| 摘要 |
A radiotherapy system (10, Fig 1), and associated method for treating a patient using the system, comprises a patient support (12, Fig 1) and a linear accelerator 100, for generating a beam of therapeutic radiation directed towards a patient on the support, has a plurality of accelerating cavities 104a, 104b, 104c through which ionized particles are accelerated, the cavities having walls made of a superconducting material (such as niobium). The linear accelerator can be controlled to emit radiation pulses which are much longer than conventional radiation pulses, for example up to 1 second, such that a significant fraction of the overall dose for a course of treatment (even as much as 100% of the dose for a course of treatment) is delivered in a single pulse of radiation. The system may also include a rotatable gantry (14, Fig 1) with a radiation head (16, Fig 1) mounted on it and a controller (22, Fig 1) which controls the linear accelerator and/or the gantry, allowing pulses to be delivered over a range of angles. |
