Method and apparatus for measuring, verifying, and displaying progress of dose delivery in scanned beam particle therapy

A method for real-time control of a charged particle pencil beam system during therapeutic treatment of a patient, the method comprising:

• receiving an image of the charged particle pencil beam during treatment of a target spot;
• measuring an actual shape and an actual intensity distribution of the charged particle pencil beam;
• determining an actual position of the charged particle pencil beam at an isocenter plane, the actual position corresponding to a location in a pixel of acquired data;
• comparing actual data for the target spot with target data for the target spot to form comparison data;
• and
• automatically stopping the therapeutic treatment if the comparison data is greater than a tolerance.