Compact gantry for particle therapy

• US 20140145090A9
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• 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 8,766,218 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. 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 (25) for entering said particle beam into the gantry in a direction essentially parallel with the axis of rotation;

a first (20), a second (21) and a third (22) dipole magnet sequentially arranged for successively bending the particle beam in a single plane and for delivering said particle beam at an isocenter (27) in a direction essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation;

quadrupole magnets (24) for focussing and defocusing said particle beam;

wherein said third dipole magnet (22) has a bending angle smaller than 80°

.

2. An isocentric gantry according to claim 1, wherein said third dipole magnet (22) has a bending angle of 60°

.

3. An isocentric gantry according to claim 1, wherein that a beam line section between said gantry entrance point (25) and an entrance of the first dipole magnet (20) is a short drift section.

4. An isocentric gantry according to claim 1, wherein a beam line section between said first (20) and said second (21) dipole magnet comprises five quadrupole magnets (24) and in that a beam line section between said second (21) and said third (22) dipole magnet comprises no quadrupole magnet (24).

5. An isocentric gantry according to claim 1, further comprising means for rotating said gantry over an angular range of at least 180°

.

6. An isocentric gantry according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises particle beam scanning means (23) installed between said second dipole magnet (21) and said third dipole magnet (22) and configured for scanning said particle beam over a target area at the isocenter (27);

7. An isocentric gantry according to claim 6, wherein said beam scanning means (23) comprises a combined X-Y scanning magnet.

8. An isocentric gantry according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises particle beam scattering means adapted to provide a broad beam at the isocenter (27).

9. An isocentric gantry according to claim 8, wherein the particle beam scattering means comprises first scattering means installed between said second dipole magnet (21) and said third dipole magnet (22) and second scattering means installed after said third dipole magnet (22).

10. A particle therapy apparatus comprising a particle accelerator, means for varying the particle energy, a beam transport system and an isocentric gantry according to claim 1.