Medical charged particle irradiation apparatus

• US 6,992,312 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Akiyama, Hiroshi, Kato, Kohei, Yanagisawa, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vanore, David A.
• Application Number:
  US10/815,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20040183034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 250/492.1, 250/492.3, 250/505.1, 250/398, 250/493.1, 250/497.1, 378/150, 378/152, 378/165, 378/17, 378/65, 600/423, 601/20, 601/1, 607/88
• 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 5/1081 Rotating beam systems with a specific mechanical construction, e.g. gantries

Abstract

A medical charged particle irradiation apparatus capable of irradiation from upward and horizontal directions and performing a preparing/ascertaining work without any separate device such as a moving capsule or the like comprising a patient'"'"'s bed, on which a patient lies, a transport equipment for injecting and transporting charged particle beams toward the patient'"'"'s bed, an irradiation field forming device for forming an irradiation field for the beams transported by the transport equipment, and a gantry provided to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, and wherein the irradiation field forming device is eccentrically arranged such that an axis of irradiation passes a position different from the axis of rotation, and the patient'"'"'s bed is arranged on an opposite side of the transport equipment to a plane, which contains the axis of rotation and is substantially perpendicular to the axis of irradiation.

Claims

1. A charged particle beam irradiating method, comprising the steps of:

arranging a beam transport device for transporting said charged particle beam, an irradiation field forming device for forming an irradiation field for said charged particle beam transported by said beam transport device, a rotating body provided with said beam transport device and said irradiation field forming device and being rotatable about an axis of rotation, said irradiation field forming device being eccentrically arranged to the axis of rotation such that an axis of irradiation thereof passes a position different from the axis of rotation, and a bed for supporting an irradiation target being rotatably suspended from and supported by said irradiation field forming device and being arranged on an opposite side of said beam transport device with respect to a plane which contains the axis of rotation and being substantially perpendicular to the axis of irradiation;

rotating said rotating body such that the axis of irradiation of said irradiation field forming device is matched with a setting irradiation direction of said charged particle beam to said irradiation target;

driving said bed to adjust inclination of said bed; and

irradiating said charged particle beam emitted from said irradiation field forming device to said irradiation target.

2. A charged particle beam irradiating method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting inclination of said bed, the inclination of said bed being adjusted by driving said bed based on the detected inclination.

3. A charged particle beam irradiating method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting inclination of said bed, the inclination of said bed being adjusted by rotating said bed based on the detected inclination.