Configurable collimator controlled using linear motors
First Claim
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1. A device for trimming a particle beam, comprising:
- structures comprised of material that blocks passage of the particle beam, the structures being configurable to define an edge that is movable into a path of the particle beam such that a first part of the particle beam on a first side of the edge is blocked by the structures and such that a second part of the particle beam on a second side of the edge is not blocked by the structures; and
linear motors that are controllable to configure the structures to define the edge, each of the linear motors comprising a movable component and a stationary component, the stationary component comprising a magnetic field generator to generate a first magnetic field, the movable component comprising one or more coils to conduct current to produce a second magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field to cause the moveable component to move relative to the stationary component;
wherein the movable component of each linear motor is connected to, or part of, a corresponding one of the structures such that the corresponding structure moves along with movement with the movable component.
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Abstract
An example device for trimming a particle beam includes: structures made of material that blocks passage of the particle beam, with the structures being configurable to define an edge that is movable into a path of the particle beam; and linear motors that are controllable to configure the structures to define the edge.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A device for trimming a particle beam, comprising:
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structures comprised of material that blocks passage of the particle beam, the structures being configurable to define an edge that is movable into a path of the particle beam such that a first part of the particle beam on a first side of the edge is blocked by the structures and such that a second part of the particle beam on a second side of the edge is not blocked by the structures; and linear motors that are controllable to configure the structures to define the edge, each of the linear motors comprising a movable component and a stationary component, the stationary component comprising a magnetic field generator to generate a first magnetic field, the movable component comprising one or more coils to conduct current to produce a second magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field to cause the moveable component to move relative to the stationary component; wherein the movable component of each linear motor is connected to, or part of, a corresponding one of the structures such that the corresponding structure moves along with movement with the movable component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A device to trim a particle beam, comprising:
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a first carriage that is movable in a first dimension; second carriages that are coupled to the first carriage and therefore movable in the first dimension along with the first carriage, each of the second carriages also being movable in a second dimension that is different from the first dimension, a second carriage among the second carriages comprising; structures comprised of material that blocks passage of the particle beam, the structures being configurable to define an edge that is movable into a path of the particle beam such that a first part of the particle beam on a first side of the edge is blocked by the structures and such that a second part of the particle beam on a second side of the edge is not blocked by the structures; and linear motors to configure the structures to define the edge, each of the linear motors being controllable to drive a corresponding one of the structures linearly in the second dimension towards, or away from, the path of the particle beam, each of the linear motors comprising a movable component and a stationary component, the stationary component comprising a magnetic field generator to generate a first magnetic field, the movable component comprising one or more coils to conduct current to produce a second magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field to cause the moveable component to move relative to the stationary component. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A particle therapy system comprising:
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a particle accelerator to output a particle beam, the particle accelerator generating neutron radiation in an enclosed treatment space during operation; one or more scanning magnets to move the particle beam relative to an irradiation target in a patient; and a device to trim the particle beam, the device being between the one or more scanning magnets and the patient, the device comprising; structures comprised of material that blocks passage of the particle beam, the structures being configurable to define an edge that is movable into a path of the particle beam such that a first part of the particle beam on a first side of the edge is blocked by the structures and such that a second part of the particle beam on a second side of the edge is not blocked by the structures; and linear motors that are controllable to configure the structures by driving the structures linearly to define the edge, each of the linear motors comprising a movable component and a stationary component, the stationary component comprising a magnetic field generator to generate a first magnetic field, the movable component comprising one or more coils to conduct current to produce a second magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field to cause the moveable component to move relative to the stationary component; and one or more processing devices to control operation of the device to trim the particle beam, the one or more processing devices being located in an area that is exposed to less than a specified amount of the neutron radiation. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A device for trimming a particle beam, comprising:
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structures comprised of material that blocks passage of the particle beam, the structures being configurable to define an edge that is movable into a path of the particle beam; and linear motors that are controllable to configure the structures to define the edge, each of the linear motors comprising a movable component and a stationary component, the stationary component comprising a magnetic field generator to generate a first magnetic field, the movable component comprising one or more coils to conduct current to produce a second magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field to cause the moveable component to move relative to the stationary component; wherein the movable component of each linear motor is connected to, or part of, a corresponding one of the structures such that the corresponding structure moves along with movement with the movable component. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification