Charged particle radiation therapy
AssigneeStill River Systems, Inc.
InventorKenneth Gall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Among other things, an accelerator is mounted on a gantry to enable the accelerator to move through a range of positions around a patient on a patient support. The accelerator is configured to produce a proton or ion beam having an energy level sufficient to reach any arbitrary target in the patient from positions within the range. The proton or ion beam passes essentially directly from the accelerator to the patient. In some examples, the synchrocyclotron has a superconducting electromagnetic structure that generates a field strength of at least 6 Tesla, produces a beam of particles having an energy level of at least 150 MeV, has a volume no larger than 4.5 cubic meters, and has a weight less than 30 Tons.
Claims39
An apparatus comprising
- a patient support, and
- a gantry on which an accelerator is mounted to enable the accelerator to move through a range of positions around a patient on the patient support,
- the accelerator being configured to produce a proton or ion beam having an energy level sufficient to reach any arbitrary target in the patient from positions within the range,
- the proton or ion beam passing essentially directly from an accelerator housing to the patient.
An apparatus comprising
- a medical synchrocyclotron having a superconducting electromagnetic structure that generates a field strength of at least 6 Tesla, produces, for delivery to a patient, a beam of charged particles having an energy level of at least 150 MeV, has a volume no larger than 4.5 cubic meters, and has a weight less than 30 Tons.
An apparatus comprising
- an accelerator configured to produce a proton or ion beam having an energy level sufficient to reach any arbitrary target in a patient, the accelerator being small enough and lightweight enough to be mounted on a rotatable gantry in an orientation to permit the proton or ion beam to pass essentially directly from the accelerator to the patient.
A structure comprising
- a patient support;
- a gantry on which an accelerator is mounted to enable the accelerator to move through a range of positions around a patient on the patient support, the range of positions exceeding 180 degrees around the patient;
- the accelerator being configured to produce a proton or ion beam having an energy level sufficient to reach any arbitrary target in the patient from positions within the range;
- and
- a walled enclosure containing the patient support, the gantry, and the accelerator.
An apparatus comprising:
- a patient support;
- and
- a gantry on which an accelerator is mounted, the gantry being supported on two sides of the patient support for rotation (a) about a horizontal gantry axis that contains an isocenter in the patient and (b) through a range of positions that exceeds 180 degrees;
- the patient support being rotatable about a vertical patient support axis that contains the isocenter;
- the accelerator comprising a synchrocyclotron configured to produce a proton or ion beam having an energy level of at least 150 MeV to reach any arbitrary target in the patient directly from positions within the range, the synchrocyclotron having superconducting windings.
A method comprising
- supporting a patient within a treatment space;
- causing a beam of proton or ions to pass in a straight line direction from an output of an accelerator to any arbitrary target within the patient;
- and
- causing the straight line direction to be varied through a range of positions around the patient, the range of positions exceeding 180 degrees around the patient.
An apparatus comprising
- an accelerator configured to produce a charged particle beam and to be mounted on a gantry that enables the accelerator to move through a range of positions around a patient on a patient support, the range of positions exceeding 180 degrees around the patient;
- the accelerator being configured to produce a charged particle beam having an energy level sufficient to reach any arbitrary target in the patient from positions within the range.
An apparatus comprising
- a gantry configured to hold an accelerator and to enable the accelerator to move through a range of positions around a patient on a patient support, the range of positions exceeding 180 degrees around the patient;
- and
- the accelerator being configured to produce a proton or ion beam having an energy level sufficient to reach any arbitrary target in the patient from positions within the range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.