Compact Particle Acceleration

Compact Particle Acceleration Corporation (CPAC) was a medical technology startup founded in 2008 to develop a revolutionary, highly compact proton therapy system for cancer treatment. Spun out from TomoTherapy (later acquired by Accuray) and utilizing technology licensed from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the company focused on the Dielectric-Wall Accelerator (DWA) platform. This technology aimed to replace massive, multi-ton cyclotrons with a 4-meter-long linear accelerator capable of being housed in standard radiation therapy vaults. Despite demonstrating proton acceleration in 2011 and securing Series A funding, the company was ultimately unsuccessful in commercializing the DWA technology and ceased major operations around 2013.