Compact beam switching deflection device and applications thereof

Abstract

The application provides a compact beam switching deflection device and application thereof, and relates to the technical field of ion accelerator equipment. The device comprises a superconducting beam splitter, a multi-channel vacuum chamber and a superconducting combined magnet which are connected in sequence, wherein the superconducting beam splitter is used for splitting the input beam, the multi-channel vacuum chamber is provided with a plurality of outlet flanges, each outlet flange is connected to a branch beam line pipe, and at least one branch beam line pipe is provided with a superconducting combined magnet. The application adopts a superconducting magnet to deflect the beam, improves the maximum field strength of the deflection magnet, reduces the deflection radius of the beam, and thus reduces the floor area. Furthermore, the combined superconducting magnet is adopted to combine the quadrupole field on the dipole field, reduces the use of the quadrupole magnet, and thus further reduces the floor area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ion accelerator equipment technology, and in particular to a compact beam switching deflection device and its application. Background Technology

[0002] A medical ion accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to accelerate and confine ions, increasing their energy to relatively high levels. This allows the ions to penetrate the skin and reach the tumor site for treatment. The ions referred to here are those from hydrogen to neon in the periodic table, such as protons, helium ions, and carbon ions, with protons and carbon ions being the most common.

[0003] Medical ion accelerators face a series of hurdles, including complex R&D technology, large capital investment, complex production and control processes, and high quality requirements. While the time spent on beam therapy itself is relatively short, extensive preparation is required before treating the patient, such as using CT scans to locate the tumor and positioning the patient. If a medical ion accelerator is equipped with only one treatment room, a significant amount of time will be wasted on preparation, and the beam will not be utilized effectively. Therefore, an accelerator is typically equipped with several treatment rooms, so that while patient preparation is underway in one room, other treatment rooms can use the beam to treat the patient. Constructing multiple treatment rooms requires beam splitting, allowing the beam to be directed in different directions.

[0004] Most medical ion accelerators on the market currently use conventional magnets. Due to the limitation of field strength, the magnets are relatively large, resulting in a large overall device size, a large footprint, and a high investment cost. Therefore, developing compact ion therapy devices that reduce footprint and investment cost has become one of the main considerations and research directions, and this is also the future development trend of particle radiotherapy equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a compact beam switching deflection device and its application.

[0006] The present invention provides a compact beam switching and deflection device, comprising a superconducting beam splitter, a multi-channel vacuum chamber and a superconducting combined magnet connected in sequence, wherein: the superconducting beam splitter is used to split the input beam, the multi-channel vacuum chamber has multiple outlets, each outlet flange is connected to a branch beamline pipe, and at least one branch beamline pipe is provided with a superconducting combined magnet.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inlet of the superconducting beam splitter is provided with a hollow frustum-shaped vacuum pipe, and the flange of the hollow frustum-shaped vacuum pipe is connected to the main beam vacuum pipe; the outlet flange of the superconducting beam splitter is connected to the multi-channel vacuum chamber.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner diameter of the superconducting beam splitter is larger than the inner diameter of the main beam vacuum channel.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the multi-channel vacuum chamber includes a three-channel vacuum chamber, which has a hollow quadrangular prism vacuum box structure.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the superconducting composite magnet is a composite superconducting magnet formed by winding a quadrupole magnet on a coil of a dipole magnet.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the branched beamline conduit includes a first branched beamline conduit, a second branched beamline conduit, and a third branched beamline conduit, wherein: the first branched beamline conduit is provided with a combined superconducting magnet for deflecting and focusing the beam in a first direction; the second branched beamline conduit is provided with a quadrupole magnet for guiding the beam through in a straight line; and the third branched beamline conduit is provided with a combined superconducting magnet for deflecting and focusing the beam in a second direction.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the quadrupole magnet has a FODO or Triplet structure, and the focusing and defocusing magnetic fields are arranged alternately.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the device does not exceed 6m in either the length or width direction.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the input beam of the superconducting beam splitter is a converging beam or a diverging beam; wherein, by adjusting the field strength of the quadrupole magnet, it is adjusted to a dispersion-free beam at the outlet.

[0015] Another aspect of the present invention provides an application of the above-described compact beam switching deflection device in tumor treatment and industrial irradiation.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the compact beam switching deflection device and its application provided by the present invention have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0017] (1) Using superconducting magnets to deflect the beam increases the maximum field strength of the deflecting magnets and reduces the deflection radius of the beam, thereby reducing the footprint.

[0018] (2) By using a combined superconducting magnet, the quadrupole field is combined with the dipole field, reducing the use of quadrupole magnets and thus further reducing the footprint. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a compact beam switching deflection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 The diagram schematically illustrates the inlet front view, overall front view, and outlet front view of a multi-channel vacuum chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figures 3(a), 3(b), and 3(c) schematically illustrate three trajectory routes of the superconducting beam splitter according to an embodiment of the present invention when the magnetic field changes;

[0023] Figure 4 The diagram schematically illustrates the arrangement of three branched cable conduits according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 The diagram schematically illustrates experimental results of the optical parameters of a superconducting beam splitter according to an embodiment of the present invention under the first inlet parameter.

[0025] Figure 6 The diagram schematically illustrates the experimental results of the beam envelope of a superconducting beam splitter according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 The diagram schematically illustrates experimental results of the optical parameters of a superconducting beam splitter under the second inlet parameter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] [Explanation of Labels in the Attached Image]

[0028] Figure 1 Figure 3: 1-Superconducting beam splitter; 2-Multi-channel vacuum chamber; 31-First flange; 32-Second flange; 33-Third flange;

[0029] Figure 4 101-Superconducting beam splitter; 102-Multi-channel vacuum chamber; 111-First combined superconducting magnet; 112-Second combined superconducting magnet; 121-First quadrupole magnet; 122-Second quadrupole magnet; 131-Third combined superconducting magnet; 132-Fourth combined superconducting magnet. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0032] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] All terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with the context of this specification, and not in an idealized or overly rigid way.

[0034] There are two main types of magnets in accelerators: dipole magnets and quadrupole magnets. Quadrupole magnets provide a magnetic field with a gradient in the transverse direction (perpendicular to the direction of ion motion) for lateral focusing of the beam. Beam deflection is mainly achieved by the uniform magnetic field provided by dipole magnets. The higher the energy of the ions, the stronger the magnetic field required to deflect them. For ions of the same energy, a stronger deflecting magnetic field results in a smaller deflection radius, requiring a smaller dipole magnet and reducing the footprint. However, compared to superconducting magnets, the maximum magnetic field of conventional magnets cannot be made too high, which limits the size of dipole magnets. A single conventional magnet can typically only deflect the beam in one direction because its magnetic field is too weak. To deflect the beam in two directions, a very large aperture would be required. Therefore, multiple dipole magnets are needed to deflect the beam at multiple angles.

[0035] For a typical carbon ion accelerator, the radius of the diodes used to deflect carbon ions is generally around 4 meters. To deflect carbon ions by 90 degrees, two diodes with a radius of 4 meters and a deflection angle of 45 degrees are needed. While deflecting the carbon ions, several quadrupole magnets are also needed to ensure that the ions remain focused and do not disperse during their movement, which requires even more space.

[0036] In summary, existing beam splitting devices typically require a large number of diodes and quadrupoles to deflect a beam in two different directions. Furthermore, because the field strength of conventional magnets is relatively low, it's usually impossible to control the beam's deflection in different directions within a single magnet, resulting in a very long device. Therefore, the main drawback of existing beam deflection devices is the large number of magnets required, leading to a large footprint.

[0037] In view of this, the present invention provides a compact beam switching deflection device and its application, to provide a solution for beam delivery to different treatment terminals in medical ion therapy technology.

[0038] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a compact beam switching deflection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the compact beam switching and deflection device according to this embodiment includes a superconducting beam splitter 1, a multi-channel vacuum chamber 2, and a superconducting combined magnet connected in sequence. The superconducting beam splitter 1 is used to split the input beam, the multi-channel vacuum chamber 2 has multiple outlets, each outlet flange connected to a branch beamline pipe, and at least one branch beamline pipe is equipped with a superconducting combined magnet.

[0040] Through the above embodiments, superconducting magnets are used to deflect the beam. Since the field strength that superconducting magnets can achieve is more than twice that of conventional magnets, the size of the magnets can be greatly reduced, thereby reducing the footprint and lowering costs.

[0041] The superconducting beam splitter 1 deflects the input beam at different angles under the action of its own variable magnetic field, splitting the input beam at different angles. Therefore, the good field region of the superconducting beam splitter 1 is larger than that of a conventional magnet.

[0042] In this embodiment of the invention, the inlet of the superconducting beam splitter 1 is provided with a hollow frustum-shaped vacuum pipe, and the flange of the hollow frustum-shaped vacuum pipe is connected to the main beam vacuum pipe.

[0043] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the superconducting beam splitter 1 is larger than the inner diameter of the main beam vacuum pipe. Therefore, compared to the main beam vacuum pipe, the superconducting beam splitter 1 acts as a large-aperture vacuum pipe. The main beam vacuum pipe sequentially transitions to the inlet of the superconducting beam splitter 1 through a hollow frustum-shaped vacuum pipe and a small-aperture first flange 31.

[0044] In this embodiment of the invention, the outlet flange of the superconducting beam splitter 1 is connected to the multi-channel vacuum chamber 2. Specifically, the outlet of the superconducting beam splitter 1 is connected to the multi-channel vacuum chamber 2 through a large-aperture second flange 32, and the multiple outlets of the multi-channel vacuum chamber 2 are connected to the branch beamline pipes in the corresponding directions of the subsequent stage through a small-aperture third flange 33.

[0045] It should be noted that the shape and structure of the multi-channel vacuum chamber 2 itself, as well as the number of outlet channels, can be flexibly designed according to the number and specific angle of the beam deflection direction determined by the superconducting beam splitter 1, as long as the beam is not blocked by the inner wall of the multi-channel vacuum chamber 2. This invention does not impose any specific limitations.

[0046] Figure 2 The diagram schematically illustrates the inlet front view, overall front view, and outlet front view of a multi-channel vacuum chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the multi-channel vacuum chamber 2 includes a three-channel vacuum chamber. In accordance with the principle of being as compact as possible while still being able to contain the beam, the three-channel vacuum chamber adopts a hollow quadrangular prism vacuum box structure.

[0048] Figures 3(a), 3(b), and 3(c) schematically illustrate three trajectory routes of the beam in the superconducting beam splitter according to an embodiment of the present invention when the magnetic field changes.

[0049] The main working principle of the compact beam switching deflection device described above is as follows: First, when the coil of the superconducting beam splitter 1 is not energized, there is no diode magnetic field inside the beam splitter, and the ions will continue to move along a straight line without deflection, as shown in Figure 3(a), where the central straight line represents the trajectory of the beam. Second, when the coil of the superconducting beam splitter 1 is energized, a diode magnetic field is generated inside the beam splitter, causing the charged particles to deflect. When the direction of the generated magnetic field is perpendicular to the plane of the paper and inwards, according to the Lorentz force equation, the ions will experience an upward force, thus deflecting upwards, as shown in Figure 3(b), where the central trajectory is deflected upwards. Then, when a current in the opposite direction flows through the coil of the superconducting beam splitter 1, a magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of the paper and outwards is generated. This magnetic field exerts a downward force on the ions, thus deflecting them downwards, as shown in Figure 3(c), where the central trajectory is deflected downwards.

[0050] When particles are deflected by superconducting beam splitter 1, the difference in particle momentum introduces dispersion, causing different particles to have different central trajectories. To eliminate dispersion, superconducting combined magnets need to be connected to the subsequent branch beam lines in both the upper and lower deflection directions.

[0051] To save space, superconducting composite magnets are formed by winding quadrupole magnets around coils of dipole magnets. Furthermore, to simultaneously focus beams in both the horizontal and vertical directions, the quadrupole magnets can be of FODO or Triplet structure, with the focusing and defocusing magnetic fields arranged alternately.

[0052] It should be noted that the parameters of the beam entering superconducting beam splitter 1 are uncertain, and various scenarios should be considered during the design process. The following scenarios can be considered during the design of superconducting beam splitter 1: the beam is exactly at the beam waist when entering superconducting beam splitter 1; the beam is converging when entering superconducting beam splitter 1; the beam is diverging when entering superconducting beam splitter 1; the beam dispersion is not zero when entering superconducting beam splitter 1. All of these scenarios can be addressed by adjusting the size of the quadrupole magnets on the combined superconducting magnet to achieve beam parameter matching.

[0053] Based on the above working principle Figure 4 The diagram schematically illustrates the arrangement of three branched cable conduits according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the branched beamline conduit includes a first branched beamline conduit, a second branched beamline conduit, and a third branched beamline conduit, wherein: the first branched beamline conduit is provided with a combined superconducting magnet for deflecting and focusing the beam in a first direction; the second branched beamline conduit is provided with a quadrupole magnet for guiding the beam through in a straight line; and the third branched beamline conduit is provided with a combined superconducting magnet for deflecting and focusing the beam in a second direction.

[0055] Specifically, the combined superconducting magnet installed on the first branch beamline is intended to further deflect and focus the beam. The quadrupole magnet installed on the second branch beamline corresponds to the case where the aforementioned superconducting beam splitter 1 is not subjected to a magnetic field. The combined superconducting magnet installed on the third branch beamline is similar to that of the first branch beamline, except for the deflection direction. The second direction may differ from the first direction; preferably, the second direction and the first direction are symmetrical along the straight line direction of the input beam.

[0056] for Figure 4 The layout shown depicts a compact beam switching and deflection device that does not exceed 6m in either length or width. To achieve the same beam deflection effect using conventional magnets, approximately 10m in length and 13m in width would typically be required. Therefore, compared to conventional beam deflection schemes, this invention reduces the footprint by more than two-thirds, saving considerable space and reducing the use of quadrupole magnets, thus lowering costs.

[0057] exist Figure 4 The beam optics and beam envelope in the example layout shown below are respectively in Figure 5 and Figure 6 It was obtained from the middle. Figure 5 The diagram schematically illustrates experimental results of the optical parameters of a superconducting beam splitter according to an embodiment of the present invention under the first inlet parameter.Figure 6 The diagram illustrates the experimental results of the beam envelope of a superconducting beam splitter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Depend on Figure 5 It can be seen that the beam is matched into a dispersion-free beam at the end of the superconducting beam splitter 1. Simultaneously, by Figure 6 As can be seen, the envelope of the beam is very small, basically below 15mm. Therefore, the aperture of the combined superconducting magnet does not need to be very large, which can further reduce the processing difficulty.

[0059] Figure 7 The diagram schematically illustrates experimental results of the optical parameters of a superconducting beam splitter under the second inlet parameter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Furthermore, in order to broaden the application range of the superconducting beam splitter 1, the optical parameters of the superconducting beam splitter 1 inlet were modified, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the input beam of superconducting beam splitter 1 is a converging beam with a non-zero dispersion value. The beam is adjusted to a dispersion-free beam at the exit by regulating the field strength of the quadrupole magnet. In this case, the optics can be re-matched to the required parameters by changing the magnitude of the quadrupole magnetic field component on the combined superconducting magnet.

[0061] It should be noted that when the input beam of the superconducting beam splitter 1 is a divergent beam, the requirements can also be met by adjusting the quadrupole field, which will not be elaborated here.

[0062] Through embodiments of the present invention, superconducting magnets are used to deflect the beam, increasing the maximum field strength of the deflecting magnets and reducing the beam deflection radius, thereby reducing the footprint. Furthermore, by employing a combined superconducting magnet, the quadrupole field is combined with the dipole field, reducing the need for quadrupole magnets and further reducing the footprint.

[0063] Based on the above disclosure, another embodiment of the present invention provides an application of the aforementioned compact beam switching deflection device in tumor treatment and industrial irradiation. For example, the aforementioned compact beam switching deflection device can be applied to medical particle accelerators, isotope production accelerators, nuclear pore membrane production accelerators, material irradiation accelerators, muon generation accelerators, neutron sources, etc., while providing beams for multiple different application terminals.

[0064] In summary, this invention provides a compact beam switching and deflection device and its application. The device sequentially comprises a large-aperture superconducting beam splitter, a multi-channel vacuum chamber, and a subsequent combined superconducting magnet. Using this device, the beam can be rapidly switched and deflected to different treatment terminals according to treatment needs. Furthermore, the device's compact structure reduces the size of traditional high-energy beamline multi-terminal beam deflection structures by more than half, effectively lowering device costs.

[0065] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," and "right," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Throughout the drawings, the same elements are represented by the same or similar reference numerals. Conventional structures or constructions will be omitted where they may cause confusion in understanding the invention. Furthermore, the shape, size, and positional relationship of the components in the drawings do not reflect their actual size, scale, or actual positional relationship.

[0066] Similarly, to simplify the invention and aid in understanding one or more of the various disclosed aspects, in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. The use of terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicates that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0067] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. Furthermore, the word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. Unless otherwise stated, the expressions "about," "approximately," "substantially," and "around" indicate less than 10%, preferably less than 5%.

[0068] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A compact beam switching deflection device, characterized in that, It includes a superconducting beam splitter, a multi-channel vacuum chamber, and a superconducting combined magnet connected in sequence, wherein: The superconducting beam splitter is used to split the input beam. The multi-channel vacuum chamber has multiple outlets. Each outlet flange is connected to a branch beamline pipe. At least one branch beamline pipe is equipped with the superconducting combined magnet. The input beam of the superconducting beam splitter is a converging beam or a diverging beam. The multi-channel vacuum chamber includes a three-channel vacuum chamber, which has a hollow quadrangular prism vacuum box structure; the superconducting combined magnet is a combined superconducting magnet formed by winding a quadrupole magnet on a coil of a dipole magnet. The device is configured to produce a dispersion-free beam at the outlet by adjusting the field strength of the quadrupole magnet, and the length and width of the device do not exceed 6m.

2. The compact beam switching deflection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet of the superconducting beam splitter is provided with a hollow frustum-shaped vacuum pipe, and the flange of the hollow frustum-shaped vacuum pipe is connected to the main beam vacuum pipe. The outlet flange of the superconducting beam splitter is connected to the multi-channel vacuum chamber.

3. The compact beam switching deflection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the superconducting beam splitter is larger than the inner diameter of the main beam vacuum pipe.

4. The compact beam switching deflection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The branch wire harness conduit includes a first branch wire harness conduit, a second branch wire harness conduit, and a third branch wire harness conduit, wherein: The first branch beamline conduit is equipped with a combined superconducting magnet for deflecting and focusing the beam in a first direction; The second branch beam conduit is equipped with a quadrupole magnet to direct the beam in a straight line; The third branch beamline is equipped with a combined superconducting magnet for deflecting and focusing the beam in a second direction.

5. The compact beam switching deflection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The quadrupole magnet has a FODO or Triplet structure, and the focusing and defocusing magnetic fields are arranged alternately.

6. The application of a compact beam switching deflection device as described in any one of claims 1-5 in tumor treatment and industrial irradiation.

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