Accelerator system stabilization for charged particle acceleration and radiation beam generation
AssigneeVarian Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorsDouglas W. Eaton, Gongyin Chen, Timothy R. Fox
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for generating stabilized particle acceleration by a radio-frequency (RF) accelerator is described, comprising operating the accelerator in a warm-up mode during a warm-up time period, without injecting charged particles or without accelerating injected charged particles, and operating the accelerator in a beam-on mode during a beam-on time period after the warm-up time period, to accelerate charged particles injected by the charged particle source. Automatic frequency control to match an expected frequency of the accelerator during the beam-on time period, prior to the start of the beam-on time period, for stability, is also described.
Claims22
A stabilized radio-frequency (“RF”) accelerator system, comprising:
- an RF accelerator to accelerate charged particles;
- an RF source coupled to the accelerator to provide RF power into the accelerator;
- a charged particle source coupled to the accelerator to inject charged particles into the accelerator;
- at least one high voltage electric power supply coupled to the RF source and the charged particle source to provide electric power thereto;
- at least one controller configured to:
- cause supply of high voltage electric power from the at least one high voltage electric power supply to at least one of the RF source or the charged particle source without accelerating charged particles injected by the charged particle source, during a warm-up time period;
- and
- cause supply of high voltage electric power from the at least one high voltage electric power supply to the RF source and to the charged particle source during at least partially overlapping times, to accelerate charged particles injected by the charged particle source, during a beam-on time period.
A stabilized radio-frequency (“RF”) accelerator system, comprising:
- RF accelerator means for accelerating charged particles;
- RF power means for providing RF power to the RF accelerator means;
- charged particle means for providing charged particles to the RF accelerator means;
- high voltage electric power means for providing high voltage electric power to the RF source and the charged particle source;
- means for causing supply of high voltage electric power to at least one of the RF power means or the charged particle means without accelerating charged particles injected into the accelerator by the charged particle means, during a warm-up time period;
- and
- means for causing supply of high voltage electric power to both the RF power means and the charged particle means to cause acceleration of charged particles, during at least partially overlapping time periods within a beam-on time period.
A method for generating stabilized particle acceleration by a radio-frequency (RF) accelerator, comprising:
- supplying high voltage electric power to, a radio-frequency (“RF”) source coupled to the accelerator during at least one first time period during a warm-up mode within a warm-up time period;
- operating the accelerator in the warm-up mode during the warm-up time period, without accelerating charged particles injected by a charged particle source;
- and
- operating the accelerator in a beam-on mode during a beam-on time period after the warm-up time period, to accelerate charged particles injected by the charged particle source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.