DYNAMIC ENERGY CONTROL OF A CHARGED PARTICLE IMAGING/TREATMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USE THEREOF

摘要

The invention comprises a beam adjustment method and apparatus used to perform energy adjustments on circulating charged particles in a synchrotron previously accelerated to a starting energy with a traditional accelerator of the synchrotron. The beam adjustment system uses a radio-frequency modulated potential difference applied along a longitudinal path of the circulating charged particles to accelerate or decelerate the circulating charged particles. Optionally, the beam adjustment system phase shifts the applied radio-frequency field to accelerate or decelerate the circulating charged particles while tightening spatial distribution of a grouped bunch of the circulating charged particles. Optionally, the beam adjustment system simultaneously radially focuses the circulating charged particles using two or more gaps with focusing and/or defocusing edges. The beam adjustment system facilitates treating multiple layers or depths of the tumor without hysteresis and/or between the repeating slow steps of reloading the synchrotron.

主权项

1. A method for treating a tumor of a patient with positively charged particles, comprising the steps of:
loading a synchrotron of a charged particle cancer therapy system with the positively charged particles using a loading system; using an accelerator of said synchrotron to accelerate the positively charged particles in a circulation beam path of said synchrotron; removing a first set of the positively charged particles, from said synchrotron, at a first energy using a beam extraction system; treating the tumor using the first set of positively charged particles; providing a beam energy adjustment system, comprising:
a first gap axially crossing said circulation beam path; anda first radio-frequency controller; applying a potential difference across the first gap, using said first radio-frequency controller, at an applied radio-frequency using said beam energy adjustment system; timing the applied radio-frequency and the potential difference to alter a remaining grouped bunch of the positively charged particles in said circulation beam path from the first energy to a second energy; subsequent to said step of removing, extracting a portion of the remaining grouped bunch of the positively charged particles, from said synchrotron, at the second energy prior to reloading said synchrotron using said loading system; and treating the tumor using the portion of the remaining grouped bunch of the positively charged particles.