Patents Assigned to Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.
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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
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Patent number: 11717703Abstract: An example method of treating a target using particle beam includes directing the particle beam along a path at least part-way through the target, and controlling an energy of the particle beam while the particle beam is directed along the path so that the particle beam treats at least interior portions of the target that are located along the path. While the particle beam is directed along the path, the particle beam delivers a dose of radiation to the target that exceeds one (1) Gray-per-second for a duration of less than five (5) seconds. A treatment plan may be generated to perform the method.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2022Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: MEVION MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: James Cooley, Townsend Zwart
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Patent number: 11717700Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes: a particle accelerator to output a beam of charged particles; and a scanning system to scan the beam across at least part of an irradiation target. An example scanning system includes: a scanning magnet to move the beam during scanning; and a control system (i) to control the scanning magnet to produce uninterrupted movement of the beam over at least part of a depth-wise layer of the irradiation target so as to deliver doses of charged particles to the irradiation target; and (ii) to determine, in synchronism with delivery of a dose, information identifying the dose actually delivered at different positions along the depth-wise layer.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2019Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: MEVION MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Charles D. O'Neal, III, Adam C. Molzahn
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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
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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
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Patent number: 11311746Abstract: An example system includes a particle accelerator to produce a particle beam to treat a patient and a carrier having openings including a first opening and a second opening. The carrier is made of a material that inhibits transmission of the particle beam and the carrier is located between the particle accelerator and the patient. A control system is configured to control movement of the particle beam to the first opening to enable at least part of the particle beam to reach the patient, to change an energy of the particle beam while the particle beam remains stationary at the first opening, and to control movement of the particle beam from the first opening to the second opening. The example system also includes an energy degrader that includes at least some boron carbide.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2020Date of Patent: April 26, 2022Assignee: MEVION MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: James Cooley, Townsend Zwart, Mark Jones, Michael Ahearn
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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
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Patent number: 11291861Abstract: An example method of treating a target using particle beam includes directing the particle beam along a path at least part-way through the target, and controlling an energy of the particle beam while the particle beam is directed along the path so that the particle beam treats at least interior portions of the target that are located along the path. While the particle beam is directed along the path, the particle beam delivers a dose of radiation to the target that exceeds one (1) Gray-per-second for a duration of less than five (5) seconds. A treatment plan may be generated to perform the method.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: James Cooley, Townsend Zwart
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Patent number: 10722735Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 18, 2019Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth P. Gall, Stanley J. Rosenthal, Gordon D. Row, Michael J. Ahearn
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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
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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
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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
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Patent number: RE48047Abstract: A synchrocyclotron comprises includes a resonant circuit that includes electrodes having a gap therebetween across the magnetic field. An oscillating voltage input, having a variable amplitude and frequency determined by a programmable digital waveform generator generates an oscillating electric field across the gap. The synchrocyclotron can include a variable capacitor in circuit with the electrodes to vary the resonant frequency. The synchrocyclotron can further include an injection electrode and an extraction electrode having voltages controlled by the programmable digital waveform generator. The synchrocyclotron can further include a beam monitor. The synchrocyclotron can detect resonant conditions in the resonant circuit by measuring the voltage and or and/or current in the resonant circuit, driven by the input voltage, and adjust the capacitance of the variable capacitor or the frequency of the input voltage to maintain the resonant conditions.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2017Date of Patent: June 9, 2020Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Alan Sliski, Kenneth Gall
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Patent number: RE48317Abstract: A synchrocyclotron includes magnetic structures to provide a magnetic field to a cavity, a particle source to provide a plasma column to the cavity, where the particle source has a housing to hold the plasma column, and where the housing is interrupted at an acceleration region to expose the plasma column, and a voltage source to provide a radio frequency (RF) voltage to the cavity to accelerate particles from the plasma column at the acceleration region.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2017Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth P. Gall, Gerrit Townsend Zwart