Particle beam irradiation equipment and particle beam irradiation method

Particle beam irradiation equipment comprising charged particle beam generation equipment and a charged particle beam irradiation nozzle for irradiating a charged particle beam extracted from said charged particle beam generation equipment to an irradiation target,

• wherein said charged particle beam irradiation nozzle comprises a first scatterer device including a first scatterer through which said charged particle beam passes, a second scatterer device including a plurality of second scatterers through which an unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam passes, said plurality of second scatterers being to-be-positioned in a passage region of said charged particle beam after having passed said first scatterer, and a collimator for shaping said charged particle beam;
• and
• said particle beam irradiation equipment includes a control system for controlling said second scatterer device such that one of said plurality of second scatterers is positioned in said passage region at one of plural different positions in the direction of travel of said charged particle beam,
• said plurality of second scatterers of the second scatterer device each being configured to have higher scatter strength in the central side than in the radially outer peripheral side to provide a beam irradiation of a double scattering method in combination with said first scatterer of the first scatterer device,
• said plurality of second scatterers including a second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at a first position in the direction of travel of said charged particle beam and used when said collimator is adapted for a relatively small first irradiation field and another second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at a second position upstream of said first position in the direction of travel of said charged particle beam and used when said collimator is adapted for a larger second irradiation field than said first irradiation field, said second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size caused to position in the passage region at said first position having a thickness different from that of said another second scatterer for larger irradiation field caused to position in the passage region at said second position so as to provide smaller scattering strength of said charged particle beam in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of said charged particle beam than said another second scatterer for larger irradiation field size.

Particle beam irradiation equipment comprising charged particle beam generation equipment and a charged particle beam irradiation nozzle for irradiating a charged particle beam extracted from said charged particle beam generation equipment to an irradiation target,

• wherein said charged particle beam irradiation nozzle comprises a first scatterer device including a first scatterer through which said charged particle beam passes, an upstream second scatterer device including a second scatterer to be positioned in a passage region of an unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam at a first position downstream of said first scatterer device in the direction of travel of said charged particle beam, a downstream second scatterer device including another second scatterer to be positioned in said passage region at a second position downstream of said first position in the direction of travel of said unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam;
• and a collimator for shaping said charged particle beam;
• and
• said second scatterer of each of said upstream and downstream second scatterer device being configured to have higher scatter strength in the central side than in the radially outer peripheral side to provide a beam irradiation of a double scattering method in combination with said first scatterer of the first scatterer device,
• said second scatterer of said upstream second scatterer device being used as one for larger irradiation field size when said collimator is adapted for a larger second irradiation field than a first irradiation field, and said second scatterer of said downstream second scatterer device being used as one for smaller irradiation field size when said collimator is adapted for said first irradiation field,
• said second scatterer of said downstream second scatterer device for smaller irradiation field size having a thickness different from that of said second scatterer of said upstream second scatterer device for larger irradiation field size so as to provide smaller scattering strength of said charged particle beam in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of said charged particle beam than said second scatterer of said upstream second scatterer device for larger irradiation field size.

Particle beam irradiation equipment comprising charged particle beam generation equipment and a charged particle beam irradiation nozzle for irradiating a charged particle beam extracted from said charged particle beam generation equipment to an irradiation target,

• wherein said charged particle beam irradiation nozzle comprises:
• a first scatterer through which said charged particle beam passes;
• a first table disposed downstream of said first scatterer in the direction of travel of said charged particle beam and mounting a second scatterer, wherein said first table is to be positioned in a passage region of said charged particle beam;
• a second table disposed downstream of said first table in the direction of travel of said charged particle beam and mounting another second scatterer, wherein said second table is to be positioned in said passage region;
• and
• a collimator for shaping said charged particle beam;
• said second scatterer of each of the first and second tables being configured to have higher scatter strength in the central side than in the radially outer peripheral side to provide a beam irradiation of a double scattering method in combination with said first scatterer,
• said second scatterer mounted on said first table being used as one for larger irradiation field size when said collimator is adapted for a larger second irradiation field than a first irradiation field, and said another second scatterer mounted on said second table being used as one for smaller irradiation field size when said collimator is adapted for said first irradiation field, said another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size mounted on said second table having a thickness different from that of said second scatterer for larger irradiation field mounted on said first table so as to provide smaller scattering strength of said charged particle beam in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of said charged particle beam than said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size˜
• and wherein said second scatterer device modulates an unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam.

Particle beam irradiation equipment comprising charged particle beam generation equipment and a charged particle beam irradiation nozzle for irradiating a charged particle beam extracted from said charged particle beam generation equipment to an irradiation target,

• wherein said charged particle beam irradiation nozzle comprises:
• a first scatterer device including a first scatterer through which said charged particle beam passes;
• a second scatterer device including a plurality of second scatterers to be positioned in a passage region of an unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam resulting from passage through first scatterer, said second scatterer device being movably disposed in the direction of travel of said charged particle beam;
• and a collimator for shaping said charged particle beam, said plurality of second scatterers of the second scatterer device each being configured to have higher scatter strength in the central side than in the radially outer peripheral side to provide a beam irradiation of a double scattering method in combination with said first scatterer of the first scatterer device,
• said plurality of second scatterers comprising a second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region of the charged particle beam at a first position included in plural different positions in the direction of travel of said charged particle beam and used when said collimator is adapted for a larger second irradiation field than a first irradiation field, and another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at a second position downstream of said first position included in said plural different positions and used when said collimator is adapted for said first irradiation field,
• said another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said second position having a thickness different from that of said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said first position so as to provide smaller scattering strength of said charged particle beam in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of said charged particle beam than said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said first position.

A particle beam irradiation method using a charged particle beam irradiation nozzle comprising a first scatterer through which a charged particle beam passes, a plurality of second scatterers through which an unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam passes after having passed said first scatterer, said plurality of second scatterers comprising a second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in a passage region of said charged particle beam at one position included in plural different positions in the direction of travel of said-charged particle beam, and another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at another position downstream of said one position included in said plural different positions, and a collimator for shaping said charged particle beam, said plurality of second scatterers each being configured to have higher scatter strength in the central side than in the radially outer peripheral side to provide a beam irradiation of a double scattering method in combination with said first scatterer of the first scatterer device, said another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said another position having a thickness different from that of said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said one position so as to provide smaller scattering strength of said unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of said unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam than said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said one position,˜ comprising the steps of:

• placing said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size in said passage region of said unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam at said one position when said collimator is adapted for a larger second irradiation field than a first irradiation field, and irradiating said charged particle beam after having passed said first scatterer and said second scatterer positioned at said one position;
• and
• placing said another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size in said passage region of said unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam at said another position when said collimator is adapted for said first irradiation field, and irradiating said charged particle beam after having passed said first scatterer and said another second scatterer positioned at said another position.

A method of adjusting a charged particle beam irradiation nozzle comprising a first scatterer through which a charged particle beam passes, a plurality of second scatterers through which an unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam passes after having passed said first scatterer, said plurality of second scatterers comprising a second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in a passage region of said charged particle beam at one position included in plural different positions in the direction of travel of said charged particle beam, and another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at another position downstream of said one position included in said plural different positions, and a collimator for shaping said charged particle beam,

• said plurality of second scatterers each being configured to have higher scatter strength in the central side than in the radially outer peripheral side to provide a beam irradiation of a double scattering method in combination with said first scatterer of the first scatterer device,
• said another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said another position having a thickness different from that of said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said one position so as to provide smaller scattering strength of said charged particle beam in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of said charged particle beam than said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said one position;
• comprising the steps of:
• placing said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size in said passage region at said one position when said collimator is adapted for a larger second irradiation field than a first irradiation field;
• and
• placing said another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size in said passage region at said another position when said collimator is adapted for said first irradiation field.

A method of adjusting a charged particle beam irradiation nozzle comprising a first scatterer through which a charged particle beam passes, a plurality of second scatterers through which an unoccluded Gaussian distributed charged particle beam passes after having passed said first scatterer, said plurality of second scatterers comprising a second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in a passage region of said charged particle beam at one position included in plural different positions in the direction of travel of said charged particle beam, and another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at another position downstream of said one position included in said plural different positions, and a collimator for shaping said charged particle beam, said plurality of second scatterers each being configured to have higher scatter strength in the central side than in the radially outer peripheral side to provide a beam irradiation of a double scattering method in combination with said first scatterer of the first scatterer device, said another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said another position having a thickness different from that of said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said one position so as to provide smaller scattering strength of said charged particle beam in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of said charged particle beam than said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size caused to position in said passage region at said one position.˜ comprising the steps of:

• selecting one of said second scatterer for larger irradiation field size and said another second scatterer for smaller irradiation field size depending on the size of the irradiation field size for which said collimator is adapted, and placing the selected second scatterer in said passage region at a selected one of said plural different positions in the direction of travel of said charged particle beam.