Proton scattering analysis system
First Claim
1. A proton therapy system comprising:
- a support device configured to support a volume of tissue and expose at least a portion of the volume of tissue to a beam of protons, the beam of protons configured for therapeutic treatment of at least a portion of the volume of tissue, the beam of protons defining a beam axis extending through the volume of tissue;
a charged particle detector disposed off the beam axis and configured to detect charged particles resulting from interactions of the beam of protons with the volume of tissue, the charged particle detector having an acceptance range about a detector axis that extends through a selected location in the volume of tissue and intersects the beam axis, the detector axis forming an angle with respect to a forward direction of the beam axis, the charged particle detector configured to facilitate reconstruction of tracks associated with the detected charged particles, the detection resulting in generation of signals; and
a computing device in communication with the detector and configured to receive the signals and generate data having information that allows the reconstruction of the tracks and to allow estimation of locations of the interactions in the volume of tissue.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are systems and methods for characterizing interactions or proton beams in tissues. In certain embodiments, charged particles emitted during passage of protons, such as those used for therapeutic and/or imaging purposes, can be detected at relatively large angles. In situations where beam intensity is relatively low, such as in certain imaging applications, characterization of the proton beam with charged particles can provide sufficient statistics for meaningful results while avoiding the beam itself. In situations where beam intensity is relatively high, such as in certain therapeutic applications, characterization of the proton beam with scattered primary protons and secondary protons can provide information such as differences in densities encountered by the beam as it traverses the tissue and dose deposited along the beam path. In certain situations, such beam characterizations can facilitate more accurate planning and monitoring of proton-based therapy.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A proton therapy system comprising:
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a support device configured to support a volume of tissue and expose at least a portion of the volume of tissue to a beam of protons, the beam of protons configured for therapeutic treatment of at least a portion of the volume of tissue, the beam of protons defining a beam axis extending through the volume of tissue; a charged particle detector disposed off the beam axis and configured to detect charged particles resulting from interactions of the beam of protons with the volume of tissue, the charged particle detector having an acceptance range about a detector axis that extends through a selected location in the volume of tissue and intersects the beam axis, the detector axis forming an angle with respect to a forward direction of the beam axis, the charged particle detector configured to facilitate reconstruction of tracks associated with the detected charged particles, the detection resulting in generation of signals; and a computing device in communication with the detector and configured to receive the signals and generate data having information that allows the reconstruction of the tracks and to allow estimation of locations of the interactions in the volume of tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A radiation therapy system comprising:
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a radiation source configured to generate a beam of radiation along a beam axis, the beam of radiation configured to deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation to a portion of tissue in or on a patient; a patient support device configured to support the patient and to position the patient in the beam of radiation; a particle detector disposed at an offset angle relative to the beam axis, the offset angle configured to prevent saturation of the particle detector from direct incidence by the beam of radiation, the particle detector having an acceptance range about a detector axis that extends through a selected location in a volume of tissue and intersects the beam axis, the particle detector comprising at least one surface configured to measure an energy of a particle and a direction of travel of the particle resulting from a transfer of energy from the beam of radiation to the portion of the patient; and a hardware processor configured to receive signals from the particle detector and, using the energy and direction of the particle detected by the particle detector, generate a reconstruction of a path of the particle. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification