Ion beam kinetic energy dissipater apparatus and method of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10874882-B2
Application number	US-201916526868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2019
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for reducing a kinetic energy of positively charged particles, comprising the steps of: (1) transporting the positively charged particles from an accelerator into an exit nozzle system along a beam line; (2) providing a first chamber of the exit nozzle system, the first chamber comprising: an incident side comprising an incident aperture, an exit side comprising an exit aperture, and a beam path of the positively charged particles from the incident aperture to the exit aperture; (3) filling the beam path in the chamber with a liquid; and (4) using the liquid to reduce the kinetic energy of the positively charged particles. The kinetic energy dissipater is optionally used in combination with a proton therapy cancer treatment system and/or a proton tomography imaging system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for changing a pathlength of positively charged particles through a liquid, comprising the steps of:
transporting the positively charged particles from an accelerator, along a beam line, and into an exit nozzle system;
providing a first chamber of said exit nozzle system, said first chamber comprising:
an incident side comprising an incident aperture;
an exit side comprising an exit aperture; and
a beam path of the positively charged particles from the incident aperture to the exit aperture;

filling the beam path in said chamber with the liquid;
changing a length of the beam path between the incident aperture and the exit aperture by moving said first chamber radially across a longitudinal axis of the positively charged particles.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
pumping a second volume of the liquid into said first chamber to dissipate radioactivity in said first chamber.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
replacing the liquid in the beam path between the incident aperture and the exit aperture with a gas; and
after said step of replacing, said exit nozzle system targeting a tumor with a second batch of the positively charged particles.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of:
alternating said steps of: (1) filling the beam path with the liquid and (2) replacing the liquid in the beam path between the incident aperture and the exit aperture with a gas.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
placing a water tight seal over the incident aperture, said water tight seal within one inch of a first ionization strip detector positionally responsive to passage of the positively charged particles; and
detecting first electrons emitted from said first ionization strip detector to determine a first axis position of the positively charged particles.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of:
positioning a second ionization strip detector within one inch of said first ionization strip detector;
detecting second electrons emitted from said second ionization strip detector to determine a second axis position of the positively charged particles.

Assignees

• Lee W Davis
• Amato Mark R

Inventors

• Lee W Davis
• Amato Mark R

Classifications

• A61N5/1049 Primary

  for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam · CPC title

• A61B6/4085

  Cone-beams · CPC title

• A61N2005/1095

  Elements inserted into the radiation path within the system, e.g. filters or wedges · CPC title

• A61N5/1067

  in real time, i.e. during treatment · CPC title

• A61B6/5205

  involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data · CPC title