Tandem accelerator method and apparatus used in conjunction with a charged particle cancer therapy system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for injecting a charged particle beam into an accelerator of an irradiation device, said irradiation device irradiating a tumor during use, said apparatus comprising:
- a negative ion source, said negative ion source configured to produce negative ions in a negative ion beam; and
a converting foil, said converting foil configured to convert the negative ion beam into the charged particle beam, wherein said converting foil provides a pressure seal between an ion beam formation side of said irradiation device and a synchrotron side of said irradiation device, wherein a first pump system operates to maintain a first vacuum in said ion beam formation side of said converting foil, wherein a second pump system operates to maintain a second vacuum in said synchrotron side of said irradiation device.
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Abstract
The invention comprises a tandem accelerator method and apparatus, which is part of an ion beam injection system used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The negative ion beam source includes an injection system vacuum system and a synchrotron vacuum system separated by a foil, where negative ions are converted to positive ions. The foil is sealed to the edges of the vacuum tube providing for a higher partial pressure in the injection system vacuum chamber and a lower pressure in the synchrotron vacuum system. Having the foil physically separating the vacuum chamber into two pressure regions allows for fewer and/or smaller pumps to maintain the lower pressure system in the synchrotron as the inlet hydrogen gas is extracted in a separate contained and isolated space by the injection partial vacuum system.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus for injecting a charged particle beam into an accelerator of an irradiation device, said irradiation device irradiating a tumor during use, said apparatus comprising:
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a negative ion source, said negative ion source configured to produce negative ions in a negative ion beam; and a converting foil, said converting foil configured to convert the negative ion beam into the charged particle beam, wherein said converting foil provides a pressure seal between an ion beam formation side of said irradiation device and a synchrotron side of said irradiation device, wherein a first pump system operates to maintain a first vacuum in said ion beam formation side of said converting foil, wherein a second pump system operates to maintain a second vacuum in said synchrotron side of said irradiation device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for injecting a charged particle beam into an accelerator of an irradiation device, said irradiation device irradiating a tumor during use, said method comprising the steps of:
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producing negative ions in a negative ion beam with a negative ion source; converting the negative ion beam into the charged particle beam with a converting foil, said converting foil providing a vacuum barrier between the negative ion source and said accelerator, wherein said accelerator comprises a synchrotron; and injecting the charged particle beam into said accelerator. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification