Compact gantry for particle therapy

• US 20130187060A1
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ion Beam Applications s.a.
• Original Assignee: Ion Beam Applications s.a.
• Inventors: Jongen, Yves
• Granted Patent: US 8,748,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/396.R
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/01 Devices for producing movement of radiation source during therapy A61N5/1077 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1077 Beam delivery systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1081 Rotating beam systems with a specific mechanical construction, e.g. gantries
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/093 by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 3/26 Arrangements for deflecting ray or beam

Abstract

The present invention relates to a particle therapy apparatus used for radiation therapy. More particularly, this invention relates to a compact isocentric gantry for delivering particle beams perpendicularly to a rotation axis of the gantry . The gantry comprises three dipole magnets. The angle of the last dipole magnet is smaller than 90° and a most preferred bending angle for this last dipole magnet is 60°.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. An isocentric gantry designed for rotating around an axis of rotation and for delivering a particle beam for use in particle therapy, comprising:

a gantry beam line having a gantry entrance point for entering said particle beam into the gantry in a direction essentially parallel with the axis of rotation;

bending means for bending the particle beam in a single plane and delivering said particle beam at an isocenter in a direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation, wherein said bending means include;

first bending means configured for bending the particle beam away from said axis of rotation,

second bending means configured for bending the particle beam towards the axis of rotation, and

third bending means configured for bending the particle beam to said direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation, said third bending means having a bending angle smaller than 80°

; and

particle beam scanning means installed in the beam line and configured for scanning said particle beam over a target area at the isocenter, wherein the scanning means is located between the second and the third bending means.

12. The isocentric gantry of claim 11, wherein the bending means comprise dipole magnets.

13. The isocentric gantry of claim 11, wherein the bending means consists of 3 dipole magnets, where the first dipole magnet bends the beam away from said axis of rotation, the second dipole magnet bends the beam towards the axis of rotation, and the third dipole magnet bends the beam to said direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation and by an angle smaller than 80°

.

14. The isocentric gantry of claim 11, wherein the third bending means has a bending angle of 60°

.

15. The isocentric gantry of claim 13, further comprising quadrupole magnets in the beam line section between the first and second dipole magnet, and wherein the beam line section between the second and the third dipole magnet has no quadrupole magnets.

16. The isocentric gantry of claim 11, further comprising means for rotating said gantry over an angular range of at least 180°

.

17. The isocentric gantry of claim 11, wherein the particle beam scanning means comprises a combined X-Y scanning magnet.

18. An isocentric gantry designed for rotating around an axis of rotation and for delivering a particle beam for use in particle therapy, comprising:

a gantry beam line having a gantry entrance point for entering said particle beam into the gantry in a direction essentially parallel with the axis of rotation;

bending means for bending the particle beam in a single plane and delivering said particle beam at an isocenter in a direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation, wherein said bending means include;

first bending means configured for bending the particle beam away from said axis of rotation,

second bending means configured for bending the particle beam towards the axis of rotation, and

third bending means configured for bending the particle beam to said direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation, said third bending means having a bending angle smaller than 80°

; and

a particle beam scattering means installed in the beam line adapted to provide a broad beam at the isocenter, wherein the scattering means is at least partially installed upstream of the third bending means.

19. The isocentric gantry of claim 18 wherein the particle beam scattering means comprises a first scatterer installed between said second bending means and said third bending means and a second scatterer installed after said third bending means.

20. The isocentric gantry of claim 18, wherein the bending means comprise dipole magnets.

21. The isocentric gantry of claim 20, wherein the bending means consists of 3 dipole magnets, where the first dipole magnet bends the beam away from said axis of rotation, the second dipole magnet bends the beam towards the axis of rotation, and the third dipole magnet bends the beam to said direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation and by an angle smaller than 80°

.

22. The isocentric gantry of claim 18, wherein the third bending means has a bending angle of 60°

23. A particle therapy method for delivering a particle beam to a target by an isocentric gantry designed for rotating around an axis of rotation and for delivering the particle beam to the target in a direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation, comprising the steps:

providing a particle beam at an entrance point of said gantry, in a direction essentially parallel with the axis of rotation;

bending the particle beam, downstream of the entrance point, within the gantry, to a direction away from the axis of rotation;

bending the particle beam, downstream of the bending to a direction away from the axis of rotation, within the gantry, to a direction towards the axis of rotation;

scanning the particle beam, downstream of the bending to a direction towards the axis of rotation, within the gantry in an X and Y direction; and

,

bending the particle beam, downstream of scanning the particle beam, within the gantry, by an angle smaller than 80°

.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the steps of bending the particle beam are performed with dipole magnets.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of bending the particle beam by an angle smaller than 80°

is a step of bending the particle beam by an angle of 60°

.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing quadrupole magnets between the step of bending the particle beam to a direction away from the axis of rotation and the step of bending the particle beam to a direction towards the axis of rotation.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing means for rotating said gantry over an angular range of at least 180°

.

28. An isocentric gantry designed for rotating around an axis of rotation and for delivering a particle beam for use in particle therapy, comprising:

a gantry beam line having a gantry entrance point for entering said particle beam into the gantry in a direction essentially parallel with the axis of rotation;

a sequence of dipole magnets arranged for bending the particle beam in a single plane and for delivering said particle beam at an isocenter in a direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation,

quadrupole magnets for focussing and defocusing said particle beam; and

particle beam scanning means configured for scanning said particle beam over a target area at the isocenter,

wherein in said sequence of dipole magnets, the dipole magnets which are located downstream of said particle beam scanning means have a total bending angle which is smaller than 80°

.

29. The isocentric gantry of claim 28, wherein the sequence of dipole magnets consists of 3 dipole magnets, where the first dipole magnet bends the beam away from said axis of rotation, the second dipole magnet bends the beam towards the axis of rotation, and the third dipole magnet bends the beam to said direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation and by an angle smaller than 80°

30. The isocentric gantry of claim 29, wherein the third dipole magnet has a bending angle of 60°

.

31. The isocentric gantry of claim 29, further comprising quadrupole magnets between the beam line section between the first and second dipole magnet, and wherein the beam line section between the second and the third dipole magnet has no quadrupole magnets.

32. The isocentric gantry of claim 29, further comprising means for rotating said gantry over an angular range of at least 180°

.

33. The isocentric gantry of claim 29, wherein the particle beam scanning means comprises a combined X-Y scanning magnet.

34. The isocentric gantry of claim 33 wherein the sequence of dipole magnets consists of 3 dipole magnets, where the first dipole magnet bends the beam away from said axis of rotation, the second dipole magnet bends the beam towards the axis of rotation, and the third dipole magnet bends the beam to said direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation and by an angle smaller than 80°

35. The isocentric gantry of claim 34, wherein the particle beam scattering means comprises a first scatterer installed between said second dipole magnet and said third dipole magnet and a second scatterer installed downstream of said third dipole magnet.

33-1. An isocentric gantry designed for rotating around an axis of rotation and for delivering a particle beam for use in particle therapy, comprising:

a gantry beam line having a gantry entrance point for entering said particle beam into the gantry in a direction essentially parallel with the axis of rotation;

a sequence of dipole magnets arranged for bending the particle beam in a single plane and for delivering said particle beam at an isocenter in a direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation, quadrupole magnets for focussing and defocusing said particle beam; and

a particle beam scattering means installed in the beam line and adapted to provide a broad beam at the isocenter,

wherein at least some components of the particle beam scattering means are installed upstream of the last dipole magnet of the sequence of dipole magnets, and wherein, in said sequence of dipole magnets, the dipole magnets which are located downstream of said at least some components of the particle beam scattering means have a total bending angle which is smaller than 80°

.