Particle therapy installation

• US 8,283,645 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Güneysel, Murat
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanore, David A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stoffa, Wyatt
• Application Number:
  US12/676,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20100171045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 250/517.1, 250/505.1
• US Class Current: 250/517.1
• 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: G21F 7/005 Shielded passages through walls; Locks; Transferring devices between rooms between glove-boxes G21F7/047

Abstract

A particle therapy system that includes at least one irradiation chamber, in which an object is irradiated with a treatment beam, an antechamber, which is screened off from radiation occurring in the irradiation chamber and from which access is made to the irradiation chamber, and an access area, which leads to the irradiation chamber and connects the irradiation chamber to the antechamber, is provided. A support for a patient moves along a path of travel from the antechamber, through the access area, to the irradiation chamber. A radiation protection door is arranged in the access area, and the access area is configured geometrically in such a way that the path of travel in the access area is substantially rectilinear.

Claims

1. A particle therapy system comprising:

an irradiation chamber, in which an object is irradiated with a treatment beam;

an antechamber that is shielded from radiation occurring in the irradiation chamber; and

an access area to the irradiation chamber, the access area connecting the irradiation chamber to the antechamber so that access from the antechamber to the irradiation chamber is via the access area, wherein a radiation protection door is arranged in the access area, wherein the access area is configured such that a path, along which a patient bed is moved from the antechamber to the irradiation chamber, is rectilinear, the path being configured such that the patient bed only makes turns of forty degrees or less along the path, and wherein the rectilinear path has a length of less than 10 meters.

2. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access area is arranged spatially in relation to the irradiation chamber such that the access area opens out at an acute angle into the irradiation chamber.

3. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a radiation-protection wall arranged between the irradiation chamber and the access area, the radiation-protection wall protecting the radiation protection door from direct radiation that goes out from an irradiation center in the irradiation chamber.

4. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a wall projection is arranged in the irradiation chamber such that the wall projection forms a niche in which neutrons generated and emitted during irradiation are captured.

5. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radiation protection door attenuates the radiation occurring in the irradiation chamber and penetrating the radiation protection door by at least a factor of 50.

6. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radiation protection door has a thickness of at least 50 cm.

7. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radiation protection door is a sliding door.

8. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access area is separated from the antechamber by an additional door, the additional door being thinner than the radiation protection door.

9. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antechamber is configured such that further rooms, further corridors, or both further rooms and further corridors of the particle therapy system are directly accessible from the antechamber.

10. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a radiation-protection wall arranged between the irradiation chamber and the access area, the radiation-protection wall protecting the radiation protection door from direct radiation that goes out from an irradiation center in the irradiation chamber.

11. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a radiation-protection wall arranged between the irradiation chamber and the access area, the radiation-protection wall protecting the radiation protection door from direct radiation that goes out from an irradiation center in the irradiation chamber.

12. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a wall projection arranged in the irradiation chamber such that the wall projection forms a niche in which neutrons generated and emitted during irradiation are captured.

13. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a wall projection arranged in the irradiation chamber such that the wall projection forms a niche in which neutrons generated and emitted during irradiation are captured.

14. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the radiation protection door attenuates the radiation occurring in the irradiation chamber and penetrating the radiation protection door by at least a factor of 50.

15. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the radiation protection door is a sliding door.

16. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the radiation protection door is a sliding door.

17. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the access area is separated from the antechamber by an additional door, the additional door being thinner than the radiation protection door.

18. The particle therapy system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the antechamber is configured such that further rooms, further corridors, or both further rooms and further corridors of the particle therapy system are directly accessible from the antechamber.