Abstract: An accelerator for charged particle may include: a capacitor stack which includes a first electrode that can be brought to a first potential, a second electrode that is concentric to the first electrode and can be brought to a second potential differing from the first potential, and at least one intermediate electrode that is concentrically arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode and can be brought to an intermediate potential lying between the first potential and the second potential; a switching device to which the electrodes of the capacitor stack are connected and which is designed such that the concentric electrodes of the capacitor stack can be brought to increasing potential stages during operation of the switching device; a first and a second acceleration channel formed by first and second openings in the electrodes of the capacitor stack such that charged particles can be accelerated along the first and second acceleration channel by means of the electrodes; and a device which c

Abstract: A microwave device for accelerating electrons includes an electron gun providing an electron beam along an axis in a microwave structure for accelerating the electrons of the beam, an input for the electron beam, an output for accelerated electrons, and a series of coupled cavities along said axis, of central resonant frequency, an input for a microwave signal for excitation of the microwave structure by one of the cavities, a radiofrequency generator providing the excitation microwave signal to the acceleration microwave structure, and a central unit controlling the variation of energy of the electrons at the output of the microwave structure. The radiofrequency generator comprises a frequency control input for changing the frequency of the excitation microwave signal around the central resonant frequency, the change producing a variation of the energy of the accelerated electrons of the beam at the output of the microwave structure.

Abstract: A variable rotating capacitor or RotCo 5 that can be connected via a transmission line 3 to the dee 2 of a synchrocyclotron 1 so as to adjust a resonant frequency of the synchrocyclotron as a function of time and which comprises a cylindrical rotor 10 and a cylindrical stator 20 that are coaxial with the Z axis. The rotor comprises a plurality of circumferentially-distributed rotor electrodes 11 extending parallel to its rotation axis Z. The stator comprises a plurality of circumferentially-distributed stator electrodes 21 extending parallel to the rotation axis Z. Each stator electrode 21 consists of a single metal plate and all said plates are distributed over one and the same stator circumference 25. This makes it possible for the RF currents in the electrodes to be better distributed and thus reduces the local overheating. The present invention also relates to a synchrocyclotron comprising such a RotCo.

Abstract: An oscillating field particle accelerator and a method of reducing beam divergence in the particle accelerator are provided. The particle accelerator includes an intermediate electrode disposed within the particle accelerator between a source of charged particles and a second electrode of the particle accelerator. The charged particles are exposed to a first electric field extending between the source and the intermediate electrode prior to being exposed to a second electric field extending between the intermediate electrode and the second electrode. The magnitude of the first electric field is less than the peak magnitude of the second electric field, and may be less than or equal to a minimum magnitude of the second electric field occurring during a phase acceptance time period associated with a phase acceptance of the particle accelerator. The accelerated charged particles emerge from the second electrode as a non-diverging or reduced divergence particle beam.

Abstract: An example particle accelerator includes a coil to provide a magnetic field to a cavity; a particle source to provide a plasma column to the cavity; a voltage source to provide a radio frequency (RF) voltage to the cavity to accelerate particles from the plasma column, where the magnetic field causes particles accelerated from the plasma column to move orbitally within the cavity; an enclosure containing an extraction channel to receive the particles accelerated from the plasma column and to output the received particles from the cavity; and a structure arranged proximate to the extraction channel to change an energy level of the received particles.

Abstract: An example particle accelerator may include the following: a voltage source to sweep a radio frequency (RF) voltage in a cavity to accelerate particles from a plasma column, where the cavity has a magnetic field causing particles accelerated from the plasma column to move orbitally within the cavity, and where the magnetic field has flux that bows at edges of the cavity; a regenerator to provide a magnetic field bump within the cavity to thereby change successive orbits of the particles accelerated from the plasma column so that, eventually, particles output to an extraction point, where the regenerator is located at a radius in the cavity relative to the plasma column; and ferromagnetic arrangements located in the cavity proximate to the radius, where each ferromagnetic arrangement provides a magnetic field bump, and where ferromagnetic arrangements adjacent to the regenerator are separated from the regenerator by a space.

Abstract: An example particle therapy system includes a particle accelerator to output a particle beam, where the particle accelerator includes: a particle source to provide pulses of ionized plasma to a cavity, where each pulse of the particle source has a pulse width corresponding to a duration of operation of the particle source to produce the corresponding pulse, and where the particle beam is based on the pulses of ionized plasma; and a modulator wheel having different thicknesses, where each thickness extends across a different circumferential length of the modulator wheel, and where the modulator wheel is arranged to receive a precursor to the particle beam and is configured to create a spread-out Bragg peak for the particle beam

Abstract: An example particle accelerator includes the following: a voltage source to provide a radio frequency (RF) voltage to a cavity to accelerate particles from a plasma column, where the cavity has a magnetic field causing particles accelerated from the plasma column to move orbitally within the cavity; an extraction channel to receive the particles accelerated from the plasma column and to output the received particles from the cavity; and a regenerator to provide a magnetic field bump within the cavity to thereby change successive orbits of the particles accelerated from the plasma column so that, eventually, particles output to the extraction channel. The magnetic field is at least 6 Tesla and the magnetic field bump is at most 2 Tesla.

Abstract: In an example, a synchrocyclotron includes a particle source to provide pulses of ionized plasma to a cavity; a voltage source to provide a radio frequency (RF) voltage to the cavity to accelerate particles from the plasma column outwardly; and an extraction channel to receive a beam of particles from the cavity for output from the particle accelerator. The particle source is configured to control pulse widths of the ionized plasma in order to control an intensity of the beam of particles. This example synchrocyclotron may include one or more of the following features, either alone or in combination.

Abstract: A cyclotron for ion acceleration is magnetically shielded during ion acceleration by passing electrical current in the same direction through both the first and second superconducting primary coils. A first magnetic-field-shielding coil is on the same side of the mid plane as the first superconducting primary coil, while a second magnetic-field-shielding coil is on the same side of the midplane as the second superconducting primary coil and beyond the outer radius of the second superconducting primary coil. Electrical current is also passed through the magnetic-field-shielding coils in a direction opposite to the direction in which electrical current is passed through the superconducting primary coils and generates a canceling magnetic field that reduces the magnetic field generated at radii from the central axis beyond the magnetic-field-shielding coils.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A cyclotron that accelerates an ion using a magnetic field includes a hollow yoke and an ion source that is provided in the yoke and generates an ion. The ion source includes a conductive cylindrical body and a filament disposed in the cylindrical body. A current is supplied from a power supply to the filament, and a direction of the current supplied to the filament is changed.

Abstract: A cascade accelerator (1), with two sets (2, 4) of capacitors (26, 28) which are each connected in series, interconnected by diodes (24, 30) in the form of a Greinacher cascade (20), is to have in a compact construction a particularly high attainable particle energy. Therefore, the cascade accelerator has an acceleration channel (8) which is formed through openings in the electrodes of the capacitors of a set (2), directed to a particle source (6) arranged in the region of the electrode with the highest voltage (12), wherein the electrodes are insulated to each other apart from the acceleration channel (8) with a solid or liquid insulation material (14).

Abstract: A cyclotron includes: a regenerator configured to move a beam of a charged particle on an orbit radially outward; and a magnetic channel configured to put the beam on an extraction orbit. The regenerator includes a pair of magnetic members for a regenerator. The magnetic member for a regenerator includes a first portion including a portion becoming closer to the median plane radially outward and an apex closest to the median plane. When viewed from the circumferential direction, assuming that a distance between the centerline of the apex in the radial direction and a first reference position set on a radially inner end side of the first portion is a first distance and a distance between the centerline and a second reference position set on a radially outer end side of the first portion is a second distance, the first distance is greater than the second distance.

Abstract: An actuator assembly for use within the vacuum field of a cyclotron, one embodiment of which comprises an interactor which is moveable between a first position and a second position, at least one support structure for supporting the interactor in the first and second positions, a shape memory alloy (SMA) element connected to the interactor and/or support structure and being adapted to exert a force on the interactor and/or support structure so as to urge the interactor from the first position to the second position, an electromagnetic activator operatively associated with the SMA element for causing the element to exert the force when the electromagnetic activator is selectably activated, and a return mechanism operatively connected to the interactor, the support structure and/or the SMA element so as to urge the interactor from the second position to the first position when the electromagnetic activator is deactivated.

Abstract: A particle accelerator that is a synchrocyclotron accelerating charged particles and which includes an acceleration electrode that accelerates the charged particles; a high frequency power source that supplies the electric power to the acceleration electrode; a control unit that adjusts the frequency of the electric power supplied from the high frequency power source based on energy of the charged particle which is accelerated; and a matching circuit that has a coil and a capacitor, and performing impedance matching between the acceleration electrode and the high frequency power source, wherein the matching circuit has an inductance adjustment unit electrically adjusting the inductance of the coil.

Abstract: The invention specifies the use of feedback in the radio frequency (RF) drive for a synchrocyclotron, controlling the phase and/or amplitude of the accelerating field as a means to assure optimal acceleration of the beam, to increase the average beam current and to alter the beam orbit in order to allow appropriate extraction as the beam energy is varied. The effect of space charge is reduced by rapid acceleration and extraction of the beam, and the repetition rate of the pulses can be increased. Several means are presented to monitor the phase of the beam in synchrocyclotrons and to adjust the phase and amplitude of the RF to optimize the acceleration of the beam and to adjust the extraction and injection of the beam. Also, the use of a pulsed ion source that matches the acceptance window of the synchrocyclotron is described.

Abstract: A DC high voltage source may include: (a) a capacitor stack having a first electrode which can be brought to a first potential, a second electrode concentric with the first electrode and which can be brought to a second potential different from the first potential, and a plurality of intermediate electrodes concentric with respect to each other and concentrically between the first and second electrodes and which can be brought to a sequence of increasing potential levels between the first and second potentials, and (b) a switching device to which the electrodes of the capacitor stack are connected and which is configured such that, during operation of the switching device, the electrodes of the capacitor stack can be brought to the increasing potential levels, wherein the distance of the electrodes of the capacitor stack decreases toward the central electrode. An accelerator comprising such a DC high voltage source is also provided.

Abstract: An ion source is disclosed including: a chamber disposed about a longitudinal axis and containing a gas, a magnetic confinement system configured to produce a magnetic field in a confinement region within the chamber, an electron cyclotron resonance driver which produces a time varying electric field which drives the cyclotron motion of electrons located within the confinement region, the driven electrons interacting with the gas to form a confined plasma. During operation, the magnetic confinement system confines the plasma in the confinement region such that a portion of atoms in the plasma experience multiple ionizing interactions with the driven electrons to form multiply ionized ions having a selected final ionization state.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to treatment of solid cancers. More particularly, the invention relates to enhancing synchrotron acceleration cycle usage efficiency by adjusting the synchrotron's acceleration cycle to correlate with a patient's respiration rate where efficiency refers to the duty cycle or the percentage of acceleration cycles used to deliver charged particles to the tumor. The system senses patient respiration and controls timing of negative ion beam formation, injection of charged particles into a synchrotron, acceleration of the charged particles, and extraction to yield delivery of the particles to the tumor at a predetermine period of the patient's respiration cycle. Independent control of charged particle energy and intensity is maintained during the timed irradiation therapy. Multi-field irradiation ensures efficient delivery of Bragg peak energy to the tumor while spreading ingress energy about the tumor.

Abstract: An electron cyclotron resonance ionisation device includes a sealed vacuum chamber configured to contain a plasma, an electromagnetic wave injector to inject an electromagnetic wave into the sealed chamber, a magnetic structure for generating a magnetic field in the chamber and for generating a plasma along the magnetic field lines, the modulus of the magnetic field forming a magnetic mirror structure, with at least one electron cyclotron resonance region. The sealed chamber is a waveguide having a length that is greater than or equal to the guide wavelength corresponding to the frequency of the injected electromagnetic wave, and the plasma is ignited without prior injection of gas.

Abstract: A superconducting coil includes (a) a plurality of windings of a coil comprising high-temperature superconductors and (b) an electrically conductive channel in which the high-temperature superconductors are mounted. The high-temperature superconductors can comprise at least one of the following: Ba2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8 (2212), Ba2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 (2223), and YBa2Cu3O7-x (123) superconductor.

Abstract: This discloses a device called a particle refrigerator that will reduce the emittance of a charged particle beam. The particle refrigerator device is particularly well-suited for beams of particles created by interactions or decays of other particles, such as anti-protons, pions, ions, and muons, which are inherently created with very large emittances. It is a compact and inexpensive device compared to other systems for the emittance reduction of such beams. This device works by injecting beam particles backwards into the device, using the particle turn-around to match an incoming beam into a frictional cooling channel; this increases the acceptance of that channel by perhaps a thousandfold, making it practical to produce beams of high intensity and brightness. The frictional cooling is very effective, and simulations of its operation and performance give emittance reduction factors exceeding 30,000, with transmissions as high as 70%.

Abstract: A method for pulsed operation of a linear accelerator includes generating pulses of charged particles. The generating includes emitting particles by a particle source and accelerating the particles in an accelerator device that includes a plurality of linked cavity resonators. The accelerator device is supplied with energy by an energy supply unit. Particle energy is changed solely by varying a number of particles emitted by the particle source per pulse.

Abstract: The Centroidal Cyclotron reveals an apparatus and method for accelerating and trapping charged particles in a solenoid magnetic field. An oscillating electric field is applied generally transverse to the magnetic field axis accelerating and trapping charged particles by their inherent cyclotron frequency at a given magnetic field of the solenoid magnetic field producing charged particle orbits with minimum canonical angular momentum orbits and gyro-phase synchrony.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to perform efficient, automatic cyclotron initialization, calibration, and beam adjustment. A process is provided that allows the automation of the initialization of a cyclotron after overnight or maintenance imposed shutdown. In one embodiment, five independent cyclotron system states are defined and the transition between one state to another may be automated, e.g., by the control system of the cyclotron. According to these embodiments, it is thereby possible to achieve beam operation after shutdown with minimal manual input. By applying an automatic procedure, all active devices of the cyclotron (e.g., RF system, extraction deflectors, ion source) are respectively ramped to predefined parameters.

Abstract: A plurality of magnetic extraction bumps are incorporated into a cyclotron that further includes (a) a pair of magnetic coils encircling a central axis and positioned on opposite sides of a median acceleration plane and (b) a magnetic yoke encircling the central axis and including a return yoke that crosses the median acceleration plane and a first and second pole on opposite sides of the median acceleration plane. The magnetic extraction bumps extend in series radially from the central axis on opposite sides of the median acceleration plane and can be used to extract an orbiting accelerated ion from the cyclotron.

Abstract: A charged particle accelerator having a curvilinear beam trajectory maintained solely by a laterally directed, constant electric field; requiring no magnetic field. A method for controlling the trajectory of a charged particle in an accelerator by applying only a constant electric field for beam trajectory control. Curvilinear steering electrodes held at a constant potential create the beam path. A method for making a chip-scale charged particle accelerator involves integrated circuit-based processes and materials. A particle accelerator that can generate 110 KeV may a footprint less than about 1 cm2.

Abstract: A gantry for administering proton beam therapy with improvements which reduce the size, weight, costs and radiation beam loss associated with proton beam therapy systems currently commercially available. The gantry utilizes achromatic superconducting multi-function electromagnet systems wherein the magnets can include dipoles and quadrupoles. The achromatic properties of the rampable magnet systems allow for ease of transmission of the beam whose energy is rapidly changed through a large range of different energies without changing of the strength of the magnetic fields or dipole settings. The magnets may be made with either low or high temperature superconductors. The gantry design further integrates beam scanning but keeps the gantry isocentric. A much greater fraction of the beam can be transmitted through the gantry than with current art, thereby reducing radiation shielding requirements and the demand put on the accelerator to produce large quantities of proton beam.

Abstract: An accelerator assembly includes an acceleration channel that passes in a straight line through a plurality of accelerator cells. Each cell includes an acceleration region and a drift region. The drift region includes a high voltage plate and a grid electrode, where the grid electrode is disposed between the high voltage plate and the channel. In each cell, a large DC voltage is present on the high voltage plate. A voltage on the grid electrode is controlled such that at a first time an ion in the channel is attracted toward the high voltage plate, and such that at a second time the ion is shielded and is not attracted toward the high voltage plate. In one specific example, the assembly is part of a Direct Write On Wafer (DWOW) printing system that can direct write an image onto a 300 mm diameter wafer in one minute.

Abstract: A compact, cold, superconducting isochronous cyclotron can include at least two superconducting coils on opposite sides of a median acceleration plane. A magnetic yoke surrounds the coils and a portion of a beam chamber in which ions are accelerated. A cryogenic refrigerator is thermally coupled both with the superconducting coils and with the magnetic yoke. The superconducting isochronous cyclotron also includes sector pole tips that provide strong focusing; the sector pole tips can have a spiral configuration and can be formed of a rare earth magnet. The sector pole tips can also be separated from the rest of the yoke by a non-magnetic material. In other embodiments, the sector pole tips can include a superconducting material. The spiral pole tips can also include cut-outs on a back side of the sector pole tips remote from the median acceleration plane.

Abstract: The present invention provides a linear accelerator in which a rotatable conductive vane is employed to vary the electromagnetic coupling between adjacent accelerating cells. The vane is sealed off from the rest of the linear accelerator by an insulating partition, so the pressure around the vane can be higher than in the rest of the accelerator. This greatly simplifies the mechanisms which may be used to control the rotation of the vane, allowing a higher bakeout temperature in manufacture and a higher rate of rotation in use.

Abstract: A plurality of magnetic extraction bumps are incorporated into a cyclotron that further includes (a) a pair of magnetic coils encircling a central axis and positioned on opposite sides of a median acceleration plane and (b) a magnetic yoke encircling the central axis and including a return yoke that crosses the median acceleration plane and a first and second pole on opposite sides of the median acceleration plane. The magnetic extraction bumps extend in series radially from the central axis on opposite sides of the median acceleration plane and can be used to extract an orbiting accelerated ion from the cyclotron.

Abstract: A compact, cold, weak-focusing superconducting cyclotron can include at least two superconducting coils on opposite sides of a median acceleration plane. A magnetic yoke surrounds the coils and contains an acceleration chamber. The magnetic yoke is in thermal contact with the superconducting coils, and the median acceleration plane extends through the acceleration chamber. A cryogenic refrigerator is thermally coupled both with the superconducting coils and with the magnetic yoke.

Abstract: The circular accelerator comprises: a bending electromagnet that generates a bending magnetic field; a radio-frequency power source that generates a radio-frequency electric field in accordance with an orbital frequency of charged particles; a radio-frequency electromagnetic field coupling part connected to the radio-frequency power source; an acceleration electrode connected to the radio-frequency electromagnetic field coupling part; and an acceleration-electrode-opposing ground plate provided to form an acceleration gap between the plate itself and the acceleration electrode, for generating the radio-frequency electromagnetic field in an orbiting direction of the charged particles; wherein the bending electromagnet generates the bending magnetic field varying in such a way that the orbital frequency of the charged particles varies in a variation range of 0.7% to 24.7% with respect to an orbital frequency at the charged-particles' extraction portion, during a time of injection to extraction of the particles.

Abstract: An actuator assembly for use within the vacuum field of a cyclotron, one embodiment of which comprises an interactor which is moveable between a first position and a second position, at least one support structure for supporting the interactor in the first and second positions, a shape memory alloy (SMA) element connected to the interactor and/or support structure and being adapted to exert a force on the interactor and/or support structure so as to urge the interactor from the first position to the second position, an electromagnetic activator operatively associated with the SMA element for causing the element to exert the force when the electromagnetic activator is selectably activated, and a return mechanism operatively connected to the interactor, the support structure and/or the SMA element so as to urge the interactor from the second position to the first position when the electromagnetic activator is deactivated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a circular particle accelerator capable of modulating the particle beam current exiting the circular particle accelerator. The circular particle accelerator includes: an ion source for generating the particle beam; Dee electrode and counter-Dee electrode separated from each other by gaps for accelerating the particle beam, the counter-Dee electrode being grounded; a generator capable of applying an alternating high voltage to the Dee electrode, so as it is possible to have an electric field between the gaps; means for measuring the current intensity of the particle beam exiting the circular particle accelerator. It also comprises a regulator capable of modulating the Dee electrodes voltage amplitude (VD) by comparing a given set point (I0) of the current intensity of the particle beam and the measured value of the current intensity (I?M) of the particle beam.

Abstract: A synchrocyclotron comprises 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 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.

Abstract: A method for evaluating radiation model data in particle beam radiation applications, in particular in proton beam therapy of a determined target volume of malignant tissue within a patient, includes the following steps: a) gaining diagnostic data for a determined target volume to be irradiated; b) calculating a particle range in the predetermined target volume based on the diagnostic data for the determined target volume; c) designing a radiation model with particle beam characteristics based on the calculated particle range and optionally on a calculated dose depth distribution; d) applying a single pencil beam shot to the determined target volume at an elevated beam energy as compared to the particle beam characteristics of the radiation model; e) measuring the beam range of the single pencil beam shot downstream of the determined target volume; and f) comparing the measured beam range to a reference beam range calculated on the basis of the radiation model.

Abstract: An apparatus of an electron cyclotron resonance ion source may include: a magnet unit containing a magnet for generating magnetic fields; an ionizing chamber housing unit for generating ions through electron cyclotron resonance from a plasma; a microwave generating unit for injecting microwaves to the ionizing chamber housing unit to generate ions; and a beam integrating and guiding unit for treating the generated ions. The magnet unit may include: a bobbin for winding the magnet; a variable spacer for dividing the bobbin into a plurality of sections; and the magnet which is wound into the form of a wire or a tape in the plurality of sections formed by the variable spacer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cyclotron capable or producing a first beam of accelerated charged particles defined by a first <<charge-over-mass>> ratio (q/m) or a second beam of accelerated charged particles defined by a second <<charge-over-mass>> ratio (q/m)? less than said first <<charge-over-mass>> ratio (q/m), said cyclotron comprising: an electromagnet comprising two poles, preferably an upper pole and a lower pole, positioned symmetrically relatively to a middle plane perpendicular to the central axis of the cyclotron and separated by a gap provided for circulation of the charged particles, each of said poles comprising several sectors positioned so as to have an alternation of areas with a narrow gap called <<hills>> and areas with a wide gap called <<valleys>>; a main induction coil for generating an essentially constant main induction field in the gap between said poles and a means for modifying the magnetic field profile according

Abstract: A system to regulate gyrotron power is configured to raise the filament voltage of a gyrotron to a standby voltage, then set the filament voltage to the normal standby voltage plus a current offset voltage before pulsing the gyrotron. The system is further configured to increase the filament voltage to a boost voltage that is higher than the standby voltage, thereby inducing a temperature increase in the cathode that offsets the cooling effect of radiating. The system is also configured to analyze a beam power of the gyrotron and adjust the filament voltage to bring a beam current within a range, and reduce the filament offset to zero such that the filament voltage is equal to the standby voltage.

Abstract: A synchrocyclotron includes a resonant circuit that includes electrodes having a gap there between 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.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to perform efficient, automatic adjustment of cyclotron beam currents within a wide range for multiple treatment layers within the same patient and treatment session. In one embodiment, efficient adjustment is achieved by using beam current attenuation by an electrostatic vertical deflector installed in the inner center of the cyclotron. The beam current may, for example, be adjusted by the high voltage applied to the electrostatic vertical deflector. In front of each treatment the attenuation curve of the vertical deflector is recorded. Based on this attenuation curve, the vertical deflector voltage for the needed beam current of each irradiation layer is interpolated. With this procedure the beam current could be automatically adjusted in minimal time over a wide range while maintaining a high level of precision.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to perform efficient, automatic cyclotron initialization, calibration, and beam adjustment. A process is provided that allows the automation of the initialization of a cyclotron after overnight or maintenance imposed shutdown. In one embodiment, five independent cyclotron system states are defined and the transition between one state to another may be automated, e.g., by the control system of the cyclotron. According to these embodiments, it is thereby possible to achieve beam operation after shutdown with minimal manual input. By applying an automatic procedure, all active devices of the cyclotron (e.g., RF system, extraction deflectors, ion source) are respectively ramped to predefined parameters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dual-frequency resonant cavity (6) for cyclotron which includes a dee (10), a pillar (20), and a conducting enclosure (40) surrounding the pillar and the dee, an end of the pillar being connected to the base of the conducting enclosure and an opposite end of the pillar (20) supporting the dee (10). The conducting enclosure and the pillar form a transmission line comprising at least three portions (20a, 20b, 20c), each portion having a characteristic impedance (Zc1, Zc2, Zc3). The characteristic impedance Zc2 of the intermediate portion (20b) is substantially lower than the characteristic impedances Zc1 et Zc3 of the two other portions (20a, 20b), which makes it possible to have the cavity resonate according to two modes in order to produce two distinct frequencies, without having to make use of moving components such as for example sliding short-circuits or mobile plates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stripping member for stripping electrons off a negatively charged particle beam at the periphery of a cyclotron for extracting a particle beam out of said cyclotron, said stripping member comprising a first stripper foil adapted for being located at the periphery of said cyclotron so that said particle beam passes through said first stripper foil, characterized in that it comprises a second stripper foil adapted for being located side-by-side with the first foil at the periphery of said cyclotron at a more peripheral radius than said first stripper foil so that said negatively charged particle beam passes through said second stripper foil when said first stripper foil is damaged.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to reduce the effect of the hysteresis of a scanning electromagnet so as to obtain a particle beam therapy system that realizes high-accuracy beam irradiation. There are included an irradiation management apparatus (32) that controls the scanning electromagnet (3), based on target irradiation position coordinates (Pi) of a charged particle beam (1b), and a position monitor (7) that measures measurement position coordinates (Ps) of the charged particle beam (1b).

Abstract: The ion acceleration system or complex (T) for medical and/or other applications is composed in essence by an ion source (1), a pre-accelerator (3) and one or more linear accelerators or linacs (6, 8, 10, 13), at least one of which is mounted on a rotating mechanical gantry-like structure (17). The isocentrical gantry (17) is equipped with a beam delivery system, which can be either ‘active’ or ‘passive’, for medical and/or other applications. The ion source (1) and the pre-accelerator (3) can be either installed on the floor, which is connected with the gantry basement, or mounted, fully or partially, on the rotating mechanical structure (17). The output beam can vary in energy and intensity pulse-by-pulse by adjusting the radio-frequency field in the accelerating modules of the linac(s) and the beam parameters at the input of the linear accelerators.

Abstract: The invention comprises a charged particle cancer therapy system or synchrotron system using one or more switches to introduce a corresponding one or more resistors into a circuit linking a power supply to a magnet or an inductor during an applied power recovery phase between acceleration cycles of the synchrotron, which reduces time of reduction in power from an active applied power to a power suitable for use with a subsequent injection of charged particles into the synchrotron.