Charged particle cancer therapy and patient positioning method and apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for irradiating a tumor in a patient with charged particles extracted from a synchrotron, said apparatus configured to restrict movement of at least one arm or leg of the patient out of a charged particle path of the synchrotron, said apparatus comprising:
- a charged particle irradiation system comprising;
an exit nozzle;
an about horizontal charged particle beam path, relative to a floor, from said exit nozzle through a rotationally variable incident portion of the patient to the tumor;
a rotatable platform configured to semi-constrain the patient in a laying position, wherein said rotatable platform rotates about an axis aligned with gravity;
a semi-restraint system configured to hold at least one of the arm and the leg of the patient out of the horizontal charged particle beam path from said exit nozzle to the patient,wherein said charged particle irradiation system delivers the charged particle in at least five rotation positions of said rotatable platform.
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Abstract
The invention comprises a laying, semi-vertical, or seated patient positioning, alignment, and/or control method and apparatus used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle or proton beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. Patient positioning constraints are used to maintain the patient in a treatment position, including one or more of: a seat support, a back support, a head support, an arm support, a knee support, and a foot support. One or more of the positioning constraints are movable and/or under computer control for rapid positioning and/or immobilization of the patient. The system optionally uses an X-ray beam that lies in substantially the same path as a proton beam path of a particle beam cancer therapy system. The generated image is usable for: fine tuning body alignment relative to the proton beam path, to control the proton beam path to accurately and precisely target the tumor, and/or in system verification and validation.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparatus for irradiating a tumor in a patient with charged particles extracted from a synchrotron, said apparatus configured to restrict movement of at least one arm or leg of the patient out of a charged particle path of the synchrotron, said apparatus comprising:
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a charged particle irradiation system comprising; an exit nozzle; an about horizontal charged particle beam path, relative to a floor, from said exit nozzle through a rotationally variable incident portion of the patient to the tumor; a rotatable platform configured to semi-constrain the patient in a laying position, wherein said rotatable platform rotates about an axis aligned with gravity; a semi-restraint system configured to hold at least one of the arm and the leg of the patient out of the horizontal charged particle beam path from said exit nozzle to the patient, wherein said charged particle irradiation system delivers the charged particle in at least five rotation positions of said rotatable platform. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for irradiating a tumor in a patient with charged particles extracted from a synchrotron, said apparatus configured to restrict movement of at least one arm or leg of the patient out of a charged particle path of the synchrotron, said method comprising the steps of:
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delivering the charged particles with a charged particle irradiation system; from an exit nozzle along an about horizontal charged particle beam path, relative to the horizon, through a rotationally variable incident portion of the patient to the tumor; semi-constraining the patient in a laying position on a rotatable platform, wherein said rotatable platform rotates about an axis aligned with gravity; restraining at least one of the arm and the leg of the patient out of the first about horizontal charged particle beam path from said exit nozzle to the patient, irradiating the tumor with the charged particles in at least five rotation positions of said rotatable platform during a single tumor treatment session. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification