun-killing-tumors/

 

This list will help you identify the objects in the picture.(from the article)

1. PROTON BEAM
Magnets in the kicker pull positively charged protons from hydrogen plasma made by a duoplasmatron. A deflecting magnet collects the stream into proton bundles, which then enter the injector, where a microwave field speeds the particles toward the acceleration chamber at up to five million mph.
2. LASER
At nearly the same time, a laser fires a light pulse, which splits into fiber-optic cables of various lengths.
3. ACCELERATION CHAMBER
As a bundle of protons enters the acceleration chamber, a light pulse hits the chamber’s first pair of electric lines, triggering the release of electrons. The resulting electromagnetic field propels the proton bundle forward. The light pulse triggers the electric lines in a wave, sequentially accelerating the proton bundle until it’s traveling at 335 million mph—or about half the speed of light.
4. CLOCK
The entire process is controlled by a clock, which directs magnets to turn on or off and the laser to fire.
5. ROBOTIC CHAIR
Moving a patient is easier than moving a 13-foot-long particle accelerator. A robotic chair maneuvers a strapped-in patient in front of the proton beam to target a tumor from different angles.

Protons and Neutrons

Lab Reports: States of Matter

Observing a Candle

     In this lab we were seeing the chemical and physical changes of a unlit candle and a lit candle. We observed that the unlit candle was a cylinder, a solid, had a bumpy texture and was yellow. There were no chemical changes occurring when the candle was unlit. We used our sight and touch to observe this. When we lit the candle we noticed that the candle started to melt. That meant it was getting smaller and smaller. Some of the chemical changes was that it was burning and creating Carbon Dioxide. The process of a burning candle or burning any other substance is called combustion.


Pouring a Gas

     During this lab we learned about what a fire needs to keep burning and that Carbon Dioxide "kills" a fire. So we lit a big candle and put vinegar in a beaker. We then added baking soda and a chemical reaction started to occur. The vinegar and baking soda were creating Carbon Dioxide. We then slowly tipped over the beaker above the fire and it extinguished the flame. The reason behind this is because the Carbon Dioxide didn't let the flame get oxygen which is one of the components that the fire needs for it to be able to burn.


Marshmallow Fun

     In this lab we had both a small and a large marshmallow. We first took the first marshmallow and ripped it in half. That was a physical change because it still has the same chemical makeup as when it wasn't ripped. We then ate the small marshmallow and had to write down what it tasted like. To me the marshmallow tasted sweet and sugary. We then got the bigger marshmallow and had to roast it with a Bunsen burner and burn a small part of the marshmallow. We then had to taste the burnt black part. What it tasted like was bitter, dry and it lost its sweet taste. The reason behind this is because we burned the marshmallow causing a chemical change which changes taste. We then had to see what state of matter is the marshmallow in. What i came up with is that it was a solid because it had a definite volume and shape.


Observing Changes in Matter

     During this lab we had sugar cubes. We first picked up one of the cubes and described it. Like its size was small its shape was a cube, its color was white and sparkly, it had a sweet taste and a rough texture. Then we used a mortar and pestle to crush one of the cubes into powder. We created a physical change and we mixed it with a glass of water. We then had to taste it and describe it. It had a sweet taste and we were able to see the sugar when it is disturbed. Then we took 2 other sugar cubes and put them in a test tube. We held the test tube over the Bunsen burner and heated the sugar. As we heated it up the sugar started turning into a caramel color and then started creating a yellow smoke. When we took the tube off we placed it on the table and let it cool off. As it was cooling off it started to grow and the liquid grew in volume. We then shattered the tube and felt the substance. We saw that the size and shape was indefinite due to it being stuck to the glass and the glass was shattered. The color was a brownish black. It was hard and had a smooth texture. The sugar went through a chemical change because we burned the sugar.


Overview

     I learned from these experiments how to use a Bunsen burner, chemical reactions and physical reactions. Also I learned how we can use these skills in future labs. I had fun with these labs and thought that i learned a lot from them.

Procedure Blog



Picture from:
http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/louviere/vms/science/labequipment.html



There are different ways to seperate the mixture but this is the way I found out how to do. 

1. Use your fingers to take out the two toothpicks and place them down on the tray.
2. pour about 8ml into the graduated cylinder.
3. Use the spoon to take out the beans one by one.
4. Use the filter paper to filter out the water from the cup into the flask.
5. Use your finger to take out the marble from the cup.
6. Put the flask with water onto the hotplate and boil for about 5-10 min.
7. Use the filter paper to filter out the water from the graduated cylinder to the beaker.
8. Use the magnet to take out the iron shavings in the cup and put them on a piece of paper towel.
9. Take off the water once boils and use the tongs to place it on the table.
10. Use the magnify glass to see the particles of salt in the flask.
11. You now have all materials in the mixture, salt, water, beans, sand, iron shavings, marble, and toothpicks.







Picture from:
http://www.michaelaaronsonmd.com/2010/09/no-salt-added.html



Frog Dissection Lab

Picture from:

 http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/amazon-horned-frog/

In this lab we did on Monday and Tuesday was dissecting a frog. On the first day we cut open the skin on the ventral side. What we found out was that underneath that layer of skin is a layer of muscle tissue. After that we opened up the muscle tissue and saw the organs. What we first saw was the liver. The liver is the biggest organ in the body and produces bile for digestion. Since we had a male frog we didn't have any eggs so it was easier for us. We also found the fat bodies. Then we located the heart which is next to the liver. Next was the gall bladder, it is located underneath the liver and holds the bile being created. We found the lungs which was found underneath all the organs. Next to that was the pancreas. That produces enzymes for digestion.
        Then next to the spine was the kidneys. They filter the bodies blood. We learned how close the frog's system is like ours. We learned in class that the frogs reproduction system isn't efficient because so many eggs or tadpoles(baby frogs)die from being eaten. We also found out the reason why the mouth part of the frog expands. The reason why being the lung expanding when breathing. The systems are very similar to our systems like the digestive system. Like the order. It goes from the stomach through the small intestine to the large intestine. If you get lucky you can cut open the stomach and might see what the frog ate last. The frog is a really interesting species, the reason why I think they are such a interesting animal is because they are so simalar to the human.

You can learn more about the frog here: http://www.lookd.com/frogs/anatomy.html and for the digestive system here: http://www.tutorvista.com/biology/frog-digestive-system-diagram.



Picture from:

http://www.photographyblogger.net/21-cool-frog-pictures/



Picture From:
http://www.e-tutor.com/et3/lessons/view/52133/print





Immune System Game

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Digestion Lab Response Blog

What we did in this lab was work with two types of acid. We were showing how digesting works like how the acid in our stomach breaks down the food. We had 4 beakers, we labeled them A B C D. A just had pepsin, B had Pepsin and water. C had just hydrochloric acid. D is a mix of Hydrochloric acid and Pepsin. We put 3 pieces of eggwhites inside each beaker. A and C are controls. They were just to see how they worked by themselves. On day 1 we checked if there were any imediate reaction. All of the beakers didn't have a reaction. That showed that digestion doesn't happen quickly. Also we tested if they were acidic. A and B were not but C and D are. The next day nothing happened for all of them except D. In the beaker D the eggs got smaller. Then we checked if it got more or less acidic. A and B were not acidic but C was very acidic and D was very acidic to. At the end of the day we tested there ph and B was less acidic then distilled water. C was more acidic than B. Last was D which was really acidic. The most acidic.