X-ray 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 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 having a first cross-sectional distance, wherein X-rays are generated by electrons from said cathode striking said tungsten anode;
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 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 eight times that of the electron beam cross-sectional area,wherein said X-ray generation source comprises a tungsten anode, 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, andwherein X-rays emitted from said X-ray source run substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam.
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Abstract
The invention comprises an X-ray method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The system uses an X-ray beam that lies in substantially the same path as a charged particle beam path of a particle beam cancer therapy system, has an elongated lifetime, and/or that is synchronized with patient respiration. 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, which are usable for: fine tuning body alignment relative to the proton beam path and/or to control the proton beam path to accurately and precisely target the tumor.
389 Citations
42 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 irradiating a tumor of a patient with a charged particle beam during use, said apparatus comprising:
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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 having a first cross-sectional distance, wherein X-rays are generated by electrons from said cathode striking said tungsten anode; 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 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 eight times that of the electron beam cross-sectional area, wherein said X-ray generation source comprises a tungsten anode, 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, and wherein X-rays emitted from said X-ray source run substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. 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:
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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;providing a synchrotron, wherein said synchrotron comprises; a radio-frequency cavity system comprising a first pair of blades for inducing betatron oscillation; and a foil yielding slowed charged particles from particles in the charged particle beam having sufficient betatron oscillation to traverse said foil; directing the charged particles out of said synchrotron through a Lambertson extraction magnet after the slowed charged particles pass through a second pair of blades having an extraction voltage; and timing said radio-frequency cavity system for inducing betatron oscillation to said respiration signal, wherein the X-rays emitted from said X-ray source run substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification