Beamline control and security system for a radiation treatment facility

In a radiation beam therapy system comprising a radiation beam source, a plurality of radiation beam treatment locations, and a multiplexed switchyard and beam transport system for directing the radiation beam to a selected one of the radiation beam treatment locations, an apparatus for radiation beam security comprising:

• (a) means for receiving a beam request signal from a selected treatment location;
• (b) means for deriving a beam path configuration signal from said beam request signal;
• (c) means for selecting a switchyard and beam transport system configuration in accordance with said selected beam path configuration signal by enabling a first set comprising less than all of a plurality of switchyard and beam transport elements to provide a path for transport of said radiation beam to said selected treatment location;
• (d) means for sensing the configuration of the switchyard and beam transport system to verify that (i) all of said first set of said switchyard and beam transport elements are enabled and (ii) all elements of said plurality of elements not in said first set are not enabled so that the switchyard and beam transport system configuration allow radiation beam transport to only said selected treatment location;
• and
• (e) means for providing radiation beam transport to said selected treatment location.

An apparatus for providing radiation beam security for a radiation beam treatment system having a radiation source, a plurality of radiation treatment locations and a plurality of paths connecting said radiation source to said plurality of radiation treatment locations, said apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of switches having a first state and a second state wherein said plurality of switches are capable of being arranged divided into a plurality of sets of one or more switches and wherein each set of switches directs said radiation beam along one of said plurality of paths when each of said one or more switches in said set are in said first state;
• a plurality of sensors which provide signals indicative of the status of said plurality of switches;
• and
• a switch controller which receives said signals from said plurality of sensors and also receives a signal indicative of a desired beam path wherein said switch controller allows transport of said radiation beam by said radiation beam along said desired beam path to said radiation treatment location when both (i) said plurality of sensors indicate that a set of said plurality of switches corresponding to said desired beam path are in said first state and (ii) said plurality of sensors indicate that the switches in said plurality of switches that are not in said set of switches corresponding to said desired beam path are in said second state.

A method of radiation beam security for a radiation beam therapy system having a radiation beam source, a plurality of radiation beam treatment locations and a plurality of beam treatment paths between said radiation beam source and said plurality of treatment locations wherein said radiation beam therapy system includes a plurality of switches for directing said treatment beam along said plurality of paths, said method comprising:

• receiving a beam request signal from a selected treatment location;
• inducing a selected set of said plurality of switches to enter a first state in response to said beam request signal whereby said treatment beam will be directed along one of said plurality of paths to said selected beam treatment location;
• verifying that said selected set of said plurality of switches are in said first state;
• verifying that said switches not in said selected set do not direct said beam along other of said plurality of paths;
• and
• allowing beam transport along said one beam path in response to said verifying steps.