Abstract: An ion therapy system comprises a particle accelerator (1) mounted on a rotatable gantry (2). The particle accelerator includes a superconducting coil (17) which rotates about its axis as the particle accelerator rotates about the gantry axis in use to direct an output beam towards a target from different directions. The particle accelerator is rotatable through (180) degrees to move the beam through a corresponding arc. The particle accelerator includes cooling system arranged to cool the coil as the coil rotates. The superconducting coil (17) is mounted in a coil support (25). The coil is surrounded by a cryogen chamber (32) which is located radially outwardly from the coil (17) on the other side of the support (25). The cryogen chamber is in fluid communication with a cryogen recondensing unit (29) whereby vaporized cryogen may flow from the cryogen chamber (32) to the cryogen recondensing unit (29) to be recondensed in use before returning to the cryogen chamber.

Abstract: An ion therapy system comprises a particle accelerator (1) mounted on a rotatable gantry (2). The particle accelerator includes a superconducting coil (17) which rotates about its axis as the particle accelerator rotates about the gantry axis in use to direct an output beam towards a target from different directions. The particle accelerator is rotatable through (180) degrees to move the beam through a corresponding arc. The particle accelerator includes cooling system arranged to cool the coil as the coil rotates. The superconducting coil (17) is mounted in a coil support (25). The coil is surrounded by a cryogen chamber (32) which is located radially outwardly from the coil (17) on the other side of the support (25). The cryogen chamber is in fluid communication with a cryogen recondensing unit (29) whereby vaporized cryogen may flow from the cryogen chamber (32) to the cryogen recondensing unit (29) to be recondensed in use before returning to the cryogen chamber.

Abstract: Apparatus (10) for use in MRIS includes a coil arrangement having drive coils (20), shield coils (30) and a power supply unit (PSU) (40). The drive coils (20) and the shield coils (30) are connected in series to the PSU (40) to form a circuit. The shield coils (30) are connected between a first and second length of the drive coils (20) so as to straddle a virtual earth of the circuit. This is advantageous in minimising potential differences within the shield coil (30) assembly and thereby in minimising partial discharge therewithin. Partial discharge between adjacent parts of the drive coils (20) is minimised by spatially arranging those coils (20) such that parts thereof that are at a high electrical potential are spatially adjacent parts thereof that are simultaneously at a potential of the same polarity of at a low electrical potential of either polarity.