Programmable particle scatterer for radiation therapy beam formation
First Claim
1. A charged particle beam scatterer/range modulator comprising:
- first and second fluid reservoirs, the first and second reservoirs each having opposing walls in a particle beam path;
a drive to adjust the distance between the walls of at least one of the first and second fluid reservoirs through a range of values; and
a programmable controller for the drive to adjust the distance between the walls of at least one of the first and second reservoirs during exposure of a target to the beam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Interposing a programmable path length of one or more materials into a particle beam modulates scattering angle and beam range in a predetermined manner to create a predetermined spread out Bragg peak at a predetermined range. Materials can be “low Z” and “high Z” materials that include fluids. A charged particle beam scatterer/range modulator can comprise a fluid reservoir having opposing walls in a particle beam path and a drive to adjust the distance between the walls of the fluid reservoir under control by a programmable controller. A “high Z” and, independently, a “low Z” reservoir, arranged in series, can be used. When used for radiation treatment, the beam can be monitored by measuring beam intensity, and the programmable controller can adjust the distance between the opposing walls of the “high Z” reservoir and, independently, the distance between the opposing walls of the “low Z” reservoir according to a predetermined relationship to integral beam intensity. Beam scattering and modulation can be done continuously and dynamically during a treatment in order to deposit dose in a target volume in a predetermined three dimensional distribution.
158 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A charged particle beam scatterer/range modulator comprising:
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first and second fluid reservoirs, the first and second reservoirs each having opposing walls in a particle beam path; a drive to adjust the distance between the walls of at least one of the first and second fluid reservoirs through a range of values; and a programmable controller for the drive to adjust the distance between the walls of at least one of the first and second reservoirs during exposure of a target to the beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A radiation treatment apparatus, comprising:
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a source of charged particles that provides a charged particle beam; and a charged particle beam scatterer/range modulator that includes first and second fluid reservoirs each having opposing walls in a particle beam path; a drive to adjust the distance between the walls of at least one of the first and second reservoirs through a range of values; and a programmable controller for the drive to adjust the distance between the walls of at least one of the first and second reservoirs during exposure of a target to the beam. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of treating a patient by directing a charged particle beam at a target within said patient, comprising:
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producing a charged particle beam; directing the charged particle beam through first and second fluid reservoirs each having opposing walls in a particle beam path; adjusting the distance between opposing walls of at least one of the first and second fluid reservoirs through a range of values during exposure of a target to the beam under control of a programmable controller. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A radiation treatment apparatus, comprising:
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a synchrocyclotron that provides a charged particle beam; and a charged particle beam scatterer/range modulator that includes first and second fluid reservoirs disposed in an extraction channel of the synchrocyclotron and having opposing walls in a particle beam path; a drive to adjust the distance between the walls of at least one of the first and second reservoirs through a range of values; and a programmable controller for the drive to adjust the distance between the walls of at least one of the first and second reservoirs during exposure of a target to the beam. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification