Abstract: The invention comprises a segmented rolling floor apparatus and method of use thereof, such as for use in a charged particle cancer therapy system. The segmented rolling floor comprises a first spool and a second spool, attached to opposite ends of the rolling floor, which cooperatively wind and unwind the rolling floor. The segmented rolling floor circumferentially surrounds a nozzle system penetrating through an aperture in the segmented rolling floor, where the nozzle system is used to deliver charged particles, from an accelerator, to a tumor of a patient. The rolling floor and nozzle systems move at respective rates maintaining the nozzle system in the aperture allowing for a safe/walkable floor while allowing treatment of the tumor as a gantry rotates the nozzle system and delivers protons to the tumor from positions above and below the floor.

Abstract: The invention comprises a segmented rolling floor apparatus and method of use thereof, such as for use in a charged particle cancer therapy system. The segmented rolling floor comprises a first spool and a second spool, attached to opposite ends of the rolling floor, which cooperatively wind and unwind the rolling floor. The segmented rolling floor circumferentially surrounds a nozzle system penetrating through an aperture in the segmented rolling floor, where the nozzle system is used to deliver charged particles, from an accelerator, to a tumor of a patient. The rolling floor and nozzle systems move at respective rates maintaining the nozzle system in the aperture allowing for a safe/walkable floor while allowing treatment of the tumor as a gantry rotates the nozzle system and delivers protons to the tumor from positions above and below the floor.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for determining state of a positively charged particle, such as a proton, for use in imaging a tumor of a patient prior to and/or concurrent with cancer therapy. The imaging system comprises: (1) a beam transport path of the positively charged particle sequentially passing through a patient, through a first time of flight detector, and, after traversing a pathlength, at least into a second time of flight detector and (2) a beam state determination system configured to: use elapsed time between detection at the first and second time of flight detectors and the pathlength to determine a residual beam energy, which, when compared to a known incident beam energy, is used in generation of an image of the tumor. An optional beam energy degrading element increases time differences between the time of flight detectors.

Abstract: The invention comprises a segmented rolling floor apparatus and method of use thereof, such as for use in a charged particle cancer therapy system. The segmented rolling floor comprises a first spool and a second spool, attached to opposite ends of the rolling floor, which cooperatively wind and unwind the rolling floor. The segmented rolling floor circumferentially surrounds a nozzle system penetrating through an aperture in the segmented rolling floor, where the nozzle system is used to deliver charged particles, from an accelerator, to a tumor of a patient. The rolling floor and nozzle systems move at respective rates maintaining the nozzle system in the aperture allowing for a safe/walkable floor while allowing treatment of the tumor as a gantry rotates the nozzle system and delivers protons to the tumor from positions above and below the floor.