Linear Accelerator (linac) Patents (Class 315/505)
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Patent number: 8786217Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems and methods for fast-switching operating of a standing wave linear accelerator (LINAC) for use in generating x-rays of at least two different energy ranges with advantageously low heating of electronic switches. In certain embodiments, the heating of electronic switches during a fast-switching operation of the LINAC can be kept advantageously low through the controlled, timed activation of multiple electronic switches located in respective side cavities of the standing wave LINAC, or through the use of a modified a side cavity that includes an electronic switch.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2012Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: Accuray IncorporatedInventors: Ching-Hung Ho, Stephen Wah-Kwan Cheung, Roger Heering Miller, Juwen Wang
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Patent number: 8779697Abstract: An RF cavity includes a chamber, a conductive wall that encloses the chamber and has an inner side and an outer side, a switch arrangement comprising a plurality of solid-state switches arranged along a circumference of the wall around the chamber, wherein the solid-state switches are connected to the conductive wall such that RF currents are induced in the conductive wall when the switch arrangement is activated, as a result of which RF power is coupled into the chamber of the RF cavity, and a shielding device located on the outer side of the conductive wall, along a circumference of the RF cavity, the shielding device configured to increase the impedance of a propagation path of RF currents along the outer side of the wall such that the RF currents coupled into the wall are suppressed on the outer side of the wall.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2010Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Arnd Baurichter, Oliver Heid, Timothy Hughes
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Patent number: 8771480Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2013Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.Inventor: Marshall Medoff
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Patent number: 8760086Abstract: An accelerator for accelerating two beams of charged particles and for producing a collision of the beams includes: an apparatus for producing an electrostatic potential field such that the two beams are acceleratable or deceleratable by the electrostatic field, a reaction zone for collision of the charged particles; first and second acceleration distances for the first and second beams, each acceleration distance directed towards the reaction zone, wherein the reaction zone is arranged geometrically with respect to the potential field and to the acceleration distances such that the particles of the beams are acceleratable towards the reaction zone along the first and second acceleration distances and, after interaction in the reaction zone and passage through the reaction zone, are deceleratable in the potential field, such that energy used by the potential field apparatus for accelerating the beams towards the reaction zone can be at least partially recovered by the deceleration.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2011Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Oliver Heid
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Patent number: 8760055Abstract: An electron cyclotron resonance ion generator includes a vacuum-tight chamber configured to contain a plasma, a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field in the chamber, a waveguide configured to propagate a high-frequency wave inside the chamber, a first ionization stage located at one end of the chamber, the first stage including an ionization zone in which ions are generated, the magnetic field being approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis in the ionization zone, a second magnetic confinement stage for the ions generated in the ionization zone, the second stage using a first high-frequency wave being propagated in the chamber from the waveguide, the magnetic field being approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis between the ionization zone and the second confinement stage, such that the ions generated in the ionization zone migrate towards the second confinement stage and the first and second stages contain the same continuous plasma.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2009Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignees: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueInventors: Jean-Yves Pacquet, Gabriel Gaubert
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Patent number: 8754596Abstract: A DC high voltage source may include a capacitor stack having a first electrode that can be brought to a first potential, a second electrode arranged concentrically with the first electrode and which can be brought to a second potential different from the first potential, at least one intermediate electrode arranged concentrically between the first and second electrodes and which can be brought to an intermediate potential between the first and second potentials, a switching device for charging the capacitor stack, to which switching device the electrodes of the capacitor stack are connected and which is configured such that upon operation of the switching device the electrodes of the capacitor stack arranged concentrically with respect to each other can be brought to increasing potential levels, wherein the switching device comprises electron tubes, e.g., controllable electron tubes. A particle accelerator comprising such a DC high voltage source is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2011Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Oliver Heid
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Patent number: 8747624Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2013Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.Inventor: Marshall Medoff
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Patent number: 8742700Abstract: An accelerator assembly includes a first chip and a second chip. An acceleration channel is formed into a surface of a first side of the first chip. The first side of the first chip is covalently bonded to a first side of the second chip such that the channel is a tubular void between the first and second chips. The channel has a tubular inside sidewall surface, substantially no portion of which is a metal surface. The channel has length-to-width ratio greater than five, and a channel width less than one micron. There are many substantially identical channels that extend in parallel between the first and second chips. In one specific example, the assembly is part of a Direct Write On Wafer (DWOW) printing system. The DWOW printing system is useful in semiconductor processing in that it can direct write an image onto a 300 mm diameter wafer in one minute.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2013Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Transmute, Inc.Inventors: Kim L. Hailey, Robert O. Conn
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Patent number: 8742699Abstract: A charged particle beam generator, a charged particle irradiation system, a method for operating the charged particle beam generator and a method for operating the charged particle irradiation system, which allow a charged particle beam to be injected into a circular accelerator at an arbitrary timing and can reduce an irradiation time and a time for a therapy, are provided while maintaining the lower limit of an operation cycle of a linear accelerator. An accelerator control device controls an operation of a synchrotron on the basis of a beam extraction request signal transmitted from a beam utilization system control device. A control device generates a timing signal notifying the linear accelerator of an injection timing of a next operation cycle of the synchrotron after completion of an extraction process performed by the synchrotron, changes an operation timing of the linear accelerator so that the operation timing of the linear accelerator matches the injection timing.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2011Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Masumi Umezawa, Yoshifumi Hojo
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Patent number: 8736198Abstract: A circular accelerator comprises a target current value memory which stores a target current value of a beam current of charged particle which is extracted from an extracting device; and a frequency determination part in which a frequency change ratio is obtained by performing a feedback control based on an error signal between a detection signal of a beam current detector and a target current value which is stored in a target current value memory, and determines a subsequent frequency from the obtained frequency change ratio and a current frequency, wherein the subsequent frequency which is determined by the frequency determination part is stored in a frequency memory and a radio-frequency generator generates the subsequent radio-frequency of frequency which is determined.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Nobuyuki Haruna, Katsuhisa Yoshida, Masahiro Ikeda, Kengo Sugahara, Hirofumi Tanaka
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Patent number: 8723451Abstract: 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 cType: GrantFiled: February 2, 2011Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Oliver Heid
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Publication number: 20140125254Abstract: The present invention provides an accelerating structure capable of increasing a degree of vacuum at a middle part inside the accelerating structure while confining an alternating electric field to the inside. An accelerating structure 1 is formed of a plurality of annular discs 2 and 3 serially connected into a cylindrical shape. At least one of the discs 3 disposed at a middle part of the accelerating structure 1 includes: a choke structure formed by a choke filter 7; and a vacuum port 8 opened in an outer circumferential surface of the disc further on an outer circumferential side than the choke structure, and the vacuum port 8 is connected to an external exhaust device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2013Publication date: May 8, 2014Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Daisuke SUZUKI, Sadao MIURA
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Patent number: 8716958Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2010Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: ThalesInventor: Serge Sierra
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Patent number: 8698429Abstract: There is provided a radiotherapy system comprising a linear accelerator, beam control circuitry for the linear accelerator, an electronic control apparatus for the control circuitry arranged to adjust properties thereof, and a monitor for detecting properties of the radiation beam produced by the linear accelerator, wherein the control apparatus is adapted to retain a set of beam properties and periodically activate the accelerator, measure the current beam properties via the monitor, compare the measured beam properties to the retained beam properties, and potentially adjust the control circuitry properties to align the beam properties towards the retained beam properties. The beam properties that are measured may include beam flatness and beam width. The retained beam properties can be the properties of the beam produced by the linear accelerator when new, or the properties of a standard beam. There is also provided a method for operating the system.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2008Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: Elekta AB (publ)Inventors: Philip Sadler, David Harrison, Neil McCann
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Publication number: 20140084815Abstract: Circuitry is presented that can provide high-voltage radio-frequency pulses in the range of from a few volts to megavolts for charged particle accelerators. Individual pulse forming sections, such as transmission line transformers (TLTs) or blumleins, are formed in clusters. The pulse forming sections of each cluster are connected in series and have transmission lines ending in a ring structure. Multiple clusters can then be arranged with their rings aligned along the axis of the accelerator.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2012Publication date: March 27, 2014Applicant: Compact Particle Acceleration CorporationInventors: Vladimir Andreevich Joshkin, Yoko Parker
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Patent number: 8680792Abstract: An accelerator assembly includes a first chip and a second chip. An acceleration channel is formed into a surface of a first side of the first chip. The first side of the first chip is covalently bonded to a first side of the second chip such that the channel is a tubular void between the first and second chips. The channel has a tubular inside sidewall surface, substantially no portion of which is a metal surface. The channel has length-to-width ratio greater than five, and a channel width less than one micron. There are many substantially identical channels that extend in parallel between the first and second chips. In one specific example, the assembly is part of a Direct Write On Wafer (DWOW) printing system. The DWOW printing system is useful in semiconductor processing in that it can direct write an image onto a 300 mm diameter wafer in one minute.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2013Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Assignee: Transmute, Inc.Inventors: Kim L. Hailey, Robert O. Conn
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Patent number: 8653761Abstract: 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).Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2010Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Oliver Heid
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Patent number: 8648319Abstract: The invention relates to a device for generating electromagnetic THz radiation with free electron beams, comprising a dynatron tube, where the dynatron tube comprises an electron source, an extraction grid, and, an anode preferably coated with a material composition for high secondary electron emission, arranged in vacuum. The dynatron tube is connected to a voltage supply supplying an extractor voltage and an anode voltage and the extractor voltage is higher than the anode voltage. An oscillator modulates the anode voltage and the anode voltage is set to a work point voltage.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2011Date of Patent: February 11, 2014Inventor: Hans W. P. Koops
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Publication number: 20140035588Abstract: Borehole tools and methods for analyzing earth formations are disclosed herein. An example borehole tool disclosed herein includes an RF particle accelerator. The particle accelerator includes at least one accelerator waveguide for accelerating electrons. The accelerator waveguide is a dielectric lined accelerator.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2012Publication date: February 6, 2014Applicant: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventor: TANCREDI BOTTO
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Publication number: 20140037065Abstract: Borehole tools and methods for analyzing earth formations are disclosed herein. An example borehole tool disclosed herein includes an RF particle accelerator. The particle accelerator includes an accelerator waveguide for accelerating electrons. The borehole tool also includes a power amplification circuit that is based on a wide bandgap semiconductor material, such as a combination of gallium nitride (GaN) and aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN). The power amplification circuit amplifies an initial input RF signal and provides a driving RF output signal to drive acceleration of the electrons within the accelerator waveguide.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2012Publication date: February 6, 2014Applicant: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventor: TANCREDI BOTTO
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Patent number: 8643314Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 9, 2012Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Yutaka Touchi
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Patent number: 8643313Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2011Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Johan Larsson
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Patent number: 8629633Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2011Date of Patent: January 14, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Oliver Heid, Timothy Hughes
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Patent number: 8624528Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 17, 2010Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Inventor: Vladimir Balakin
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Patent number: 8610379Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for the magnetic insulation of accelerator electrodes in electrostatic accelerators. Advantageously, the systems and methods of the present invention improve the practically obtainable performance of these electrostatic accelerators by addressing, among other things, voltage holding problems and conditioning issues. These problems and issues are addressed by flowing electric currents along these accelerator electrodes to produce magnetic fields that envelope the accelerator electrodes and their support structures, so as to prevent very low energy electrons from leaving the surfaces of the accelerator electrodes and subsequently picking up energy from the surrounding electric field. In various applications, this magnetic insulation must only produce modest gains in voltage holding capability to represent a significant achievement.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2009Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: U.S. Department of EnergyInventor: Larry R. Grisham
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Patent number: 8610380Abstract: An accelerator pack, specifically for linear accelerator modules cascade-connected to a proton-emitting cyclotron, specially adapted for use in cancer therapies. Such a technique is named PT. The pack displays an accelerating cavity of improved efficiency in virtue of its shape, which provides for making a portion of accelerating cavity on both faces of the pack. Furthermore, the pack also contains a coupling cavity portion. In such a manner, the volume of the accelerating cavity is increased as compared to that of the packs of the known accelerator modules.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2008Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Inventor: Vittorio Giorgio Vaccaro
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Publication number: 20130328506Abstract: According to the drift tube linear accelerator of the invention, its acceleration cavity is configured with a center plate and a pair of half cylindrical tubes, wherein the center plate includes a ridge, stems connecting the ridge and drift tube electrodes, and the drift tube electrodes, and wherein the acceleration cavity is configured, as seen in cross section perpendicular to a beam-acceleration center axis, whose inner diameter in X-direction that is perpendicular to a central axis in planar direction in which the stem of the center plate extends and that is passing through the beam-acceleration center axis, is longer than whose inner diameter in Y-direction parallel to the central axis in planar direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2013Publication date: December 12, 2013Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Kazuo YAMAMOTO, Nobuyuki Haruna, Takahisa Nagayama, Hiromitsu Inoue, Takayuki Kashima
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Patent number: 8604722Abstract: 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%.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2010Date of Patent: December 10, 2013Assignee: Muons, Inc.Inventor: Thomas J. Roberts
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Patent number: 8604723Abstract: Multi-energy radiation sources comprising charged particle accelerators driven by power generators providing different RF powers to the accelerator, capable of interlaced operation, are disclosed. Automatic frequency control techniques are provided to match the frequency of RF power provided to the accelerator with the accelerator resonance frequency. In one example where the power generator is a mechanically tunable magnetron, an automatic frequency controller is provided to match the frequency of RF power pulses at one power to the accelerator resonance frequency when those RF power pulses are provided, and the magnetron is operated such that frequency shift in the magnetron at the other power at least partially matches the resonance frequency shift in the accelerator when those RF power pulses are provided. In other examples, when the power generator is a klystron or electrically tunable magnetron, separate automatic frequency controllers are provided for each RF power pulse.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2012Date of Patent: December 10, 2013Assignee: Varian Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Gongyin Chen, John Turner, Douglas W. Eaton
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Patent number: 8598813Abstract: Circuitry is presented for use in the pulse-forming lines of compact linear accelerators of charged particles. This presents devices that can provide high-voltage radio-frequency pulses in the range of from a few volts to megavolts for charged particle accelerators. The devices can use as input an external charge voltage and an optical pulse to create output RF pulses with a peak voltage that is increased over the input voltage. The exemplary embodiment presents a circuit of pulse forming lines for compact linear accelerator that includes an opto-switch and RF transmission lines that form a pulse shaper and a ladder-like pulse multiplier unit, with or without an output shaper.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2012Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: Compact Particle Acceleration CorporationInventors: Vladimir Andreevich Joshkin, Antonios Zografos
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Patent number: 8598814Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2012Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Marvin Möller, Sven Müller, Stefan Setzer
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Publication number: 20130315379Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems and methods for interleaving operation of a linear accelerator that use a magnetron as the source of electromagnetic waves for use in accelerating electrons to at least two different ranges of energies. The accelerated electrons can be used to generate x-rays of at least two different energy ranges. In certain embodiments, the accelerated electrons can be used to generate x-rays of at least two different energy ranges. The systems and methods are applicable to traveling wave linear accelerators.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2012Publication date: November 28, 2013Applicant: Accuray, Inc.Inventor: Accuray, Inc.
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Patent number: 8581523Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 30, 2007Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth Gall, Gerrit Townsend Zwart
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Patent number: 8575867Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 3, 2009Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Cornell UniversityInventors: Amit Lal, Shi Yue
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Patent number: 8575868Abstract: A virtual, moving accelerating gap is formed along an insulating tube in a dielectric wall accelerator (DWA) by locally controlling the conductivity of the tube. Localized voltage concentration is thus achieved by sequential activation of a variable resistive tube or stalk down the axis of an inductive voltage adder, producing a “virtual” traveling wave along the tube. The tube conductivity can be controlled at a desired location, which can be moved at a desired rate, by light illumination, or by photoconductive switches, or by other means. As a result, an impressed voltage along the tube appears predominantly over a local region, the virtual gap. By making the length of the tube large in comparison to the virtual gap length, the effective gain of the accelerator can be made very large.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2010Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: George James Caporaso, Yu-Jiuan Chen, Scott Nelson, Jim Sullivan, Steven A. Hawkins
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Patent number: 8569979Abstract: A cascade of accelerating electrode tubes (LA#1 to LA#28) that apply an accelerating electric potential to a charged particle (2) are provided. With a controller (8) appropriately controlling timings to apply an accelerating voltage to the accelerating electrode tubes (LA#1 to LA#28), accelerating energy can be gained each time the charged particle (2) passes through gaps between the accelerating electrode tubes (LA#1 to LA#28).Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2011Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: Quan Japan Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yuji Kokubo, Masatoshi Ueno, Masumi Mukai, Masahiko Matsunaga
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Patent number: 8564225Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 15, 2012Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: Transmute, Inc.Inventors: Kim L. Hailey, Robert O. Conn
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Patent number: 8558485Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2011Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: Ionetix CorporationInventor: Timothy A. Antaya
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Patent number: 8558486Abstract: A d.c. charged particle accelerator comprises accelerator electrodes separated by insulating spacers defining acceleration gaps between adjacent pairs of electrodes. Individually regulated gap voltages are applied across each adjacent pair of accelerator electrodes. In embodiments, the individually regulated gap voltages are generated by electrically isolated alternators mounted on a common rotor shaft driven by an electric motor. Alternating power outputs from the alternators provide inputs to individual regulated d.c. power supplies to generate the gap voltages. The power supplies are electrically isolated and have outputs connected in series across successive pairs of accelerator electrodes. The described embodiment enables an ion beam to be accelerated to high energies and high beam currents, with good accelerator stability.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2010Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: GTAT CorporationInventors: Theodore H. Smick, Geoffrey Ryding, William H. Park, Ronald Horner
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Patent number: 8552667Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2011Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Elekta AB (Publ)Inventors: John Allen, Terry Arthur Large
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Patent number: 8525449Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 10, 2010Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Nat'l University Corporation Gunma UniversityInventors: Kota Torikai, Satoru Yamada
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Patent number: 8525447Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2010Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventor: Timothy A. Antaya
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Publication number: 20130221876Abstract: A switching arrangement for applying voltage pulses across a load, comprising a plurality of capacitive elements (C1-C9) connected in series, and a first switch arrangement (S) connected to the series connection to apply voltage pulses to the load, and a second switch arrangement (S1, S2) connected to a capacitive element of the series connection, such that one of the capacitive elements (C1) can be switched out of or switched into the series connection, in order to produce voltage pulses of respectively lower or higher levels, without the need to dissipate energy into a resistive load.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2011Publication date: August 29, 2013Inventors: Stephen Mark Iskander, Michael John Bland, Paul Ridgwell
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Patent number: 8519644Abstract: An accelerator assembly includes a first chip and a second chip. An acceleration channel is formed into a surface of a first side of the first chip. The first side of the first chip is covalently bonded to a first side of the second chip such that the channel is a tubular void between the first and second chips. The channel has a tubular inside sidewall surface, substantially no portion of which is a metal surface. The channel has length-to-width ratio greater than five, and a channel width less than one micron. There are many substantially identical channels that extend in parallel between the first and second chips. In one specific example, the assembly is part of a Direct Write On Wafer (DWOW) printing system. The DWOW printing system is useful in semiconductor processing in that it can direct write an image onto a 300 mm diameter wafer in one minute.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2012Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: Transmute, Inc.Inventors: Kim L. Hailey, Robert O. Conn
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Publication number: 20130181637Abstract: Circuitry is presented for use in the pulse-forming lines of compact linear accelerators of charged particles. This presents devices that can provide high-voltage radio-frequency pulses in the range of from a few volts to megavolts for charged particle accelerators. The devices can use as input an external charge voltage and an optical pulse to create output RF pulses with a peak voltage that is increased over the input voltage. The exemplary embodiment presents a circuit of pulse forming lines for compact linear accelerator that includes an opto-switch and RF transmission lines that form a pulse shaper and a ladder-like pulse multiplier unit, with or without an output shaper.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2012Publication date: July 18, 2013Inventors: Vladimir Andreevich Joshkin, Antonios Zografos
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Patent number: 8487556Abstract: An rf linear accelerator for producing an electron beam. The outer wall of the rf cavity of said linear accelerator being perforated to allow gas inside said rf cavity to flow to a pressure chamber surrounding said rf cavity and having means of ultra high vacuum pumping of the cathode of said rf linear accelerator. Said rf linear accelerator is used to accelerate polarized or unpolarized electrons produced by a photocathode, or to accelerate thermally heated electrons produced by a thermionic cathode, or to accelerate rf heated field emission electrons produced by a field emission cathode.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2011Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Duly Research Inc.Inventors: David U. L. Yu, Yan Luo
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Patent number: 8461559Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2010Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Paul Scherrer InstitutInventor: Antony Lomax
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Patent number: 8463342Abstract: Superconducting rf is limited by a wide range of failure mechanisms inherent in the typical manufacture methods. This invention provides a method for fabricating superconducting rf structures comprising coating the structures with single atomic-layer thick films of alternating chemical composition. Also provided is a cavity defining the invented laminate structure.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2008Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Uchicago Argonne, LLCInventors: James H. Norem, Michael J. Pellin
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Patent number: 8421379Abstract: An H-mode drift tube linac according to the present invention includes: an accelerator cavity which functions as a vacuum chamber and a resonator; drift tube electrodes for generating accelerating voltages in a charged particle transporting direction in the accelerator cavity; tuners for adjusting a distribution of electric fields generated at gaps between respective pairs of the drift tube electrodes; and antennas for measuring a variation of the distribution of the electric fields, the antennas being provided along the charged particle transporting direction in the accelerator cavity.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2010Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Kazuo Yamamoto, Hirofumi Tanaka, Yoichi Kuroda
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Publication number: 20130083880Abstract: A method and isotope linac system are provided for producing radio-isotopes and for recovering isotopes. The isotope linac is an energy recovery linac (ERL) with an electron beam being transmitted through an isotope-producing target. The electron beam energy is recollected and re-injected into an accelerating structure. The ERL provides improved efficiency with reduced power requirements and provides improved thermal management of an isotope target and an electron-to-x-ray converter.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2011Publication date: April 4, 2013Applicant: UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLCInventors: John Noonan, Dean Walters, Matt Virgo, John Lewellen