Abstract: The present invention relates to a gantry system for transport, delivery and treatment of a high energy ion beam in a heavy ion cancer therapy facility, which comprises two gantry quadrupole magnets (1, 2) positioned on an axis (17) of said gantry downstream of an takeover point of a high energy ion beam transport line and a first 45° bending dipole magnet (3) bending the ion beam away from the gantry axis positioned down stream of said quadrupole magnets (1, 2). Four additional quadrupole magnets (4, 5, 6, 7) are positioned downstream of the first bending magnet for defocusing and focusing the heavy ion beam. A second 45° bending dipole magnet (8) bends the ion beam parallel to the gantry axis (17) and two subsequent quadrupole magnets (9, 10) focus the ion beam toward a scanning system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a scanning System for a heavy ion gantry comprising a scanner magnet (1-2; 3-4) for a high energy ion beam used in a heavy ion cancer therapy facility having a maximal bending angle (&agr;) of about 1.5. degree; a curvature radius of about 22 m; a path length of about 0.6 m and a gap height (h) and a gap width (w) in the range of 120 mm to 150 mm. Further each scanner magnet (1-2, 3-4) comprises one glued yoke element made of steel plates having a thickness of up to 0.3 mm and being alloyed with up to 2% silicon. This yoke element has a width in the range of 300 mm to 400 mm, a height in the range of 200 mm to 250 mm and a length in the range of 500 to 600 mm. A coil for each scanner magnet (1-2; 3-4) has a number of windings in the range of 50 to 70.

Abstract: An ion beam therapy system and method for operating the system includes a source of ions (300), an accelerator system (400) and an ion beam transport system (60) for directing an ion beam to a plurality of treatment stations (100) to treat patients. The ion beam transport system (60) includes a gantry (8) carrying a vertical deflection system (45) and horizontal deflection system (55) positioned upstream from a last bending magnet (65) so as to provide a parallel scanning mode by an edge focusing effect.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gantry system for adjusting and aligning an ion beam onto a target from a freely determinable effective treatment angle. The ion beam therein is introduced in the horizontally arranged gantry rotation axis of the gantry system and is firstly deflected away from the gantry rotation axis by means of magnetic optics. The ion beam is then so aligned onto a target at adjustable angles of from 0 to 360° around the gantry rotation axis that the ion beam intersects the gantry rotation axis in the isocentre of the gantry system. Besides the gantry, the gantry system has a target carrier system having a rotatable target carrier, the carrier rotation axis of which is arranged in the isocentre in a vertical direction with the respect to the gantry rotation axis. The final deflection magnet so deflects the ion beam that the ion beam intersects the gantry rotation axis in the isocentre at an angle of between greater than or equal to 45° and less than 90°.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a scanning System for a heavy ion gantry comprising a scanner magnet (1-2; 3-4) for a high energy ion beam used in a heavy ion cancer therapy facility having a maximal bending angle (&agr;) of about 1.5. degree; a curvature radius of about 22 m; a path length of about 0.6 m and a gap height (h) and a gap width (w) in the range of 120 mm to 150 mm. Further each scanner magnet (1-2, 3-4 ) comprises one glued yoke element made of steel plates having a thickness of up to 0.3 mm and being alloyed with up to 2% silicon. This yoke element has a width in the range of 300 mm to 400 mm, a height in the range of 200 mm to 250 mm and a length in the range of 500 to 600 mm. A coil for each scanner magnet (1-2; 3-4) has a number of windings in the range of 50 to 70.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to a gantry for an ion-optical system comprising an ion source and three bending magnets for deflecting an ion beam about an axis of rotation. A plurality of quadrupoles are also provided along the beam path to create a fully achromatic beam transport and an ion beam with different emittances in the horizontal and vertical planes. Further, two scanning magnets are provided between the second and third bending magnets to direct the beam.