Programmable Particle Scatterer for Radiation Therapy Beam Formation
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Interposing a programmable path length of one or more materials into a particle beam modulates scattering angle and beam range in a predetermined manner to create a predetermined spread out Bragg peak at a predetermined range. Materials can be “low Z” and “high Z” materials that include fluids. A charged particle beam scatterer/range modulator can comprise a fluid reservoir having opposing walls in a particle beam path and a drive to adjust the distance between the walls of the fluid reservoir under control by a programmable controller. A “high Z” and, independently, a “low Z” reservoir, arranged in series, can be used. When used for radiation treatment, the beam can be monitored by measuring beam intensity, and the programmable controller can adjust the distance between the opposing walls of the “high Z” reservoir and, independently, the distance between the opposing walls of the “low Z” reservoir according to a predetermined relationship to integral beam intensity. Beam scattering and modulation can be done continuously and dynamically during a treatment in order to deposit dose in a target volume in a predetermined three dimensional distribution.
144 Citations
54 Claims
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1-32. -32. (canceled)
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33. An apparatus for scattering and/or modulating a range of a charged particle beam, the apparatus comprising:
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high Z material having a path length in a path of a charged particle beam; low Z material having a path length in the path of the charged particle beam, at least one of the high Z and low Z materials including a liquid; and a controller configured to adjust the path lengths of the high Z and low Z materials during exposure of a target to the charged particle beam. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of scattering and/or modulating a range of a charged particle beam, comprising:
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directing the charged particle beam through a high Z material having a path length in a charged particle beam path; directing the charged particle beam through a low Z material having a path length in the charged particle beam path, at least one of the high Z and low Z materials including a liquid; and adjusting the path lengths of the high Z and low Z materials during exposure of a target to the charged particle beam. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification