Device for controlling the beam current in a synchrocyclotron
AssigneeMevion Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorsMichael Busky, Yan Zhang, Miles Wagner, Gerrit Townsend Zwart, James Cooley, Mark Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example particle accelerator includes a particle source to provide particles to a magnetic cavity; circuitry to provide a radio frequency (RF) voltage to the magnetic cavity to accelerate particles from the ionized plasma in orbits in the magnetic cavity, where the RF voltage has a slope that is less when the particles are injected into the magnetic cavity than when the particles are accelerated in the magnetic cavity; and an extraction channel to receive the particles from the magnetic cavity for output as a particle beam from the particle accelerator.
Claims25
A particle accelerator comprising:
- a particle source to provide particles to a magnetic cavity;
- circuitry to provide a radio frequency (RF) voltage to the magnetic cavity to accelerate particles from ionized plasma in orbits in the magnetic cavity, the RF voltage having a slope that is less when the particles are injected into the magnetic cavity than when the particles are accelerated in the magnetic cavity;
- and
- an extraction channel to receive the particles from the magnetic cavity for output as a particle beam from the particle accelerator.
4-6. (canceled)
14-23. (canceled)
A particle source comprising:
- a tube to introduce gas into a region where particles are to be accelerated, the tube having an opening through which particles are discharged into the region;
- electrodes on different ends of the tube for applying an electrical potential to ionize the gas and thereby produce the particles;
- and
- a valve that is controllable to allow, or to prevent, the gas from reaching the opening.
31-32. (canceled)
38-47. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.