Gantry system for a particle therapy facility

• US 20070029510A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Sommer, Andres, Zeuner, Torsten, Kaiser, Werner, Hermann, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 7,473,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/493.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/105 using a laser alignment system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1048 Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1081 Rotating beam systems with a specific mechanical construction, e.g. gantries

Abstract

The invention relates to a gantry system for a particle therapy facility, having a beam guidance gantry which has elements for beam guidance, and having a measurement gantry which has a device for beam monitoring. The measurement gantry and beam guidance gantry are thus of a mutually independent design and are, in particular, arranged in a mutually concentric manner. A gantry system of this kind is inter alia less susceptible to mechanical deviations during rotation of the beam guidance gantry.

Claims

1. A gantry system for a particle therapy facility, comprising:

a beam guidance gantry comprising a beam guidance element; and

a measurement gantry comprising a device for beam monitoring and measuring a beam parameter which controls the particle therapy facility.

2. The gantry system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a device for outputting the beam parameter is provided on a control system of the particle therapy facility.

3. The gantry system as claimed claim 1, wherein the measurement gantry is rotated into an angular position and a measuring unit of the device is penetrated by a particle beam from the beam guidance gantry rotated at the identical angular position in order to measure the beam parameter.

4. The gantry system as claimed claim 3, wherein the beam parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

a site, energy, and a number of particles of the beam.

5. The gantry system as claimed claim 3, wherein the measuring unit comprises a location detector for detecting a position or a dosimeter for measuring an intensity of the particle beam.

6. The gantry system as claimed claim 1, wherein the measurement gantry comprises an apparatus for verifying a position of a patient, a patient positioning device, or a laser positioning device.

7. The gantry system as claimed claim 1, wherein the measurement gantry and the beam guidance gantry are independent of each other in installation, adjustment, energy supply, or signal processing.

8. The gantry system as claimed claim 1, wherein the measurement gantry and the beam guidance gantry are mechanically separated.

9. The gantry system as claimed claim 1, wherein the measurement gantry and the beam guidance gantry are thermally or vibrationally separated

10. The gantry system as claimed claim 1, wherein the measurement gantry is arranged concentrically with the beam guidance gantry and inside of the beam guidance gantry.

11. The gantry system as claimed claim 1, wherein the beam guidance gantry is rotatably arranged on a bearing device and the measurement gantry is rotatably arranged on a measurement gantry bearing device which permit an independent rotation of the beam guidance gantry and measurement gantry.

12. The gantry system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the bearing device is supported on a base and the measurement gantry bearing device is arranged radially inside the bearing device and indirectly supported on the base via the bearing device.

13. The gantry system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the bearing device and the measurement gantry bearing device are independently supported on a base.

14. The gantry system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the measurement gantry bearing device is supported on a side of the beam guidance gantry which is opposite to a delivery direction of the particle beam into the beam guidance gantry.