Treatment beam selection apparatus and method of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11426609-B2
Application number	US-202117171220-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2021
Priority date	Apr 16, 2010
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for treating a tumor of a patient with charged particles, comprising the step of developing a multi-modality treatment plan, the multi-modality treatment plan directing: (1) use of a first beam type to treat a first volume of the tumor, the first beam type a first mass per particle and (2) use of a second beam type to treat a second volume of the tumor, the second beam type comprising a second mass per particle, where the second mass per particle is at least ten percent different than the first mass per particle and the second volume differs from the first volume. The multi-modality treatment plan is optionally formed by selectively merging treatment plans using the respective particle types or is developed using properties of the multiple particle types.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for treating a tumor of a patient with charged particles, comprising:
a cancer therapy system, comprising:
an accelerator configured to accelerate both a first particle and a second particle, said first particle comprising a first mass per particle and a second particle comprising a second mass per particle, the second mass per particle at least ten percent greater than the first mass per particle, said accelerator further comprising:
a synchrotron, said synchrotron configured to:
accelerate the first particle at a first time to treat a first mean depth of the tumor, the first particle comprising a negatively charged particle, said negatively charged particle comprising an electron; and
accelerate, after reversing polarity of a bending magnet of said synchrotron, the second particle at a second time to treat a second mean depth of the tumor, the second particle comprising a positively charged particle; and

a beam transport system configured to deliver, from said accelerator, the first particle and the second particle at least into a patient position.

2. An apparatus for treating a tumor of a patient with charged particles, comprising:
a cancer therapy system, comprising:
an accelerator configured to accelerate both a first particle and a second particle, said first particle comprising a first mass per particle and said second particle comprising a second mass per particle, the second mass per particle at least ten percent greater than the first mass per particle, said accelerator further comprising:
a synchrotron, the first particle comprising two or fewer protons per nucleus, the second particle comprising six or more protons per nucleus; and
an extraction foil, wherein the first particle passes through said extraction foil and exits said accelerator with less energy than prior to striking said extraction foil; and

a beam transport system configured to deliver, from said accelerator, the first particle and the second particle at least into a patient position.

Assignees

• Bennett James P
• Lee W Davis
• Amato Mark R

Inventors

• Bennett James P
• Lee W Davis
• Amato Mark R

Classifications

• A61N2005/1087

  Ions; Protons · CPC title

• A61N5/1077 Primary

  Beam delivery systems · CPC title

• A61N5/1039

  using functional images, e.g. PET or MRI · CPC title

• A61N2005/1051

  using an active marker · CPC title

• A61B6/032

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title