Proton imaging system for optimization of proton therapy
AssigneeProtonVDA LLC
InventorsDon F. Dejongh, Victor Rykalin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A medical imaging system includes a first tracking detector and a second tracking detector. The tracking detectors are spaced to allow for an object to be present between the first tracking detector and the second tracking detector. The system also includes a residual range detector adjacent the first tracking detector. The residual range detector includes: (1) a scintillator material having a first surface at least partially covered with an anti-reflection material and a second surface facing the first tracking detector and (2) at least one photon detector coupled to the scintillator material at a third surface of the scintillator material different than the first surface and opposite the second surface.
Claims22
A method for operating a medical imaging system, the method comprising:
- generating a beam of particles;
- steering the beam of particles through a first tracking detector, an object, a second tracking detector and into a residual range detector, wherein the residual range detector includes at least one photon detector, wherein the first tracking detector includes first scintillating fibers, the first scintillating fibers are divided into a plurality of strips, wherein terminal ends from each first scintillating fiber at a first position in each of the plurality of strips are bundled together;
- collecting tracking data from a first light detector, wherein the first light detector is coupled to the terminal ends of the bundled first scintillating fibers of the first tracking detector,
- collecting tracking data from a second light detector, wherein the second light detector is coupled to the second tracking detector,
- wherein the tracking data from the first light detector and the tracking data from the second light detector represent a trajectory of the beam of particles through the first tracking detector and through the second tracking detector;
- collecting energy data from the at least one photon detector, wherein the energy data represents energy loss of the beam of particles traversed through the object;
- and
- generating an image of the object based on the tracking data and the energy data.
A method for operating a medical imaging system, the method comprising:
- generating a beam of particles;
- steering the beam of particles through a first tracking detector, an object, a second tracking detector and into a residual range detector, wherein the residual range detector includes at least one photon detector coupled to a scintillator material;
- during the steering of the beam of particles, varying an initial energy and transverse positions of the beam of particles through a range of values and at predetermined increments, wherein the initial energy of the beam of particles is varied while the beam of particles is steered such that a residual range of the beam of particles is less than a depth of the residual range detector;
- collecting tracking data from a first light detector and a second light detector, wherein the first light detector is coupled to the first tracking detector and the second light detector is coupled to the second tracking detector, wherein the tracking data represents a trajectory of the beam of particles through the first tracking detector and through the second tracking detector;
- collecting energy data from the at least one photon detector, wherein the energy data represents energy of the beam of particles as the beam of particles impinges the scintillator material of the residual range detector;
- and
- generating an image of the object based on the tracking data and the energy data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.