Charged particle cancer therapy x-ray method and apparatus

• US 8,625,739 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrey Vladimirovich Balakin, Pavel Vladimirovich Balakin
• Original Assignee: Vladimir Balakin
• Inventors: Balakin, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Artman, Thomas R
• Application Number:
  US13/214,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20120041251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 378/65, 378/119, 378/138, 250/492.3, 315/503
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1061 using an x-ray imaging system having a separate imaging source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/00 Radiation therapy ultrasound therapy A61N7/00; devices or apparatus applicable to both therapy and diagnosis A61B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1077 Beam delivery systems

Abstract

The invention comprises an X-ray method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle or proton beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The system 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 system creates an electron beam that strikes an X-ray generation source where the X-ray generation source is located proximate to the proton beam path. By generating the X-rays near the proton beam path, an X-ray path that is essentially the proton beam path is created. Using the generated X-rays, the system collects X-ray images of a localized body tissue region about a cancerous tumor. 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.

Claims

1. An X-ray apparatus as part of 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 apparatus comprising:

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;

an electron generating cathode;

a control electrode;

a plurality of accelerating electrodes;

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 an X-ray generating anode in said X-ray generation source, 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 X-rays emitted from said X-ray source run substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam, and

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.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said X-ray generation source comprises a tungsten anode.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a cooling element connected to a backside of said tungsten anode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein use of said X-ray generation source occurs within thirty seconds of subsequent use of the charged particle beam for tumor therapy.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a synchrotron accelerating the charged particle beam,

wherein the tumor is targeted using X-ray images collected using X-rays from said X-ray generation source,

wherein the tumor is treated using the charged particle beam, and

wherein the X-rays run substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said synchrotron comprises:

exactly four turning sections; and

no quadrupoles in the circulating path of the synchrotron.

7. An X-ray method as part of 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:

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, wherein said X-ray generation source comprises a tungsten anode;

generating electrons with a cathode, said cathode having a first cross-sectional distance, wherein the X-rays are generated by the electrons from said cathode striking said tungsten anode;

forming a substantially parallel electron beam with a control electrode, accelerating electrodes, 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, wherein the electron beam comprises a 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; and

forming a substantially circular cross-section X-ray beam, wherein said substantially parallel electron beam comprises an oblong cross-sectional shape, wherein geometry of said X-ray generation source yields the substantially circular cross section X-ray 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 the X-rays emitted from said X-ray source run substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

focusing the electrons from said first cross-sectional distance to a second cross-sectional distance with a focusing control electrode; and

accelerating the electrons with accelerating electrodes, said focusing control electrode and said accelerating electrodes located between said cathode and said anode.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

cooling said tungsten anode with a cooling element connected to a backside of said tungsten anode.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

using said X-ray generation source within thirty seconds of subsequent use of the charged particle beam for tumor therapy.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

accelerating the charged particle beam with a synchrotron;

targeting the tumor targeted using X-ray images collected using X-rays from said X-ray generation source; and

treating the tumor using the charged particle beam.