Ion source method and apparatus used in conjunction with a charged particle cancer therapy system
First Claim
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a negative ion source, comprising;
a first containment wall, comprising a magnetic substance;
a second containment wall, comprising a magnetic material;
a non-conductive separator, said non-conductive separator separating said first containment wall from said second containment wall, wherein said first containment wall, said second containment wall, and said non-conductive separator substantially enclose a central chamber;
a first interior member comprising a non-magnetic substance extending into the central chamber;
a second interior member comprising a non-magnetic material extending into the central chamber;
means for establishing a magnetic field between said first containment wall and said second containment wall; and
means for establishing an electric field between said first interior member and said second interior member, the electric field about normal to the magnetic field during use.
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Abstract
As part of a charged particle cancer therapy system, a negative ion source is used to generate and accelerate an anion, such a C−, and to convert the anion to a cation, such as C6+, through use of one or more electron extraction subsystems. Initially, an electric field is pulsed across a magnetic field to generate the C− anion. Subsequent to extraction of the C− anion from a plasma region using pulsed electrodes, one or both of a hydrogen gas electron stripping system and a carbon foil electron stripping system converts the carbon anion into the cation. The resultant cation is accelerated in a synchrotron, transported along a beam-line, and targeted to a tumor resulting in ablation of the tumor.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
a negative ion source, comprising; a first containment wall, comprising a magnetic substance; a second containment wall, comprising a magnetic material; a non-conductive separator, said non-conductive separator separating said first containment wall from said second containment wall, wherein said first containment wall, said second containment wall, and said non-conductive separator substantially enclose a central chamber; a first interior member comprising a non-magnetic substance extending into the central chamber; a second interior member comprising a non-magnetic material extending into the central chamber; means for establishing a magnetic field between said first containment wall and said second containment wall; and means for establishing an electric field between said first interior member and said second interior member, the electric field about normal to the magnetic field during use. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising the steps of:
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providing a negative ion source, comprising; a first containment wall, comprising a magnetic substance; a second containment wall, comprising a magnetic material; a non-conductive separator, said non-conductive separator separating said first containment wall from said second containment wall, said first containment wall, said second containment wall, and said non-conductive separator substantially enclosing a central chamber; a first interior member comprising a non-magnetic substance extending into the central chamber; a second interior member comprising a non-magnetic material extending into the central chamber; establishing a magnetic field between said first containment wall and said second containment wall; and establishing an electric field between said first interior member and said second interior member, the electric field about normal to the magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for generating a charged particle beam, comprising the steps of:
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injecting gas containing carbon into a chamber, the chamber comprising; a first containment wall, comprising;
a magnetic substance and a first electrode circumferentially surrounding an exit port from the chamber;a second containment wall, comprising a magnetic material; and a non-conductive separator, said non-conductive separator separating said first containment wall from said second containment wall, said first containment wall, said second containment wall, and said non-conductive separator substantially enclosing the chamber; applying a first high voltage pulse and resulting substantially uniform electric field across the chamber between;
(1) a first interior member comprising a non-magnetic substance extending into the chamber and (2) a second interior member comprising a non-magnetic material extending into the chamber;crossing the electric field with a substantially uniform magnetic field between said first containment wall and said second containment wall to create a magnetron discharge used to break apart the gas containing carbon to form at least a C−
anion; andextracting the C−
anion from the chamber forming the charged particle beam using a potential difference between said first electrode and a second electrode, said second electrode at least partially circumferentially enclosing a portion of a beam path of the C−
anion outside of the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification