Synchrotron Patents (Class 315/503)
  • Patent number: 8624528
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8614429
    Abstract: The invention relates to method and apparatus for treatment of solid cancer. More particularly, the invention comprises a multi-axis and/or multi-field charged particle cancer therapy system. The system independently controls patient translation position, patient rotation position, two-dimensional beam trajectory, delivered beam energy, delivered beam intensity, timing of charged particle delivery, and/or distribution of radiation striking healthy tissue. The system operates in conjunction with a negative ion beam source, synchrotron, patient positioning, imaging, and/or targeting method and apparatus to deliver an effective and uniform dose of radiation to a tumor while distributing radiation striking healthy tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8598971
    Abstract: To provide a magnetic field control apparatus capable of reducing a width of a correcting plate. The magnetic field control apparatus includes a conductive vacuum duct 1 disposed between dipole magnet magnetic poles 3 and a conductive correcting plate 2. The correcting plate 2 is formed of a material having an electric conductivity higher than that of the vacuum duct 1. A plurality of conductive correcting plates 2 are disposed in each of four areas, the four areas being formed by dividing a cross section of a vacuum duct 1 extending perpendicularly to a direction in which a charged particle beam travels by a symmetrical surface having each of both magnetic poles of the dipole magnet defined as a mirror image and a plane which extends perpendicularly to the symmetrical surface and through which a center of gravity of the charged particle beam passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamada, Fumiaki Noda
  • Patent number: 8581523
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Gall, Gerrit Townsend Zwart
  • Patent number: 8581215
    Abstract: The invention comprises a patient positioning method and apparatus used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle or proton beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The patient positioning system is used to translate the patient and/or rotate the patient into a zone where the proton beam can scan the tumor using a targeting system. The patient positioning system is optionally used in conjunction with systems used to constrain movement of the patient, such as semi-vertical, sitting, or laying positioning systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8575867
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Cornell University
    Inventors: Amit Lal, Shi Yue
  • Patent number: 8564225
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Transmute, Inc.
    Inventors: Kim L. Hailey, Robert O. Conn
  • Patent number: 8525449
    Abstract: A charged particle beam extraction method according to the present invention is featured in that, in a circular accelerator which accelerates a charged particle beam, a pulse voltage is applied to a part of the accelerated charged particle beam to generate a momentum deviation only in the part of the charged particle beam, in that the charged particles of a part of the charged particle beam, the charged particles having a large momentum deviation, are located in a non-stable region and in an extraction region in a horizontal phase space with respect to the traveling direction of the charged particle beam, and in that a group of the charged particles located in the non-stable region and in the extraction region are largely deviated in the horizontal direction so as to be extracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Nat'l University Corporation Gunma University
    Inventors: Kota Torikai, Satoru Yamada
  • Publication number: 20130193353
    Abstract: The objective is to obtain a charged particle accelerator where the amount of pattern data for operating an acceleration cavity and electromagnets based on time clocks is reduced and the pattern data communication time is shortened. An accelerator control apparatus provided in a charged particle accelerator of the present invention is characterized by including a clock generation unit that generates an acceleration cavity clock and an electromagnet clock that is synchronized with the acceleration cavity clock and has a frequency lower than that of the acceleration cavity clock; a high-frequency control unit that controls an acceleration cavity, based on an acceleration cavity pattern stored in a first pattern memory and the acceleration cavity clock; and a deflection electromagnet control unit that controls a deflection electromagnet, based on a deflection electromagnet pattern stored in a second pattern memory and the electromagnet clock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Ikeda, Yuko Kijima, Shunsuke Okada
  • Patent number: 8466635
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Sliski, Kenneth Gall
  • Patent number: 8456110
    Abstract: The present invention provides a set of induction accelerating cell for controlling acceleration of a charged particle beam and an induction accelerating device for controlling generation timing of an induced voltage applied by the induction accelerating cell in a synchrotron. The induction accelerating device in a synchrotron includes: an induction accelerating cell that applies an induced voltage; a switching power supply that supplies a pulse voltage to the induction accelerating cell via a transmission line and drives said induction accelerating cell; a DC power supply that supplies electric power to the switching power supply; and an intelligent control device including a pattern generator that generates a gate signal pattern for controlling on/off the switching power supply, and a digital signal processing device that controls on/off a gate master signal that becomes the basis of the gate signal pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Inter-University Research Institute Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Takayama, Kota Torikai, Yoshio Arakida, Yoshito Shimosaki
  • Patent number: 8421041
    Abstract: The invention comprises intensity control of a charged particle beam acceleration, extraction, and/or targeting method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. Particularly, intensity of a charged particle stream of a synchrotron is described. Intensity control is described in combination with turning magnets, edge focusing magnets, concentrating magnetic field magnets, winding and control coils, and extraction elements of the synchrotron. The system reduces the overall size of the synchrotron, provides a tightly controlled proton beam, directly reduces the size of required magnetic fields, directly reduces required operating power, and allows continual acceleration of protons in a synchrotron even during a process of extracting protons from the synchrotron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8405042
    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).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Taizo Honda, Hisashi Harada, Yuehu Pu, Yuichi Yamamoto, Takaaki Iwata
  • Patent number: 8399866
    Abstract: The invention comprises a charged particle beam extraction method and apparatus optionally used in conjunction with charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The system uses a radio-frequency (RF) cavity system to induce oscillation of a charged particle stream. Sufficient amplitude modulation of the charged particle stream causes the charged particle stream to hit a material, such as a foil element of a set of foils. The foil decreases the energy of the charged particle stream, which decreases a radius of curvature of the charged particle stream in the synchrotron sufficiently to allow a physical separation of the reduced energy charged particle stream from the original charged particle stream where thickness of a selected foil is a function of energy of circulating charged particles. The physically separated charged particle stream is then removed from the system by use of an applied field and deflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8384314
    Abstract: An electromagnetic wave having a phase velocity and an amplitude is provided by an electromagnetic wave source to a traveling wave linear accelerator. The traveling wave linear accelerator generates a first output of electrons having a first energy by accelerating an electron beam using the electromagnetic wave. The first output of electrons can be contacted with a target to provide a first beam of x-rays. The electromagnetic wave can be modified by adjusting its amplitude and the phase velocity. The traveling wave linear accelerator then generates a second output of electrons having a second energy by accelerating an electron beam using the modified electromagnetic wave. The second output of electrons can be contacted with a target to provide a second beam of x-rays. A frequency controller can monitor the phase shift of the electromagnetic wave from the input to the output ends of the accelerator and can correct the phase shift of the electromagnetic wave based on the measured phase shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Accuray, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Dennis Treas, Roger Heering Miller, Juwen Wang
  • Patent number: 8378311
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8373145
    Abstract: The invention comprises a charged particle beam acceleration, extraction, and/or targeting method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. Novel design features of a synchrotron are described. Particularly, turning magnets, edge focusing magnets, concentrating magnetic field magnets, winding and control coils, and extraction elements are described that minimize the overall size of the synchrotron, provide a tightly controlled proton beam, directly reduce the size of required magnetic fields, directly reduces required operating power, and allow continual acceleration of protons in a synchrotron even during a process of extracting protons from the synchrotron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8368038
    Abstract: The invention comprises intensity control of a charged particle beam acceleration, extraction, and/or targeting method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. Particularly, intensity of a charged particle stream of a synchrotron is described. Intensity control is described in combination with turning magnets, edge focusing magnets, concentrating magnetic field magnets, winding and control coils, and extraction elements of the synchrotron. The system reduces the overall size of the synchrotron, provides a tightly controlled proton beam, directly reduces the size of required magnetic fields, directly reduces required operating power, and allows continual acceleration of protons in a synchrotron even during a process of extracting protons from the synchrotron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8368043
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Ion Beam Applications S.A.
    Inventors: Yorick Havelange, Sëbastien De Neuter, Vincent Piret, Bernard Bleeckx
  • Patent number: 8344340
    Abstract: A system includes a patient support and an outer gantry on which an accelerator is mounted to enable the accelerator to move through a range of positions around a patient on the patient support. The accelerator is configured to produce a proton or ion beam having an energy level sufficient to reach a target in the patient. An inner gantry includes an aperture for directing the proton or ion beam towards the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Gall, Stanley Rosenthal, Gordon Row, Michael Ahearn
  • Publication number: 20120313554
    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
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Inventor: Oliver Heid
  • Publication number: 20120286703
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Yutaka TOUCHI
  • Patent number: 8309941
    Abstract: The invention comprises a patient respiration monitoring and/or control method and apparatus used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle or proton beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The respiration monitoring system uses thermal and/or force sensors to determine where a patient is in a respiration cycle in combination with a feedback signal control delivered to the patient to inform the patient when breath control is required. The resulting breath control is timed with charged particle delivery to the tumor to enhance accuracy, precision, and/or efficiency of tumor treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Publication number: 20120267543
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are provided an arrangement of devices suitable to downsize a synchrotron, a synchrotron using such an arrangement, and a particle therapy system using the synchrotron. In the synchrotron, a plurality of deflection magnets and a single defocusing quadrupole magnet are arranged between a first extraction deflector and a second extraction deflector. The defocusing quadrupole magnet is arranged between deflection magnets among the plurality of deflection magnets, a focusing quadrupole magnet is arranged on the side of an inlet of the first extraction deflector, and a focusing quadrupole magnet is arranged on the side of an outlet of the second extraction deflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Fumiaki NODA, Kazuo HIRAMOTO, Takahiro YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20120242257
    Abstract: The invention comprises a charged particle beam acceleration, extraction, and/or targeting method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. Novel design features of a synchrotron are described. Particularly, turning magnets, edge focusing magnets, concentrating magnetic field magnets, winding and control coils, flat surface incident magnetic field surfaces, and extraction elements are described that minimize the overall size of the synchrotron, provide a tightly controlled proton beam, directly reduce the size of required magnetic fields, directly reduces required operating power, and allow continual acceleration of protons in a synchrotron even during a process of extracting protons from the synchrotron.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8253113
    Abstract: A charged particle beam irradiation system includes a synchrotron which accelerates an ion beam, an irradiation apparatus for irradiating an object with the ion beam introduced from the synchrotron, detection means for measuring an amount of accumulated charge of the ion beam that orbits in the synchrotron immediately before an extraction control period in an operating cycle of the synchrotron, and beam extraction control means for controlling extraction of the ion beam based on the measurement result of the accumulated beam charge amount so that extraction of a total amount of the ion beam is to be completed with an expiration of an extraction control time, the extraction control time representing a length of the extraction control period of the synchrotron and being set in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishiuchi, Kazuyoshi Saito, Masahiro Tadokoro, Hiroshi Akiyama, Kazuo Hiramoto
  • Publication number: 20120200237
    Abstract: A charged particle beam extraction method according to the present invention is featured in that, in a circular accelerator which accelerates a charged particle beam, a pulse voltage is applied to a part of the accelerated charged particle beam to generate a momentum deviation only in the part of the charged particle beam, in that the charged particles of a part of the charged particle beam, the charged particles having a large momentum deviation, are located in a non-stable region and in an extraction region in a horizontal phase space with respect to the traveling direction of the charged particle beam, and in that a group of the charged particles located in the non-stable region and in the extraction region are largely deviated in the horizontal direction so as to be extracted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: National University Corporation Gunma University
    Inventors: Kota Torikai, Satoru Yamada
  • Patent number: 8232748
    Abstract: An electromagnetic wave having a phase velocity and an amplitude is provided by an electromagnetic wave source to a traveling wave linear accelerator. The traveling wave linear accelerator generates a first output of electrons having a first energy by accelerating an electron beam using the electromagnetic wave. The first output of electrons can be contacted with a target to provide a first beam of x-rays. The electromagnetic wave can be modified by adjusting its amplitude and the phase velocity. The traveling wave linear accelerator then generates a second output of electrons having a second energy by accelerating an electron beam using the modified electromagnetic wave. The second output of electrons can be contacted with a target to provide a second beam of x-rays. A frequency controller can monitor the phase shift of the electromagnetic wave from the input to the output ends of the accelerator and can correct the phase shift of the electromagnetic wave based on the measured phase shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Accuray, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Dennis Treas, Roger Heering Miller, Juwen Wang
  • Patent number: 8217596
    Abstract: A method of avoiding CSR induced beam quality defects in free electron laser operation by a) controlling the rate of compression and b) using a novel means of integrating the compression with the remainder of the transport system: both are accomplished by means of dispersion modulation. A large dispersion is created in the penultimate dipole magnet of the compression region leading to rapid compression; this large dispersion is demagnified and dispersion suppression performed in a final small dipole. As a result, the bunch is short for only a small angular extent of the transport, and the resulting CSR excitation is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Jefferson Science Associates, LLC
    Inventors: David R. Douglas, Christopher D. Tennant
  • Patent number: 8198607
    Abstract: The invention comprises a tandem accelerator method and apparatus, which is part of an ion beam injection system used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The negative ion beam source includes an injection system vacuum system and a synchrotron vacuum system separated by a foil, where negative ions are converted to positive ions. The foil is sealed to the edges of the vacuum tube providing for a higher partial pressure in the injection system vacuum chamber and a lower pressure in the synchrotron vacuum system. Having the foil physically separating the vacuum chamber into two pressure regions allows for fewer and/or smaller pumps to maintain the lower pressure system in the synchrotron as the inlet hydrogen gas is extracted in a separate contained and isolated space by the injection partial vacuum system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Publication number: 20120133305
    Abstract: To provide a magnetic field control apparatus capable of reducing a width of a correcting plate. The magnetic field control apparatus includes a conductive vacuum duct 1 disposed between dipole magnet magnetic poles 3 and a conductive correcting plate 2. The correcting plate 2 is formed of a material having an electric conductivity higher than that of the vacuum duct 1. A plurality of conductive correcting plates 2 are disposed in each of four areas, the four areas being formed by dividing a cross section of a vacuum duct 1 extending perpendicularly to a direction in which a charged particle beam travels by a symmetrical surface having each of both magnetic poles of the dipole magnet defined as a mirror image and a plane which extends perpendicularly to the symmetrical surface and through which a center of gravity of the charged particle beam passes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro YAMADA, Fumiaki NODA
  • Patent number: 8188688
    Abstract: The invention comprises a charged particle beam acceleration, extraction, and/or targeting method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. Novel design features of a synchrotron are described. Particularly, turning magnets, edge focusing magnets, concentrating magnetic field magnets, winding and control coils, flat surface incident magnetic field surfaces, and extraction elements are described that minimize the overall size of the synchrotron, provide a tightly controlled proton beam, directly reduce the size of required magnetic fields, directly reduces required operating power, and allow continual acceleration of protons in a synchrotron even during a process of extracting protons from the synchrotron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8183800
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide the orbit control device for modulating the orbital deviations of the charged particle beam and its control method, wherein in the synchrotron making use of induction cells, the charged particle beam orbit control device is comprised of the digital signal processor for controlling the generation timing of an induced voltage in response to the beam position signal from the beam position monitor for sensing the deviations of the charged particle beam on the design orbit of the synchrotron from the design orbit and to the passage signal from the bunch monitor for sensing the passage of the bunch and the pattern generator for generating a gate signal pattern for on/off-selecting the switching electric power supply a according to the master gate signal generated by the digital signal processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Inter-University Research Institute Corporation High Energy Accelerator Research Organization
    Inventors: Ken Takayama, Kota Torikai, Yoshio Arakida, Yoshito Shimosaki, Junichi Kishiro, Reiko Kishiro, legal representative
  • Patent number: 8178859
    Abstract: The invention comprises a proton beam positioning method and apparatus used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The proton beam verification system allows for monitoring of the actual proton beam position in real-time without destruction of the proton beam. The system includes a coating or thin layer substantially in contact with a foil covering the end of an exit nozzle or is a layer located after the x- and y-axis proton beam scanning controllers and before the patient. The coating yields a measurable spectroscopic response, spatially viewable by the detector, as a result of transmission by the proton beam. The proton beam position is monitored by the detector and compared to the calibration and/or treatment plan to verify accurate proton delivery to the tumor and/or as a proton beam shutoff safety indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8154001
    Abstract: An ion radiation therapy machine provides a steerable beam for treating a tumor within the patient where the exposure spot of the beam is controlled in width and/or length to effect a flexible trade-off between treatment speed, accuracy, and uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Ryan Thomas Flynn, Thomas R. Mackie
  • Patent number: 8111024
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Sliski, Kenneth Gall
  • Patent number: 8089054
    Abstract: The invention comprises a charged particle beam acceleration and/or extraction method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. Novel design features of a synchrotron are described. Particularly, turning magnets, edge focusing magnets, and extraction elements are described that minimize the overall size of the synchrotron, provide a tightly controlled proton beam, directly reduce the size of required magnetic fields, directly reduces required operating power, and allow continual acceleration of protons in a synchrotron even during a process of extracting protons from the synchrotron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8084965
    Abstract: An accelerator that can accelerate by itself all ions up to any energy level allowed by the magnetic fields for beam guiding, and provides an all-ion accelerator in which with trigger timing and a charging time of an induced voltage applied to an ion beam injected from a preinjector by induction cells for confinement and acceleration used in an induction synchrotron, digital signal processors for confinement and acceleration and pattern generators for confinement and acceleration generate gate signal patterns for confinement and acceleration on the basis of a passage signal of the ion beam and an induced voltage signal for indicating the value of the induced voltage applied to the ion beam, and intelligent control devices for confinement and acceleration perform feedback control of on/off of the induction cells for confinement and acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Inter-University Research Institute Corporation High Energy Accelerator Research Organization
    Inventors: Ken Takayama, Yoshito Shimosaki, Kota Torikai, Yoshio Arakida
  • Publication number: 20110313232
    Abstract: The invention relates generally to treatment of solid cancers. More particularly, the invention relates to a multi-field charged particle cancer therapy method and apparatus coordinated with negative ion beam creation, ion beam focusing, charged particle acceleration, patient rotation, and/or patient respiration. Preferably, the charged particle therapy is performed on a patient in a partially immobilized and repositionable position. Proton delivery is preferably timed to patient respiration via control of charged particle beam injection, acceleration, and/or targeting methods and apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventor: Vladimir Egorovich Balakin
  • Publication number: 20110284761
    Abstract: The invention comprises a charged particle cancer therapy system or synchrotron system using a single power supply electrically connected to a plurality of magnet sections to provide a uniform current to a plurality of magnets at a given period in time. Optionally, one or more switches introduce a corresponding one or more resistors into a circuit linking the 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Publication number: 20110284760
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 8063381
    Abstract: A medical gantry that focus the beam from the beginning of the gantry to the exit of the gantry independent of the rotation angle of the gantry by keeping the beam achromatic and uncoupled, thus, avoiding the use of collimators or rotators, or additional equipment to control the beam divergence, which may cause beam intensity loss or additional time in irradiation of the patient, or disadvantageously increase the overall gantry size inapplicable for the use in the medical treatment facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholaos Tsoupas, Dmitry Kayran, Vladimir Litvinenko, William W. MacKay
  • Patent number: 8045679
    Abstract: The invention comprises an X-ray method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle or proton beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The system uses an X-ray beam that lies in substantially the same path as a proton beam path of a particle beam cancer therapy system. The system creates an electron beam that strikes an X-ray generation source where the X-ray generation source is located proximate to the proton beam path. By generating the X-rays near the proton beam path, an X-ray path that is essentially the proton beam path is created. Using the generated X-rays, the system collects X-ray images of a localized body tissue region about a cancerous tumor. The generated image is usable for: fine tuning body alignment relative to the proton beam path, to control the proton beam path to accurately and precisely target the tumor, and/or in system verification and validation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 7982416
    Abstract: In a circular accelerator, a magnetic pole edge portion of a bending electromagnet into and from which a charged particle beam enters and exits is provided with endpacks. A first protrusion is provided at that part of each end pack which is radially outside the equilibrium orbit of a center energy beam, while a second protrusion is provided at that part of each end pack which is radially inside the equilibrium orbit of the center energy beam. The shapes of the first and second protrusions are set so that the betatron oscillation numbers of beams of different acceleration energies may be held constant or become linear to the energies. In case of emitting the charged particle beam out of the circular accelerator, the change of a tune attributed to the change of the beam orbit can be statically corrected, the tune is linearly changed, and an adjustment of the emission of the beam becomes easy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Tanaka, Takashi Hifumi, Katsuhisa Yoshida, Kazuo Yamamoto, Yoichi Kuroda
  • Patent number: 7977895
    Abstract: A perturbation device for a charged particle circulation system, capable of readily generating a distribution profile of a perturbation magnetic field, is provided. By partially superposing a perturbation magnetic field on a main magnetic field for circulating charged particles, perturbation is produced in trajectories of the charged particles. Then, the charged particles that have been injected into the charged particle circulation system are captured into a stable circular closed orbit. Using a leakage magnetic field formed of a magnetic field generated by magnetic field generation devices, each including a high-frequency coil, the perturbation magnetic field is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignees: Photon Production Laboratory Ltd.
    Inventor: Hironari Yamada
  • Publication number: 20110156617
    Abstract: The present invention provides a set of induction accelerating cell for controlling acceleration of a charged particle beam and an induction accelerating device for controlling generation timing of an induced voltage applied by the induction accelerating cell in a synchrotron. The induction accelerating device in a synchrotron includes: an induction accelerating cell that applies an induced voltage; a switching power supply that supplies a pulse voltage to the induction accelerating cell via a transmission line and drives said induction accelerating cell; a DC power supply that supplies electric power to the switching power supply; and an intelligent control device including a pattern generator that generates a gate signal pattern for controlling on/off the switching power supply, and a digital signal processing device that controls on/off a gate master signal that becomes the basis of the gate signal pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: Inter-University Research Institute Corporation High Energy Accelerator Research Organization
    Inventors: Ken Takayama, Kota Torikai, Yoshio Arakida, Yoshito Shimosaki
  • Patent number: 7956557
    Abstract: A planar insertion device and supporting structure for a planar insertion device for treating a synchrotron radiation beam includes a primary frame on which at least two secondary C-frames are mounted. An upper and a lower girders are mounted on the secondary C-frames forming a gap between girders and arranged substantially horizontally and parallel to each other and to the synchrotron radiation beam. Magnetic arrays rigidly mounted on the girders are facing each other and facing the gap between girders, with the synchrotron radiation beam passing between the magnetic arrays through the gap. The planar insertion device supporting structure prevents detrimental deformation reactions to variations of magnetic loadings with changes in the gap and subsequent geometrical misalignments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Advanced Design Consulting USA, Inc.
    Inventor: David John Waterman
  • Patent number: 7947969
    Abstract: A stacked conformation radiotherapy system capable of homogenizing a radiation dose distribution, including an irradiation head and irradiation control means. The irradiation head projects a particle beam accelerated by an accelerator, toward an object to-be-irradiated, and it includes wobbler electromagnets for deflecting and scanning the particle beam. In carrying out stacked conformation radiotherapy by deflecting and scanning the particle beam, the irradiation control means subjects the wobbler electromagnets to magnetization controls so that the particle beam may depict a one-stroke revolving orbit which begins with a start point and returns to the start point, and it performs a control so that the irradiation period of the particle beam to be outputted from the irradiation head may become integral times a wobbler cycle which is required for the particle beam to make one revolution of the revolving orbit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Yuehu Pu
  • Patent number: 7939809
    Abstract: The invention comprises a charged particle beam extraction method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The system uses a radio-frequency (RF) cavity system to induce betatron oscillation of a charged particle stream. Sufficient amplitude modulation of the charged particle stream causes the charged particle stream to hit a material, such as a foil. The foil decreases the energy of the charged particle stream, which decreases a radius of curvature of the charged particle stream in the synchrotron sufficiently to allow a physical separation of the reduced energy charged particle stream from the original charged particle stream. The physically separated charged particle stream is then removed from the system by use of an applied field and deflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
  • Patent number: 7910879
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. The apparatus improves the ion focusing properties in an orthogonal direction and permits connection with an orthogonal-acceleration ion source for improvement of sensitivity. The apparatus comprises an ion source for emitting ions in a pulsed manner, an analyzer for realizing a helical trajectory, and a detector for detecting the ions. The analyzer is composed of plural laminated toroidal electric fields to realize the helical trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: JEOL Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaya Sato, Michisato Toyoda, Morio Ishihara