Two piece apparatus for accelerating and transporting a charged particle beam

• US 5,006,759 A
• Filed: 05/09/1988
• Issued: 04/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Laboratories, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Laboratories, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Krispel, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): LaRoche, Eugene R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Benny
• Application Number:
  US07/191,633
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 315/5.41, 315/5.42, 315/5.35, 315/5.34, 315/5.29, 315/5.24, 315/5.26, 313/359.1, 313/360.1, 313/361.1, 328/227, 328/228, 328/233, 328/234, 250/396 R, 250/396 ML, 250/398
• US Class Current: 315/5.41
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/093 by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 7/04 Magnet systems , e.g. undulators, wigglers free-electron laser H01S3/0903; Energisation thereof

Abstract

Apparatus for accelerating and transporting a charged particle beam. The apparatus has a housing which encases an accelerating structure as well as a magnet system. The accelerating structure accelerates an injected charged particle beam within a first evacuated space and directs the beam into the magnet system which transports it along a bent beam path within a second evacuated space. Both spaces are separate from each other and the magnet system is supported within the housing such that it can be angularly adjusted with respect to the accelerating structure. In a preferred embodiment, the second evacuated spaced is partially defined by magnet poles of the magnet system and filled with helium under a pressure of higher than 10^-2 torr.

Claims

1. Apparatus for accelerating and transporting a charged particle beam, comprising:

(a) an accelerating structure having a first envelope which encloses a first evacuated space, said accelerating structure accelerating the charged particle beam within the first evacuated space and emitting the accelerated charged particle beam from said first evacuated space along a first beam axis;

(b) a magnet system having a second envelope which encloses a second evacuated space, said second evacuated space being evacuated substantially less than said first evacuated space so that the pressures in said first and said second evacuated spaces are in a ratio of at least 10⁴ to 1, said second envelope receiving the charged particle beam emitted along said first beam axis by the accelerating structure, and transporting the charged particle beam within the second evacuated space along a bent beam path and emitting the charged particle beam from said second evacuated space along a second beam axis having a spatial orientation which is different from the first beam axis; and

(c) supporting means for supporting the accelerating structure and the magnet system such that the position of the second envelope with respect to the first beam axis is physically movable so as to adjust the spatial orientation of said first beam axis with respect to said second beam axis.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first envelope is sealed by a first window through which the charged particle beam is emitted, and wherein the second envelope is sealed by a second window through which the charged particle beam enters the second evacuated space.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second envelope is further sealed by a third window through which the charged particle beam leaves the second evacuated space.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the charged particle beam has a circular cross-section with a given beam diameter upon entering the second envelope and is transported by the magnet system such that said charged particle beam changes its diameter along the bent beam path, and wherein the third window is placed at a site where the beam diameter is largest.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the charged particle beam is bent within the magnet system by 270°

and intersects the first beam axis between the first and second windows.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnet system comprises two magnet poles on opposite sides of the bent beam path, said magnet poles forming sidewalls of the second envelope.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnet system is pivotally supported within a housing so that the second beam axis is movable relative to the first beam axis in a plane perpendicular to the first beam axis.

8. Apparatus for accelerating and transporting a charged particle beam, comprising:

(a) an accelerating structure having a first envelope which encloses a first evacuated space, said accelerating structure accelerating the charged particle beam within the first evacuated space and emitting the accelerated charged particle beam from said first evacuated space along a first beam axis;

(b) a magnet system having a second envelope which encloses a second evacuated space, said second envelope receiving the charged particle beam emitted along said first beam axis by said accelerating structure, and said magnet system transporting the charged particle beam within the second evacuated space along a bent beam path and emitting the charged particle beam from said second evacuated space along a second beam axis having a spatial orientation which is different from the first beam axis; and

(c) supporting means for supporting the accelerating structure and the magnet system such that the position of the second envelope with respect to the first beam axis is physically movable so as to adjust the spatial orientation of said first beam axis with respect to said second beam axis, and

wherein said first envelope is sealed by a first window through which the charged particle beam is emitted, and the second envelope is sealed by a second window through which the charged particle beam enters the second evacuated space and a third window through which the charged particle beam leaves the second evacuated space, and

wherein the charged particle beam is transported by the magnet system such that at one site along the bent beam path the charged particles are radially displaced from a central orbit according to the difference between their momentum and a nominal momentum, and wherein the third window is placed at said one site and is designed such that it intercepts the charged particles with momentum outside a predetermined momentum range containing the nominal momentum.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the charged particle beam is bent by 270°

and the third window is placed at a site where the charged particle beam is bent by 135°

.

10. Apparatus for accelerating and transporting a charged particle beam, comprising:

(a) an accelerating structure having a first envelope which encloses a first evacuated space, said accelerating structure accelerating the charged particle beam within the first evacuated space and emitting the accelerated charged particle beam from said first evacuated space along a first beam axis;

(b) a magnet system having a second envelope which encloses a second evacuated space, said second envelope receiving the charged particle beam emitted along said first beam axis by said accelerating structure, and said magnet system transporting the charged particle beam within the second evacuated space along a bent beam path and emitting the charged particle beam from said second evacuated space along a second beam axis having a spatial orientation which is different from the first beam axis; and

(c) supporting means for supporting the accelerating structure and the magnet system such that the position of the second envelope with respect to the first beam axis is physically movable so as to adjust the spatial orientation of said first beam axis with respect to said second beam axis, and

wherein the second evacuated space contains a gas whose effective cross section for the charged particles is lower than that of air.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the charged particles are electrons, the gas is helium and the helium pressure is higher than 10^-2 torr.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the gas is He³.