Ion beam exclusion paths on the target surface to optimize neutron beam performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12464631-B2
Application number	US-202318177528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2023
Priority date	Mar 2, 2022
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

Embodiments of systems, devices, and methods relate to exclusion of ion beam paths on the target surface to optimize neutron beam performance. A particle beam is directed along an axis so that the particle beam is incident on a target positioned on the particle beam axis. The target has a scannable surface extending over an area substantially orthogonal to the axis. The particle beam is scanned across the scannable surface of the target along a first path having a first flux. The particle beam, having a second flux, is scanned across the scannable surface of the target along a second path that is within an exclusion area of the target.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of operating a particle beam, the method comprising:
directing the particle beam along an axis so that the particle beam is incident on a target positioned on the axis, the target having a scannable surface extending over an area substantially orthogonal to the axis; scanning the particle beam across the scannable surface of the target along a first path, the particle beam having a first flux while being scanned along the first path; and selectively scanning the particle beam across the scannable surface of the target along a second path, the particle beam having a second flux while being scanned along the second path, wherein the first path forms a first pattern at a first radial orientation with respect to the axis, and the second path forms substantially the first pattern at a second radial orientation with respect to the axis different from the first radial orientation, the second path being within an exclusion area of the target, the second flux being lower than the first flux.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the particle beam is scanned with a first velocity along the first path and a second velocity along the second path, the first velocity being lower than the second velocity.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the particle beam has a first net deposited energy when scanned along the first path that is higher than a second net deposited energy of the particle beam along the second path.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the exclusion area of the target corresponds to a cooling line positioned at an axial location downstream from the target and that overlaps the area of the scannable surface.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively scanning the particle beam across the scannable surface of the target comprises excluding the second path.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively scanning the particle beam across the scannable surface of the target results in a neutron flux that is spatially uniform within a plane and falls within and is optimized to an energy range for boron neutron capture therapy treatment.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first path and the second path define the exclusion area of the target.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pattern has a first half and a second half, wherein the first half and the second half are symmetrical.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pattern has a start location and a stop location, wherein the start location is at or adjacent to the stop location.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first radial orientation differs from the second radial orientation by 180 degrees.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
scanning the particle beam across the scannable surface of the target along a third path, wherein the third path forms the first pattern at a third radial orientation different from the first radial orientation and the second radial orientation.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first radial orientation, the second radial orientation, and the third radial orientation differ by 120 degrees.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
scanning the particle beam across the scannable surface of the target along a fourth path, wherein the fourth path forms the first pattern at a fourth radial orientation different from the first radial orientation, the second radial orientation, and the third radial orientation.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first radial orientation, the second radial orientation, the third radial orientation, and the fourth radial orientation differ by 90 degrees.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
scanning the particle beam across the scannable surface of the target along a fifth path, wherein the fifth path forms the first pattern at a fifth radial orientation different from the first radial orientation, the second radial orientation, the third radial orientation, and the fourth radial orientation.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first radial orientation, the second radial orientation, the third radial orientation, the fourth radial orientation, and the fifth radial orientation differ by 72 degrees.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first path corresponds to a first instance of a cycle, and the second path corresponds to a second instance of the cycle.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein scanning of the first instance of the cycle and the second instance of the cycle forms a closed loop.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the particle beam is a proton beam.

20 . A beam system comprising:
a computing device comprising a processor communicatively coupled with memory, wherein the memory stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
control movement of a particle beam across a scannable surface of a target along a first path, the particle beam having a first flux while being scanned along the first path; and
control movement of the particle beam across the scannable surface of the target along a second path, the particle beam having a second flux while being scanned along the first path, wherein the first path comprises a first pattern at a first radial orientation, and the second path comprises substantially the first pattern at a second radial orientation different from the first radial orientation, the second path being within an exclusion area of the target, the second flux being lower than the first flux.

Assignees

• Tae Tech Inc

Inventors

• Dunaevsky Alexander
• Snitchler Gregory Luke
• Eggers Harrison Beam
• Styron Jedediah
• Lee Charles Leon

Classifications

• H05H2242/10

  Cooling arrangements · CPC title

• A61N2005/109

  Neutrons · CPC title

• A61N2005/1098

  Enhancing the effect of the particle by an injected agent or implanted device · CPC title

• A61N5/1043

  Scanning the radiation beam, e.g. spot scanning or raster scanning · CPC title

• H05H6/00 Primary

  Targets for producing nuclear reactions (supports for targets or objects to be irradiated G21K5/08 {; preparation of tritium C01B4/00; targets, e.g. pellets for fusion reactions by laser or charged particles beam injection H05H1/22}) · CPC title