Cyclotron Type Acceleration Of Nuclei Patents (Class 376/112)
  • Patent number: 11456085
    Abstract: A facility for producing radioisotopes. The facility includes at least one target holder. The target holder is configured to receive a target that includes a compound to be irradiated with an accelerated particle beam. The facility includes a cyclotron for producing the accelerated particle beam. The cyclotron includes at least one accelerating cavity within which the beam is subjected to a radiofrequency electric field in order to be accelerated and to a magnetic field enabling it to travel through the cavity several times, describing orbits about an axis of the cyclotron. The magnetic field is produced by at least one coil. The at least one target holder is inside the at least one coil as observed along the axis of the cyclotron. The at least one coil does not have symmetry of revolution about the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: AIMA DEVELOPPEMENT
    Inventors: Pierre Mandrillon, Jérôme Mandrillon
  • Patent number: 11291105
    Abstract: In a magnetic device 1, on faces opposite to a middle plane 2 between an upper magnetic pole 8 and a lower magnetic pole 9, recesses 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d and projections 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d are alternately placed along a beam circling direction. In the projections 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d, angle widths ? of the projections 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d when viewed from the center O1 of a beam closed orbit is narrowed as beam energy is increased. On the outer circumferential region of the recess 21a on the upper magnetic pole 8 and the lower magnetic pole 9, the inlet of an extraction channel 1019 that extracts a beam accelerated to a predetermined energy to outside an accelerator 1004 is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Chishin Hori, Takayoshi Seki
  • Patent number: 10744345
    Abstract: In order to provide a neutron therapy apparatus which give multi angles neutron beam irradiation, the neutron therapy apparatus includes: a beam shaping assembly including a moderator and a reflector surrounding the moderator, wherein the moderator moderates neutrons to a predetermined energy spectrum and the reflector guides deflected neutrons back to enhance the neutron intensity in the predetermined energy spectrum; a neutron generator embedded inside the beam shaping assembly, wherein the neutron generator generates neutrons after irradiated by an ion beam; and an irradiation room for receiving a irradiated object, a shielding assembly connected to the beam shaping assembly, wherein the shielding assembly moves together with the beam shaping assembly and shields the radioactive rays leaked from the beam shaping assembly all the time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: NEUBORON MEDTECH LTD.
    Inventor: Yuanhao Liu
  • Patent number: 10556127
    Abstract: In order to provide a neutron therapy apparatus which give multi angles neutron beam irradiation, the neutron therapy apparatus includes: a beam shaping assembly including a moderator and a reflector surrounding the moderator, wherein the moderator moderates neutrons to a predetermined energy spectrum and the reflector guides deflected neutrons back to enhance the neutron intensity in the predetermined energy spectrum; a neutron generator embedded inside the beam shaping assembly, wherein the neutron generator generates neutrons after irradiated by an ion beam; at least a tube for transmitting the ion beam to the neutron generator, wherein the tube defines at least an axis; deflection magnets for changing the transmission direction of the ion beam; a collimator for concentrating neutrons; and an irradiation room for receiving a irradiated object, wherein the beam shaping assembly rotates around the axis of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: NEUBORON MEDTECH LTD.
    Inventor: Yuanhao Liu
  • Patent number: 9452301
    Abstract: A system includes a patient support and an outer gantry on which an accelerator is mounted to enable the accelerator to move through a range of positions around a patient on the patient support. The accelerator is configured to produce a proton or ion beam having an energy level sufficient to reach a target in the patient. An inner gantry includes an aperture for directing the proton or ion beam towards the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth P. Gall, Stanley Rosenthal, Gordon D. Row, Michael J. Ahearn
  • Patent number: 8916843
    Abstract: A system includes a patient support and an outer gantry on which an accelerator is mounted to enable the accelerator to move through a range of positions around a patient on the patient support. The accelerator is configured to produce a proton or ion beam having an energy level sufficient to reach a target in the patient. An inner gantry includes an aperture for directing the proton or ion beam towards the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Gall, Stanley Rosenthal, Gordon Row, Michael Ahearn
  • Patent number: 8907311
    Abstract: A system includes a patient support and an outer gantry on which an accelerator is mounted to enable the accelerator to move through a range of positions around a patient on the patient support. The accelerator is configured to produce a proton or ion beam having an energy level sufficient to reach a target in the patient. An inner gantry includes a robotic arm capable of directing an aperture for directing the proton or ion beam towards the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Gall, Stanley Rosenthal, Gordon Row, Michael Ahearn
  • Patent number: 8771480
    Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
    Inventor: Marshall Medoff
  • Patent number: 8747624
    Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
    Inventor: Marshall Medoff
  • Patent number: 8625731
    Abstract: A neutron generator and isotope production apparatus and method of using the same to produce commercially and medically useful neutrons. The gamma,n reaction produces neutrons in beryllium and deuterium and the spectrum of the neutrons generated is shaped to optimize capture of the neutrons in a gamma emitting isotope. The gammas interact with target materials to produce large quantities of neutrons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Inventors: Charles S. Holden, Robert E. Schenter
  • Publication number: 20130114773
    Abstract: A superconducting neutron source and a method for producing a high intensity, high energy neutron beam having a narrow beam width. A pair of beam extraction electrodes are located in a vacuum vessel of a cyclotron. The electrodes deflect a pair of deuteron beams from a stream of ionized deuterium gas swirling within the vacuum vessel. The deuteron beams are extracted from the cyclotron and funneled through a superconducting beam focusing tube. The beams are focused by the superconducting tube so as to move towards and collide with one another within the tube. A narrow neutron beam is obtained by colliding staggered deuteron beams moving in the same direction so that the momentum of the colliding beams is retained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Inventors: Alexander R. Vaucher, Kevin S. McKinny
  • Patent number: 8344340
    Abstract: A system includes a patient support and an outer gantry on which an accelerator is mounted to enable the accelerator to move through a range of positions around a patient on the patient support. The accelerator is configured to produce a proton or ion beam having an energy level sufficient to reach a target in the patient. An inner gantry includes an aperture for directing the proton or ion beam towards the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Gall, Stanley Rosenthal, Gordon Row, Michael Ahearn
  • Patent number: 8106570
    Abstract: A cyclotron that includes a magnet yoke that has a yoke body that surrounds an acceleration chamber and a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly is configured to produce magnetic fields to direct charged particles along a desired path. The magnet assembly is located in the acceleration chamber. The magnetic fields propagate through the acceleration chamber and within the magnet yoke. A portion of the magnetic fields escape outside of the magnet yoke as stray fields. The magnet yoke is dimensioned such that the stray fields do not exceed 5 Gauss at a distance of 1 meter from an exterior boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonas Norling, Tomas Eriksson
  • Publication number: 20100329406
    Abstract: An isotope production system that includes a cyclotron having a magnet yoke that surrounds an acceleration chamber. The cyclotron is configured to direct a particle beam from the acceleration chamber through the magnet yoke. The isotope production system also includes a target system that is located proximate to the magnet yoke. The target system is configured to hold a target material and includes a radiation shield that extends between the magnet yoke and the target location. The radiation shield is sized and shaped to attenuate gamma rays emitted from the target material toward the magnet yoke. The isotope production system also includes a beam passage that extends from the acceleration chamber to the target location. The beam passage is at least partially formed by the magnet yoke and the radiation shield of the target system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: JONAS NORLING, TOMAS ERICKSSON
  • Publication number: 20100290575
    Abstract: An isotope generation apparatus is disclosed including: an ion beam source of any of the types described herein; an extractor for extracting the ion beam from the confinement region, where the beam includes a portion of multiply ionized ions in a selected final ionization state; a target including a target material; and an accelerator for accelerating the ion beam and directing the ion beam to the target. The ion beam directed to the target transmutes at least a portion of the target material to a radio-isotope in response to a nuclear reaction between ions in the selected final ion state and atoms of the target material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventor: Glenn B. Rosenthal
  • Patent number: 6417634
    Abstract: A method and a system for obtaining a proper resonance of the RF electrodes when using a preset or predetermined stable frequency oscillator in a cyclotron accelerator without using mechanical tuning devices. In order to maintain a high RF electrode voltage during operation the RF electrode system resonance is monitored and the frequency of the stable frequency generator is controlled by a feedback system continuously monitoring the matching of the oscillator output frequency and the resonance of the RF electrode system. Necessary small adjustments of the stable oscillator frequency to maintain a maximum matching to the resonance frequency of the RF electrode system are obtained by means of the feedback system to the stable oscillator. The feedback system relies on measured values obtained by a load phase sensor monitoring the output of the final RF power amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Gems Pet Systems AB
    Inventor: Jan Olof Bergström
  • Patent number: 5818058
    Abstract: An acceleration orbit face of particle beam circular acceleration unit is placed at right angles to a rotation shaft of rotation unit for rotating the particle beam circular acceleration unit, beam transport unit, and irradiation field formation unit in one piece. Shields for shielding radiations and magnetism are placed symmetrically with respect to the center axis of the particle beam circular acceleration unit. Shields are placed symmetrically with respect to the center line of the particle beam circular acceleration means, thereby lessening the amount of beams coming in collision with surrounding walls from the beam acceleration orbit, decreasing the radiation leakage amount, lightening the shields, and providing a light particle beam irradiation apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Nakanishi, Shinji Sato, Akihiko Maruyama, Tetsuya Matsuda, Chihiro Tsukishima, Hirofumi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5586153
    Abstract: A process for producing radionuclides using a porous carbon target. The process includes the steps of inserting a porous carbon target with tailored solid and void dimensions in the path of a bombarding beam; introducing fluid into the porous carbon target; bombarding the porous carbon target to produce at least one type of radionuclide; collecting the fluid and separating the resulting radionuclides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: CTI, Inc.
    Inventor: C. William Alvord
  • Patent number: 5139731
    Abstract: In a negative hydrogen (H.sup.-) ion cyclotron, a system and method for improving the efficiency of the cyclotron by minimizing loss, i.e., neutralization, of H.sup.- ions within the acceleration region of the cyclotron caused by gas stripping. The system includes a cyclotron volume, an ion source within the ion source volume is maintained at a negative potential and located proximate the cyclotron center on the plane of acceleration. The vacuum system includes a main vacuum pump for evacuating the cyclotron volume and an ion source pump for separately evacuating the ion source volume to remove hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas molecules which could cause gas stripping if injected into the cyclotron volume. In the preferred embodiment, the system further has a pumping volume, communicating between the ion source volume and the cyclotron volume, and a separate pumping volume vacuum passageway whereby the ion source volume is evacuted in two stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1992
    Assignee: CTI, Incorporated
    Inventor: George O. Hendry
  • Patent number: 4641104
    Abstract: An improved superconducting cyclotron (10) particularly useful for medical or therapeutic purposes is described. The vessel (105) for liquified gas surrounding superconducting coils (101, 101a) is provided with a capillary tube (200) joined to a semi-circular tube (123) leading into an exit tube (201) from the vessel which provides Joule-Thompson effect cooling upon flow of a portion of the liquified gas in the vessel into the semi-circular tube. The cooling maintains the liquified gas in the vessel in a subcooled condition to prevent boiling. The liquified gas from the exit tube can be used to cool the magnetic poles (103, 104) and then can be vented to the atmosphere or recycled. A special external magnetic yoke (102) configuration for weight reduction is described. Also described is a flexible hose (37) for supplying the liquified gas to and from the cyclotron which is mounted in a helical coil so as to allow up to a 360.degree. of rotation of the cyclotron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1987
    Assignee: Board of Trustees operating Michigan State University
    Inventors: Henry G. Blosser, Richard J. Burleigh, Gabe F. Blosser, Emanuel B. Jemison