The present invention concerns a charged particle beam therapy system comprising: • a patient unit (10), • an accelerator unit (20) configured for accelerating charged particles, • a beam transport system (30) configured for guiding the particles beam of energies (Ej) varying between 40 and 450 MeV / u, along corresponding beam trajectories (40e) centred on a median trajectory (40m) to a target (11) located within the patient unit (10), wherein the beam transport system (30) comprises, • a bending unit (33) comprising a gap (33g) between poles (33p) of a fixed field dipole configured for receiving and bending the median trajectory (40m) in a bending plane (Y, Z). The beam transport system (30) further comprises an upstream steerer (35u) located upstream of the bending unit (33) and configured for deflecting the beam trajectories (40e) away from the median trajectory (40m) in the bending plane (Y, Z). A magnitude of the uniform magnetic field (B35) in the upstream steerer (35u) can be controlled to vary an entry position (Yij) and an entry angle (θ33i) of the beam trajectory at the bending unit inlet (33i) as a function of a beam energy (Ej,) of the particles beam.
Radiotherapy apparatus for the delivery of an energetic beam to a target tissue in a treatment 5 zone of said radiotherapy system, wherein a) the radiotherapy apparatus comprises a rotatable gantry (1) for rotating the end (2) of a beam delivery system about a circle centered on an isocentre I and normal to an axis of rotation Z1 of the gantry (1), the path between the end (2) of the beam delivery system and the isocentre I defining a central beam axis Z2 at every rotation angle of the gantry (1) about the axis of rotation Z1; b) the radiotherapy apparatus comprises an imaging ring (3), said imaging ring (3) comprising a central bore (4), said imaging ring (3) comprising an imaging system for acquiring images of a patient in an imaging zone of said imaging system, c) the imaging ring (3) is located in the radiotherapy apparatus such that its imaging zone intersects the axis of rotation Z1 of the gantry, and the imaging ring (3) is mechanically coupled to the rotatable gantry (1) through a mechanical structure (6).
Electron accelerator having a resonant cavity (10), an electron source (20) for injecting a beam of electrons (40) into the cavity, an RF source (50) adapted to generate an electric field (E) into the cavity for accelerating the electrons (40) a plurality of times inside the cavity up to a main accelerator output (42a), and beam deflectors (30) arranged outside the cavity and configured to redirect outgoing electrons back into the cavity. At least one of the beam deflectors (30) comprises a plurality of deflection magnets including a kicker magnet (80) configured to deviate the electron beam from a nominal trajectory and towards an intermediate accelerator output (41a).
H05H 13/10 - Accelerators comprising one or more linear accelerating sections and bending magnets or the like to return the charged particles in a trajectory parallel to the first accelerating section, e.g. microtrons
Irradiation system (1) for irradiating an article (5) with either an electron (201) or an X-ray (202) irradiation field and comprising: radiation means (10) for producing at least one electron beam, said irradiation system (1) being configured for directing a produced electron beam along a first electron beam path, and for directing a produced electron beam along a second electron beam path; an irradiation chamber (30) for receiving said article (5); a shielding wall (20) for shielding the irradiation chamber (30) from the radiation means (10). Said first (55) (respectively second (65)) electron beam path is configured for delivering said electron irradiation field (201) (respectively X-ray irradiation field (202)) in said irradiation chamber (30) from an opening (21; 22) in said shielding wall (20).
Electron accelerator, having a resonant cavity (10) comprising an outer cylindrical conductor (11) and a inner cylindrical conductor (12), an electron source (20) for injecting a beam of electrons (40) transversally into the cavity, an RF source (50) coupled to the cavity and adapted to generate an electric field (E) into the cavity for accelerating the electrons (40) a plurality of times into the cavity and according to successive and different transversal trajectories, and at least one deflecting magnet (30) disposed so as to redirect outgoing electrons back into the cavity. The RF source (50) is adapted to energize the cavity in a pulsed mode, thereby enabling to build a reduced size and lower cost accelerator.
H05H 13/10 - Accelerators comprising one or more linear accelerating sections and bending magnets or the like to return the charged particles in a trajectory parallel to the first accelerating section, e.g. microtrons
RF device (1) able to generate an RF acceleration voltage in a synchrocyclotron. The device comprises a resonant cavity (2) formed by a grounded conducting enclosure (5) and enveloping a conducting pillar (3) to a first end of which an accelerating electrode (4) is linked. A rotary variable capacitor (10) is mounted in the conducting enclosure at a second end of the pillar, opposite from the first end, comprising at least one fixed electrode (stator) (11) and a rotor (13) exhibiting a rotation shaft (14) supported and guided in rotation by galvanically isolating bearings (20), said rotor (13) comprising one moveable electrode (12) possibly facing the stator (11). When the shaft (14) rotates, the stator and the moveable electrode together form a variable capacitance whose value varies cyclically with time. The rotor (13) is galvanically isolated from the conducting enclosure (5) and from the pillar (3). The stator (11) is connected to the second end of the pillar (3) or to the conducting enclosure (5). The rotor is respectively coupled capacitively to the conducting enclosure or to the pillar. This makes it possible to dispense with sliding electrical contacts between the rotor and respectively the conducting enclosure or the pillar.
The present invention relates to an RF system (1) able to generate a voltage for accelerating charged particles in a synchrocyclotron, the RF system (1) including a resonant cavity (2) comprising a conducting enclosure (5) within which are placed a conducting pillar (3) of which a first end is linked to an accelerating electrode (4) able to accelerate the charged particles, a rotary variable capacitor (10) coupled between a second end opposite from the first end of the pillar (3) and the conducting enclosure (5), the said capacitor (10) comprising fixed electrodes (11) and a rotor (13) comprising mobile electrodes (12), the fixed electrodes (11) and the mobile electrodes (12) forming a variable capacitance able to vary a resonant frequency of the resonant cavity (2) in a cyclic manner over time, an exterior layer of the rotor (13) having a conductivity of greater than 20.000.000 S/m at 300 K. At least one part of the exterior surface (15) of the rotor (13) is a surface possessing a normal total emissivity of greater than 0.5 and less than 1, thereby allowing better cooling of the rotor and/or making it possible to dispense with a system for cooling the rotor by conduction and/or by convection.
A variable rotating capacitor or RotCo (5) that is adapted to be connected via a transmission line (3) to the dee (2) of a synchrocyclotron (1) so as to adjust a resonant frequency of the synchrocyclotron as a function of time and which comprises a cylindrical rotor 0 and a cylindrical stator 20 that are coaxial with the Z axis. The rotor comprises a plurality of circumferentially- distributed rotor electrodes (11) extending parallel to its rotation axis Z. The stator comprises a plurality of circumferentially- distributed stator electrodes (21) extending parallel to the rotation axis Z. Each stator electrode (21) consists of a single metal plate and all said plates are distributed over one and the same stator circumference (25). This makes it possible for the RF currents in the electrodes to be better distributed and thus reduces the local overheating. The present invention also relates to a synchrocyclotron comprising such a RotCo..
H05H 7/02 - Circuits or systems for supplying or feeding radio-frequency energy
H05H 13/02 - Synchrocyclotrons, i.e. frequency-modulated cyclotrons
H01G 5/04 - Capacitors in which the capacitance is varied by mechanical means, e.g. by turning a shaftProcesses of their manufacture using variation of effective area of electrode
H01G 5/12 - Capacitors in which the capacitance is varied by mechanical means, e.g. by turning a shaftProcesses of their manufacture using variation of effective area of electrode due to rotation of part-cylindrical, conical, or spherical electrodes
Particle therapy system (100) comprising a charged particle beam (6) generator (3), a beam transport system (4) and a beam delivery system (5) for irradiating the particle beam (6) according to a main beam axis (Z) to a target volume (1) to be treated. The system comprises an energy modulation filter (10), interposed transversally in the beam path between the generator (3) and the target volume (1) and comprising a plurality of individual filtering elements (21, 22, 23,... 31, 32, 33,...) which are arranged according to a two-dimensional (X,Y) grid. At least a first and a second filtering element (21, 22) are arranged according to the X direction and are adapted to generate respective distributions of particle energies at their respective outputs which are totally independent from each other. Furthermore, at least a third and a fourth filtering element (31, 32) are arranged according to the Y direction and are adapted to generate respective distributions of particle energies at their respective outputs which are totally independent from each other. Accordingly, a better depth-conformal irradiation of the target volume (1) can be achieved. Preferably, the therapy system (100) comprises scanning means (40) for scanning the particle beam (6) in the X and Y directions over the individual filtering elements of the energy filter (10). Hence a better lateral-conformal irradiation of the target volume (1) can be achieved.
The present invention relates to a dual-frequency resonant cavity (6) for a cyclotron, which cavity comprises a dee (10), a pillar (20) and a conductive chamber (40) surrounding said pillar and said dee, one end of the pillar being rigidly connected to the base of the conductive chamber and an opposite end of said pillar (20) supporting the dee (10). The conductive chamber and the pillar form a transmission line comprising at least three portions (20a, 20b, 20c) each having a characteristic impedance (Zc1, Zc2, Zc3). The characteristic impedance Zc2 of the intermediate portion (20b) is substantially lower than the characteristic impedances Zc1 and Zc3 of the two other portions (20a, 20b), making it possible for the cavity to resonate in two modes so as to produce two separate frequencies without having to use moveable elements such as for example sliding short-circuits or moveable plates. The present invention also relates to a method for designing such a resonant cavity, based on the use of electromagnetic and radiofrequency simulation tools.
A charged particle irradiation device (10) and method for irradiating a target volume (50), adapted for receiving a treatment plan (70) defining a series of prescribed irradiation points (140) having each a prescribed dose to be delivered, comprising an irradiation unit (40) having at least one scanning magnet (100; 110), and at least one beam position monitor (130) installed in between the said scanning magnet (100; 1 10) and said target volume (50). A controller (80) comprises means for calculating for any said prescribed irradiation point corresponding nominal magnetic settings of the scanning magnet such that a beam (90) is pointing to said prescribed irradiation point when corresponding magnetic settings are applied, and for calculating corresponding expected position at said beam position monitor (130) The controller (80) further comprises a) means for selecting a tuning reference point from said series of prescribed irradiation points; b) means for specifying a prescribed tuning dose to be given to said selected tuning reference point, said prescribed tuning dose being equal or smaller than the said prescribed dose at said selected tuning reference point; c) means for comparing a beam position provided by the beam position monitor (130) and the expected position at said beam position monitor (130) for said selected tuning reference point; d) means for computing a first correction to be applied to said nominal magnetic settings of the scanning magnet (100; 110) in order to align the beam position provided by the beam position monitor to the expected position at said beam position monitor (130) for said selected tuning reference point; e) means for correcting the nominal magnetic settings of the scanning magnet for all said prescribed irradiation points according to said first correction.
The present invention relates to a particle therapy apparatus used for radiation therapy. More particularly, this invention relates to a gantry for delivering particle beams which comprises means to analyse the incoming beam. Means are integrated into the gantry to limit the momentum spread of the beam and/or the emittance of the beam.
The present invention relates to a particle therapy apparatus used for radiation therapy. More particularly, this invention relates to a compact isocentric gantry for delivering particle beams perpendicularly to a rotation axis of the gantry. The gantry comprises three dipole magnets. The angle of the last dipole magnet is smaller than 90° and a most preferred bending angle for this last dipole magnet is 60°.
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