Multi-field charged particle cancer therapy method and apparatus
OwnerVladimir Egorovich Balakininventor
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Abstract
The invention relates generally to treatment of solid cancers. More particularly, the invention relates to a multi-field charged particle cancer therapy method and apparatus coordinated with negative ion beam creation, ion beam focusing, charged particle acceleration, patient rotation, and/or patient respiration. Preferably, the charged particle therapy is performed on a patient in a partially immobilized and repositionable position. Proton delivery is preferably timed to patient respiration via control of charged particle beam injection, acceleration, and/or targeting methods and apparatus.
Claims18
An apparatus for generating a negative ion beam for use with charged particle radiation therapy, comprising:
- a negative ion source comprising:
- a magnetic material;
- and
- a high temperature plasma chamber substantially encompassing said magnetic material;
- wherein said high temperature plasma chamber comprises:
- a first ion generation electrode at a first end of said high temperature plasma chamber, a second ion generation electrode at a second end of said high temperature plasma chamber, and a magnetic field carrying outer wall;
- wherein application of a first high voltage pulse across said first ion generation electrode and said second ion generation electrode breaks hydrogen in said high temperature plasma chamber into component parts;
- wherein said magnetic material yields a magnetic field loop running through said first ion generation electrode, through said magnetic field carrying outer wall, through said second ion generation electrode, across a gap, and through said magnetic material;
- wherein said magnetic field loop yields a magnetic barrier across said gap between said high temperature plasma chamber and a low temperature plasma region, said magnetic barrier passing a subset of said component parts;
- wherein low energy electrons interact with atomic hydrogen to create hydrogen anions in said low temperature plasma region;
- wherein application of a second high voltage pulse across said second ion generation electrode and a third ion generation electrode extracts negative ions from said negative ion source into a negative ion beam.
A method for generating a negative ion beam for use with charged particle radiation therapy, comprising the steps of:
- providing a magnetic material;
- providing a high temperature plasma chamber substantially encompassing said magnetic material, wherein said high temperature plasma chamber comprises:
- a first ion generation electrode at a first end of said high temperature plasma chamber, a second ion generation electrode at a second end of said high temperature plasma chamber, and a magnetic field carrying outer wall circumferentially surrounding said high temperature plasma chamber;
- applying a first high voltage pulse across said first ion generation electrode and said second ion generation electrode breaking hydrogen in said high temperature plasma chamber into component parts;
- wherein said magnetic material yields a magnetic field loop running through said first ion generation electrode, through said magnetic field carrying outer wall, through said second ion generation electrode, across a gap, and through said magnetic material;
- wherein said magnetic field loop yields a magnetic barrier across said gap between said high temperature plasma chamber and a low temperature plasma region, said magnetic barrier passing a subset of said component parts;
- wherein low energy electrons interact with atomic hydrogen to create hydrogen anions in said low temperature plasma region;
- and
- applying a second high voltage pulse across said second ion generation electrode and a third ion generation electrode, wherein said second high voltage pulse extracts negative ions from said negative ion source into a negative ion beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.