Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose methods and systems for producing an adaptive pencil beam having an adjustable lateral beam size and Bragg-peak width. According to one disclosed embodiment, an apparatus for producing an adaptive pencil beam is disclosed. The apparatus includes a set of momentum band expanders configured to widen a momentum spread of a pencil beam, where a momentum band expander is selected from the set of momentum band expanders to receive the pencil beam, and a slit at dispersive focus of two dipole magnets to adjust a width of a Bragg-peak of the pencil beam. According to another disclosed embodiment, a method for producing an adaptive pencil beam with an adjustable lateral beam is disclosed. The method includes selecting a scatter foil, or setting of a defocusing/focusing magnet, and adjusting a lateral size of the pencil beam.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a compact gantry designed to provide particle therapy using a particle beam. A gantry for providing the particle therapy comprises a first dipole magnet operable to bend a particle beam received from a cyclotron by a first degree amount. The gantry further comprises a plurality of quadrupole magnets configured to condition the beam asymmetrically to produce an asymmetric beam, wherein a configuration of the quadrupole magnets is determined using a dispersion function of a second dipole magnet. Further, the second dipole magnet is operable to receive the asymmetric beam and bend the asymmetric beam by a second degree amount, and wherein the second dipole magnet disperses the asymmetric beam to produce a symmetric beam shape at a treatment iscoenter or at any other reference point.

Abstract: To overcome the difficulties inherent in conventional proton therapy systems, new techniques are described herein for synchronizing the application of proton radiation with the periodic movement of a target area. In an embodiment, a method is provided that combines multiple rescans of a spot scanning proton beam while monitoring the periodic motion of the target area, and aligning the applications of the proton beam with parameters of the periodic motion. For example, the direction(s) and frequency of the periodic motion may be monitored, and the timing, dose rate, and/or scanning direction and spot sequence of the beam can be adjusted to align with phases in the periodic motion.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of determining a resultant treatment plan for a proton radiation therapy system based on given dose volume constraints, wherein the resultant treatment plan is optimized for treatment time comprises accessing the dose volume constraints and range information, wherein the range information indicates acceptable deviations from the dose volume constraints. Based on the proton radiation therapy system, the method further comprises accessing machine configuration information comprising a plurality of machine parameters that define a maximum resolution achievable in irradiating a patient. Further, the method comprises iteratively adjusting the plurality of machine parameters to values which decrease the maximum resolution and simulating a plurality of candidate treatment plans to generate a plurality of treatment plan results, wherein each treatment plan result comprises: a respective treatment time and a respective plan quality.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving treatment information relating to a treatment plan for proton- or ion-beam therapy intended to irradiate a target tissue; receiving machine-limitation information relating to one or more limitations of one or more machines involved in the proton- or ion-beam therapy; determining a time-optimized beam current for a proton or ion beam based on the treatment information and the machine-limitation information, wherein the time-optimized beam current minimizes the time required to deliver a required quantity of monitor units to one of a plurality of spots, wherein each of the plurality of spots is a particular area of the target tissue; and delivering the time-optimized beam current to the particular area.

Abstract: A proton beam therapy system with a cantilever gantry. The cantilever gantry has one end portion (the fixed end portion) affixed to an external structure that supports the weight of the gantry. The remainder of the gantry is suspended and the free end portion is coupled to a beam nozzle. A main bearing is coupled to the fixed end portion and enables the gantry to rotate in a full range of 360° around the iso-center. A large counterweight can be disposed in the fixed end portion to keep the system center of mass close to the bearing. The gantry may have a monocoque housing, including a cantilever section enclosing the magnets and other components of the gantry beamline and a drum section on which the bearing is placed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving treatment information relating to a treatment plan for proton- or ion-beam therapy intended to irradiate a target tissue; receiving machine-limitation information relating to one or more limitations of one or more machines involved in the proton- or ion-beam therapy; determining a time-optimized beam current for a proton or ion beam based on the treatment information and the machine-limitation information, wherein the time-optimized beam current minimizes the time required to deliver a required quantity of monitor units to one of a plurality of spots, wherein each of the plurality of spots is a particular area of the target tissue; and delivering the time-optimized beam current to the particular area.

Abstract: Presented systems and methods facilitate efficient and effective monitoring of particle beams. In some embodiments, a system comprises a primary particle beam generator that generates a primary particle beam, and a monitoring component that monitors the primary particle beam. The monitoring component comprises: a reaction component that is impacted by the primary particle beam, wherein results of an impact include creation of secondary photons; a detection component that detects a characteristic of the secondary photons; and a primary particle beam characteristic determination component that determines a characteristic of the primary particle beam based upon the characteristic of the secondary photons. The characteristic of the primary particle beam can include a radiation dose measurement and dose rate. The reaction component can include a foil component. A resolution time of less than a nano second can be associated with detecting the secondary photon characteristic.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a radiation therapy system can include a cyclotron that outputs a charged particle beam. In addition, the radiation therapy system can include an apparatus to receive the charged particle beam from the cyclotron. The apparatus decelerates or further accelerates the charged particle beam to produce a reduced or increased energy charged particle beam. The apparatus can include a radio frequency structure.

Abstract: A proton beam therapy system with a cantilever gantry. The cantilever gantry has one end portion (the fixed end portion) affixed to an external structure that supports the weight of the gantry. The remainder of the gantry is suspended and the free end portion is coupled to a beam nozzle. A main bearing is coupled to the fixed end portion and enables the gantry to rotate in a full range of 360° around the iso-center. A large counterweight can be disposed in the fixed end portion to keep the system center of mass close to the bearing. The gantry may have a monocoque housing, including a cantilever section enclosing the magnets and other components of the gantry beamline and a drum section on which the bearing is placed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a new scan technique for particle radiation therapy that may be used for cancer treatment. One embodiment relates to a method of mitigating interplay effect in particle radiation therapy in a moving target including a period of movement, where the particle radiation therapy defines a planned dose in each spot of each layer of the moving target. The method comprising dividing the planned dose in each spot into a number of spot repaintings; and generating a scan pattern for each layer by defining a beam-on time at each spot for each spot repainting, and calculating a wait time between consecutive beam-on times to distribute the spot repaintings for each spot of a respective layer are distributed over a duration of an integer number of periods of movement.

Abstract: A beam transport assembly conveys a particle beam from a particle source to an irradiation nozzle, which rotates about a swivel axis at the horizontal input of the nozzle. A support can move horizontally in a plane perpendicular to the swivel axis. The beam transport assembly can change a path length of the particle beam so as to follow a vertical location of the swivel axis of the irradiation nozzle with respect to the support. A controller can coordinate the path length change of the particle beam, rotation of the irradiation nozzle about the swivel axis, and/or horizontal motion of the support to provide irradiation of a supported object from various angles in the plane perpendicular to the swivel axis while maintaining the irradiation nozzle at a constant distance from the supported object.

Abstract: A compact lightweight gantry for a proton therapy system that has a source-to-axis distance (SAD) of less than 2 m and can deliver a proton beam of superior quality. The reduced SAD leads to reduced requirements on the maximum magnetic fields that can be generated by the bend magnets in the gantry beamline. Correspondingly, lightweight bend magnets can be used. The various components in the gantry beamline are optimized to achieve a beam spot size of approximately 4 mm sigma or less through a pencil beam scanning nozzle disposed downstream of the final bending magnet. In addition, the proton therapy system is configured to operate at a maximum beam energy in the range of 220-230 MeV.

Abstract: A control system is described which provides a user interface that displays a clear graphical representation of relevant data for a particle radiation therapy system (such as a pencil-beam proton therapy system) for treating multiple beam fields as efficiently as possible. The user interface allows a user to visualize a treatment session, select one or multiple beam fields to include in one or more beam applications, and dissociate beam fields previously grouped if necessary. Further embodiments extend the ability to initiate the application of the generated proton therapy beam and the grouping of beam fields to be performed remotely from the treatment room itself, and even automatically, reducing the need for manual interventions to setup between fields.

Abstract: A proton beam therapy system with a cantilever gantry system and a moving floor system. The moving floor system includes a flexible moving floor and a track that is disposed vertically and affixed to an external wall. The track includes a lateral portion providing a linear lateral path for the part of the moving floor and non-lateral portions providing a vertical path for the excess of the floor. The non-lateral portions may be located above or below the lateral portion. During rotation of the cantilever gantry and when the beam nozzle is positioned under the patient table, an opening is maintained in the floor through which the beam nozzle protrudes. The opening follows the changing positions of the beam nozzle and moves in the floor plane in synchronization with the rotation of the gantry.

Abstract: Interference of dose application in scanned ion beam therapy and organ motion, also called interplay effect, may lead to dose deviations at target volumes. Current repainting methods are susceptible to artifacts due to a predominant scanning direction, ranging from fringed field edges to under and overdosed regions (hot and cold spots). To overcome the difficulties inherent in the repainting techniques of conventional proton therapy systems, new random repainting techniques are described herein for mitigating the under-dose and/or over-dose pattern inherent in existing repainting techniques using a random repainting approach that randomly selects spot locations within the target area.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose methods and systems for performing particle acceleration using a cyclotron RF resonator with an asymmetrical fixed tuner. A cyclotron RF resonator includes a single shorting plate tuner inside and a fixed short stem, and does not require top-bottom mirror symmetry. Small movements in relation to the wavelengths of the maximum acceleration voltage is bound by the capacitance of the accelerating surfaces. As such, the resonator may perform particle acceleration using asymmetrical tuning to reduce design complexity, cost of maintenance, fabrication and installation complexity, failure rate, and software complexity (e.g., control software), for example.

Abstract: Presented systems and methods facilitate efficient and effective monitoring of particle beams. In some embodiments, a system comprises a primary particle beam generator that generates a primary particle beam, and a monitoring component that monitors the primary particle beam. The monitoring component comprises: a reaction component that is impacted by the primary particle beam, wherein results of an impact include creation of secondary photons; a detection component that detects a characteristic of the secondary photons; and a primary particle beam characteristic determination component that determines a characteristic of the primary particle beam based upon the characteristic of the secondary photons. The characteristic of the primary particle beam can include a radiation dose measurement and dose rate. The reaction component can include a foil component. A resolution time of less than a nano second can be associated with detecting the secondary photon characteristic.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, a method for irradiating a target is disclosed. A proton beam is generated using a cyclotron. A first information is provided to an energy selection system. An energy level for the protons is selected using an energy selection system based on the first information. The first information comprises a depth of said target. The proton beam is routed from the cyclotron through a beam transfer line to a scanning system. A second information is provided to the scanning system. The second information comprises a pair of transversal coordinates. The proton beam is guided to a location on the target determined by the second information using a magnet structure. The target is irradiated with the protons.

Abstract: A method for measuring skin thickness. The method includes at a first 3D point on an outer surface of a patient, exposing the first point to near infrared (NIR) energy from an NIR source. The method includes measuring reflected energy emanating near the first 3D point, or beam incident point. The method includes determining a pattern of the reflected energy based on a distance from a center of the reflected energy, wherein the center is approximated by the first 3D point. The method includes determining a skin thickness measurement based on the pattern.