Apparatus for generating and selecting ions used in a heavy ion cancer therapy facility

An apparatus for generating, extracting and selecting ions used in a heavy ion cancer therapy facility comprising:

• an independent first (ECRIS 1) and an independent second electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS 2) for generating heavy and light ions respectively,
• a spectrometer magnet (SP1, SP2) for selecting heavy ion species of one isotopic configuration positioned downstream of each ion source (ECRIS 1, ECRIS2);
• a magnetic quadrupole triplet (QT1, QT2) positioned downstream of each analyzing slit (SP1, SP2);
• an analyzing slit (ISL) located at an image focus of each spectrometer magnet (SP1, SP2);
• beam diagnostic means (BD) located at each slit (SL, ISL) comprising at least profile grids and Faradays cups;
• a switching magnet (SM) for switching between high-LET ion species and low-LET ion species of said two independent first and second ion source;
• and
• a radio frequency quadrupole accelerator (RFQ) positioned downstream said switching magnet (SM) wherein
• a beam transformer (BTR) is positioned in between said analyzing slit (ISL) and said magnetic quadrupole triplet (QT1;
• QT2);
• said ion sources (ECRIS1, ECRIS2) comprise exclusively permanent magnets and
• said RFQ has a 4-rod-like structure comprising alternating stems (ST) mounted on a common base plate (BP) within the RFQ, wherein said stems (ST) are acting as inductivity and mini-vane pair forming electrodes (EL) and are acting as capacitance for a λ/2 resonance structure.