Abstract: A proton treatment system including a proton accelerator structured to generate a proton beam, a beamline pathway configured to direct the proton beam from the proton accelerator to at least one treatment room, a magnet assembly, including superconducting magnets, located in the beamline pathway and configured to transport the proton beam away from the accelerator into the at least one treatment room, an achromat, configured as an achromatic superconducting magnet assembly, that bends the proton beam away from the proton accelerator toward the at least one treatment room, and a collimator provided inside the achromat and configured to select the proton beam with desired energy levels.

Abstract: A system proton treatment system including a proton accelerator structured to generate a proton beam, a plurality of beamline pathways configured to direct the proton beam from the proton accelerator to a corresponding plurality of treatment rooms, a rotatable bending magnet located between the proton accelerator and the plurality of treatment rooms, the rotatable bending magnet being structured to selectively rotate between multiple treatment rooms, and an upright patient positioning mechanism disposed in each of the treatment rooms, the upright patient positioning mechanism being structured to support a patient within a particular treatment room and to rotate the patient between a fixed imaging source and imaging panel.

Abstract: Systems and methods of controlling characteristics of a proton beam emitted from a nozzle of a proton treatment system including one or more beam modifying members to define a characteristic of an emitted proton beam, and a clamping member mounted to the nozzle, the clamping member having one or more receiving portions to receive the one or more beam modifying members therein. In some embodiments, the beam modifying members comprise plate structures and the receiving portions include a plurality of slots spaced apart from one another on opposing surfaces of the clamping member to receive opposing ends of the plate structures.

Abstract: Methods of projecting an image onto a patient to aid delivery of proton therapy, including capturing a first image of a patient's treatment volume, processing the image to generate a treatment volume image corresponding to at least a portion of the treatment volume, generating a scan pattern to deliver a particle beamline to at least a portion of the treatment volume, projecting the treatment volume image and the scan pattern onto the skin of the patient proximate the treatment volume, and delivering the particle beamline to at least a portion of the treatment volume to match dimensions of the treatment volume image and the scan pattern.

Abstract: A gantry wheel adjustment system and method to adjust a gantry wheel of a proton treatment system, including an estimation unit to estimate a bearing adjustment value for each of the adjustable bearings based on a stiffness parameter of each adjustable bearing, the stiffness parameter being a function of a force applied at each adjustable bearing and a deflection of the gantry wheel associated with the force applied at each adjustable bearing, the bearing adjustment value corresponding to a nominal position value for each adjustable bearing to compensate for gantry wheel flexing when the gantry wheel is rotated from a first angular position to a second angular position, the adjustable bearings being configured to support the gantry wheel on the bearing surface and maintain the proton beam at the isocenter of the gantry wheel during gantry wheel rotation.

Abstract: Systems and methods of controlling a proton beam in a proton therapy system, the system including a proton beam delivery system including at least one achromatic beamline having a first power setting to direct a proton beam having a first predetermined range of proton beam energies to a target treatment area, and a second power setting to direct a proton beam having a second predetermined range of proton beam energies to the target treatment area, and a power changing unit configured to control an energy level of the proton beam and a power setting of the at least one achromatic beamline such that the power changing unit changes the power setting of the at least one achromatic beamline between the first power setting and the second power setting based on changes in proton beam energy that occur within the first predetermined range of proton beam energies.

Abstract: Treatment volume projection systems and methods for use in treating patients, including an image scanner to capture an image of a patient's treatment volume, a processor to process the image to generate a treatment volume image corresponding to at least a portion of the treatment volume, and an image projector to project the treatment volume image onto a projection surface. The treatment volume image can include an x-y scanning area of the treatment volume to assist delivery of treatment to the patient.

Abstract: A proton beam delivery system including a proton beam nozzle to emit a proton beam to a targeted region of a patient, a gantry wheel to support the proton beam nozzle, the gantry wheel being configured to rotate the proton beam nozzle about a rotation axis of the gantry wheel such that the proton beam nozzle emits the proton beam to an isocenter of the gantry wheel corresponding to the targeted region, a beamline deflector configured to be rotated by the gantry wheel to transport the proton beam along a curvilinear path from the rotation axis to the proton beam nozzle using a predetermined power setting of the beamline deflector, and a rigid support structure to support the beamline deflector when the gantry wheel is rotated such that the beam nozzle directs the proton beam to the isocenter from a plurality of radial directions using the same predetermined power setting.

Abstract: An operator positioning apparatus for a proton treatment system includes: a proton beam nozzle to emit a proton beam to a targeted region of a patient; a gantry wheel having a front face to support the proton beam nozzle to direct the proton beam to an isocenter of the gantry wheel corresponding to a center of the targeted region, wherein the gantry wheel rotates the proton beam nozzle around the isocenter; an active floor that horizontally translates across the front face of the gantry wheel, the active floor having an opening having a width through which the proton beam nozzle protrudes when the proton beam nozzle is located below the targeted region.

Abstract: A gantry apparatus for a proton treatment system, including a proton beam nozzle to emit a proton beam to a targeted region of a patient, a gantry wheel to support the proton beam nozzle to direct the proton beam to an isocenter of the gantry wheel corresponding to a center of the targeted region, a plurality of adjustable bearings incrementally spaced apart along an outer diametrical surface of the gantry wheel, and a bearing surface to support a portion of the adjustable bearings such that when the wheel is rotated from a first angular position to a second angular position, at least a portion of the bearings contact the bearing surface to raise or lower the gantry wheel to realign the proton beam to the center of the targeted region.

Abstract: A gantry apparatus for a proton treatment system, including a proton beam nozzle to emit a proton beam to a targeted region of a patient, a gantry wheel to support the proton beam nozzle to direct the proton beam to an isocenter of the gantry wheel corresponding to a center of the targeted region, a plurality of adjustable bearings incrementally spaced apart along an outer diametrical surface of the gantry wheel, and a bearing surface to support a portion of the adjustable bearings such that when the wheel is rotated from a first angular position to a second angular position, at least a portion of the bearings contact the bearing surface to raise or lower the gantry wheel to realign the proton beam to the center of the targeted region.

Abstract: An operator positioning apparatus for a proton treatment system includes: a proton beam nozzle to emit a proton beam to a targeted region of a patient; a gantry wheel having a front face to support the proton beam nozzle to direct the proton beam to an isocenter of the gantry wheel corresponding to a center of the targeted region, wherein the gantry wheel rotates the proton beam nozzle around the isocenter; an active floor that horizontally translates across the front face of the gantry wheel, the active floor having an opening having a width through which the proton beam nozzle protrudes when the proton beam nozzle is located below the targeted region.

Abstract: Treatment volume projection systems and methods for use in treating patients, including an image scanner to capture an image of a patient's treatment volume, a processor to process the image to generate a treatment volume image corresponding to at least a portion of the treatment volume, and an image projector to project the treatment volume image onto a projection surface. The treatment volume image can include an x-y scanning area of the treatment volume to assist delivery of treatment to the patient.

Abstract: A simultaneous imaging and particle therapy treatment system including a means for generating a particle beamline, a treatment bed to receive and support a patient having a treatment volume, a gantry to receive the particle beamline from the generating means and to redirect the beamline to the patient's treatment volume, the gantry rotating about the treatment bed with an axis of rotation substantially coplanar with the treatment bed and redirecting the beamline to encounter the treatment volume substantially perpendicular to the gantry's axis of rotation, and an image scanner having a plurality of detector arrays radially positioned around the treatment bed to capture images of the treatment volume; whereby the scanner and gantry simultaneously capture images of and treat the treatment volume with particle therapy.