Synchronized X-ray / breathing method and apparatus used in conjunction with a charged particle cancer therapy system
First Claim
1. An X-ray apparatus as part of a particle beam cancer therapy system, said particle beam cancer therapy system configured to irradiate a tumor of a patient with a charged particle beam, said apparatus comprising:
- a respiration sensor configured to generate a respiration signal, said respiration signal corresponding to a respiration cycle of the patient;
an X-ray generation source located within about forty millimeters of the charged particle beam, wherein said X-ray source maintains a single static position;
(1) during use of said X-ray source and (2) during tumor treatment with the charged particle beam, said apparatus controlled to yield X-ray images at a set point of the respiration cycle by said respiration signal,wherein X-rays emitted from said X-ray source run substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam,wherein said X-ray generation source comprises a tungsten anode,wherein said X-ray apparatus further comprises;
an electron generating cathode having a first cross-sectional distance, wherein X-rays are generated by electrons from said cathode striking said tungsten anode;
a focusing control electrode;
accelerating electrodes, said control electrode and said accelerating electrodes located between said cathode and said anode, said focusing control electrode focusing electrons from said first cross-sectional distance to a second cross-sectional distance, wherein said second cross-sectional distance is less than one-half of said first cross-sectional distance;
a magnetic lens; and
a quadrupole magnet, all of said control electrode, said accelerating electrodes, said magnetic lens, and said quadrupole magnet located between said cathode and said anode, said control electrode, said accelerating electrodes, said magnetic lens, and said quadrupole magnet combining to form a substantially parallel electron beam with an electron beam cross-sectional area, wherein a cross-sectional area of said cathode is greater than about eight times that of the electron beam cross-sectional area,wherein said substantially parallel electron beam comprises an oblong cross-sectional shape, wherein geometry of said X-ray generation source yields an X-ray beam comprising a nearly circular cross sectional shape when struck by the electron beam having said oblong cross-sectional shape, the X-ray beam running substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam,wherein said tungsten anode further comprises a liquid cooling element connected to a backside of said tungsten anode, andwherein said X-ray generation source is configured as usable within thirty seconds of subsequent use of the charged particle beam for tumor therapy.
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Abstract
The invention comprises an X-ray system that is orientated to provide X-ray images of a patient in the same orientation as viewed by a proton therapy beam, is synchronized with patient respiration, is operable on a patient positioned for proton therapy, and does not interfere with a proton beam treatment path. Preferably, the synchronized system is used in conjunction with a negative ion beam source, synchrotron, and/or targeting method apparatus to provide an X-ray timed with patient respiration and performed immediately prior to and/or concurrently with particle beam therapy irradiation to ensure targeted and controlled delivery of energy relative to a patient position resulting in efficient, precise, and/or accurate noninvasive, in-vivo treatment of a solid cancerous tumor with minimization of damage to surrounding healthy tissue in a patient using the proton beam position verification system.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An X-ray apparatus as part of a particle beam cancer therapy system, said particle beam cancer therapy system configured to irradiate a tumor of a patient with a charged particle beam, said apparatus comprising:
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a respiration sensor configured to generate a respiration signal, said respiration signal corresponding to a respiration cycle of the patient; an X-ray generation source located within about forty millimeters of the charged particle beam, wherein said X-ray source maintains a single static position;
(1) during use of said X-ray source and (2) during tumor treatment with the charged particle beam, said apparatus controlled to yield X-ray images at a set point of the respiration cycle by said respiration signal,wherein X-rays emitted from said X-ray source run substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam, wherein said X-ray generation source comprises a tungsten anode, wherein said X-ray apparatus further comprises; an electron generating cathode having a first cross-sectional distance, wherein X-rays are generated by electrons from said cathode striking said tungsten anode; a focusing control electrode; accelerating electrodes, said control electrode and said accelerating electrodes located between said cathode and said anode, said focusing control electrode focusing electrons from said first cross-sectional distance to a second cross-sectional distance, wherein said second cross-sectional distance is less than one-half of said first cross-sectional distance; a magnetic lens; and a quadrupole magnet, all of said control electrode, said accelerating electrodes, said magnetic lens, and said quadrupole magnet located between said cathode and said anode, said control electrode, said accelerating electrodes, said magnetic lens, and said quadrupole magnet combining to form a substantially parallel electron beam with an electron beam cross-sectional area, wherein a cross-sectional area of said cathode is greater than about eight times that of the electron beam cross-sectional area, wherein said substantially parallel electron beam comprises an oblong cross-sectional shape, wherein geometry of said X-ray generation source yields an X-ray beam comprising a nearly circular cross sectional shape when struck by the electron beam having said oblong cross-sectional shape, the X-ray beam running substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam, wherein said tungsten anode further comprises a liquid cooling element connected to a backside of said tungsten anode, and wherein said X-ray generation source is configured as usable within thirty seconds of subsequent use of the charged particle beam for tumor therapy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method coordinating an X-ray system and a particle beam cancer therapy system, said particle beam cancer therapy system irradiating a tumor of a patient with a charged particle beam during use, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating X-rays with an X-ray generation source located within forty millimeters of the charged particle beam, wherein said X-ray source maintains a single static position;
(1) during use of said X-ray source and (2) during tumor treatment with the charged particle beam;accelerating the charged particle beam with a synchrotron; generating a respiration signal using a respiration sensor, said respiration signal corresponding to a respiration cycle of the patient; rotating the patient with a rotatable platform, wherein said rotatable platform rotates through at least one hundred eighty degrees during an irradiation period of the patient; controlling delivery the charged particle beam from said synchrotron to the tumor at a set point in the respiration cycle using the respiration signal; wherein said delivery of said charged particle beam at said set point of the respiration cycle occurs in greater than four rotation positions of said rotatable platform, wherein the tumor is targeted using X-ray images collected using X-rays from said X-ray generation source, and wherein the X-rays emitted from said X-ray source run substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification