CHARGED PARTICLE CANCER THERAPY BEAM PATH CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20110182410A1
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vladimir Yegorovich Balakin
• Original Assignee: Vladimir Yegorovich Balakin
• Inventors: Balakin, Vladimir Yegorovich
• Granted Patent: US 8,957,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/65
• 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 charged particle beam path coupling an injector, synchrotron accelerator, beam transport system, targeting system, and/or patient interface method and apparatus. Preferably, the injector comprises: a negative ion beam source, a two phase ion source vacuum system, an ion beam focusing lens, and/or a tandem accelerator. Preferably, the synchrotron comprises turning magnets, edge focusing magnets, magnetic field concentration magnets, winding and correction coils, flat magnetic field incident surfaces, and/or extraction elements. Preferably, the synchrotron, beam transport system, targeting system, and patient interface combine to allow multi-axis/multi-field irradiation, where multi-axis control comprises control of horizontal and vertical beam position, beam energy, and/or beam intensity and multi-field control comprises control of patient rotation and distribution of delivered energy in and about the tumor in a time controlled, targeted, accurate, precise, dosage controlled, and/or efficient manner.

Claims

1. An apparatus for radiation therapy of a tumor of a patient with charged particles from a charged particle cancer therapy system, comprising:

a charged particle beam path, said charged particle beam path sequentially traversing;

an injector,

a synchrotron; and

a beam transport system, wherein said synchrotron comprises an extraction foil.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charged particles run through said charged particle beam path during operation of said charged particle cancer therapy system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, said injector further comprising:

an ion beam generation source; and

a magnetic material centrally positioned within said ion beam generation source, said magnetic material creating a magnetic field barrier between a high temperature plasma zone within said ion beam generation source and a low temperature plasma region,

wherein said charged particle beam path circumferentially surrounds (1) negative ions formed in said low temperature plasma region and (2) a negative ion beam resulting from extraction of the negative ions from the low temperature plasma region.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an input foil, wherein said input foil comprises a vacuum seal between a portion of said injector and said synchrotron, said charged particle beam path proximate said extraction foil during an extraction phase of said charged particle cancer therapy system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an output foil, wherein said output foil comprises a vacuum barrier between atmosphere and a first portion of said charged particle beam path within said synchrotron; and

a coating substantially covering at least a portion of said output foil, said coating emitting photons when struck by the charged particles in said charged particle beam path,

wherein said extraction foil comprises a thickness of less than about one hundred micrometers.

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

a center;

a pair of oscillation inducing blades spanning said charged particle beam path, said pair of oscillation blades comprising a first distance from said center of said synchrotron;

a pair of extraction blades spanning said charged particle beam path, said pair of extraction blades comprising a second distance from said center of said synchrotron, said first distance greater than said second distance; and

a deflector about said charged particle beam path.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an intensity controller electrically connected to said extraction foil, said extraction foil consisting essentially of atoms having six or fewer protons per atom.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a statically positioned X-ray generation source, said X-ray generation source located within about forty millimeters of said charged particle beam path.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a rotatable platform under a terminal end of said charged particle beam path, wherein said rotatable platform rotates around an axis aligned with gravity during use; and

an energy controller controlling said synchrotron in terms of all of;

timing, extraction energy, and extraction intensity.

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

exactly four turning sections, wherein each of said turning sections bends said charged particle beam path about ninety degrees.

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

four turning sections; and

bending magnets, wherein each of said four turning sections comprises at least four of said bending magnets, wherein said charged particle beam path runs through each of said four turning sections.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said synchrotron comprises an equal number of turning sections and straight sections.

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

at least four turning sections;

bending magnets; and

focusing geometry, wherein each of said four turning sections comprises at least four of said bending magnets, wherein each of said bending magnets comprises said focusing geometry, wherein said focusing geometry narrows a metal section of said bending magnet from a first magnet cross-section to a second magnet cross-section, wherein said first magnet cross-section lies in a parallel plane to said second magnet cross-section, wherein said second magnet cross-section comprises a surface of a gap, wherein said gap comprises a surface of said charged particle beam path.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said charged particle beam path connects to:

a carbon input foil in said injector;

an aluminum output foil positioned (1) after said synchrotron and (2) across said charged particle beam, wherein said output foil has a first side; and

a beam position verification layer substantially in contact with said first side of said output foil, wherein said verification layer comprises photon emitting centers.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said injector comprises:

a negative ion source;

a magnetic field containment system within said negative ion source, wherein said charged particle beam path initiates at said negative ion source; and

an ion beam focusing system, wherein said ion beam focusing system comprises at least one conductive surface running axially across said charged particle beam path.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a magnetic field producing magnet providing a partial plasma containment barrier in said injector; and

an integrated accelerator 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.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first foil;

a second foil; and

a third foil, wherein each of said first foil, said second foil, and said third foil axially crosses said charged particle beam path.

18. A method for radiation therapy of a tumor of a patient with charged particles from a charged particle cancer therapy system, comprising sequential steps of:

generating the charged particles in an injector;

injecting the charged particles into a synchrotron;

accelerating the charged particles in said synchrotron yielding accelerated charged particles;

inducing oscillation of the accelerated charged particles yielding oscillating charged particles;

extracting the oscillating charged particles from said synchrotron using an extraction foil yielding reduced energy charged particles; and

transporting the reduced energy charged particles to the tumor, wherein a charged particle beam path initiates in said injector, wherein said charged particle beam path circumferentially surrounds the charged particles in said synchrotron.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said charged particle beam path circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of all of:

(1) the charged particles;

(2) the accelerated charged particles;

(3) the oscillating charged particles; and

(4) the reduced energy charged particles.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

passing the charged particles through an input foil in said injector;

maintaining a first vacuum in said charged particle beam path on a first side of said input foil; and

maintaining a second vacuum within said charged particle beam path on a second side of said input foil, wherein a first pressure of said first vacuum does not equal a second pressure of said second vacuum.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

producing negative ions in a negative ion beam with a negative ion source in said injector;

focusing the negative ions using first electric field lines in an ion beam focusing lens; and

converting the negative ions into the charged particles with a converting foil.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

accelerating the charged particles within said charged particle beam path, said charged particle beam path in said synchrotron, said synchrotron further comprising;

straight sections; and

turning sections,

wherein each of said turning sections comprises a plurality of bending magnets,

wherein a circulation beam path subset, of said charged particle beam path within said synchrotron, comprises a length of less than sixty meters, and

wherein a number of said straight sections equals a number of said turning sections.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the charged particles in said charged particle beam path through said extraction foil, said extraction foil yielding a reduced energy charged particle beam;

applying at least five hundred volts across a first pair of blades; and

passing the reduced energy charged particle beam between said first pair of blades,

wherein said first pair of blades redirect the reduced energy charged particle beam to a deflector.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

generating X-rays with an X-ray generation source located within forty millimeters of said charged particle beam path, wherein said X-ray source maintains a single static position;

(1) during use of said X-ray source and (2) during tumor treatment with the charged particle beam,

wherein, for a distance, the X-rays emitted from said X-ray source run substantially in parallel with the charged particles.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

extracting the charged particles from said synchrotron;

controlling an energy of the charged particles; and

controlling an intensity of the charged particles,

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

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

rotating a rotatable platform to at least five irradiation positions covering at least ninety degrees of rotation; and

irradiating the tumor with the charged particles during each of said at least five irradiation positions, wherein the tumor rotates on said rotatable platform.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

generating an ion beam in an ion beam generation source of said injector;

creating a magnetic field barrier between a high temperature plasma zone within said ion beam generation source and a low temperature plasma region using a magnetic material centrally positioned within said ion beam generation source, wherein said charged particle beam path initiates with negative ions formed in said low temperature plasma region; and

extracting the negative ions from said low temperature plasma region forming a negative ion beam,

wherein said charged particle beam path circumferentially surrounds said negative ion beam.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

forming a vacuum seal between a portion of said injector and said synchrotron using an input foil;

transmitting the charged particles through said extraction foil yielding slowed charged particles;

extracting the slowed charged particles from said synchrotron through a Lamberson deflector.

29. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

forming a vacuum barrier with an output foil between atmosphere and a first portion of said charged particle beam path within said synchrotron,

wherein said output foil comprises a first surface,

wherein a coating substantially covers at least a portion of said first surface of said output foil, said coating emitting photons when struck by the charged particles, and

wherein said extraction foil comprises a thickness of less than about one hundred micrometers.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

applying a radio-frequency field across a pair of oscillation inducing blades spanning said charged particle beam path, said pair of oscillation blades comprising a first distance from a center of said synchrotron;

traversing the charged particles between said pair of oscillation inducing blades, said radio-frequency resulting in the charged particles circulating in an altered circulating path; and

passing the charged particles circulating in said altered circulating path between a pair of extraction blades and deflecting the resulting charged particles out of said synchrotron using a deflector, said extraction blades spanning said charged particle beam path, said pair of extraction blades comprising a second distance from said center of said synchrotron, said first distance greater than said second distance.

31. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

controlling an intensity of the charged particles using a controller electrically connected to said extraction foil, said extraction foil consisting essentially of atoms having six or fewer protons per atom.

32. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

generating X-rays with a statically positioned X-ray generation source, said X-ray generation source located within about forty millimeters of said charged particle beam path.

33. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

rotating a rotatable platform under a terminal end of said charged particle beam path, wherein said rotatable platform rotates around an axis aligned with gravity during use; and

controlling the charged particles exiting said synchrotron in terms of all of;

timing, extraction energy, and extraction intensity.