Charged particle therapy apparatus and charged particle therapy system

• US 7,465,944 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujishima, Yasutake, Chiba, Daishun, Ueno, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIET TUAN
• Application Number:
  US11/405,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20060219948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 250/492.3, 250/398, 250/492.1, 378/65, 600/1, 600/2
• US Class Current: 250/492.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1094 Shielding, protecting against radiation
• 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: G21K 5/04 with beam-forming means

Abstract

A charged particle therapy system is disclosed in which a hard switch for making a beam request of the accelerator side is installed in an irradiation room so that the accelerator side can start a desired beam irradiation preparation after depressing the hard switch. This arrangement allows the accelerator allocated time to be reduced, thereby improving the usage efficiency of the facilities by increasing the throughput with respect to patients.

Claims

1. A charged particle therapy apparatus comprising:

a plurality of irradiation nozzles fixed to a plurality of irradiation rooms respectively and to which accelerated charged particle beams are introduced, a plurality of irradiation operation rooms, and a plurality of passages for allowing a person to move from the irradiation operation rooms to the irradiation rooms,

wherein said apparatus further comprises;

a first switch provided in each of said plurality of irradiation rooms for issuing an irradiation preparation request command requiring an irradiation preparation for charged particle beams; and

a second switch provided in each of the irradiation operation rooms for issuing a beam irradiation command requiring irradiation of charged particle beams; and

wherein said apparatus is configured such that when said beam irradiation command is issued from said second switch after said irradiation preparation request command has been issued from said first switch, charged particle beams are introduced to the corresponding irradiation nozzle.

2. The charged particle therapy apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising accelerator control means for uniquely determining an automatic operation setting file for an accelerator based on the beam request command.

3. The charged particle therapy apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charged particle is a proton.

4. A charged particle therapy system comprising:

a beam generator for generating charged particle beams;

an accelerator for accelerating the charged particle beams; and

a plurality of irradiation nozzles fixed to a plurality of irradiation rooms respectively and to which the accelerated charged particle beams are introduced,

a plurality of irradiation operation rooms provided correspondingly to said plurality of irradiation rooms, and

a plurality of passages for allowing a person to move from the irradiation operation rooms to the corresponding irradiation rooms,

wherein said apparatus further comprises;

a first switch provided in each of said plurality of irradiation rooms for issuing an irradiation preparation request command requiring an irradiation preparation for charged particle beams; and

a second switch provided in each of the plurality of irradiation operation rooms for issuing a beam irradiation command requiring irradiation of charged particle beams; and

wherein said system is configured such that when said beam irradiation command is issued from said second switch after said irradiation preparation request command has been issued from said first switch, charged particle beams are introduced to the corresponding irradiation nozzle.

5. A charged particle therapy apparatus comprising:

a plurality of irradiation rooms in each of which a therapy is performed by irradiating a person to be treated with accelerated charged particle beams,

wherein said apparatus is configured such that when a beam irradiation command requiring irradiation is issued after a beam request command requiring an irradiation preparation for charged particle beams has been issued, charged particle beams are applied to the person to be treated; and

wherein said apparatus comprises a plurality of irradiation operation rooms provided to said plurality of irradiation rooms, and each of said plurality of irradiation rooms includes a passage for allowing an operator to move to the corresponding one of said plurality of irradiation operation rooms, and a switch for the beam request command is disposed in each of said plurality of irradiation rooms and a switch for the beam irradiation command is disposed in each of said plurality of irradiation operation rooms.

6. The charged particle therapy apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising accelerator control means for uniquely determining an automatic operation setting file for an accelerator based on the beam request command.

7. The charged particle therapy apparatus according to any one of claims 5 or 6, wherein the charged particle is a proton.

8. A charged particle therapy system comprising:

a beam generator for generating charged particle beams;

an accelerator for accelerating the charged particle beams; and

a plurality of irradiation rooms in each of which a therapy is performed by irradiating a person to be treated with the accelerated charged particle beams,

wherein said system is configured such that when a beam irradiation command requiring irradiation is issued after a beam request command requiring an irradiation preparation for charged particle beams has been issued, charged particle beams are applied to the person to be treated; and

wherein said apparatus comprises a plurality of irradiation operation rooms provided to said plurality of irradiation rooms, and each of said plurality of irradiation rooms includes a passage for allowing an operator to move to the corresponding one of said plurality of irradiation operation rooms, and a switch for the beam request command is disposed in each of said plurality of irradiation rooms and a switch for the beam irradiation command is disposed in each of said plurality of irradiation operation rooms.