Beam control system for BNCT treatment

Abstract

The invention provides a beam control system for BNCT treatment. The system comprises a treatment control module, an accelerator control module and a flux monitoring module. The treatment control module is used for acquiring the delivery dose and the delivery time of the BCNT in real time so as to trigger a beam stopping instruction based on the delivery dose or the delivery time, and transmitting the beam stopping instruction to the accelerator control module so as to terminate neutron beam delivery; the accelerator control module is used for receiving a beam stop instruction to correspondingly close the proton beam so as to terminate neutron beam delivery, and automatically close the proton beam when an abnormal condition occurs; the flux monitoring module is used for monitoring neutron flux in real time and transmitting monitoring data to the treatment control module so that the treatment control module can obtain the delivery dosage in real time based on the monitoring data. According to the application, the delivery of the beam is accurately controlled and the delivery dose and the delivery time are monitored in real time in the BNCT treatment process, so that the accuracy and the safety of the beam delivery of the equipment are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of radiation technology and relates to a beam control system for BNCT treatment. Background Technology

[0002] Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an advanced cancer radiotherapy method that combines biological and physical targeting. It combines biological targeted drugs with neutron irradiation technology to treat certain types of malignant tumors. Its core principle is to selectively destroy cancer cells by utilizing nuclear reactions that occur inside cancer cells, while maximizing the protection of surrounding normal tissues.

[0003] As a highly targeted tumor treatment, beam non-contact therapy (BNCT) places extreme importance on dose monitoring and accurate beam delivery control, directly impacting its effectiveness, safety, and clinical feasibility. Therefore, developing a beam control system for BNCT that can effectively monitor and accurately control beam delivery is a crucial technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a beam control system for BNCT treatment, which addresses the technical problem of how to provide a beam control system for BNCT treatment that can effectively monitor and accurately control the delivery of the beam.

[0005] The first aspect of this application provides a beam control system for BNCT treatment, the system comprising a treatment control module, an accelerator control module and a flux monitoring module; The treatment control module is used to acquire the delivery dose and delivery time of BCNT in real time, trigger a beam stop command based on the delivery dose or delivery time, and transmit the beam stop command to the accelerator control module to terminate the neutron beam delivery. The accelerator control module is used to receive the beam stop command to shut down the proton beam and terminate the delivery of the neutron beam, and to automatically shut down the proton beam in case of abnormality. The flux monitoring module is used to monitor the neutron flux in real time and transmit the monitoring data to the treatment control module so that the treatment control module can obtain the delivery dose in real time based on the monitoring data.

[0006] In some implementations of the first aspect, a first beam-stopping path and a second beam-stopping path are provided between the treatment control module and the accelerator control module; When the treatment control module transmits the beam-stopping command to the accelerator control module through the first beam-stopping path, the accelerator control module performs the first beam-stopping operation based on the beam-stopping command. When the treatment control module transmits the beam-stopping command to the accelerator control module through the second beam-stopping path, the accelerator control module performs a second beam-stopping operation based on the beam-stopping command.

[0007] In some implementations of the first aspect, the treatment control module includes a dose control unit, an independent termination unit, a treatment interlock unit, and a dose verification unit; The dose control unit is used to convert the monitoring data into a beam delivery dose rate to obtain the delivery dose in real time, and to trigger the beam stop command when the delivery dose reaches the beam stop threshold and transmit it to the accelerator control module through the first beam stop path or the second beam stop path. The independent termination unit is independent of the dose control unit and is used to trigger the beam stop command separately and transmit it to the accelerator control module through the second beam stop path when the dose control unit malfunctions and the delivery time reaches the independent termination time. The treatment interlock unit is used to directly trigger the beam stop command and transmit it to the accelerator control module through the second beam stop path when both the dose control unit and the independent termination unit are malfunctioning. The dose verification unit is used to simulate neutron beam conditions before actual beam delivery to verify whether the dose control unit is working properly.

[0008] In some implementations of the first aspect, the dose control unit includes a main dose control unit and a secondary dose control unit; The dose control master unit is used to trigger the beam stop command when the delivered dose reaches the first beam stop threshold, and transmits it to the accelerator control module through the first beam stop path; The dose control sub-unit is used to trigger the beam-stopping command when the dose control master unit malfunctions and the delivered dose reaches the second beam-stopping threshold, and transmits it to the accelerator control module through the second beam-stopping path; the second beam-stopping threshold is greater than the first beam-stopping threshold.

[0009] In some implementations of the first aspect, the accelerator control module includes an accelerator control unit, an accelerator control interlocking unit, and a facility interlocking unit; The accelerator control unit is used to execute the first beam-stopping operation based on the beam-stopping command transmitted by the first beam-stopping path; The accelerator control interlocking unit is used to execute the second beam stop operation based on the beam stop command transmitted by the second beam stop path, or to directly execute the second beam stop operation when the facility interlocking unit malfunctions. The facility interlocking unit is used to transmit the stop command transmitted by the second stop path to the accelerator control interlocking unit, or, when the second stop path transmission is abnormal, directly trigger the stop command and transmit it to the accelerator control interlocking unit to execute the second stop operation.

[0010] In some implementations of the first aspect, the accelerator control interlocking unit is further configured to perform the second beam-stopping operation when the accelerator control unit fails to successfully perform the first beam-stopping operation.

[0011] In some implementations of the first aspect, the accelerator control module further includes a beam diagnostic unit and a beam anomaly interlocking link verification unit; The beam diagnostic unit is used to determine whether the proton beam transmission is normal based on the beam current intensity at multiple locations, and to transmit an abnormal signal to the accelerator control interlocking unit to execute the second beam stop operation when the proton beam transmission is abnormal. The beam anomaly interlocking link verification unit is used to simulate proton beam conditions before the actual beam delivery to verify whether the beam diagnostic unit and the accelerator control interlocking unit are working properly.

[0012] In some implementations of the first aspect, when the first current intensity comparison result is less than the first preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal; the first current intensity comparison result is obtained based on the current intensity at the time of proton beam injection and the current intensity after the proton beam is accelerated. When the second current intensity comparison result is less than the second preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal; the second current intensity comparison result is obtained based on the current intensity of the proton beam after acceleration and the current intensity of the proton beam at the end of the transmission common segment; When the third current intensity comparison result is less than the third preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal; the third current intensity comparison result is obtained based on the current intensity of the proton beam after acceleration and the current intensity of the proton beam at the end in front of the neutron target; or When the current intensity of the proton beam at the front end of the neutron target exceeds the preset allowable deviation, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal.

[0013] In some implementations of the first aspect, the flux monitoring module includes a first neutron flux detector, a second neutron flux detector, and a third neutron flux detector; The first neutron flux detector and the second neutron flux detector are connected to the dose control unit and are used to obtain the current neutron flux based on the correspondence between the detection response and the neutron flux, and transmit it to the dose control unit. The third neutron flux detector is connected to the independent termination unit and is used to use the detected neutron beam signal as the start signal for the independent termination unit to obtain the delivery time.

[0014] In some implementations of the first aspect, the treatment control module further includes a beam scheduling unit, a beam delivery unit, and an emergency stop unit; The beam scheduling unit is used to request beam delivery from the accelerator control module so that the accelerator control module can perform beam scheduling. The beam delivery unit is used to transmit beam delivery commands to the accelerator control module to activate the neutron beam delivery. The emergency stop unit is used to trigger an emergency stop command and transmit it to the accelerator control module through the second beam stop path to execute the second beam stop operation.

[0015] As described above, the beam control system for BNCT treatment described in this application has the following beneficial effects: 1. The dose control unit in this application adopts a dual-redundant design. When the main dose control unit malfunctions, there is a backup dose control subunit that can monitor the beam dose and perform beam stop operations. This allows the patient's treatment to continue while ensuring normal beam delivery, thereby improving the treatment completion rate and enhancing the reliability of the system's beam shutdown.

[0016] 2. This application includes an independent termination unit completely separate from the dose control unit. This ensures that even if the dose control unit malfunctions or fails to detect a fault, the system can still perform beam termination based on the independent termination time, preventing the patient from receiving excessive dose delivery. This application also prevents situations where the neutron flux decreases due to a decline in the performance of the neutron target during beam delivery, resulting in the delivered dose failing to reach the planned dose for an extended period and thus failing to trigger beam termination, thereby ensuring that the patient's treatment time remains within a safe range.

[0017] 3. This application monitors the transmission efficiency of the proton beam in real time, monitoring the proton beam used to generate neutrons from the source. When an anomaly is detected in the proton beam, beam delivery is stopped in a timely manner, preventing incorrect delivery of the neutron beam from the source. This allows for earlier identification of beam delivery anomalies and improves the timeliness of system anomaly handling.

[0018] 4. This application establishes two distinct beam-stopping paths between the treatment control module and the accelerator control module to ensure the successful transmission of beam-stopping commands to the accelerator. This effectively prevents situations where beam-stopping commands cannot be transmitted due to a failure in one path, increasing the reliability of successful beam-stopping. Furthermore, this application designs an emergency stop button independent of the beam-stopping path to achieve emergency beam-stopping, increasing the flexibility and reliability of beam-stopping.

[0019] 5. This application designs a downstream component of the beam-stopping path to monitor the upstream operating status. When the upstream operating status is abnormal, the downstream component will directly send a beam-stopping command to the back-end link, actively preventing the beam-stopping command from failing to be transmitted due to abnormality. This reduces the risk of beam delivery not stopping normally due to system malfunction and avoids patients receiving excessive dose delivery.

[0020] 6. This application designs two corresponding beam-stopping operations based on two beam-stopping paths, which can effectively avoid damage to the system caused by beam-stopping operations and ensure rapid and efficient beam termination in abnormal situations, thus ensuring the reliability of beam stopping. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the beam control system for BNCT treatment described in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the beam control system for BNCT treatment according to another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0023] Figure 3 The diagram shows multiple beam current intensities monitored by the beam diagnostic unit described in this embodiment of the application.

[0024] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the display information of the display module in this embodiment.

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the beam control system for BNCT treatment according to another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0026] Component designation explanation: 1. Beam control system for BNCT treatment; 10. Treatment control module; 101 Dosage control unit; 1010 Dosage Control Main Unit; 1011 dose control subunits; 1012 MU dose conversion master unit; 1013 MU dose conversion subunit; 1015 Beam start / stop unit; 1016 Beam Display Unit; 102 Independent Termination Units; 103 Treatment Interlocking Units; 104 Beam Scheduling Units; 105 Beam Delivery Units; 106 Emergency Stop Unit; 107 Dosage Validation Unit; 20. Accelerator control module; 201 Accelerator Control Unit; 202 Accelerator control interlocking unit; 203 Facility Interlocking Unit; 2031 First Facility Interlocking Subunit; 2032 Second Facility Interlocking Subunit; 204 Beam Diagnostic Unit; 205 Accelerator Interface; 206 Beam Anomaly Interlocking Link Verification Unit; 30. Flux monitoring module; 301 First Neutron Flux Detector; 302 Second Neutron Flux Detector; 303 Third Neutron Flux Detector; 40 Display modules; 401 Main dose monitoring display unit; 402 dose monitoring display units; 403 Independent termination time display unit; 900 treatment control software units; 901 Treatment Control Kit; 903 Microwave Power Supply; 904 High Voltage Power Supply; 906 Constant Current Power Supply; 907 Faraday Cup mechanical limit switch; 909 Radiation Safety Interlocking Unit. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0028] It should be noted that in the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of this application. It should be understood that other embodiments may also be used, and changes in mechanical composition, structure, electrical system, and operation may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. The following detailed description should not be considered limiting, and the scope of the embodiments of this application is defined only by the claims of the published patent. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application. Spatial terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “below,” “below,” “lower part,” “above,” “upper part,” etc., may be used herein to illustrate the relationship between one element or feature shown in the figures and another element or feature.

[0029] Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” indicate the presence of the stated feature, operation, element, component, item, kind, and / or group, but do not preclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or more other features, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms “or” and “and / or” as used herein are to be interpreted inclusively, or mean any one or any combination thereof.

[0030] BNCT therapy is an advanced cancer radiotherapy method that combines biological and physical targeting. It integrates targeted biological drugs with advanced neutron irradiation technology. Used to treat certain types of malignant tumors, its core principle is to selectively destroy cancer cells using nuclear reactions occurring inside them, while maximizing the protection of surrounding normal tissue. The treatment procedure involves injecting the patient with boron-containing drugs that selectively accumulate in cancer cells. -10 The drug is then used to irradiate the tumor area with a superthermal neutron beam generated by an accelerator. The thermal neutrons selectively bind to the neutrons that accumulate within the tumor cells. 10 The B(n,α)Li nuclear reaction occurs, producing high-energy α particles and lithium ions with extremely short ranges (6-9μm). Tumor cells are irradiated by α rays and Li, causing double-strand breaks in the DNA of cancer cells, thus achieving tumor treatment.

[0031] During boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), it is crucial to strictly adhere to the irradiation dose specified in the patient's treatment plan. This requires delivering a sufficient dose to exceed the lethal dose at the tumor site while ensuring that the dose received by normal tissues and organs is below the tolerable dose. Inaccurate dose delivery can lead to treatment failure or damage to healthy tissues. Furthermore, in case of emergencies during treatment, beam delivery must be stopped immediately to prevent further irradiation. Therefore, boron neutron capture therapy equipment requires a highly reliable and robust beam control system to control beam delivery, ensuring accurate patient dose delivery and timely beam interruption in case of abnormalities, thus guaranteeing patient safety.

[0032] To at least address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a beam control system for BNCT treatment, which enables accurate control of beam delivery and real-time monitoring of the delivered beam dose during patient treatment, ensuring the smooth completion of patient treatment and accurate delivery of the irradiation dose, and ensuring the accuracy and safety of the equipment's beam delivery.

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the beam control system for BNCT treatment described in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the beam control system 1 for BNCT treatment includes a treatment control module 10, an accelerator control module 20, and a flux monitoring module 30.

[0034] The treatment control module 10 is used to acquire the delivery dose and delivery time of BCNT in real time, trigger a beam stop command based on the delivery dose or delivery time, and transmit the beam stop command to the accelerator control module to terminate the neutron beam delivery.

[0035] The accelerator control module 20 is used to receive the beam stop command to shut down the proton beam and terminate the delivery of the neutron beam, and to automatically shut down the proton beam in case of abnormal conditions.

[0036] The flux monitoring module 30 is used to monitor the neutron flux in real time and transmit the monitoring data to the treatment control module 10 so that the treatment control module 10 can obtain the delivery dose in real time based on the monitoring data.

[0037] For further information, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 As shown, a first beam-stopping path and a second beam-stopping path are provided between the treatment control module 10 and the accelerator control module 20.

[0038] In some embodiments, when the treatment control module 10 transmits the beam cessation command to the accelerator control module 20 through the first beam cessation path, the accelerator control module 20 performs a first beam cessation operation based on the beam cessation command.

[0039] In some embodiments, when the treatment control module 10 transmits the beam cessation command to the accelerator control module 20 through the second beam cessation path, the accelerator control module 20 performs a second beam cessation operation based on the beam cessation command.

[0040] Please see Figure 2 As shown, the treatment control module 10 includes a dose control unit 101, an independent termination unit 102, a treatment interlock unit 103, and a dose verification unit 107.

[0041] The dose control unit 101 converts the monitoring data into a beam delivery dose rate to obtain the delivery dose in real time. When the delivery dose reaches a termination threshold, it triggers a termination command, which is transmitted to the accelerator control module 20 via either the first or second termination path. By statistically analyzing the real-time delivery dose of the neutron beam through the dose control unit 101, and promptly triggering a termination command when the delivered dose reaches the planned treatment dose, the continued delivery of the neutron beam is terminated, thereby effectively ensuring the safety of BNCT treatment.

[0042] In some embodiments, the flux monitoring module 30 monitors the neutron flux delivered at the neutron beam exit in real time and transmits the monitoring data to the dose control unit 101 in real time. The dose control unit 101 converts the received neutron flux monitoring data into dose monitoring units, using MU (machine hops) to characterize the beam delivery dose rate. MU is defined using the concept of beam dose rate measurement from radiotherapy linear accelerators, representing the unit of beam dose delivered by the device per second. In the boron neutron capture therapy device, the thermal neutron flux at the location of maximum thermal neutron flux in water is defined as 5.0 × 10⁻⁶. 8 n / (cm 2 The value of ·s) is 1 MU. That is, the dose control unit 101 divides the monitoring data (neutron flux value transmitted by the flux monitoring module 30) by 5.0 × 10⁻⁶. 8 n / (cm 2 The current beam delivery dose rate (MU / s) can be obtained by calculating the beam delivery time. The real-time delivery dose can then be obtained based on the delivery time.

[0043] For further information, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 As shown, the dose control unit 101 includes a dose control main unit 1010 and a dose control sub-unit 1011.

[0044] In some embodiments, the dose control master unit 1010 is used to trigger the beam-stopping command when the delivered dose reaches the first beam-stopping threshold, and transmit it to the accelerator control module 20 through the first beam-stopping path.

[0045] In some embodiments, the dose control sub-unit 1011 is used to trigger the beam stop command when the dose control main unit 1010 malfunctions and the delivered dose reaches the second beam stop threshold, and transmits it to the accelerator control module 20 through the second beam stop path.

[0046] In fact, the dose control unit 101 provided in this application uses a dual-channel dose judgment unit to monitor the dose. For further details, please refer to... Figure 2 As shown, the dose control main unit 1010 is connected to the first neutron flux detector 301 of the flux monitoring module 30, and the dose control sub-unit 1011 is connected to the second neutron flux detector 302 of the flux monitoring module 30. They receive the monitoring data transmitted by the first neutron flux detector 301 and the second neutron flux detector 302, respectively, and convert them into beam delivery dose rates independently to calculate the delivery dose. Then, by configuring different dose-based beam stop thresholds for the dose control main unit 1010 and the dose control sub-unit 1011, the corresponding triggering of the beam stop command is realized.

[0047] Wherein, the second beam-stopping threshold is greater than the first beam-stopping threshold. In some embodiments, the first beam-stopping threshold is set to be consistent with the treatment plan dose, and the second beam-stopping threshold is 110% of the treatment plan dose. That is, when the delivered dose obtained by the dose control master unit 1010 is equal to the treatment plan dose, the beam-stopping command is transmitted to the accelerator control module 20 through the first beam-stopping path to execute the first beam-stopping operation. When the dose control master unit 1010 malfunctions and fails to trigger beam-stopping, the dose control sub-unit 1011 will continue to monitor the beam current. When the dose control sub-unit 1011 detects that the delivered dose is 110% of the treatment plan dose, the beam-stopping command is sent to the accelerator control module 20 through the second beam-stopping path to execute the second beam-stopping operation.

[0048] Furthermore, the dose verification unit 107 is used to simulate neutron beam conditions before actual beam delivery to verify whether the dose control unit 101 is functioning properly. That is, before actual beam delivery, this embodiment verifies the dose control unit 101 through the dose verification unit 107 to ensure that the dose control unit 101 can function properly in actual use. In some embodiments, the dose verification unit 107 verifies whether the dose control unit 101 can function properly by providing a neutron simulation signal.

[0049] Please continue reading. Figure 2As shown, the independent termination unit 102 is independent of the dose control unit 101. When the dose control unit 101 malfunctions and the delivery time reaches the independent termination time, the independent termination unit 102 independently triggers the beam stop command and transmits it to the accelerator control module 20 via the second beam stop path. When neutron beam delivery is enabled, the independent termination unit 102 starts timing. When the beam delivery time reaches the preset independent termination time, the independent termination unit 102 sends a beam stop command to the accelerator control module 20 via the second beam stop path. The independent termination unit 102 is completely independent of the dose control unit 101, serving as a backup for the dose control unit 101's function of shutting down beam delivery. That is, when neither the dose control master unit 1010 nor the dose control sub-unit 1011 triggers a beam stop signal (i.e., a malfunction occurs), the independent termination unit 102 can operate independently, thereby ensuring that the delivered beam dose does not exceed the maximum acceptable dose for the patient.

[0050] In some embodiments, the independent termination time is obtained by calculating the maximum allowable delivery dose based on the limit that the beam delivery does not exceed 120% or 0.25 Gy beyond the treatment plan dose, and then dividing the maximum delivery dose by the maximum system neutron flux obtained on that day using the gold foil activation method to calculate the independent termination time when the beam delivery should be stopped.

[0051] For further information, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 As shown, the independent termination unit 102 is individually connected to the third neutron flux detector 303 of the flux monitoring module 30. The third neutron flux detector 303 uses the detected neutron beam signal as the start signal for the independent termination unit 102 to acquire the delivery time. In some embodiments, the independent termination unit 102 enters the treatment monitoring mode each time the beam is ready to be delivered. When the third neutron flux detector 303 detects the neutron beam signal, the independent termination unit 102 starts timing for this beam delivery. When the delivery time reaches the independent termination time, the independent termination unit 102 triggers a beam stop command.

[0052] Furthermore, during the treatment process, if the third neutron flux detector 303 does not detect a neutron beam signal, the independent termination unit 102 pauses the timing and saves the current time reading; if the third neutron flux detector 303 detects a neutron beam signal, the independent termination unit 102 resumes the timing until the third neutron flux detector 303 no longer detects a neutron signal, or the independent termination time is reached, at which point the independent termination unit 102 stops the timing and saves the time reading at that time.

[0053] Please continue reading. Figure 2As shown, the treatment interlock unit 103 is used to directly trigger the beam stop command and transmit it to the accelerator control module 20 through the second beam stop path when both the dose control unit 101 and the independent termination unit 102 are malfunctioning.

[0054] In some embodiments, the treatment interlock unit 103 monitors the heartbeat signals of the dose control unit 101 and the independent termination unit 102 in real time to monitor whether the working status of the dose control unit 101 and the independent termination unit 102 is normal. When both the dose control unit 101 and the independent termination unit 102 malfunction, the treatment interlock unit 103 will directly trigger the beam-stopping command and transmit it to the accelerator control module 20 through the second beam-stopping path to perform the second beam-stopping operation, thereby accurately and quickly terminating the beam.

[0055] Please continue reading. Figure 2 As shown above, a first beam-stopping path and a second beam-stopping path are provided between the treatment control module 10 and the accelerator control module 20.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first beam-stopping path is the accelerator interface path. That is, when the treatment control module 10 transmits the beam-stopping command to the accelerator control module 20 through the accelerator interface 205, the accelerator control module 20 executes the first beam-stopping operation. The first beam-stopping operation includes stopping the proton beam delivery by shutting down the Faraday cup.

[0057] In some embodiments, the second beam-stopping path is the treatment interlocking unit path. That is, when the treatment control module 10 transmits the beam-stopping command from the second beam-stopping path to the accelerator control module 20 via the treatment interlocking unit 103, the accelerator control module 20 executes the second beam-stopping operation. The second beam-stopping operation includes cutting off the proton beam delivery by shutting down the microwave power supply and high-voltage power supply of the proton injection system, thereby stopping the beam delivery.

[0058] In effect, this application provides two transmission paths for the termination command and configures corresponding termination operations. Please refer to [further details]. Figure 2As shown, the beam-stopping command issued from the dose control master unit 1010 is transmitted to the accelerator control module 20 via the first beam-stopping path (accelerator interface 205). The accelerator control module 20 stops the proton beam delivery by shutting down the Faraday cup. Meanwhile, the beam-stopping command issued from the dose control sub-unit 1011 and the independent termination unit 102 is transmitted to the accelerator control module 20 via the treatment interlock unit 103 via the second beam-stopping path. The accelerator control module 20 stops the proton beam delivery by shutting down the microwave power supply and high-voltage power supply of the proton injection system. Furthermore, when both the dose control sub-unit 1011 and the independent termination unit 102 malfunction, the treatment interlock unit 103 will also directly trigger the beam-stopping command and transmit it to the accelerator control module 20 via the second beam-stopping path.

[0059] In practice, under normal beam cessation conditions, this application transmits the beam cessation command through the first cessation path to shut down the Faraday cup, thereby reducing the damage to the system caused by frequent shutdowns of the microwave and high-voltage power supplies of the proton injection system. Under abnormal conditions, this application transmits the beam cessation command through the second cessation path to shut down the microwave and high-voltage power supplies, thus directly cutting off the generation of the proton beam. This is a more reliable beam cessation method, ensuring the reliability of beam cessation. Furthermore, through the control of different levels of units, this application ensures that when individual units malfunction, the system can promptly respond and execute backup beam cessation functions, more effectively guaranteeing the system's efficient response to various abnormal situations.

[0060] For further information, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 As shown, the treatment control module 10 also includes a beam scheduling unit 104, a beam delivery unit 105, and an emergency stop unit 106.

[0061] The beam scheduling unit 104 requests beam delivery from the accelerator control module 20 so that the accelerator control module 20 can perform beam scheduling. In some embodiments, after the patient's treatment positioning is completed, the beam scheduling unit 104 requests beam delivery from the accelerator control module 205 through the accelerator interface 205. When the accelerator control module 20 receives the request, it completes the beam preparation and deflects the beam transmission path to the corresponding treatment room.

[0062] The beam delivery unit 105 is used to transmit beam delivery commands to the accelerator control module to initiate neutron beam delivery. In some embodiments, the beam delivery unit 105 executes the delivery command via a physical button.

[0063] The emergency stop unit 106 is used to trigger an emergency stop command, which is transmitted to the accelerator control module 20 via the second beam-stopping path to execute the second beam-stopping operation. In some embodiments, when an operator recognizes the need to stop beam delivery, the emergency stop unit 106 can trigger a beam-stopping command, which is then transmitted to the accelerator control module 20 via the second beam-stopping path to stop the beam.

[0064] Please see Figure 2 As shown, the accelerator control module 20 includes an accelerator control unit 201, an accelerator control interlocking unit 202, and a facility interlocking unit 203.

[0065] The accelerator control unit 201 is used to execute the first beam-stopping operation based on the beam-stopping command transmitted through the first beam-stopping path. Please continue reading. Figure 2 As shown, the accelerator control module 20 also includes an accelerator interface 205, which is used to realize communication between the accelerator control module 20 and the treatment control module 10.

[0066] In the above embodiments, when the beam-stopping command issued by the dose control master unit 1010 is transmitted from the first beam-stopping path (accelerator interface 205) to the accelerator control unit 201, the accelerator control unit 201 closes the Faraday cup based on the beam-stopping command, that is, the Faraday cup falls, cutting off the transmission of the proton beam, thereby stopping the delivery of the neutron beam. Conversely, when the delivery command issued by the beam delivery unit 105 is transmitted to the accelerator control unit 201 through the accelerator interface 205, the accelerator control unit 201 opens the Faraday cup based on the delivery command, that is, the Faraday cup is pulled up, the proton beam is transmitted to the neutron target, and the delivery of the neutron beam begins.

[0067] The accelerator control interlocking unit 202 is used to execute the second stop operation based on the stop command transmitted by the second stop path, or to directly execute the second stop operation when the facility interlocking unit 203 malfunctions. In some embodiments, the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 determines whether the facility interlocking unit 203 is working normally by monitoring the heartbeat signal of the facility interlocking unit 203.

[0068] Furthermore, the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 is also used to execute the second beam-stopping operation when the accelerator control unit 201 fails to successfully execute the first beam-stopping operation. That is, when the accelerator control unit 201 fails to successfully drop the Faraday cup and thus cut off the proton beam, it will directly trigger the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 to execute the second beam-stopping operation.

[0069] The facility interlocking unit 203 is used to transmit the stop signal transmitted by the second stop path to the accelerator control interlocking unit 202; or, when the second stop path transmission is abnormal, to directly trigger the stop command and transmit it to the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 to execute the second stop operation.

[0070] In some embodiments, the second beam-stopping path is connected to the treatment interlock unit 103, meaning the beam-stopping signal is transmitted to the facility interlock unit 203 via the treatment interlock unit 103. Specifically, when the treatment interlock unit 103 malfunctions, causing an abnormal transmission of the second beam-stopping path, the facility interlock unit 203 will directly trigger the beam-stopping command and transmit it to the accelerator control interlock unit 202. This prevents the beam-stopping signal triggered by the treatment control module 10 under abnormal conditions from failing to be transmitted to the accelerator control module 20 to execute the second beam-stopping operation due to a malfunction of the treatment interlock unit 103.

[0071] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the facility interlocking unit 203 employs a dual-module redundancy design, that is, the facility interlocking unit 203 has two facility interlocking subunits, namely the first facility interlocking subunit 2031 and the second facility interlocking subunit 2032, to ensure timely response to the beam stop signal under any circumstances and timely transmission of the beam stop signal to the accelerator control interlocking unit 202, thereby further improving the reliability of the beam control system used for BNCT treatment.

[0072] Please continue reading. Figure 2 As shown, the accelerator control module 20 further includes a beam diagnostic unit 204. The beam diagnostic unit 204 is used to determine whether the proton beam transmission is normal based on multiple beam intensities, and to transmit an abnormal signal to the accelerator control interlock unit 202 to execute the second beam stop operation when the proton beam transmission is abnormal.

[0073] In some embodiments, when the first current intensity comparison result is less than the first preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal; the first current intensity comparison result is obtained based on the current intensity at the time of proton beam injection and the current intensity after the proton beam is accelerated.

[0074] In some embodiments, when the second current intensity comparison result is less than the second preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal; the second current intensity comparison result is obtained based on the current intensity of the proton beam after acceleration and the current intensity of the proton beam at the end of the transmission common segment.

[0075] In some embodiments, when the third current intensity comparison result is less than the third preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal; the third current intensity comparison result is obtained based on the current intensity of the proton beam after acceleration and the current intensity of the proton beam at the front end of the neutron target.

[0076] In some embodiments, when the current intensity of the proton beam at the front end of the neutron target exceeds a preset allowable deviation, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal.

[0077] It should be noted that the first preset normal transmission efficiency, the second preset normal transmission efficiency, and the third preset normal transmission efficiency can be the same value or different values, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0078] Figure 3 This diagram shows multiple beam current intensities monitored by the beam diagnostic unit 204. (See diagram for example.) Figure 3 As shown, three pulsed beam current detectors (ACCT1~ACCT3) and one DC beam current detector (DCCT) are deployed along the beam propagation path of the system to measure the proton beam current generated to the neutron target. The ACCT is an AC current transformer, primarily detecting pulsed beam signals; the DCCT is a DC current transformer, primarily detecting continuous beam signals. These four beam current detectors can monitor the proton beam current at various points within the system.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the beam diagnostic unit 204 determines whether the beam delivery is normal by checking whether the beam transmission efficiency between each beam segment is normal during the beam delivery process. Figure 3 For example, there are four specific situations.

[0080] 1) By comparing the beam current intensity (current intensity during proton beam injection) read from ACCT1 at the end of the proton injection system with the beam current intensity (current intensity after proton beam acceleration) read from ACCT2 at the end of the RFQ accelerator (radio frequency quadrupole accelerator), a first current intensity is obtained, thereby determining whether the beam transmission from the proton injection system to the accelerator is normal: when ACCT2*100% / ACCT1≥the first preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam transmission is determined to be normal; when ACCT2*100% / ACCT1<the first preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam transmission is determined to be abnormal, and an abnormal signal is transmitted to the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 to execute the second beam stop operation.

[0081] 2) By comparing the beam current intensity (proton beam current intensity at the end of the common section of the high-energy transmission line) read from ACCT3 at the end of the high-energy transmission line with the beam current intensity (proton beam current intensity after acceleration) read from ACCT2 at the end of the accelerator, a second current intensity is obtained, thereby determining whether the beam transmission of the common section of the high-energy transmission system is normal: when ACCT3*100% / ACCT2≥ the second preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam transmission is determined to be normal; when ACCT3*100% / ACCT2< the second preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam transmission is determined to be abnormal, and an abnormal signal is transmitted to the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 to execute the second beam stop operation.

[0082] 3) By comparing the beam current intensity (proton beam current intensity at the end of the neutron target front beamline) read by DCCT at the end of the neutron target front beamline with the beam current intensity (proton beam current intensity after acceleration) read by ACCT2 at the end of the accelerator, a third current intensity is obtained, thereby determining whether the beam transmission of this section of the high-energy transmission line system is normal: when DCCT*100% / ACCT2 ≥ the third preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam transmission is determined to be normal; when DCCT*100% / ACCT2 < the third preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam transmission is determined to be abnormal, and an abnormal signal is transmitted to the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 to execute the second beam stop operation.

[0083] 4) The current intensity of the proton beam at the DCCT at the end of the neutron target beamline is compared with the current intensity of the proton beam when the system is working normally to determine whether the proton beam of the system is normal. When the fluctuation range of the current intensity of the beam read from the DCCT is greater than the preset allowable deviation, it is determined that the beam supply at the target is abnormal, and the abnormal signal is transmitted to the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 to execute the second beam stop operation.

[0084] In summary, the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 primarily performs the function of beam stopping in abnormal situations, stopping neutron beam delivery by cutting off the proton beam supply. The following will further summarize and explain the situation where the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 performs a second beam-stopping operation.

[0085] 1. Upon receiving a termination command transmitted by facility interlock unit 203, a second termination operation is executed. The termination command transmitted by facility interlock unit 203 includes termination commands transmitted via a second termination path, and termination commands directly triggered by facility interlock unit 203 when the second termination path transmission is abnormal. In the above embodiment, termination commands transmitted via the second termination path include termination commands triggered by dose control subunit 1011, termination commands triggered by independent termination unit 102, termination commands triggered by treatment interlock unit 103, and termination commands triggered by emergency stop unit 106.

[0086] 2. When the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 detects that the facility interlocking unit 203 is malfunctioning, including when any facility interlocking subunit is malfunctioning, the second beam stop operation is directly triggered.

[0087] 3. When the accelerator control unit 201 performs the first beam stop operation, that is, performs normal beam stop by closing the Faraday cup, if the accelerator control unit 201 does not receive a signal that the mechanical limit switch of the Faraday cup is in the closed position within 3 seconds, it will directly trigger the accelerator control interlock unit 202 to shut down the beam by turning off the microwave power supply and the high voltage power supply, so as to avoid the proton beam failing to shut down successfully if the Faraday cup is not properly positioned.

[0088] 4. When the proton beam transmission is abnormal and an abnormal signal is received from the beam diagnostic unit 204, the second beam stop operation is directly triggered.

[0089] Please continue reading. Figure 2 As shown, the accelerator control module 20 further includes a beam anomaly interlock link verification unit 206. The beam anomaly interlock link verification unit 206 is used to simulate proton beam conditions before actual beam delivery to verify whether the beam diagnostic unit 204 and the accelerator control interlock unit 202 are functioning correctly. That is, before actual beam delivery, this embodiment verifies the beam diagnostic unit 204 and the accelerator control interlock unit 202 through the beam anomaly interlock link verification unit 206 to ensure that both can function normally in actual use and perform beam shutdown function under abnormal conditions. In some embodiments, the beam anomaly interlock link verification unit 206 provides simulated current to simulate proton beam conditions, thereby verifying whether the beam diagnostic unit 204 and the accelerator control interlock unit 202 can function normally. Please continue reading. Figure 2 As shown above, the flux monitoring module 30 includes a first neutron flux detector 301, a second neutron flux detector 302 and a third neutron flux detector 303.

[0090] As previously described, in some embodiments, the first neutron flux detector 301 and the second neutron flux detector 302 are connected to the dose control unit 101 to obtain the current neutron flux based on the correspondence between the detection response and the neutron flux, and transmit it to the dose control unit 101. The third neutron flux detector 303 is connected to the independent termination unit 102 to use the detected neutron beam signal as the start signal for the independent termination unit 102 to obtain the delivery time.

[0091] The first neutron flux detector 301 is connected to the dose control main unit 1010, and the second neutron flux detector 302 is connected to the dose control sub-unit 1011. By connecting the three neutron flux detectors to the treatment control module 10, the dose control main unit 1010, the dose control sub-unit 1011, and the independent termination unit 102 can operate independently. If any of the other units malfunction, the remaining units can perform normal beam-stopping functions.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the gold wire activation method is used to measure thermal neutron flux to calibrate the correspondence between the detection response of the neutron flux detector and the neutron flux. Specifically, the neutron flux at the location with the maximum neutron flux in the water tank is measured using the gold wire activation method, and the average response value of the neutron detector is calculated. The current average response value of the neutron detector represents the neutron flux output by the system at this time, thereby establishing the correspondence between the detection response and the neutron flux.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first neutron flux detector 301, the second neutron flux detector 302, and the third neutron flux detector 303 provided in this application can be commonly used neutron flux detectors such as diamond thermal neutron detectors and boron-coated perovskite neutron detectors, and this application does not impose any limitations on them. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can also use other methods to establish the correspondence between the detection response and the neutron flux, and this application also does not impose any limitations on this.

[0094] Please continue reading. Figure 2 The beam control system for BNCT treatment provided in this application embodiment may further include a display module 40. The display module 40 is used to monitor and display beam delivery-related information in real time during beam delivery, such as the delivered neutron beam dose and the real-time beam delivery dose rate, facilitating equipment operators to view current beam delivery-related information. Furthermore, the display module 40 is designed to maintain the displayed beam delivery-related information unchanged after beam delivery is paused or terminated, until intentionally cleared or restored. Additionally, the display module 40 is equipped with a UPS uninterruptible power supply to ensure that beam delivery-related information can be retained for a period of time in the event of a power outage, further improving treatment safety.

[0095] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the display information of the display module 40 in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the display module 40 may include a main dose monitoring display unit 401, a secondary dose monitoring display unit 402, and an independent termination time display unit 403.

[0096] The information displayed by the main dose monitoring and display unit 401 includes: the first beam stop threshold, the current neutron beam dose rate 1, the current delivered dose 1, and a progress graph representing the ratio between the current delivered dose 1 and the treatment plan dose.

[0097] The information displayed by the sub-dose monitoring and display unit 402 includes: the second beam stop threshold, the current neutron beam dose rate 2, the current delivered dose 2, and a progress graph representing the relationship between the delivered dose 2 and the treatment plan dose ratio.

[0098] The information displayed by the independent termination time display unit 403 includes: the independent termination time of this beam delivery, the beam delivery time, a progress graph representing the ratio of the delivery time to the independent termination time, and the proton beam dose rate in front of the neutron target.

[0099] Therefore, in summary, the beam control system 1 for BNCT treatment provided in this application includes a treatment control module 10, an accelerator control module 20, and a flux monitoring module 30. These modules cooperate to accurately control beam delivery and monitor the beam dose in real time during patient treatment, ensuring successful completion of treatment and accurate dose delivery, thus guaranteeing the accuracy and safety of the beam delivery. Furthermore, the beam control system for BNCT treatment may also include a display module 40 to facilitate operators in viewing current beam delivery information.

[0100] Figure 5 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the beam control system for BNCT therapy according to another embodiment of this application. The following will be combined with... Figure 5 The workflow of the beam control system for BNCT treatment according to embodiments of this application will be further described.

[0101] a. Beam delivery start workflow: The treatment control software unit 900 sends a beam delivery plan to the dose control unit 101. The treatment control software unit 900 requests a beam through the beam scheduling unit 104. After the beam is ready, the treatment control box 901 clicks the beam delivery button to issue a beam delivery command. This command is sent to the accelerator control unit 201 through the accelerator interface 205 via the beam start / stop unit 1015. The accelerator control unit 201 controls the Faraday cup to be pulled out, and the proton beam delivery begins, thereby starting the neutron beam delivery.

[0102] b. Normal beam delivery shutdown procedure (triggered by dose control master unit 1010 to terminate the procedure): The first neutron flux detector 301 acquires the neutron flux and transmits it to the MU dose conversion master unit 1012. After the MU dose conversion master unit 1012 converts the neutron flux into the beam delivery dose rate, the dose control master unit 1010 acquires the delivery dose based on the beam delivery dose rate. When the delivered dose is detected to have reached the first beam stop threshold (equal to the treatment plan dose), a beam stop command is sent to the accelerator control unit 201 via the accelerator interface 205. The accelerator control unit 201 controls the insertion of the Faraday cup, and the proton beam delivery stops, thereby terminating the neutron beam delivery.

[0103] c. Beam delivery pause workflow: Pressing the pause beam button in the treatment control box 901 sends a beam stop command. The command is sent to the accelerator control unit 201 via the beam start / stop unit 1015 and the accelerator interface 205. The accelerator control unit 201 controls the insertion of the Faraday cup, and the proton beam delivery stops, thereby pausing the neutron beam delivery.

[0104] d. Beam delivery resumption process from paused state to delivery state: The treatment control box 901 clicks the beam delivery button to send a beam delivery command. The command is sent to the accelerator control unit 201 through the beam start / stop unit 1015 and the accelerator interface 205. The accelerator control unit 201 controls the Faraday cup to be pulled out, and the proton beam delivery is restored, thereby restoring the neutron beam delivery.

[0105] e. Beam delivery is terminated by dose control subunit 1011: During beam delivery, the second neutron flux detector 302 acquires the neutron flux and transmits it to the MU dose conversion subunit 1013. The dose control subunit 1011 monitors the delivered dose based on the beam delivery dose rate converted by the MU dose conversion subunit 1013. When the dose control master unit 1010 malfunctions, the dose control subunit 1011 detects that the delivered dose has reached 110% of the treatment plan dose (the second beam stop threshold). It then sends a beam stop command to the accelerator control interlock unit 202 via the treatment interlock unit 103 and the facility interlock unit 203. The accelerator control interlock unit 202 terminates the proton beam delivery by shutting down the microwave power supplies 903 and 904, thereby terminating the neutron beam delivery.

[0106] f. Beam delivery is terminated upon reaching an independent termination time: The treatment control software unit 900 sends an independent termination time to the independent termination unit 102. The third neutron flux detector 303 is connected to the independent termination unit 102, using the detected neutron beam signal as the basis for starting the timing. During beam delivery, if the dose control master unit 1010 and dose control sub-unit 1011 malfunction and fail to trigger the beam stop signal, the independent termination unit 102 detects that the delivery time has reached the independent termination time. It then sends a beam stop command to the accelerator control interlock unit 202 via the treatment interlock unit 103 and facility interlock unit 203. The accelerator control interlock unit 202 terminates the proton beam delivery by shutting down the microwave power supply 903 and the high-voltage power supply 904, thereby terminating the neutron beam delivery.

[0107] g. The process of beam delivery being terminated by the treatment interlock unit 103: During beam delivery, when the treatment interlock unit 103 detects abnormal operation of the dose control unit 101 and the independent termination unit 102, the treatment interlock unit 103 sends a beam stop command to the accelerator control interlock unit 202 via the facility interlock unit 203. The accelerator control interlock unit 202 terminates the proton beam delivery by turning off the microwave power supply 903 and the high voltage power supply 904, thereby terminating the neutron beam delivery. h. The process of triggering termination of beam delivery by facility interlocking unit 203: When the facility interlocking unit 203 detects an abnormality in the operation of the treatment interlocking unit 103, the facility interlocking unit 203 sends a beam stop command to the accelerator control interlocking unit 202. The accelerator control interlocking unit 202 terminates the delivery of the proton beam by shutting down the microwave power supply 903 and the high voltage power supply 904, thereby terminating the delivery of the neutron beam.

[0108] i. The process of beam delivery being terminated due to abnormal proton transport efficiency: During beam delivery, the beam diagnostic unit 204 monitors the beam intensity at multiple points via the proton injection system ACCT, the accelerator system ACCT, the high-energy transmission system common terminal ACCT, and the treatment terminal DCCT. When the beam diagnostic unit 204 detects an abnormality in the proton beam transmission, it transmits an abnormal signal to the accelerator control interlock unit 202. The accelerator control interlock unit 202 then terminates the proton beam delivery by shutting down the microwave power supplies 903 and 904 high-voltage power supplies, thereby terminating the neutron beam delivery.

[0109] g. The process of beam delivery being terminated by the emergency stop unit 106: During beam delivery, when the operator presses the emergency stop button via the treatment control terminal or the accelerator control terminal, the beam stop treatment is transmitted from the radiation safety interlock unit 909 to the treatment interlock unit 103, and then the facility interlock unit 203 sends a beam stop command to the accelerator control interlock unit 202. The accelerator control interlock unit 202 terminates the proton beam delivery by turning off the microwave power supply 903 and the high voltage power supply 904, thereby terminating the neutron beam delivery.

[0110] k. Beam delivery terminated due to failure to successfully close the Faraday cup: During beam delivery, when the accelerator control unit 201 performs normal beam stop by closing the Faraday cup, if the accelerator control unit 201 does not receive a signal that the Faraday cup mechanical limit switch 907 is in the closed position within 3 seconds, it will directly trigger the accelerator control interlocking unit 202 to terminate the proton beam delivery by turning off the microwave power supply 903 and the high voltage power supply 904, thereby terminating the neutron beam delivery.

[0111] For further information, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 5 In some embodiments, the dose control unit 101 may further include a beam display unit 1016. The beam display unit 1016 is used to monitor and display, in real time, the delivered neutron beam dose, the real-time delivered dose rate, and other beam delivery-related information during beam delivery, facilitating the equipment operator's viewing of current beam delivery-related information. Furthermore, the beam display unit 1016 is designed to maintain the displayed beam delivery-related information reading unchanged after beam delivery is paused or terminated, until intentionally cleared or restored. Further, the beam display unit 1016 is also equipped with a UPS uninterruptible power supply to ensure that beam delivery-related information can be retained for a period of time in the event of a power failure, further improving the safety of the treatment system.

[0112] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the beam control system for BNCT treatment provided in this application requires a verification process before each beam delivery to ensure that the system is operating normally before the start of the treatment. For example, please continue to refer to... Figure 5 Before each beam delivery, a beam delivery plan for verification is sent to the dose control unit 101 via the treatment control software unit 900. Then, a neutron simulation signal is input to verify whether the dose control unit 101 is functioning correctly. For example, a fixed current value is sent via the constant current power supply 906 to the proton injection system ACCT, the accelerator system ACCT, the high-energy transmission system common terminal ACCT, and the treatment terminal DCCT to simulate beam conditions and check whether the beam diagnostic unit 204 and the accelerator control interlock unit 202 are properly executing the beam-stopping function in case of abnormal beam transmission.

[0113] In summary, the beam control system for BNCT treatment provided in this application can effectively ensure the safety and accuracy of treatment during the process.

[0114] First, the dose control unit in this application adopts a dual-redundant design. When the main dose control unit malfunctions, there is a backup dose control subunit that can monitor the beam dose and perform beam stop operations. This allows the patient's treatment to continue while ensuring normal beam delivery, thereby improving the treatment completion rate and enhancing the reliability of the system's beam shutdown.

[0115] Secondly, this application is equipped with an independent termination unit that is completely independent of the dose control unit, which ensures that when the dose control unit loses its function or fails and is not identified, the system can still perform the function of stopping the dose based on the independent termination time, thus avoiding excessive dose delivery to the patient.

[0116] Furthermore, this application monitors the transmission efficiency of the proton beam in real time, monitoring the proton beam used to generate neutrons from the source. When an anomaly is detected in the proton beam, beam delivery is stopped promptly, preventing incorrect neutron beam delivery from the source. This allows for earlier identification of beam delivery anomalies, improving the timeliness of system anomaly handling.

[0117] Furthermore, this application establishes two distinct beam-stopping paths between the treatment control module and the accelerator control module to ensure the successful transmission of beam-stopping commands to the accelerator. This effectively prevents situations where beam-stopping commands cannot be transmitted due to a failure in one path, increasing the reliability of successful beam-stopping execution. In addition, this application designs an emergency stop button independent of the beam-stopping path to achieve emergency beam-stopping, increasing the flexibility and reliability of beam-stopping.

[0118] Meanwhile, this application designs a downstream component of the beam-stopping path to monitor the upstream operating status. When the upstream operating status is abnormal, the downstream component will directly send a beam-stopping command to the back-end link, proactively preventing the beam-stopping command from failing to be transmitted due to abnormalities. This reduces the risk of beam delivery not stopping properly due to system malfunctions and avoids patients receiving excessive doses.

[0119] Finally, this application designs two corresponding beam-stopping operations based on two beam-stopping paths, which can effectively avoid damage to the system caused by beam-stopping operations and ensure efficient beam termination under abnormal conditions, thus ensuring the reliability of beam stopping.

[0120] It should also be understood that the division of modules or units in the embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a single processor, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into a single module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0121] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

[0122] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this application should still be covered by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A beam control system for BNCT treatment, characterized in that, The system includes a treatment control module, an accelerator control module, and a flux monitoring module. The treatment control module is used to acquire the delivery dose and delivery time of BCNT in real time, trigger a beam stop command based on the delivery dose or delivery time, and transmit the beam stop command to the accelerator control module to terminate the neutron beam delivery. The accelerator control module is used to receive the beam stop command to shut down the proton beam and terminate the delivery of the neutron beam, and to automatically shut down the proton beam in case of abnormality. The flux monitoring module is used to monitor the neutron flux in real time and transmit the monitoring data to the treatment control module so that the treatment control module can obtain the delivery dose in real time based on the monitoring data.

2. The beam control system for BNCT treatment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first beam-stopping path and a second beam-stopping path are provided between the treatment control module and the accelerator control module; When the treatment control module transmits the beam-stopping command to the accelerator control module through the first beam-stopping path, the accelerator control module performs a first beam-stopping operation based on the beam-stopping command. When the treatment control module transmits the beam-stopping command to the accelerator control module through the second beam-stopping path, the accelerator control module performs a second beam-stopping operation based on the beam-stopping command.

3. The beam control system for BNCT treatment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The treatment control module includes a dose control unit, an independent termination unit, a treatment interlock unit, and a dose verification unit. The dose control unit is used to convert the monitoring data into a beam delivery dose rate to obtain the delivery dose in real time, and to trigger the beam stop command when the delivery dose reaches the beam stop threshold and transmit it to the accelerator control module through the first beam stop path or the second beam stop path. The independent termination unit is independent of the dose control unit and is used to trigger the beam stop command separately and transmit it to the accelerator control module through the second beam stop path when the dose control unit malfunctions and the delivery time reaches the independent termination time. The treatment interlock unit is used to directly trigger the beam stop command and transmit it to the accelerator control module through the second beam stop path when both the dose control unit and the independent termination unit are malfunctioning. The dose verification unit is used to simulate neutron beam conditions before actual beam delivery to verify whether the dose control unit is working properly.

4. The beam control system for BNCT treatment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The dose control unit includes a main dose control unit and a secondary dose control unit; The dose control master unit is used to trigger the beam stop command when the delivered dose reaches the first beam stop threshold, and transmits it to the accelerator control module through the first beam stop path; The dose control sub-unit is used to trigger the beam-stopping command when the dose control master unit malfunctions and the delivered dose reaches the second beam-stopping threshold, and transmits it to the accelerator control module through the second beam-stopping path; the second beam-stopping threshold is greater than the first beam-stopping threshold.

5. The beam control system for BNCT treatment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The accelerator control module includes an accelerator control unit, an accelerator control interlocking unit, and a facility interlocking unit. The accelerator control unit is used to execute the first beam-stopping operation based on the beam-stopping command transmitted by the first beam-stopping path; The accelerator control interlocking unit is used to execute the second beam stop operation based on the beam stop command transmitted by the second beam stop path, or to directly execute the second beam stop operation when the facility interlocking unit malfunctions. The facility interlocking unit is used to transmit the stop command transmitted by the second stop path to the accelerator control interlocking unit, or, when the second stop path transmission is abnormal, directly trigger the stop command and transmit it to the accelerator control interlocking unit to execute the second stop operation.

6. The beam control system for BNCT treatment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The accelerator control interlocking unit is also used to execute the second beam-stopping operation when the accelerator control unit fails to successfully execute the first beam-stopping operation.

7. The beam control system for BNCT treatment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The accelerator control module also includes a beam diagnostic unit and a beam anomaly interlocking link verification unit; The beam diagnostic unit is used to determine whether the proton beam transmission is normal based on the beam current intensity at multiple locations, and to transmit an abnormal signal to the accelerator control interlocking unit to execute the second beam stop operation when the proton beam transmission is abnormal. The beam anomaly interlocking link verification unit is used to simulate proton beam conditions before the actual beam delivery to verify whether the beam diagnostic unit and the accelerator control interlocking unit are working properly.

8. The beam control system for BNCT treatment according to claim 7, characterized in that, include: When the first beam intensity ratio result is less than the first preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal. The first current intensity comparison result is obtained based on the current intensity during proton beam injection and the current intensity after the proton beam is accelerated. When the second beam intensity ratio result is less than the second preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal. The second current intensity comparison result is obtained based on the current intensity of the proton beam after acceleration and the current intensity of the proton beam at the end of the transmission common segment; When the third beam intensity ratio result is less than the third preset normal transmission efficiency, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal. The third current intensity comparison result is obtained based on the current intensity of the proton beam after acceleration and the current intensity of the proton beam at the front end of the neutron target; or When the current intensity of the proton beam at the front end of the neutron target exceeds the preset allowable deviation, the beam diagnostic unit determines that the proton beam transmission is abnormal.

9. The beam control system for BNCT treatment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The flux monitoring module includes a first neutron flux detector, a second neutron flux detector, and a third neutron flux detector; The first neutron flux detector and the second neutron flux detector are connected to the dose control unit and are used to obtain the current neutron flux based on the correspondence between the detection response and the neutron flux, and transmit it to the dose control unit. The third neutron flux detector is connected to the independent termination unit and is used to use the detected neutron beam signal as the start signal for the independent termination unit to obtain the delivery time.

10. The beam control system for BNCT treatment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The treatment control module also includes a beam scheduling unit, a beam delivery unit, and an emergency stop unit; The beam scheduling unit is used to request beam delivery from the accelerator control module so that the accelerator control module can perform beam scheduling. The beam delivery unit is used to transmit beam delivery commands to the accelerator control module to activate the neutron beam delivery. The emergency stop unit is used to trigger an emergency stop command and transmit it to the accelerator control module through the second beam stop path to execute the second beam stop operation.

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