COUPLED TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING SYSTEM AND CHARGED PARTICLE STATE DETERMINATION APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USE THEREOF

摘要

The invention comprises a system for using common injector, accelerator, beam transport, and/or imaging system elements for both imaging, such as tomographic imaging, and positively charged particle cancer therapy. For example, a common output nozzle of both a tomographic imaging system and the charged particle cancer therapy system is maintained on an opposite side of the patient from an imaging surface, such as a detection plate and/or a scintillation plate, where the imaging surface is used in tomographic imaging and/or during cancer treatment with the positively charged particles to confirm position and/or orientation of the tumor. Common beam state determination systems, such as charged particle position, direction, energy, and/or intensity determination systems are used to enhance both the imaging and cancer treatment system.

主权项

1. A method for imaging a tumor of a patient with a charged particle cancer therapy system, comprising the steps of:
accelerating positively charged particles using an accelerator; transporting the positively charged particles from said accelerator to an exit nozzle using a beam transport system; moving said exit nozzle from a first position at a first time to a second position at a second time using a gantry, said first position not intersecting said second position; positioning a scintillation plate of a tomography system on an opposite side of the patient from the exit nozzle at both the first time and the second time; while using said scintillation plate for detection, imaging the patient with: (1) a first set of the positively charged particles transmitted through said exit nozzle in said first position and (2) a second set of the positively charged particles transmitted through said exit nozzle in said second position.