MULTI-AXIS CHARGED PARTICLE CANCER THERAPY METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20110118531A1
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrey Vladimirovich Balakin, Pavel Vladimirovich Balakin
• Original Assignee: Vladimir Yegorovich Balakin
• Inventors: Balakin, Vladimir Yegorovich
• Granted Patent: US 8,901,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/087 by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/093 by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/14 using charge exchange devices, e.g. for neutralising or changing the sign of the electrical charges of beams producing or accelerating neutral particle beams H05H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 13/04 Synchrotrons
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 7/04 Magnet systems , e.g. undulators, wigglers free-electron laser H01S3/0903; Energisation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 7/08 Arrangements for injecting particles into orbits
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 7/10 Arrangements for ejecting particles from orbits

Abstract

The invention comprises a multi-axis charged particle irradiation method and apparatus. The multi-axis controls includes separate or independent control of one or more of horizontal position, vertical position, energy control, and intensity control of the charged particle irradiation beam. Optionally, the charged particle beam is additionally controlled in terms of timing. Timing is coordinated with patient respiration and/or patient rotational positioning. Combined, the system allows multi-axis and multi-field charged particle irradiation of tumors yielding precise and accurate irradiation dosages to a tumor with distribution of harmful proximal distal energy about the tumor.

Claims

1. An apparatus using charged particles for irradiation of a tumor of a patient, comprising:

a synchrotron comprising multi-axis control, said multi-axis control comprising control of;

an energy; and

an intensity,

wherein said control of said energy and said control of said intensity occurs during extraction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising separate control of said energy and said intensity during an extraction phase of said synchrotron.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said multi-axis control further comprises:

timing control of said energy and said intensity.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a rotatable platform,

wherein said rotatable platform rotates through about three hundred sixty degrees during an irradiation period,

wherein said multi-axis control operates during at least ten rotation positions of said rotatable platform.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said rotatable platform holds the patient, wherein the charged particles are delivered from said synchrotron to the tumor of the patient during rotation of the patient on said rotatable platform, wherein ingress energy of the charged particles is distributed to at least ten areas about the tumor.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a respiration sensor generating a respiration signal, said respiration signal corresponding to a breathing cycle of the patient, wherein said timing control uses said respiration signal to time delivery of the charged particles with a set point in said breathing cycle.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said multi-axis control further comprises independent control of all of:

a horizontal position of the charged particles;

a vertical position of the charged particles;

said energy; and

said intensity, wherein said multi-axis control comprises delivery of the charged particles at said set point in the breathing cycle and in coordination with rotation of the patient on said rotatable platform during said at least ten rotation positions of said rotatable platform.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, said synchrotron further comprising:

an acceleration period accelerating the charged particles; and

an extraction foil, wherein timing of the charged particles striking said extraction foil in said acceleration period results in extraction at said energy.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a current resulting from the charged particles striking said extraction foil, said current used as a feedback control to a radio-frequency cavity system, wherein an applied radio frequency, using said feedback control, in said radio-frequency cavity system results in said control of said intensity.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said multi-axis control further comprises separate control of all of:

an x-axis position of the charged particles;

a y-axis position of the charged particles;

said energy; and

said intensity, wherein said multi-axis control comprises delivery of the charged particles at a set point in a breathing cycle of the patient at least five rotation positions of a rotatable platform holding the patient.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said synchrotron further comprises:

a beam extraction path, said path sequentially comprising;

a radio-frequency cavity system comprising a first pair of blades;

a foil, said foil comprising a thickness of about thirty to one-hundred microns, said foil consisting essentially of atoms having six or fewer protons;

a second pair of blades; and

an extraction magnet.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a radio-frequency applied across said first pair of blades alters trajectory of the charged particles through said foil yielding reduced energy charged particles, wherein the reduced energy charged particles pass through said second pair of blades, wherein a direct current voltage of at least five hundred volts applied across said second pair of blades and said extraction magnet combine to extract the reduced energy charged particles out of said synchrotron.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said control of said intensity further comprises a feedback control, said feedback control using a current generated by the charged particles transmitting through said foil as an indicator of charged particle intensity.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a rotatable platform,

wherein said rotatable platform rotates through at least one hundred eighty degrees during an irradiation period of the patient,

wherein timing of said multi-axis control of said energy and said intensity occurs in greater than four rotation positions of said rotatable platform.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a respiration sensor generating a respiration signal, said respiration signal corresponding to a respiration cycle of the patient;

a rotatable platform holding the patient during use,

wherein said rotatable platform rotates through at least one hundred eighty degrees during an irradiation period of the patient,

wherein timing of said multi-axis control of said energy and said intensity correlates with said respiration signal, and

wherein delivery of the charged particles occurs in greater than four rotation positions of said rotatable platform.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said multi-axis control further comprises control of timing of charged particle delivery, said control of timing correlated with patient respiration.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said control of timing further comprises control of:

injection of hydrogen gas into an ion beam generation system, wherein a magnetic field barrier in said ion beam generation system exists between a high temperature plasma region and a low temperature plasma zone, said ion beam generation system generating the charged particles.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said ion beam generation system further comprises a first vacuum chamber on a first side of a converting foil and a second vacuum chamber on a second side of said converting foil, said first vacuum operating at a separate pressure from said second vacuum chamber.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said control of timing further comprises control of:

an ion beam focusing system, comprising;

metal conductive paths running across a negative ion beam path; and

a focusing electrode circumferentially surrounding the negative ion beam path, wherein electric field lines run between said focusing electrode and said metal conductive paths, wherein negative ions in the negative ion beam focus through force vectors running up the electric field lines during use, and

wherein the negative ion beam is converted into the charge particles at a converting foil.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said multi-axis control of timing further comprises:

control of a magnetic field in a bending magnet, said bending magnet comprising;

a tapered iron based core adjacent a gap, said core comprising a surface polish of less than 10 microns roughness; and

a focusing geometry comprising;

a first cross-sectional distance of said iron based core forming an edge of said gap,

a second cross-sectional distance of said iron based core not in contact with said gap, wherein said second cross-sectional distance is at least fifty percent larger than said first cross-sectional distance.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said multi-axis control of timing controls timing with patient respiration to all of:

negative ion generation;

negative ion extraction and conversion to the charged particles;

acceleration of the charged particles;

extraction of the charged particles; and

delivery position of the charged particles to the tumor.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control of said energy further comprises use of readings from a magnetic sensor, said magnetic sensor proximate a bending magnet in said synchrotron.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a feedback system, wherein said feedback system stabilizes a magnetic field in said bending magnet using input from said magnetic sensor to control a correction coil operating at less than ten percent the power of a winding coil, both said correction coil and said winding coil wound around said bending magnet.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control of said energy further comprises control of an accelerator system in said synchrotron, said accelerator system comprising:

a set of at least ten coils;

a set of at least ten wire loops;

a set of at least ten microcircuits, each of said microcircuits integrated to one of said loops, wherein each of said loops completes at least one turn about at least one of said coils; and

a radio-frequency synthesizer sending a low voltage signal to each of said microcircuits, each of said microcircuits amplifying said low voltage signal yielding an acceleration voltage.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said multi-axis control further comprises:

monitoring both a horizontal position of the charged particles and a vertical position of the charged particles in a beam transport path using a coating on a foil, said foil comprising a vacuum barrier between said synchrotron and atmosphere, said coating comprising a layer yielding a luminescent, fluorescent, or phosphorescent signal when struck by the charged particles.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said multi-axis control increases said intensity when targeting a distal portion of the tumor, wherein said distal portion of said tumor changes with rotation of the patient on a platform rotating to as least ten distinct rotational positions in a period of less than one minute during irradiation of the tumor by the charged particles.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said multi-axis control further comprises:

horizontal position control of the charged particles;

vertical position control of the charged particles; and

an X-ray input signal, wherein said X-ray input signal comprises a signal generated by an X-ray source proximate the charged particle beam,

wherein said X-ray input signal is used in;

setting position of said horizontal position and setting position of said vertical position.

28. A method for controlling charged particles, the charged particles used to irradiate a tumor of a patient, comprising the steps of:

extracting the charged particles from a synchrotron; and

controlling the charged particles along multi-axis, said multi-axis comprising;

an energy; and

an intensity,

wherein said step of controlling said energy and said step of controlling said intensity both occur prior to the charged particles passing through a Lamberson extraction magnet in said synchrotron during said step of extracting.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of:

during said step of extracting, separately controlling each of said energy and said intensity.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of:

timing both said step of controlling said energy and said step of controlling said intensity to position of the patient.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of:

rotating a rotatable platform through about three hundred sixty degrees during an irradiation period,

wherein said step of controlling said step of extracting both operate during at least ten rotation positions of said rotatable platform.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

holding the patient with said rotatable platform;

delivering the charged particles to the tumor of the patient from said synchrotron during said step of rotating the patient on said rotatable platform; and

distributing ingress energy of the charged particles to at least ten areas about the tumor.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

generating a respiration signal with a respiration sensor, said respiration signal corresponding to a breathing cycle of the patient;

wherein said step of timing uses said respiration signal to time delivery of the charged particles to the tumor at a set point in said breathing cycle.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

independently controlling said multi-axis, wherein said multi-axis further comprises;

a horizontal position of the charged particles; and

a vertical position of the charged particles, and

delivering the charged particles at said set point in the breathing cycle and in coordination with said step of rotating during at least ten rotation positions of said rotatable platform.

35. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

accelerating the charged particles during an acceleration period of said synchrotron; and

timing extraction of the charged particles striking an extraction foil to yield said energy.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

striking said extraction foil with the charged particles to yield a current;

using said current as a feedback control to a radio-frequency cavity system; and

controlling said intensity by applying a radio frequency in said feedback control to said radio-frequency cavity system.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said step of controlling the charged particles along multi-axis further comprises the steps of:

controlling an x-axis position of the charged particles; and

controlling a y-axis position of the charged particles,

wherein said step of controlling the charged particles along multi-axis further comprises the step of delivering the charged particles at a set point in a breathing cycle of the patient at least five rotation positions of a rotatable platform holding the patient.

38. The method of claim 28, wherein said synchrotron further comprises:

a beam extraction path, said beam extraction path sequentially comprising;

a radio-frequency cavity system comprising a first pair of blades;

a foil, said foil comprising a thickness of about thirty to one-hundred microns, said foil consisting essentially of atoms having six or fewer protons;

a second pair of blades; and

an extraction magnet.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising the steps of:

applying a radio-frequency across said first pair of blades to yield altered trajectory charged particles;

passing the altered trajectory charged particles through said foil yielding reduced energy charged particles;

transmitting the reduced energy charged particles pass through said second pair of blades;

applying a direct current voltage of at least five hundred volts across said second pair of blades; and

extracting the reduced energy charged particles out of said synchrotron using an extraction magnet.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising the step of:

feedback controlling said intensity using a feedback control, said feedback control using a current generated by the charged particles transmitting through said foil as an indicator of charged particle intensity.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the steps of:

rotating a rotatable platform through at least one hundred eighty degrees during an irradiation period of the patient; and

timing said step of controlling the charged particles along said multi-axes of said energy and said intensity in greater than four rotation positions of said rotatable platform.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising the steps of:

generating a respiration signal with a respiration sensor, said respiration signal corresponding to a respiration cycle of the patient;

rotating a rotatable platform holding the patient, during use, through at last one hundred eighty degrees during an irradiation period of the patient,

timing said step of controlling the charged particles along multi-axis to correlate with said respiration signal, and

delivering the charged particles in greater than four rotation positions of said rotatable platform.

43. The method of claim 28, wherein said step of controlling the charged particles along multi-axis, further comprises the step of:

correlating timing of charged particle delivery with patient respiration.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said step of correlating timing further comprises the step of:

controlling injection of hydrogen gas into an ion beam generation system, wherein a magnetic field barrier in said ion beam generation system exists between a high temperature plasma region and a low temperature plasma zone, said ion beam generation system generating the charged particles.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein said step of controlling timing further comprises the step of:

controlling an ion beam focusing system, said ion beam focusing system comprising;

metal conductive paths running across a negative ion beam path; and

a focusing electrode circumferentially surrounding the negative ion beam path, wherein electric field lines run between said focusing electrode and said metal conductive paths, wherein negative ions in the negative ion beam focus through force vectors running up the electric field lines during use; and

converting the negative ion beam into the charge particles at a converting foil.

46. The method of claim 28, wherein said step of controlling the charged particles along multi-axis further comprises the step of:

controlling a magnetic field in a bending magnet of said synchrotron, said bending magnet comprising;

a tapered iron based core adjacent a gap, said core comprising a surface polish of less than 10 microns roughness; and

a focusing geometry comprising;

a first cross-sectional distance of said iron based core forming an edge of said gap,

a second cross-sectional distance of said iron based core not in contact with said gap, wherein said second cross-sectional distance is at least fifty percent larger than said first cross-sectional distance, said first cross-sectional distance running parallel said second cross-sectional distance.

47. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

timing said step of controlling the charged particles along multi-axis with patient respiration to all of;

negative ion generation;

negative ion extraction and conversion to the charged particles;

acceleration of the charged particles;

extraction of the charged particles; and

delivery position of the charged particles to the tumor.

48. The method of claim 28, wherein said step of controlling said energy further comprises the step of:

using readings from a magnetic sensor, said magnetic sensor proximate a bending magnet in said synchrotron.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising the step of:

stabilizing a magnetic field in said bending magnet using a feedback system using an input from said magnetic sensor by controlling a correction coil operating at less than ten percent the power of a winding coil, both said correction coil and said winding coil wound around said bending magnet.

50. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of:

controlling said energy using an accelerator system in said synchrotron, said accelerator system comprising;

a set of at least ten coils;

a set of at least ten wire loops; and

a set of at least ten microcircuits, each of said microcircuits integrated to one of said loops, wherein each of said loops completes at least one turn about at least one of said coils; and

using a radio-frequency synthesizer, sending a low voltage signal to each of said microcircuits, each of said microcircuits amplifying said low voltage signal yielding an acceleration voltage.

51. The method of claim 28, wherein said multi-axis control further comprises the step of:

monitoring both a horizontal position of the charged particles and a vertical position of the charged particles in a beam transport path using a coating on a foil, said foil comprising a vacuum barrier between said synchrotron and atmosphere, said coating comprising a layer yielding a luminescent, fluorescent, or phosphorescent signal when struck by the charged particles.

52. The method of claim 28, wherein said multi-axis control of said intensity further comprises the step of:

increasing said intensity when targeting a distal portion of the tumor, wherein said distal portion of said tumor changes with rotation of the patient on a platform rotating to as least ten distinct rotational positions in a period of less than one minute during irradiation of the tumor by the charged particles.

53. The method of claim 28, wherein said multi-axis control further comprises the steps of:

horizontally controlling the charged particles;

vertically controlling the charged particles; and

providing an X-ray input signal, wherein said X-ray input signal comprises a signal generated by an X-ray source proximate the charged particle beam;

wherein both said step of horizontally controlling and said step of vertically controlling use said X-ray input signal.