Patents by Inventor Mark R. Jones
Mark R. Jones has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 11970988Abstract: Systems for efficiently starting an engine of a hybrid electric vehicle are provided. An example of a system comprises a first processor and a second processor. The second processor is configured to determine when to start an internal combustion engine, cause energy to be supplied from an energy storage device to a generator/motor to cause the generator/motor and crankshaft to rotate to at least a hold speed, transmit a first instruction to a first processor when determining that the internal combination engine should be started. The first processor does not supply fuel to at least one cylinder of the internal combustion engine in response to the first instruction. The second processor is configured to transmit a second instruction to the first processor after a variable period of time has elapse after the generator/motor or crankshaft has reached at least the hold speed.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2018Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: BAE Systems Controls Inc.Inventors: Christopher C. Jones, Mark R. Stepper
-
Patent number: 11786754Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes a particle accelerator to output a particle beam having a spot size; a scanning system for the particle accelerator to scan the particle beam in two dimensions across at least part of a treatment area of an irradiation target; and an adaptive aperture between the scanning system and the irradiation target. The adaptive aperture includes structures that are movable relative to the irradiation target to approximate a shape to trim part of the treatment area. The part of the treatment area has a size that is based on an area of the spot size.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2022Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: MEVION MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Mark R. Jones, Miles S. Wagner, James Cooley, Eros Pedroni, Robert Silva
-
Publication number: 20230022716Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes a toroid-shaped gantry having a central axis. The toroid-shaped gantry has a cover. The cover includes one or more segments that are rotatable at least partly around the central axis of the toroid-shaped gantry to create an unobstructed opening in the toroid-shaped gantry. The particle therapy system includes a patient couch configured to move relative to a hole in the toroid-shaped gantry, an imaging system coupled to an interior of the toroid-shaped gantry and configured for rotation about the hole in the toroid-shaped gantry, where the imaging system is configured to capture images of a patient on the patient couch, and a nozzle coupled to the interior of the toroid-shaped gantry and configured for rotation about the hole in the toroid-shaped gantry. The nozzle is configured to deliver radiation to a target in the patient based on one or more of the images.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2022Publication date: January 26, 2023Applicant: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Mark R. Jones, James Cooley
-
Publication number: 20220272827Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes a gantry having a beamline structure configured to direct a particle beam that is monoenergetic from an output of a particle accelerator towards an irradiation target, where the beamline structure includes magnetic bending elements to bend the particle beam along a length of the beamline structure; and an energy degrader downstream of the beamline structure relative to the particle accelerator, where the energy degrader is configured and controllable to change an energy of the particle beam prior to at least part of the particle beam reaching the irradiation target.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2022Publication date: August 25, 2022Applicant: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Yan Zhang, Gerrit Townsend Zwart, James Cooley, Mark R. Jones, Honghai Song, Yan Liu, Xunjie Yu
-
Publication number: 20220118284Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes a particle accelerator to output a particle beam having a spot size; a scanning system for the particle accelerator to scan the particle beam in two dimensions across at least part of a treatment area of an irradiation target; and an adaptive aperture between the scanning system and the irradiation target. The adaptive aperture includes structures that are movable relative to the irradiation target to approximate a shape to trim part of the treatment area. The part of the treatment area has a size that is based on an area of the spot size.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2022Publication date: April 21, 2022Applicant: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Mark R. Jones, Miles S. Wagner, James Cooley, Eros Pedroni, Robert Silva
-
Patent number: 11213697Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes a particle accelerator to output a particle beam having a spot size; a scanning system for the particle accelerator to scan the particle beam in two dimensions across at least part of a treatment area of an irradiation target; and an adaptive aperture between the scanning system and the irradiation target. The adaptive aperture includes structures that are movable relative to the irradiation target to approximate a shape to trim part of the treatment area. The part of the treatment area has a size that is based on an area of the spot size.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2020Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Mark R. Jones, Miles S. Wagner, James Cooley, Eros Pedroni, Robert Silva
-
Publication number: 20210370096Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes a particle beam output device to direct output of a particle beam; a treatment couch to support a patient containing an irradiation target, with the treatment couch being configured for movement; a movable device on which the particle beam output device is mounted for movement relative to the treatment couch; and a control system to provide automated control of at least one of the movable device or the treatment couch to position at least one of the particle beam or the irradiation target for treatment of the irradiation target with the particle beam and, following the treatment of the irradiation target with the particle beam, to provide automated control of at least one of the movable device or the treatment couch to reposition at least one of the particle beam or the irradiation target for additional treatment of the irradiation target with the particle beam.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Mark R. Jones, James Cooley, Stanley J. Rosenthal
-
Publication number: 20210274635Abstract: An example method includes: receiving, from a treatment planning process, information that is based on a dose distribution for an irradiation target; and performing at least one of the following operations: moving structures to trim spots of a particle beam so that the spots of the particle beam approximate pre-trimmed spots for which characteristics are obtained based on the information received; moving structures to produce a trimming curve for a layer of an irradiation target based on a specification of a trimming curve for the layer included in the information received; moving structures to produce a single trimming curve for all radiation fields of an irradiation target based on specifications of the single trimming curve included in the information received; or moving structures based on configuration information for the structures in the information received.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2021Publication date: September 2, 2021Inventors: James Cooley, Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Stanley J. Rosenthal, Mark R. Jones, Lionel G. Bouchet, Robert Cessac, Joseph Jachinowski
-
Patent number: 11103730Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes a particle beam output device to direct output of a particle beam; a treatment couch to support a patient containing an irradiation target, with the treatment couch being configured for movement; a movable device on which the particle beam output device is mounted for movement relative to the treatment couch; and a control system to provide automated control of at least one of the movable device or the treatment couch to position at least one of the particle beam or the irradiation target for treatment of the irradiation target with the particle beam and, following the treatment of the irradiation target with the particle beam, to provide automated control of at least one of the movable device or the treatment couch to reposition at least one of the particle beam or the irradiation target for additional treatment of the irradiation target with the particle beam.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2017Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: MEVION MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Mark R. Jones, James Cooley, Stanley J. Rosenthal
-
Patent number: 10925147Abstract: An example method includes: receiving, from a treatment planning process, information that is based on a dose distribution for an irradiation target; and performing at least one of the following operations: moving structures to trim spots of a particle beam so that the spots of the particle beam approximate pre-trimmed spots for which characteristics are obtained based on the information received; moving structures to produce a trimming curve for a layer of an irradiation target based on a specification of a trimming curve for the layer included in the information received; moving structures to produce a single trimming curve for all radiation fields of an irradiation target based on specifications of the single trimming curve included in the information received; or moving structures based on configuration information for the structures in the information received.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2017Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: James Cooley, Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Stanley J. Rosenthal, Mark R. Jones, Lionel G. Bouchet, Robert Cessac, Joseph Jachinowski
-
Publication number: 20210038915Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes a particle accelerator to output a particle beam having a spot size; a scanning system for the particle accelerator to scan the particle beam in two dimensions across at least part of a treatment area of an irradiation target; and an adaptive aperture between the scanning system and the irradiation target. The adaptive aperture includes structures that are movable relative to the irradiation target to approximate a shape to trim part of the treatment area. The part of the treatment area has a size that is based on an area of the spot size.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2020Publication date: February 11, 2021Applicant: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Mark R. Jones, Miles S. Wagner, James Cooley, Eros Pedroni, Robert Silva
-
Publication number: 20200368556Abstract: An example particle therapy system may include: a synchrocyclotron to produce a particle beam; a scanner to move the particle beam in one or more dimensions relative to an irradiation target; and an energy degrader that is between the scanner and the irradiation target. The energy degrader may include multiple plates that are movable relative to a path of the particle beam, with the multiple plates each being controllable to move while in the path of the particle beam and during movement of the particle beam. An aperture may be between the energy degrader and the irradiation target. The aperture being may be to trim the particle beam prior to the particle beam reaching the irradiation target.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2020Publication date: November 26, 2020Applicant: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Mark R. Jones, James Cooley, Adam Molzahn
-
Patent number: 10786689Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes a particle accelerator to output a particle beam having a spot size; a scanning system for the particle accelerator to scan the particle beam in two dimensions across at least part of a treatment area of an irradiation target; and an adaptive aperture between the scanning system and the irradiation target. The adaptive aperture includes structures that are movable relative to the irradiation target to approximate a shape to trim part of the treatment area. The part of the treatment area has a size that is based on an area of the spot size.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2015Date of Patent: September 29, 2020Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Mark R. Jones, Miles S. Wagner, James Cooley, Eros Pedroni, Robert Silva
-
Patent number: 10675487Abstract: An example particle therapy system may include: a synchrocyclotron to produce a particle beam; a scanner to move the particle beam in one or more dimensions relative to an irradiation target; and an energy degrader that is between the scanner and the irradiation target. The energy degrader may include multiple plates that are movable relative to a path of the particle beam, with the multiple plates each being controllable to move while in the path of the particle beam and during movement of the particle beam. An aperture may be between the energy degrader and the irradiation target. The aperture being may be to trim the particle beam prior to the particle beam reaching the irradiation target.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2017Date of Patent: June 9, 2020Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Mark R. Jones, James Cooley, Adam Molzahn
-
Patent number: 10653892Abstract: An example device for trimming a particle beam includes: structures made of material that blocks passage of the particle beam, with the structures being configurable to define an edge that is movable into a path of the particle beam; and linear motors that are controllable to configure the structures to define the edge.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2018Date of Patent: May 19, 2020Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Mark R. Jones, James Cooley
-
Patent number: 10646728Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes a particle accelerator to output a particle beam having a spot size; a scanning system for the particle accelerator to scan the particle beam in two dimensions across at least part of a treatment area of an irradiation target; and an adaptive aperture between the scanning system and the irradiation target. The adaptive aperture includes structures that are movable relative to the irradiation target to approximate a shape to trim part of the treatment area. The part of the treatment area has a size that is based on an area of the spot size.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2017Date of Patent: May 12, 2020Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Mark R. Jones, Miles S. Wagner, James Cooley, Eros Pedroni, Robert Silva
-
Patent number: 10456591Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes: a synchrocyclotron to output a particle beam; a magnet to affect a direction of the particle beam to scan the particle beam across at least part of an irradiation target; scattering material that is configurable to change a spot size of the particle beam, where the scattering material is down-beam of the magnet relative to the synchrocyclotron; and a degrader to change an energy of the beam prior to output of the particle beam to the irradiation target, where the degrader is down-beam of the scattering material relative to the synchrocyclotron.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2017Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, James Cooley, Ken Yoshiki Franzen, Mark R. Jones, Tao Li, Michael Busky
-
Publication number: 20190250582Abstract: An example system includes: a magnet including one or more coils to conduct current to generate a magnetic field, with the magnetic field to affect output of radiation to a target; and one or more actuators, with an actuator among the one or more actuators being at least part of a physical coupling to the one or more coils, and with the actuator being controllable to move the one or more coils via the physical coupling based on movement of the magnet.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2019Publication date: August 15, 2019Inventors: Mark R. Jones, Mark Robinson, Ken Yoshiki Franzen
-
Patent number: 10258810Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes: a synchrocyclotron to output a particle beam; a magnet to affect a direction of the particle beam to scan the particle beam across at least part of an irradiation target; scattering material that is configurable to change a spot size of the particle beam, where the scattering material is down-beam of the magnet relative to the synchrocyclotron; and a degrader to change an energy of the beam prior to output of the particle beam to the irradiation target, where the degrader is down-beam of the scattering material relative to the synchrocyclotron.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2014Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, James Cooley, Ken Yoshiki Franzen, Mark R. Jones, Tao Li, Michael Busky
-
Patent number: 10254739Abstract: An example system includes: a magnet including one or more coils to conduct current to generate a magnetic field, with the magnetic field to affect output of radiation to a target; and one or more actuators, with an actuator among the one or more actuators being at least part of a physical coupling to the one or more coils, and with the actuator being controllable to move the one or more coils via the physical coupling based on movement of the magnet.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2017Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Mark R. Jones, Mark Robinson, Ken Yoshiki Franzen