Charged particle cancer therapy system X-ray apparatus and method of use thereof
OwnerVladimir Balakininventor
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Abstract
An imaging system apparatus and method of use thereof is described in combination with a co-movable charged particle beamline apparatus element, such as one or more elements held and dynamically positioned by a gantry, where the method and apparatus are optionally elements of a positively charged particle cancer therapy system. In one embodiment, an X-ray imaging element is rigidly and semi-permanently attached to and co-moved with a proton directing element. For example, as the gantry relocates one or more elements of a proton beamline arc, the X-ray beam is mechanically forced to co-relocate with the proton directing element and/or the final proton beam path.
Claims21
An apparatus for maintaining alignment of:
- (1) a tumor imaging beam, traveling along a tumor imaging beam path, with (2) a tumor treatment beam, traveling along a tumor treatment beam path, the tumor treatment beam comprising positively charged particles for treatment of a tumor of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a charged particle delivery system, comprising:
- a movable magnet configured to guide the positively charged particles in said tumor treatment beam path to the tumor;
- an imaging system, comprising:
- an imaging source element, said imaging source element configured to deliver the tumor imaging beam along said tumor imaging beam path during use;
- a rigid mechanical link linking said imaging source element to said movable magnet;
- and
- means for co-moving said imaging source element and said movable magnet using said rigid mechanical link.
A method for maintaining alignment of:
- (1) a tumor imaging beam, traveling through a tumor imaging beam path, with (2) a tumor treatment beam, traveling through a tumor treatment beam path, the tumor treatment beam comprising positively charged particles for treatment of a tumor of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
- a movable magnet, of a charged particle delivery system, guiding the positively charged particles to the tumor along said tumor treatment beam path;
- delivering the tumor imaging beam, from an imaging source element of an imaging system, along said tumor imaging beam path;
- mechanically linking said imaging source element to said movable magnet with a rigid mechanical link;
- and
- co-moving said imaging source element, said movable magnet, and said rigid mechanical link.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.