Medical examination and treatment system

• US 7,257,191 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Particle Therapy GmbH & Company KG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Sommer, Andres
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick; Edward J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Midkiff; Anastasia S.
• Application Number:
  US11/287,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20060113497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 378/64, 378/65, 378/95, 378/97, 378/205, 378207-209, 600/417, 600/427, 600/436, 250/492.3
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1061 using an x-ray imaging system having a separate imaging source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1078 Fixed beam systems

Abstract

A medical examination and treatment system comprises a radiation source that emits particle radiation, an X-ray emitter located on one side of a target volume and diametrically opposite to the radiation source, and a detector located between the target volume and the radiation source. The target volume is positioned to be exposed to the particle radiation. A radiation direction of the X-ray emitter is oriented opposite to a radiation direction of the particle radiation.

Claims

1. A medical examination and treatment system comprising:

a radiation source operable to emit particle radiation;

an X-ray emitter located on one side of a target volume and opposite to the radiation source, the target volume positioned to be exposed to the particle radiation; and

a detector located between the target volume and the radiation source,

wherein a radiation direction of the X-ray emitter is oriented opposite to a radiation direction of the particle radiation, and wherein the particle radiation is substantially unchanged by the detector incident from the radiation source to the target volume when the detector is located between the target volume and the radiation source.

2. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 1, wherein the radiation source comprises a proton-emitting radiation source.

3. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 1, wherein the radiation source comprises a carbon ion-emitting radiation source.

4. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 1, wherein the radiation source comprises a lithium ion-emitting radiation source.

5. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 1, wherein the radiation source comprises an oxygen ion-emitting radiation source.

6. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 1, wherein the radiation source comprises a neon ion-emitting radiation source.

7. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 1, wherein the radiation source comprises a helium ion-emitting radiation source.

8. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 1, wherein the detector is supported movably.

9. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 1, wherein the detector is located in stationary fashion in a beam path of the particle radiation.

10. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises both an X-radiation detector and a particle radiation detector.

11. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 10, wherein the detector is operable to detect charged particles.

12. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 1, wherein the X-ray emitter and radiation source remain in an unchanged position throughout an examination.

13. The medical examination and treatment system of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises materials that attenuate or scatter the particle radiation only slightly.