Proton accelerator complex for radio-isotopes and therapy

• US 7,554,275 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fondazione Per Adroterapia Oncologica- Tera
• Original Assignee: Fondazione Per Adroterapia Oncologica- Tera
• Inventors: Amaldi, Ugo
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene; Haissa
• Application Number:
  US11/439,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20070108922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 315/5.42, 315/500, 315/502, 315/503, 315505-507, 250/423, 250/492.1, 250/492.3
• US Class Current: 315/505
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 6/00 Targets for producing nuclear reactions supports for targets or objects to be irradiated G21K5/08 ; preparation of tritium C01B4/00; targets, e.g. pellets for fusion reactions by laser or charged particles beam injection H05H1/22

Abstract

A complex of proton accelerators, includes the following functionally interconnected components: a proton source, a cyclotron, at least one target, located either internally or externally to the cyclotron, a medium energy beam transport magnetic channel, a radiofrequency linear accelerator, a high energy beam transport channel towards an area dedicated to the irradiation of tumors with proton beams, as well as a modular system for supplying radio frequency power capable of feeding, independently two or more accelerating modules of the linac. An integrated computerized system controls the complex of accelerators so to carry out, either in alternation or simultaneously, both the production of radioisotopes—for medical, industrial and therapeutical purposes—and the therapeutical irradiation of, even deep seated tumors. The complex of accelerators produces proton beams which, applying the recently developed ‘spot scanning’ technique, are more suited for the tumor irradiation than the ones produced by cyclotrons and synchrotrons.

Claims

1. An accelerator complex of proton beams, comprising:

a cyclotron with a plurality of beam lines, each beam line configured to provide a proton beam generated by the cyclotron;

a proton source configured to provide protons to the cyclotron;

a target, configured with a first of the beam lines to produce radioisotopes;

a proton radiofrequency linear accelerator (LINAC), comprised of LINAC accelerating modules and configured to accelerate one of the proton beams generated by the cyclotron;

a Medium Energy Beam Transfer channel (MEBT), connected to a second of the beam lines output from the cyclotron on a first side of the MEBT to receive a proton beam of the second beam line, and to a beam input of the radiofrequency LINAC on a second side of the MEBT to provide the proton beam to the radiofrequency LINAC, the MEBT equipped with one or more mechanical and/or magnetic and/or electrostatic “

choppers” and

“

gates”

configured i) to improve security, ii) to reduce irradiation of components located downstream of the MEBT, and iii) to vary an intensity of the beams accelerated by the LINAC for proton therapy;

a High Energy Beam Transfer channel (HEBT), connected to an output of the radiofrequency LINAC on a first side of the HEBT to receive a high energy proton beam from the LINAC, and to one or more systems for distribution of a proton dose to a patient on a second side of the HEBT;

a modular power system for supplying radiofrequency power to the LINAC accelerating modules, the power system configured to power, in a separate and independent way, one or more of said accelerating modules; and

a fully integrated computer control system configured to control the accelerator complex,

wherein the accelerator complex is configured to perform, alternatively or simultaneously, any of radioisotope production for medical or industrial purposes, and irradiation of shallow and/or deep-seated tumors, and

wherein the integrated computer control system is composed of a distributed system of computers formed by a first group of computers dedicated to operators and to foreseen procedures, and a second group of computers dedicated to high technology apparata, and a specific software configured to operate the different proton beams both in parallel and one at a time.

2. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, wherein said proton source is one of Multicusp, ECR, and EBIS.

3. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, wherein said proton source as connected to the cyclotron through a Low Energy Beam Transport channel (LEBT) configured to pulse and/or vary an intensity of proton pulses accelerated in the cyclotron and in the LINAC.

4. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, wherein the proton beam entering the radiofrequency LINAC is one of continuous and pulsed according to a repetition rate of said radiofrequency LINAC.

5. A method of proton beams acceleration for alternate or simultaneous use in diagnostics and protontherapy by using an accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

producing neutrons for the production of radioisotopes and/or for BNCT and/or for BNCS.

6. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, wherein said radiofrequency LINAC has a resonant frequency larger or equal to 1 GHz.

7. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, wherein said radiofrequency LINAC has a modular structure, including a first accelerating section of a DTL type and a successive second accelerating section of a CCL type, and

wherein the radiofrequency power is distributed in an adjustable and independent manner to one of i) each of the accelerating modules and ii) a group of the accelerating modules.

8. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1,

wherein the radiofrequency LINAC has a modular structure is composed of a variable number of accelerating modules, and

said accelerating modules of the modular structure are not all aligned on a same geometrical straight line.

9. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, wherein the radiofrequency power system, is separated to facilitate substitution of the power system and repair of the power system in case of failure.

10. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, wherein said radiofrequency power system is composed of power supply modules configured to control an amplitude and a phase of a radiofrequency signal sent to the accelerating modules, said power supply modules configured to adjust an energy of the beam sent to proton therapy rooms.

11. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, wherein said cyclotron pre-accelerates the proton beams generated by the cyclotron up to a maximum energy in a range from about 10 to about 100 MeV.

12. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 7, wherein said first and second accelerating sections of the radiofrequency LINAC operate at the same frequency.

13. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, wherein the radiofrequency LINAC is configured with a CCL structure, and configured to accelerate protons from 30 MeV, the LINAC configured to operate with a frequency of 2.998 GHz and with substantially the following parameters:

Type of LINAC SCL Frequency [MHz] 2998 Input energy [MeV] 30 Output energy [MeV] 210 Number of accelerating cells per accelerating 14 structure Number of accelerating structures per module 2 Number of modules (equivalent to number of 20 klystrons) Total length of the LINAC [m] 16.4 Repetition rate of the pulses [Hz] 200 Pulse length[μ

s] 2-5 Average power per module (pulses;

2 μ

s-5 μ

s) 1.5-3.0 [kW] Power required by the LINAC [kW] 30-61 Duty cycle [%] 0.04-0.1 

Magnetic gradient of the quadrupoles [T/m] 170-130 Normalized transversal acceptance [π

mm mrad] 3.4

14. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 7,

wherein the first and second accelerating sections are configured to accelerate protons from 15 MeV,

wherein the first accelerating section of the DTL type is configured at a frequency of 1.499 GHz,

wherein the second accelerating section of the CCL type is configured at a frequency 2.998 GHz, and

wherein the LINAC is configured to operate with substantially the following parameters:

Type of LINAC DTL SCL Frequency [MHz] 1499 2998 Input energy [MeV] 15 67 Output energy [MeV] 67 210 Number of accelerating cells per 7 14 accelerating structure Number of accelerating structures 8-6-4—

4 2 per module Number of modules (equivalent to 4 14 number of klystrons) Total length of the LINAC [m] 6.2 12.6 Repetition rate of the pulses 200 200 [Hz] Pulse length[μ

s] 2-5 2-5 Average power per module (pulses;

1.5-3 

 

1.5-3 

 

2 μ

s-5 μ

s) [kW] Power required by the LINAC [kW]  

6-12 21-42 Duty cycle [%] 0.04-0.1 

0.04-0.1 

Magnetic gradient of the 156-144 170-130 quadrupole [T/m] (FODO configuration) Normalized transversal acceptance 3.3 4.0 [π

mm mrad]

15. The accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, wherein the radiofrequency LINAC is configured with a CCL structure, and configured to accelerate protons from 72 MeV, the LINAC configured to operate with a frequency of 2.998 GHz and with substantially the following parameters:

Type of LINAC SCL Frequency [MHz] 2998 Input energy [MeV] 72 Output energy [MeV] 240 Number of accelerating cells per accelerating 16 structure Number of accelerating structures per module 2 Number of modules (equivalent to number of 14 klystrons) Total length of the LINAC [m] 14.6 Repetition rate of the pulses [Hz] 200 Pulse length[μ

s] 2-5 Average power per module (pulses;

2 μ

s-5 μ

s) 1.7-3.3 [kW] Power required by the LINAC [kW] 23-46 Duty cycle [%] 0.04-0.1 

Magnetic gradient of the quadrupole [T/m] 166-128 (FODO configuration) Normalized transversal acceptance [π

mm mrad] 3.9

16. A method of proton beams acceleration for alternate, or simultaneous use in diagnostics and protontherapy by using an accelerator complex for protons according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

producing the protons with the proton source;

injecting the protons in the cyclotron;

continuously extracting proton beams from the cyclotron in two or more beam lines;

feeding at least one beam line with a proton beam for protontherapy;

injecting the proton beam in the radiofrequency LINAC;

accelerating the proton beam in the radiofrequency LINAC to obtain, at an output of the LINAC, a protontherapy beam of a desired variable output energy and intensity and with a pulsed time structure, the protontherapy beam configured to perform active spot scanning and passive scanning on the patient;

distributing the protontherapy beam one or more rooms; and

feeding at least two other beam lines, in alternation or simultaneously, with another proton beam for isotope production.

17. The method of proton beams acceleration according to claim 16, further comprising the step of:

prior to injecting the proton beam in the radiofrequency LINAC, gating and chopping the proton beam in the at least one beam line.

18. A method of proton beams acceleration for alternate or simultaneous use in diagnostics and protontherapy, comprising the step of:

using an accelerator complex of proton beams, wherein the accelerator complex comprises,

a cyclotron with a plurality of beam lines, each beam line configured to provide a proton beam generated by the cyclotron,

a proton source configured to provide protons to the cyclotron,

a target, configured with a first of the beam lines to produce radioisotopes,

a proton radiofrequency linear accelerator (LINAC), comprised of LINAC accelerating modules and configured to accelerate one of the proton beams generated by the cyclotron,

a Medium Energy Beam Transfer channel (MEBT), connected to a second of the beam lines output from the cyclotron on a first side of the MEBT to receive a proton beam of the second beam line, and to a beam input of the radiofrequency LINAC on a second side of the MEBT to provide the proton beam to the radiofrequency LINAC, the MEBT equipped with one or more mechanical and/or magnetic and/or electrostatic “

choppers” and

“

gates”

configured i) to improve security, ii) to reduce irradiation of components located downstream of the MEBT, and iii) to vary an intensity of the beams accelerated by the LINAC for proton therapy,

a High Energy Beam Transfer channel (HEBT), connected to an output of the radiofrequency LINAC on a first side of the HEBT to receive a high energy proton beam from the LINAC, and to one or more systems for distribution of a proton dose to a patient on a second side of the HEBT;

a modular power system for supplying radiofrequency power to the LINAC accelerating modules, the power system configured to power, in a separate and independent way, one or more of said accelerating modules, and

a fully integrated computer control system configured to control the accelerator complex,

wherein the accelerator complex is configured to perform, alternatively or simultaneously, any of radioisotope production for medical or industrial purposes, and irradiation of shallow and/or deep-seated tumors, and

wherein the using step comprises the sub-steps of;

producing the protons with the proton source;

injecting the protons in the cyclotron;

continuously extracting proton beams from the cyclotron in two or more beam lines;

feeding at least one beam line with a proton beam for protontherapy;

injecting the proton beam in the radiofrequency LINAC;

accelerating the proton beam in the radiofrequency LINAC to obtain, at an output of the LINAC, a protontherapy beam of a desired variable output energy and intensity and with a pulsed time structure, the protontherapy beam configured to perform active spot scanning and passive scanning on the patient;

distributing the protontherapy beam one or more rooms; and

feeding at least two other beam lines, in alternation or simultaneously, with another proton beam for isotope production.

19. The method of proton beams acceleration according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

prior to injecting the proton beam in the radiofrequency LINAC, gating and chopping the proton beams in the at least one beam line.

20. An accelerator complex of proton beams, comprising:

a cyclotron with a plurality of beam lines, each beam line configured to provide a proton beam generated by the cyclotron;

a proton source configured to provide protons to the cyclotron;

a target, configured with a first of the beam lines to produce radioisotopes;

a proton radiofrequency linear accelerator (LINAC), comprised of LINAC accelerating modules and configured to accelerate one of the proton beams generated by the cyclotron;

a Medium Energy Beam Transfer channel (MEBT), connected to a second of the beam lines output from the cyclotron on a first side of the MEBT to receive a proton beam of the second beam line, and to a beam input of the radiofrequency LINAC on a second side of the MEBT to provide the proton beam to the radiofrequency LINAC, the MEBT equipped with one or more mechanical and/or magnetic and/or electrostatic “

choppers” and

“

gates”

configured i) to improve security, ii) to reduce irradiation of components located downstream of the MEBT, and iii) to vary an intensity of the beams accelerated by the LINAC for proton therapy;

a High Energy Beam Transfer channel (HEBT), connected to an output of the radiofrequency LINAC on a first aide of the HEBT to receive a high energy proton beam from the LINAC, and to one or more systems for distribution of a proton dose to a patient on a second side of the HEBT;

a modular power system for supplying radiofrequency power to the LINAC accelerating modules, the power system configured to power, in a separate and independent way, one or more of said accelerating module; and

a fully integrated computer control system configured to control the accelerator complex,

wherein the accelerator complex is configured to perform, alternatively or simultaneously, any of radioisotope production for medical or industrial purposes, and irradiation of shallow and/or deep-seated tumors,

wherein said radiofrequency LINAC has a modular structure, including a first accelerating section of a DTL type and a successive second accelerating section of a CCL type,

wherein the radiofrequency power is distributed in an adjustable and independent manner to one of i) each of the accelerating modules and ii) a group of the accelerating modules,

wherein the first and second accelerating sections are configured to accelerate protons from 15 MeV,

wherein the first accelerating section of the DTL type is configured at a frequency of 1.499 GHz,

wherein the second accelerating section of the CCL type is configured at a frequency 2.999 GHz, and

wherein the LINAC is configured to operate with substantially the following parameters;

Type of LINAC DTL SCL Frequency [MHz] 1499 2998 Input energy [MeV] 15 67 Output energy [MeV] 67 210 Number of accelerating 7 14 cells per accelerating structure Number of accelerating 8 - 6 - 4 - 4 2 structures per module Number of modules 4 14 (equivalent to number of klystrons) Total length of the LINAC 6.2 12.6 [m] Repetition rate of the 200 200 pulses [Hz] Pulse length [μ

s] 2-5 2-5 Average power per module 1.5-3 

 

1.5-3 

 

(pulses;

2 μ

s-5 μ

s) [kW] Power required by the  

6-12 21-42 LINAC [kW] Duty cycle [%] 0.04-0.1 

0.04-0.1 

Magnetic gradient of the 156-144 170-130 quadrupole [T/m] (FODO configuration) Normalized transversal 3.3 4.0 acceptance [π

mm mrad]

21. An accelerator complex of proton beams, comprising:

a cyclotron with a plurality of beam lines, each beam line configured to provide a proton beam generated by the cyclotron;

a proton source configured to provide protons to the cyclotron;

a target, configured with a first of the beam lines to produce radioisotopes;

a proton radiofrequency linear accelerator (LINAC), comprised of LINAC accelerating modules and configured to accelerate one of the proton beams generated by the cyclotron;

a Medium Energy Beam Transfer channel (MEBT), connected to a second of the beam lines output from the cyclotron on a first side of the MEBT to receive a proton beam of the second beam line, and to a beam input of the radiofrequency LINAC on a second side of the MEBT to provide the proton beam to the radiofrequency LINAC, the MEBT equipped with one or more mechanical and/or magnetic and/or electrostatic “

choppers” and

“

gates”

configured i) to improve security, ii) to reduce irradiation of components located downstream of the MEBT, and iii) to vary an intensity of the beams accelerated by the LINAC for proton therapy;

a High Energy Beam Transfer channel (HEBT), connected to an output of the radiofrequency LINAC on a first side of the HEBT to receive a high energy proton beam from the LINAC, and to one or more systems for distribution of a proton dose to a patient on a second aide of the HEBT;

a modular power system for supplying radiofrequency power to the LINAC accelerating modules, the power system configured to power, in a separate and independent way, one or more of said accelerating modules; and

a fully integrated Computer control system configured to control the accelerator complex,

wherein the accelerator complex is configured to perform, alternatively or simultaneously, any of radioisotope production for medical or industrial purposes, and irradiation of shallow and/or deep-seated tumors, and

wherein the radiofrequency LINAC is configured with a CCL structure, and configured to accelerate protons from 72 MeV, the LINAC configured to operate with a frequency of 2.998 GHz and with substantially the following parameters;

Type of LINAC SCL Frequency [MHz] 2998 Input energy [MeV] 72 Output energy [MeV] 240 Hunter of accelerating cells per accelerating 16 structure Number of accelerating structures per module 2 Number of modules (equivalent to number of 14 klystrons) Total length of the LINAC [m] 14.6 Repetition rate of the pulses [Hz] 200 Pulse length [μ

s] 2-5 Average power per module (pulses;

2 μ

s-5 1.7-3.3 μ

s ) [kW] Power required by the LINAC [kW] 23-46 Duty cycle [%] 0.04-0.1 

Magnetic gradient of the quadrupole [T/m] 166-128 (FODO configuration) Normalized transversal acceptance [π

mm mrad] 3.9