Abstract: The invention relates to a method for quality assurance of a radiation field (30) emitted by a radiation therapy apparatus (10), comprising the steps of: (i) providing an ionization chamber (40) detector as reference detector for measuring the dose of the radiation field (30) at the exit of the radiation head (20), said ionization chamber (40) having a size and being positioned for being traversed by said radiation beam (30), said ionization chamber (40) having an attenuation equivalent to less than 1 mm Al; (ii) providing one or more field detectors (50); moving the field detector (50) across the radiation field (30) and measuring simultaneously the dose from the field detector (50) and from the ionization chamber (40); (iii) computing the ratio of the dose from the field detector (50) to the dose of the ionization chamber (40). The invention also relates to a device for performing the method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a particle therapy apparatus used for radiation therapy. More particularly, this invention relates to a gantry for delivering particle beams which comprises means to analyze the incoming beam. Means are integrated into the gantry to limit the momentum spread of the beam and/or the emittance of the beam.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a particle therapy system for irradiating a target with a scanning beam technique. In one implementation, the system includes an irradiation planning device with a planning algorithm configured to associate a particle beam energy E(i) to each spot of the irradiation plan and organize the spots in a sequence of spots according to energy. The system may further include a control system configured for controlling in parallel, from spot to spot, a variation of an output energy of a beam generator, a variation of a magnetic field of one or more electromagnets of a beam transport system and a variation of a magnetic field of the scanning magnet.

Abstract: Disclosed systems and methods may include an imaging system. The imaging system may include a 4D-CBCT apparatus able to generate a plurality of CBCT images corresponding to different temporal phases. The imaging system may also include a radiographic apparatus able to generate a radiograph. Further, the imaging system may include a synchronization device for correlating a radiograph of said radiographic apparatus with a CBCT image generated by said 4D-CBCT apparatus, such that a reference radiograph can be determined.

Abstract: An electron accelerator is provided. The electron accelerator comprises a resonant cavity comprising a hollow closed conductor, an electron source configured to inject a beam of electrons, and an RF system. The electron accelerator further comprises a magnet unit, comprising a deflecting magnet. The deflecting magnet is configured to generate a magnetic field in a deflecting chamber in fluid communication with the resonant cavity by a deflecting window. The magnetic field is configured to deflect an electron beam emerging out of the resonant cavity through the deflecting window along a first radial trajectory in the mid-plane (Pm) and to redirect the electron beam into the resonant cavity through the deflecting window towards the central axis along a second radial trajectory. The deflecting magnet is composed of first and second permanent magnets positioned on either side of the mid-plane (Pm).

Abstract: An electron accelerator comprising a resonant cavity, an electron source, an RF system, and at least one magnet unit is provided. The resonant cavity further comprises a hollow closed conductor and the electron source is configured to radially inject a beam of electrons into the cavity. The RF system is configured to generate an electric field to accelerate the electrons along radial trajectories. The at least one magnet unit further comprises a deflecting magnet configured to generate a magnetic field that deflects an electron beam emerging out of the resonant cavity along a first radial trajectory and redirects the electron beam into the resonant cavity along a second radial trajectory. The resonant cavity further comprises a first half shell, a second half shell, and a central ring element.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a radiation sensor. In one implementation, the sensor may include a radiation detector array having a plurality of pixels; at least two readout connectors having a plurality of contacts, each readout connector being configured for receiving a readout module; a routing circuit having conductors configured for routing electrical signals from each of the plurality of pixels to a corresponding contact of one of the readout connectors. The plurality of pixels is grouped in two or more groups of pixels, at least two pixels of a first group of pixels being separated by at least one pixel from another group of pixels. The routing circuit is configured for leading pixels of the first group of pixels to a first readout connector, and pixels from the other group of pixels to a second readout connector.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a magnet pole for an isochronous sector-focused cyclotron having hill and valley sectors alternatively distributed around a central axis, Z, each hill sector having an upper surface bounded by four edges: an upper peripheral edge, an upper central edge, a first and a second upper lateral edges. The upper peripheral edge of a hill sector may be an arc of circle whose center is offset with respect to the central axis, and whose radius, Rh, is not more than 85% of a distance, Lh, from the central axis to a midpoint of the upper peripheral edge. Furthermore, the midpoint may be equidistant to the first and second upper distal ends.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a radioisotope, which method comprises irradiating a volume of radioisotope-precursor fluid contained in a sealed cell of a target using a beam of particles of a given current, which beam is produced by a particle accelerator. The target is cooled and the internal pressure in the sealed cell is measured. During the irradiation, the internal pressure (P) in the sealed cell is allowed to vary freely. The irradiation is interrupted or its intensity is reduced when the internal pressure (P) in the sealed cell departs from a first tolerated range defined depending on various parameters that influence the variation in the internal pressure in the sealed cell during the irradiation. These parameters for example comprise, for a given target, particle beam and radioisotope-precursor fluid: the degree of filling of the hermetic cell, the cooling power used to cool the given target, and the beam current (I).

Abstract: The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and system for controlling the extraction of ion beam pulses produced by a synchrocyclotron. The synchrocyclotron comprises electrodes configured to be placed in a magnetic field. An alternating voltage is applied between the electrodes, and the frequency of the alternating voltage is modulated in a cyclic manner. In other embodiments, the method further comprises the steps of starting an acceleration cycle of the synchrocyclotron, generating a reference signal when the modulated frequency reaches a predefined value, communicating the time, at which the reference signal is generated, to the beam control elements, assessing one or more status parameters of the one or more beam control elements, and cancelling or proceeding with the extraction of the beam pulse depending on the results of the assessment.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for producing radioisotopes by irradiating a target fluid using a particle beam (13). This device comprises an irradiation cell (7) that includes a cavity (3) for receiving the target fluid. A non-cryogenic cooling device cools the walls of the cavity (3). The cavity (3) has an inclined surface (15) downwardly delimiting the cavity (3) so as to evacuate the target fluid, which condenses on contact with the cooled walls, under gravity towards a metal foil (4) which closes off this cavity (3). The inclined surface (15) intersects the plane formed by the metal foil (4), making an acute angle (a) with said plane, so as to form with the metal foil (4) a wedge-shaped zone (18) capable of collecting, by gravity, the condensed target fluid.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a hadron therapy installation comprising a moving floor in the form of a deformable band guided in a guide structure. The moving floor comprises a lower segment and an upper segment. The lower segment can be pulled by the irradiation unit from a lower docked position to a position in which the lower segment forms a substantially horizontal floor surface when the irradiation unit is in a first angular position. The upper segment can be pulled by the irradiation unit from an upper docked position to a position in which the upper segment at least partially forms the substantially horizontal floor surface when the irradiation unit is in a second angular position. The lower segment and the upper segment may have a finite length and a counterweight further connected to the free end of the upper segment.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compact isochronous sector-focused cyclotrons having reduced dimensions and weight compared with state of the art cyclotrons of same energies. In one implementation, a cyclotron may include two pole magnets facing each other in a chamber defined by a yoke having base plates and flux return yokes forming a lateral wall of the chamber. The magnet poles may include between three and eight hill sectors alternating with a same number of valley sectors distributed about a central axis. The lip of the abyssal opening may be positioned at a distance from the corresponding valley peripheral edge. The flux return yoke may have a thickness in the portions facing valley sectors, such that the ratio of the product of the distance times the thickness to the square of the distance of the peripheral edge to the central axis is less than 5%.

Abstract: The method of the invention comprises the steps of: providing a reference ion beamlet; determining in a phantom (60) a distribution of a linearly-superposable quantity representing a linearly-superposable effect induced by said reference ion beamlet; approximating an ion beam (10) as a weighted superposition of ion beamlets (15), said weighted superposition comprising weight coefficients, at least one ion beamlet (15) being obtained by applying a roto-translation operation to said reference ion beamlet; determining a roto-translated distribution of a linearly-superposable quantity by roto-translating said distribution of a linearly-superposable quantity with said roto-translation operation; determining said physical and/or radiobiological quantities by performing a weighted superposition comprising said weight coefficients, and said roto-translated distribution of a linearly-superposable quantity.

Abstract: Cyclotron for accelerating charged particles around an axis, comprising an electromagnet with an upper pole and a lower pole, producing a magnetic field in the direction of said axis; a Dee electrode assembly and a counter Dee electrode assembly separated from each other by a gap for accelerating said charged particles and a pair of ion sources located in a central region of the cyclotron. Said ion sources are located at a distance of said axis such that the particles emitted from the first ion source pass between said first and second ion sources after a path of half a turn, and radially outwards of the second ion source after a path of three half-turns, and reciprocally.

Abstract: The present invention is related to an apparatus for transporting a charged particle beam. The apparatus may include means for scanning the charged particle beam on a target, a dipole magnet arranged upstream of the means for scanning, at least three quadrupole lenses arranged between the dipole magnet and the means for scanning and means for adjusting the field strength of said at least three quadrupole lenses in function of the scanning angle of the charged particle beam. The apparatus can be made at least single achromatic.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to an apparatus and method for charged hadron therapy verification. The apparatus comprises a collimator comprising a plurality of collimator slabs of a given thickness, spaced apart so as to form an array of mutually slit-shaped openings, configured to be placed at a right angle to the beam line, so as to allow the passage of prompt gammas from the target, the collimator being defined at least by three geometrical parameters being the width and depth of the slit-shaped openings and a fill factor. The disclosure is also related to a method for charged hadron therapy verification with a multi-slit camera.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an accessory holder attachable to or integrated in the nozzle of an apparatus for particle beam irradiation treatment. The accessory may be an aperture piece, a range shifter or any other element that can be placed in the beam path between the outer end of the nozzle and the irradiated target. The accessory holder may be equipped with first displacement means for moving the accessory away from or towards the nozzle, thereby moving the accessory forwards and backwards in the direction of the beam and second displacement means for moving the accessory into or out of the beam path. Measurements or treatment steps may be performed with and without the accessory in the beam path, without interrupting the treatment.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include an electron accelerator, having a resonant cavity having an outer conductor and an inner conductor; an electron source configured to generate and to inject a beam of electrons transversally into the resonant cavity; a radio frequency (RF) source coupled to the resonant cavity and configured to: energize the resonant cavity with an RF power at a nominal RF frequency, and generate an electric field into said resonant cavity that accelerates the electrons of the electron beam a plurality of times into the cavity and according to successive and different transversal trajectories; and at least one deflecting magnet configured to bend back the electron beam that emerges out of the cavity and to redirect the electron beam towards the cavity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dosimetry device (10) for determining a spatial distribution of a quantity of radiation incident on the dosimetry device. The device comprises a segmented electrode assembly (12) comprising an electrically non-conducting substrate (13) having a plurality of electrode elements (14) provided thereon, surrounded by ground electrodes. The device further comprises an electrically conducting sheet (16) comprising a protrusion (17) arranged such as to define a plurality of ionization chamber cavities (18) between the segmented electrode assembly (12) and the electrically conducting sheet (16). The device also comprises a voltage applying means (28) for applying a voltage difference between the electrically conducting sheet (16) and the plurality of electrode elements (14) and a routing means (25) for routing a plurality of ionization currents corresponding to the plurality of electrode elements (14) to a processing means.