High energy polyenergetic ion selection systems, ion beam therapy systems, and ion beam treatment centers

A method of forming a high energy polyenergetic positive ion beam, comprising:

• forming a laser-accelerated high energy polyenergetic ion beam comprising a plurality of high energy polyenergetic positive ions, said high energy polyenergetic positive ions characterized as having a distribution of energy levels;
• collimating said laser-accelerated ion beam using a collimation device;
• spatially separating said high energy positive ions according to their energy levels using a first magnetic field;
• modulating the spatially separated high energy polyenergetic positive ions using an aperture;
• and
• recombining the modulated high energy polyenergetic positive ions using a second magnetic field.

A laser-accelerated high energy polyenergetic positive ion therapy system, comprising:

• a laser-targeting system, said laser-targeting comprising a laser and a targeting system capable of producing a high energy polyenergetic ion beam, said high energy polyenergetic ion beam comprising high energy polyenergetic positive ions having energy levels of at least about 50 MeV, the high energy polyenergetic positive ions being spatially separated based on energy level;
• an ion selection system capable of producing a therapeutically suitable high energy polyenergetic positive ion beam from a portion of said high energy polyenergetic positive ions;
• and
• an ion beam monitoring and control system.

A method of treating a patient with a laser-accelerated high energy polyenergetic positive ion therapy system, comprising:

• identifying the position of a targeted region in a patient;
• determining the treatment strategy of the targeted region, said treatment strategy comprising determining the dose distributions of a plurality of therapeutically suitable high energy polyenergetic positive ion beams for irradiating the targeted region;
• forming said plurality of therapeutically suitable high energy polyenergetic positive ion beams from a plurality of high energy polyenergetic positive ions, the high energy polyenergetic positive ions being spatially separated based on energy level;
• and
• delivering the plurality of therapeutically suitable polyenergetic positive ion beams to the targeted region according to the treatment strategy.

A laser-accelerated high energy polyenergetic positive ion beam treatment center, comprising:

• a location for securing a patient;
• and
• a laser-accelerated high energy polyenergetic positive ion therapy system capable of delivering a therapeutically suitable high energy polyenergetic positive ion beam to a patient at said location, the ion therapy system comprising:
• a laser-targeting system, said laser-targeting system comprising a laser and a target assembly capable of producing a high energy polyenergetic ion beam, said high energy polyenergetic ion beam comprising high energy polyenergetic positive ions having energy levels of at least about 50 MeV;
• an ion selection system capable of producing a therapeutically suitable high energy polyenergetic positive ion beam using said high energy polyenergetic positive ions, the high energy polyenergetic positive ions being spatially separated based on energy level;
• and
• a monitoring and control system for said therapeutically suitable high energy polyenergetic positive ion beam.

A method of producing radioisotopes, comprising:

• forming a high energy polyenergetic positive ion beam, comprising:
• forming a laser-accelerated high energy polyenergetic ion beam comprising a plurality of high energy polyenergetic positive ions, said high energy positive ions characterized as having an energy distribution;
• collimating said laser-accelerated ion beam using at least one collimation device;
• spatially separating said high energy polyenergetic positive ions according to energy using a first magnetic field;
• modulating the spatially separated high energy polyenergetic positive ions using an aperture;
• and
• recombining the spatially separated high energy polyenergetic positive ions using a second magnetic field;
• and
• irradiating a radioisotope precursor with the recombined spatially separated high energy polyenergetic positive ions.