PROTON THERAPY MULTI-LEAF COLLIMATOR BEAM SHAPING

摘要

System and method for shaping the intensity profile of a radiation beam incident on a target volume. Embodiments according to the present disclosure include a multi-leaf collimator (MLC) capable of sharpening (e.g., “trimming”) a proton beam, the MLC having a reduced overall weight. Leaves of the MLC according to embodiments of the present disclosure have two regions of different density, where a high density region is proximal to a radiation beam so as to block a portion of the beam, and a lower density region provides structural integrity to the leaf while reducing overall MLC weight.

主权项

1. A proton therapy apparatus comprising:
a source operable for generating a radiation beam onto a target volume along a radiation beam axis; and a multi-leaf collimator disposed between said source and said target volume and operable to selectively block at least a portion of said radiation beam to said target volume, wherein said collimator comprises a plurality of leaves configured for independent translation along a shared axis; said plurality of leaves including a first leaf having a first region and a second region having adjoining surfaces, wherein said first region also has a surface that faces toward said source and a surface that faces toward said target volume and is opposite said surface that faces toward said source, wherein said first region has a higher density than said second region and wherein said first region is proximal to said radiation beam axis, wherein further said adjoining surfaces of said first region and said second region are at an angle relative to said radiation beam axis such that said surface that faces toward said source is smaller than said surface that faces toward said target volume.