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 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 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 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 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 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 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: 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 pulsed beam particle accelerator which can be used for particle radiation therapy. More particular, a device and method are provided to control the number of particles within a beam pulse. The particle accelerator comprises means for varying the number of particles within each beam pulse of said pulsed ion beam from a minimum value to a maximum value as function of the value of a beam control parameter. For each particle irradiation the required number of particles for each beam pulse is controlled by defining a value for said beam control parameter based on calibration data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dosimetry device for an energy particle beam from a source and including at least two ionization chambers, each of which includes a collector electrode and a polarization electrode, said electrodes in each ionization chamber being separated by a gap including a fluid, an energy beam from a single source passing through said ionization chambers, the device being characterized in that said ionization chambers have different charge collection efficiency factors. Said calculation algorithm for the dose rate deposited by said beam is based on the measurement of an output signal in each ionization chamber of the device and on a ?gain? factor related to a first ionization chamber, said ?gain? factor being theoretically predetermined on the basis of said intrinsic and/or extrinsic parameters of said ionization chambers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a radioisotope by irradiating a target fluid comprising a precursor of said radioisotope with a particle beam produced by a particle accelerator, the apparatus comprising: —a housing comprising a target cavity for receiving said target fluid, said housing having an opening for allowing the passage of the said particle beam into the said cavity; —a dual foil flange for closing said opening of the target cavity, said dual foil flange comprising: —a standoff comprising a central hole; —a first and a second foil able to allow the passage of the said particle beam and located respectively on a first side and a second side of the said standoff, covering the said central hole and forming a cooling cavity; —a first flange and a second flange for sealing respectively the said first and second foil on said standoff; —at least an inlet channel and at least an outlet channel, for flowing a cooling fluid through the cavity of the dual foil flange; —guiding means

Abstract: The invention is related to a method and apparatus for verifying the beam range in a target irradiated with a charged hadron beam, such as a proton beam. The beam range is the location of the Bragg peak in the target, being the location where the largest portion of the dose is delivered. The method utilizes a prompt gamma camera provided with a slit-shaped opening, so as to be able to produced a 1-dimensional profile of the dose distribution along the beam line. The camera is mounted with the slit oriented perpendicularly to the beam line. The method comprises the steps of calculating a position of the camera with respect to a target, for a plurality of beam energies and spots to be irradiated. The method further comprises the steps of verifying the beam range for said plurality of spots, and delivering a value representative of the difference between the estimated beam range and the actual beam range. The apparatus of the invention is provided with a positioning module for positioning the camera.

Abstract: A gantry structure (16) designed for pivoting about an axis of rotation (18) and for delivering a hadron beam on a target comprises a beam delivery line (24) receiving the hadron beam in a direction essentially parallel to the axis of rotation (18), deviating it away from said axis of rotation (18) and delivering it so that the axis of the beam intersects the axis of rotation (18). The beam delivery line (24) is a self-supporting structure supported by a pivotable support arm (32) in proximity of the center of gravity of the beam delivery line (24). A counterweight (42) is supported by a support arm extension (40) on the other side of the axis of rotation (18) for compensating the moment of force due to the weight of the beam delivery line (24) and the support arm (32).

Abstract: A magnet structure for use in a circular ion accelerator, such as e.g. a synchrocyclotron comprises a cold-mass structure including superconducting magnetic coils (20, 25), at least one dry cryocooler unit (10, 11, 12, 13) coupled with the cold-mass structure for cooling the latter and a magnetic yoke structure (30) with a return yoke (35) configured radially around said coils (20, 25). The return yoke (35) comprises an opening in which said dry cryocooler unit (10, 11, 12, 13) is received so as to be in thermal contact with said cold-mass structure.