Particle therapy system

• US 20080078942A1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Rietzel, Eike
• Application Number:
  US11/903,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20080078942A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/396R
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1043 Scanning the radiation beam, e.g. spot scanning or raster scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1064 for adjusting radiation treatment in response to monitoring

Abstract

A particle therapy system is provided. The particle therapy system for particle therapy of a target volume of a patient includes a particle accelerator for furnishing high-energy particles; an adjusting device that adjusts a size of an irradiation volume; a control system for triggering the adjusting device, the control system outputting a control signal to the adjusting device. The control signal adjusts the three-dimensional size of the irradiation volume, so that during a time period in which the motion can be stopped, the entire target volume can be irradiated. The particle therapy system also including a scanner, which is triggerable in such a manner that the entire target volume with the irradiation volume can be scanned within the time period.

Claims

1. A particle therapy system for particle therapy of a target volume of a patient, the target volume being subjected to motion, comprising:

a particle accelerator that is operable to provide high-energy particles;

an adjusting device that is operable to adjust a size of an irradiation volume, in which particles interact with the tissue for the therapy;

a control system that is operable to trigger the adjusting device and output a control signal to the adjusting device, which signal adjusts the three-dimensional dimensions of the irradiation volume, so that during a time period in which the motion can be stopped or slowed down, the entire target volume can be irradiated; and

a scanner that is triggerable so that the entire target volume with the irradiation volume can be scanned within the time period.

2. The particle therapy system as defined by claim 1, wherein the adjusting device includes an adaptation device that adapts an energy distribution of the particle beam applied, the energy distribution determining a distal extent of the irradiation volume.

3. The particle therapy system as defined by claim 1, wherein the adjusting device includes a high-energy beam guide that adapts the lateral dimensions of the particle beam applied by beam-guiding optics.

4. The particle therapy system as defined by claim 1, wherein the adjusting device is operable to adjust the irradiation volume to a distal-to-lateral ratio of the dimensions of greater than or equal to 2:

1.

5. The particle therapy system as defined by claim 1, wherein the adjusting device is operable to adjust the irradiation volume to an extent in a direction of the beam incidence that has at least 10% of a distal extent of the target volume.

6. The particle therapy system as defined by claim 1, wherein the adjusting device is operable to adjust the irradiation volume to an extent in the direction of the beam incidence in the range of approximately 3 mm and 25 mm.

7. The particle therapy system as defined by claim 1, wherein the adjusting device is operable to adjust the irradiation volume to a lateral extent in the range of approximately 5 mm and 10 mm.

8. The particle therapy system as defined by claim 1, wherein the adaptation device is a degrader.

9. The particle therapy system as defined by claim 1, wherein the scanner is a grid scanner or a wobbling device.

10. The particle therapy system as defined by claim 1, wherein the particle accelerator is operable to adjust the energy for the irradiation of a plurality of energy layers within one time period.

11. The particle therapy system as defined by claim 1, comprising one or more adjusting devices that are operable to adjust the energy for the irradiation of a plurality of energy layers.

19. The particle therapy system as defined by claim 8, wherein the adaptation device is a ripple filter.

12. A scanning method for the particle therapy of a target volume of a patient, the target volume being subjected to motion, with a particle beam, wherein an irradiation volume in which particles interact with the tissue for the therapy is scanned over the target volume, the method comprising:

stopping or slowing down the motion of the target volume for a time period to create a quasi-stationary target volume;

adjusting the irradiation volume to a three-dimensional extent that allows irradiation during the time period of the entire volume to be irradiated;

scanning the entire target volume that is to be irradiated with the irradiation volume in the time period.

13. The method as defined by claim 12, comprising:

adjusting the irradiation volume to a distal-to-lateral ratio of the dimensions of greater than or equal to 2;

1.

14. The method as defined by claim 13, wherein the distal extent of the irradiation volume is greater than or equal to one-third the distal extent of the target volume.

15. The method as defined by claim 12, wherein the distal extent of the irradiation volume is in the range of approximately 5 mm and 25 mm.

16. The method as defined by claim 12, wherein the lateral extent of the irradiation volume is in the range of approximately 3 mm to 10 mm.

17. The method as defined by claim 12, wherein scanning the entire target volume to be irradiated comprises scanning at least one energy layer with the irradiation volume.

18. The method as defined by claim 12, wherein the scanning method is a grid scanning method or a wobbling method.