Beam supply device

• US 5,349,198 A
• Filed: 07/12/1993
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Takanaka, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Berman, Jack I.
• Application Number:
  US08/090,306
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 250/492.3, 250/398, 250/396 ML
• US Class Current: 250/492.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1079 Sharing a beam by multiple treatment stations
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1081 Rotating beam systems with a specific mechanical construction, e.g. gantries
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 5/04 with beam-forming means
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 5/10 with provision for relative movement of beam source and object to be irradiated

Abstract

A beam supply device for supplying a particle or radiation beam to therapy or experiment equipment includes a beam generation device 1, a pre-branching beam transportation device 2, a rotatable deflection electromagnet 3, a rotatable beam transportation device 4, and a plurality of beam utilization rooms 5 disposed around the rotational axis of the rotatable deflection electromagnet 3 at a predetermined distance therefrom. The rotatable deflection electromagnet 3 and the rotatable beam transportation device 4 are rotated together to a predetermined rotational angle, such that the beam is guided to the room in which the beam is to be utilized.

Claims

1. A beam supply device for supplying a particle or radiation beam to a therapy or experiment equipment comprising:

beam generation means for generating a beam;

a pre-branching beam transportation device coupled to said beam generation means for transporting said beam generated by said beam generation means to a predetermined point;

a rotatable deflection electromagnet disposed at said predetermined point for deflecting said beam by a predetermined angle;

a plurality of beam utilization rooms disposed around said rotational axis of said rotatable deflection electromagnet at a predetermined distance therefrom;

a rotatable beam transportation device for guiding said beam deflected by said rotatable deflection electromagnet to one of said beam utilization rooms; and

rotation means for rotating said rotatable deflection electromagnet and said rotatable beam transportation device around a rotational axis of said rotatable deflection electromagnet to a predetermined rotational angle, thereby selectively guiding said beam generated by said beam generation means to a selected one of said beam utilization rooms.

2. A beam supply device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said rotatable deflection electromagnet includes means for selectively turning on and off an excitation thereof;

said beam supply device further comprising;

a beam transportation device coupled to said rotatable deflection electromagnet to form a downstream extension of said pre-branching beam transportation device; and

a beam utilization room disposed at a downstream end of said beam transportation device.

3. A beam supply device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said rotatable deflection electromagnet includes means for selectively turning on and off an excitation thereof;

said beam supply device further comprising;

a beam transportation device coupled to said rotatable deflection electromagnet to form a downstream extension of said pre-branching beam transportation device, said beam transportation device guiding said beam to a second predetermined point;

a second rotatable deflection electromagnet disposed at said second predetermined point for deflecting said beam by a predetermined angle;

a plurality of second beam utilization rooms disposed around said rotational axis of said second rotatable deflection electromagnet at a predetermined distance therefrom;

a second rotatable beam transportation device for guiding said beam deflected by said second rotatable deflection electromagnet to one of said second beam utilization rooms; and

second rotation means for rotating said second rotatable deflection electromagnet and said second rotatable beam transportation device around a rotational axis of said second rotatable deflection electromagnet to a predetermined rotational angle, thereby selectively guiding said beam generated by said beam generation means and proceeding through said rotatable deflection electromagnet and deflected by said second rotatable deflection electromagnet to a selected one of said second beam utilization rooms.