Abstract: A system for converting an electron beam into a photon beam includes an electron accelerator configured for generating an electron beam of accelerated electrons along an irradiation axis (Z); a scanning unit; a focusing unit for forming a focused beam converging towards a first focusing point (Fx) located on the irradiation axis (Z); a converting unit located between the focusing unit and the first focusing point (Fx), and comprising one or more bremsstrahlung converters, configured for converting the focused beam into a photon beam, wherein the one or more bremsstrahlung converters are curved such that the focused beam intersects each of the one or more bremsstrahlung converters with an intersecting angle comprised between 65° and 115° at all points, preferably between 75° and 105° at all points; and a target holder configured for holding a target.

Abstract: A particle therapy system that is adapted to irradiate a target volume (1) with charged particles in compliance with a desired 3-D dose distribution. Such a desired 3-D dose distribution is achieved while delivering a plurality of particle energy distributions at the output of an energy-shaping device (10) crossed by an incident mono-energetic charged particle beam (6). The energy-shaping device comprises a plurality of groups (12, 22) of energy-shaping elements (11, 21), each of them comprising an individual layer of fluid or solid material (13), which thickness is adapted individually by a control unit (14). The use of configurable layers of fluids or solid materials makes the energy-shaping device reusable for treating different patients.

Abstract: A cyclotron for accelerating a beam of charged particles and extracting the beam. The cyclotron includes a vacuum chamber; a target support element sealed and coupled to the vacuum chamber and including a tubular channel leading to a target; first energy specific extraction kit including a first stripper assembly with a stripper located at a first stripping position for stripping charged particles at a first energy and a second energy specific extraction kit for driving modified charged particles of second energy along a second extraction path towards a target holder, wherein the energy specific extraction kit includes: a second stripper assembly with a stripper located at a second stripping position for stripping charged particles at a second energy and an insert for modifying an orientation of the tubular channel to match the second extraction path such that the modified charged particles of second energy intercept the target holder.

Abstract: A cyclotron for accelerating a beam of charged particles and extracting the beam. The cyclotron includes a vacuum chamber; a target support element sealed and coupled to the vacuum chamber and including a tubular channel leading to a target; first energy specific extraction kit including a first stripper assembly with a stripper located at a first stripping position for stripping charged particles at a first energy and a second energy specific extraction kit for driving modified charged particles of second energy along a second extraction path towards a target holder, wherein the energy specific extraction kit includes: a second stripper assembly with a stripper located at a second stripping position for stripping charged particles at a second energy and an insert for modifying an orientation of the tubular channel to match the second extraction path such that the modified charged particles of second energy intercept the target holder.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hadron therapy installation that comprises an irradiation unit (1) supported by a rotary support structure, so as to be able to rotate around a target volume (15) centered on the axis of rotation (22), to deliver a treatment beam (17) from different angles on the target volume (15). An imaging device (3, 4) is secured in rotation with the irradiation unit (1) and translatable relative to the irradiation unit (1) between a retracted position at the irradiation unit (1) and a lateral deployed position relative to the target volume (15), such that in its deployed position, the imaging device (3, 4) can rotate around the target volume (15) together with the irradiation unit (1). Such an installation can be used for a cone beam computed tomography method and/or a fluoroscopic imaging method on a patient to be treated in the hadron therapy installation.

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 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: 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.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hadron therapy installation that comprises an irradiation unit (1) supported by a rotary support structure, so as to be able to rotate around a target volume (15) centered on the axis of rotation (22), to deliver a treatment beam (17) from different angles on the target volume (15). An imaging device (3, 4) is secured in rotation with the irradiation unit (1) and translatable relative to the irradiation unit (1) between a retracted position at the irradiation unit (1) and a lateral deployed position relative to the target volume (15), such that in its deployed position, the imaging device (3, 4) can rotate around the target volume (15) together with the irradiation unit (1). Such an installation can be used for a cone beam computed tomography method and/or a fluoroscopic imaging method on a patient to be treated in the hadron therapy installation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for dosimetry monitoring of a hadron beam, comprising successive ionization chambers obtained by a series of parallel detector plates separated from each other by a gas filled gap, each detector plate having a collecting part comprising a collecting side insulated from a bias voltage part comprising a bias voltage side and arranged in such a way that the collecting side is facing the bias voltage side of a subsequent detector plate, the resulting assembly of these detector plates forming a plurality of ionization chamber cells, the thicknesses and the choice of the materials of each layer constituting each detector plate as well as the gap of an ionization chamber cell have been selected in order to satisfy the condition that the water equivalent thickness of cell is equal to the length of said cell.

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.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an irradiation unit for emitting a particle beam, a gantry including the irradiation unit, a squirrel cage structure located within and supported by the gantry, a frame arranged so as to be motionless, a moving floor including a plurality of elongated members forming a primary caterpillar, two moving floor guide units having a truncated circle shape, facing each other, attached to said squirrel cage structure and the motionless frame, respectively. Each of the two moving floor guide units includes at least a first rail, said the primary caterpillar being slidably arranged on the first rail. Each moving floor guide unit includes at least a second rail having a truncated circle shape and the moving floor includes at least one secondary caterpillar including elongated members flexibly connected to each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for dosimetry monitoring of a hadron beam, comprising n successive ionization chambers i obtained by a serie or stack of n+1 parallel detector plates separated from each other by a gas filled gap, each detector plates having a collecting part comprising a collecting side insulated from a bias voltage part comprising a bias voltage side and ranged in a such way that the said collecting side is facing the said bias voltage side of a subsequent detector plate or inversely, each detector plate comprising m layers Lk of materials, the resulting assembly of these detector plates forming a plurality of ionization chamber cells, characterised in that: the thicknesses Ik and the choice of the materials of each layer Lk constituting each detector plate as well as the gap of an ionization chamber cell i have been selected in order to satisfy the equation (I) for each ionization chamber i, where lgi is the gas filled gap distance between two detector plates; Ik is the thickness o

Abstract: The present invention relates to an irradiation unit for emitting a particle beam, a gantry including the irradiation unit, a squirrel cage structure located within and supported by the gantry, a frame arranged so as to be motionless, a moving floor including a plurality of elongated members forming a primary caterpillar, two moving floor guide units having a truncated circle shape, facing each other, attached to said squirrel cage structure and the motionless frame, respectively. Each of the two moving floor guide units includes at least a first rail, the primary caterpillar being slidably arranged on the first rail. Each moving floor guide unit includes at least a second rail having a truncated circle shape and the moving floor includes at least one secondary caterpillar including elongated members flexibly connected to each other.