A vacuum monitoring system and particle therapy system and method thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a vacuum monitoring system, particle therapy system, and method thereof. The vacuum monitoring system is used to monitor the vacuum state of a particle therapy system. The vacuum monitoring system includes a monitoring unit, which is communicatively connected to a controller of a vacuum pumping device to monitor the operating parameters of the vacuum pumping device. The vacuum pumping device is used to draw a vacuum for the particle therapy system. The monitoring unit and the vacuum pumping device are mounted on a movable carrier. A monitoring terminal, which is communicatively connected to the monitoring unit to receive monitoring data from the monitoring unit, can promptly detect vacuum anomalies in the vacuum environment of the particle therapy system, shorten troubleshooting and vacuum recovery time, and avoid prolonged downtime of the particle therapy system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical equipment particle therapy devices, and in particular to a vacuum monitoring system and a particle therapy system and method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The application of particle therapy systems, such as proton and heavy ion accelerators, in cancer treatment is internationally recognized as a cutting-edge radiotherapy technology. Proton and heavy ion accelerators generate high-speed proton or heavy ion beams, known as particle beams, which are delivered through a vacuum beam channel to the treatment terminal. The beams lose very little energy as they penetrate tissue, allowing most of the energy to explode at the target tumor site, a phenomenon known as the Bragg peak effect. Based on this principle, proton and heavy ion therapy can precisely locate lesions, providing significant targeted treatment effects while protecting normal tissue from damage, leading to its widespread use in cancer treatment.

[0003] In practical applications, the depth of a particle beam's impact on body tissue is directly related to its energy. The vacuum level of the vacuum beam channel that transports the particle beam has a crucial impact on particle quality. To ensure beam quality, a vacuum gauge is typically installed within the channel to monitor the vacuum level. However, in practice, determining whether the vacuum environment or the vacuum pumping equipment is abnormal based solely on the vacuum gauge has a certain lag. By the time staff discover an anomaly, the vacuum environment of the entire system has already been significantly affected. This results in lengthy troubleshooting and recovery times, leading to suspension or delays in patient treatment, disrupting regular treatment plans, and potentially affecting treatment efficacy. Therefore, it is crucial to minimize or avoid system downtime caused by vacuum anomalies.

[0004] It will be understood that the above statements merely provide background technology related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum monitoring system and a particle therapy system and method thereof, wherein the vacuum monitoring system can promptly detect abnormalities in the vacuum environment of the particle therapy system and avoid prolonged downtime of the entire system.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0007] A vacuum monitoring system for monitoring the vacuum status of a particle therapy system includes a monitoring unit, which is communicatively connected to a controller of a vacuum pumping device to monitor the operating parameters of the vacuum pumping device, which is used to draw a vacuum for the particle therapy system. The monitoring unit and the vacuum pumping device are mounted on a movable carrier, and a monitoring terminal, which is communicatively connected to the monitoring unit to receive monitoring data from the monitoring unit. The vacuum monitoring system provided by the present invention can reduce system downtime caused by vacuum equipment failures in particle therapy systems, help personnel promptly identify the cause of failures, and shorten the time required for troubleshooting and restoring the system's vacuum.

[0008] In one exemplary embodiment of the vacuum monitoring system, the monitoring unit is configured to send control instructions to the controller of the vacuum equipment to control the vacuum equipment's start / stop, speed, and error clearing. In this manner, the monitoring unit of the vacuum monitoring system not only monitors the vacuum level of the particle therapy system in real time by monitoring the operating parameters of the movable vacuum equipment, but also regulates the vacuum environment of the particle therapy system by controlling the vacuum equipment.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment of the vacuum monitoring system, the operating parameters of the vacuum equipment include at least one of a rotation speed, a current, an on / off state, and an error message.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment of the vacuum monitoring system, a vacuum gauge for monitoring the vacuum level is installed at the vacuum outlet of the vacuum pumping device, and the monitoring unit is in communication with the vacuum gauge's controller. This system monitors the vacuum environment near the mobile vacuum pumping device, assisting personnel in analyzing and determining any anomalies. This allows them to promptly identify and troubleshoot any such anomalies, thereby reducing downtime for the particle therapy system.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment of the vacuum monitoring system, the vacuum pumping device includes a molecular pump for extracting a vacuum, and the monitoring unit is communicatively connected to a controller of the molecular pump to monitor operating parameters of the molecular pump. In this manner, the monitoring unit enables specific monitoring of the movable vacuum pumping device.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of the vacuum monitoring system, the monitoring unit and the vacuum pumping equipment share a common power supply, and the monitoring end uses whether it is successfully connected to the monitoring unit as one of the conditions for determining whether the vacuum pumping equipment has experienced a power outage and shutdown; when the monitoring end cannot be successfully connected to the monitoring unit, it is determined that the monitoring unit has experienced a power outage and shutdown or a fault has occurred, and further determines that the vacuum pumping equipment has experienced a power outage and shutdown.

[0013] In an illustrative embodiment of a vacuum monitoring system, the monitoring unit is a programmable microprocessor; the monitoring unit sends a communication address to a designated receiving end, the monitoring end obtains the communication address from the designated receiving end, and communicates and interacts with the monitoring unit based on the communication address; the monitoring end determines whether the monitoring unit is powered off or has failed based on whether the monitoring data of the monitoring unit can be obtained based on the communication address. When the monitoring end cannot obtain the monitoring data of the monitoring unit based on the communication address, it determines that the monitoring unit is powered off or has failed.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of the vacuum monitoring system, the monitoring unit communicates and interacts with the vacuum equipment of the movable vacuum equipment based on the RS485 / 232 serial communication protocol; the monitoring unit sends monitoring data to the monitoring end through a wireless network, and the wireless network includes at least one of a Wi-Fi network, an APN network, a 4G network and a fiber optic network.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a particle therapy system. The particle therapy system includes: at least one ion source, the particles generated by the ion source are transported to a treatment terminal through a vacuum beam channel, the vacuum beam channel being provided with multiple vacuum ports; a control unit for monitoring the operation of the ion source; at least one movable vacuum pumping device for evacuating the vacuum beam channel, the movable vacuum pumping device being connected to the vacuum beam channel via a vacuum port; and the aforementioned vacuum monitoring system for monitoring the operating parameters of the movable vacuum pumping device.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment of the particle therapy system, a monitoring unit of the vacuum monitoring system is communicatively connected to the control unit.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment of the particle therapy system, the particle therapy system further includes an alarm unit connected to the control unit. When the vacuum monitoring system detects abnormal data, the control unit controls the alarm unit to issue an alarm. This allows staff to promptly identify abnormalities and avoid or reduce system downtime.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of the particle therapy system, the particle therapy system further includes a display unit connected to the control unit and / or the vacuum monitoring system. The display unit is configured to display monitoring data from the control unit and / or the vacuum monitoring system. In this manner, the monitoring data is visualized.

[0019] Another object of the present invention is to provide a monitoring method using a vacuum monitoring system. This method includes: connecting a monitoring unit to a controller of a vacuum pumping device on a movable carrier to monitor the operating parameters of the vacuum pumping device; the monitoring unit transmits the monitoring data to a monitoring terminal. This reduces the probability of system downtime due to failures of the movable vacuum pumping device itself, facilitates timely detection of vacuum environment anomalies, and avoids prolonged downtime of the entire system.

[0020] In an illustrative embodiment of a monitoring method for a vacuum monitoring system, the monitoring unit automatically identifies a wireless network when it is turned on, and automatically sends a current communication address to a designated receiving end. The monitoring end obtains the communication address from the designated receiving end, and communicates and interacts with the monitoring unit based on the communication address. The monitoring end uses whether it is successfully connected to the monitoring unit as one of the conditions for determining whether the monitoring unit is powered off or has failed. When the monitoring end cannot successfully connect to the monitoring unit, it determines that the monitoring unit is powered off or has failed. When the monitoring end determines that the monitoring unit is powered off, it further determines that the vacuum equipment that shares a power supply with the monitoring unit is powered off.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0022] The vacuum monitoring system of the present invention can reduce system downtime of a particle therapy system caused by failure of a movable vacuum pumping device, and helps staff to promptly troubleshoot the cause of the failure, thereby shortening the time for troubleshooting and system vacuum recovery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The following drawings are only used to schematically illustrate and explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a particle therapy system according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 Shown is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a monitoring method for a vacuum monitoring system according to the present invention.

[0026] Description of labels

[0027] 10 ion source

[0028] 20 Synchrotron

[0029] 30 treatment terminals

[0030] 40 vacuum beam channels

[0031] 50 vacuum system

[0032] 60 Vacuum Monitoring System

[0033] 100-202 method steps, wherein

[0034] 100 connects the monitoring unit to the controller of the vacuum equipment on the movable carrier to monitor the operating parameters of the vacuum equipment

[0035] 200 monitoring unit sends monitoring data to the monitoring terminal

[0036] When the 201 monitoring unit is turned on, it automatically identifies the wireless network and automatically sends the current communication address to the designated receiving end. The monitoring end obtains the communication address from the designated receiving end and communicates and interacts with the monitoring unit based on the communication address.

[0037] 202 The monitoring terminal determines whether the monitoring unit is powered off or faulty based on whether it is successfully connected to the monitoring unit. If the monitoring terminal cannot successfully connect to the monitoring unit, it determines that the monitoring unit is powered off or faulty. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In order to have a clearer understanding of the technical features, purposes and effects of the invention, the specific embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent components with the same structure or similar structures but the same functions.

[0039] In this document, “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration”, and any diagram or implementation described in this document as “illustrative” should not be interpreted as a more preferred or more advantageous technical solution.

[0040] To simplify the drawings, each figure schematically shows only the parts related to the present invention, which do not represent the actual structure of the product.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a particle therapy system provided by the present invention. In this embodiment, the particle therapy system includes a medical proton and heavy ion accelerator for treating cancer. Figure 1As shown, the medical proton and heavy ion accelerator mainly includes an ion source 10, a synchrotron 20 and a control unit (not shown in the figure). The control unit is used to monitor the operation of the ion source 10. When on-site wiring or communication allows, the control unit can also monitor the operation of other equipment. The control unit controls the ion source 10 to generate protons or heavy ions (called particles) to form a particle beam, and the synchrotron 20 accelerates the particle beam to a preset high-energy energy level and transports it to the treatment terminal 30 for treatment. It will be understood that the medical proton and heavy ion accelerator is not limited to including one ion source 10. In other embodiments, it may include multiple ion sources 10. For example, in another disclosed embodiment, the medical proton and heavy ion accelerator includes a first ion source for generating a proton beam and a second ion source for generating a carbon ion beam.

[0042] The particle transport path between the ion source 10 and the treatment terminal 30 is a vacuum beam channel 40. The synchrotron 20 is disposed on the vacuum beam channel 40 and located between the ion source 10 and the treatment terminal 30. The medical proton and heavy ion accelerator also includes a vacuum system 50 for evacuating the vacuum beam channel 40. The vacuum system 50 includes multiple fixed or movable vacuum pumping devices to ensure that the entire vacuum beam channel 40 reaches and maintains the high vacuum state required for particle transport or acceleration, thereby ensuring particle quality. Specifically, the multiple vacuum pumping devices include an ion pump connected by fixed wiring and at least one movable vacuum cart. The vacuum cart, also known as a vacuum service cart, includes vacuum pumping equipment mounted on a movable carrier, which is movable. The vacuum cart has the advantage of being easy to move. The vacuum beam channel 40 is provided with multiple vacuum pumping ports, which are normally closed. In actual use, the vacuum pumping devices of the vacuum cart are connected to the vacuum pumping ports at corresponding locations as needed to connect the vacuum cart to the vacuum beam channel 40. In this embodiment, the vacuum trolley includes a molecular pump with a controller and a fore-stage pump mounted on a movable carrier, and the movable carrier is a frame with wheels. Under normal circumstances, various combinations of vacuum pumping equipment connected by fixed wiring can generate 10 3 mbar~10 -8 mbar range of vacuum to meet various vacuum requirements. In the case of maintenance or failure of the fixed-line vacuum equipment or special requirements for the vacuum degree of a certain part of the vacuum beam channel 40, the vacuum trolley can be installed at the corresponding position of the vacuum beam channel 40 to perform vacuuming to quickly rebuild the high vacuum environment in the accelerator. Specifically, first turn on the physical switch of the fore-stage pump to vacuum the part of the vacuum beam channel 40 where the molecular pump is located. When the vacuum degree reaches the preset vacuum range, start the molecular pump to make the vacuum degree reach 1.0*10 -6mbar, and then turn on the ion pump to continue high vacuum extraction, and finally reach the high vacuum environment required for the beam.

[0043] In actual application, the vacuum cart can be connected to different positions of the vacuum beam channel 40 as needed. However, due to the installation restrictions of the on-site equipment, the control interface will not be reserved at each position in the vacuum beam channel 40. Therefore, the controller of the molecular pump of the vacuum cart cannot be connected to the control data line. Since the controller of the molecular pump does not have the function of wireless data transmission, the control unit cannot realize real-time monitoring of the vacuum cart. On the other hand, when the medical proton and heavy ion accelerator is operating normally, the vacuum cart needs to be near the main equipment. The main equipment is in the radiation control area and personnel are prohibited from entering. Therefore, the operating status of the vacuum cart cannot be checked. If the vacuum cart reports an error or loses power due to various reasons and enters the shutdown state, the staff cannot clear the fault in time to start the machine. At this time, the vacuum cart becomes a leak point of the vacuum system 50, which will cause the vacuum environment of the vacuum beam channel 40 to begin to deteriorate, affecting the transportation of the particle beam. When the vacuum degree of the vacuum beam channel 40 decreases, the ion source 10 of the medical proton and heavy ion accelerator can still produce protons or heavy ions normally, but the quality of the particle beam drawn from the accelerator will deteriorate. At the same time, after the vacuum degree of the vacuum beam channel 40 decreases for a period of time, it will cause the ion pump to ignite and shut down, resulting in equipment shutdown and treatment interruption. Only after the entire system is shut down can personnel begin to intervene to find and fix the fault, and then wait until high vacuum is restored before restarting the system to continue treatment. This often takes several hours, and the patient's treatment cannot continue during this period. However, there is currently no direct monitoring method for the vacuum cart, which makes it impossible to achieve effective vacuum monitoring and control of the entire vacuum beam channel 40. Existing vacuum cart monitoring can only measure the deterioration of the vacuum degree value of the entire vacuum beam channel 40 through a vacuum gauge, and indirectly infer that the vacuum cart may have a fault. However, there are many reasons for the deterioration of vacuum, and a vacuum cart failure is only one of many possible reasons. For example, there was a case on site where an air conditioning cooling water leak caused a power outage on the wall socket, which caused the vacuum cart to unexpectedly lose power and stop, resulting in poor vacuum, equipment downtime, and treatment interruption for 2.7 hours.

[0044] Based on the above, the medical proton and heavy ion accelerator of the present invention also includes a vacuum monitoring system 60, which is primarily used to monitor the vacuum state of the vacuum beam channel 40. Specifically, the vacuum monitoring system 60 includes a monitoring unit and a monitoring terminal. The monitoring unit is disposed on a movable carrier and is communicatively connected to a controller of a vacuum pumping device also on the movable carrier to monitor the operating parameters of the vacuum pumping device; the monitoring terminal is communicatively connected to the monitoring unit to receive monitoring data from the monitoring unit. By monitoring the state of the movable vacuum pumping device, the vacuum monitoring system 60 monitors the vacuum environment of the entire particle therapy system, reducing the probability of system downtime caused by failures of the movable vacuum pumping device itself, facilitating timely detection of vacuum environment anomalies, and avoiding prolonged downtime of the entire particle therapy system. Furthermore, the vacuum monitoring system 60 also has the advantages of a compact structure, small size, and low cost.

[0045] Furthermore, the monitoring unit can send control commands to the controller of the vacuum equipment also on the movable carrier to control the vacuum equipment's start / stop, speed, and error clearing. For example, if the vacuum equipment shuts down due to an unexpected power outage, workers can restart the vacuum equipment through the monitoring unit once power is restored, avoiding the tedious process of workers entering the radiation control area and saving time in troubleshooting.

[0046] In the present invention, the monitoring terminal can be any terminal, as long as it can achieve a communication connection with the monitoring unit, and the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the monitoring terminal is a mobile terminal or an office service computer. In this embodiment, the monitoring terminal includes a control unit (office service computer), and the monitoring unit is communicatively connected to the control unit so that the monitoring unit can feedback monitoring data to the control unit in real time, thereby enabling the monitoring unit to monitor and control the mobile vacuum equipment in real time. Furthermore, the control unit can also send control instructions to the monitoring unit to monitor and control the monitoring unit.

[0047] In this embodiment, the vacuum cart includes the movable vacuum pump, namely a molecular pump. The monitoring unit is disposed on the movable carrier of the vacuum cart and is communicatively connected to the controller of the molecular pump of the vacuum cart, so that the vacuum cart can be remotely monitored and controlled, thereby achieving real-time monitoring of the operating status of the molecular pump. Optionally, the operating parameters of the molecular pump include at least one of the molecular pump's speed, current, molecular pump on / off state, and molecular pump error information. It is understood that the operating parameters of the molecular pump are not limited to the above parameters and may also include other parameters related to the operation of the molecular pump, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the monitoring unit and the molecular pump of the vacuum cart share a power supply, and the monitoring end uses whether it is successfully connected to the monitoring unit as one of the conditions for determining whether the vacuum equipment has experienced a power outage or shutdown. For example, when the monitoring end cannot successfully connect to the monitoring unit, it is determined that the monitoring unit has experienced a power outage or shutdown or a fault, and further determines that the vacuum equipment has experienced a power outage or shutdown. The operating status of the vacuum equipment can be further analyzed and determined in combination with other data. It is understandable that the conditions for determining whether the vacuum equipment has experienced a power outage and shutdown are not limited to the above. The basis for determining the operating status of the vacuum equipment can also be achieved through analysis and judgment of other vacuum gauge data.

[0048] In this embodiment, a vacuum gauge is provided near the exhaust port of the molecular pump, and the vacuum gauge is used to monitor the vacuum degree at the exhaust port of the molecular pump. The power consumption of the vacuum gauge is supplied by the power supply of the vacuum trolley. The monitoring unit is connected to the controller of the vacuum gauge in communication so as to monitor the vacuum state near the molecular pump in real time, assist the staff in making analysis and judgment, so that the staff can promptly discover the abnormality of the molecular pump and eliminate the fault in time, thereby reducing the downtime of the medical proton and heavy ion accelerator. It is understandable that a plurality of vacuum gauges are also fixedly provided in the vacuum beam channel 40 to monitor the vacuum degree at different positions respectively, thereby enabling the staff to have a clearer understanding of the vacuum environment state at each position in the vacuum beam channel 40, so as to facilitate the overall investigation and control, and help the staff to analyze and judge the cause of the fault by combining multiple types of data, avoid misjudgment, improve the efficiency of fault investigation and maintenance, and thus improve the monitoring accuracy.

[0049] In this embodiment, the monitoring unit is a programmable microprocessor. Specifically, the monitoring unit performs corresponding functions through Raspberry Pi, which is a microcomputer based on Linux. In actual application, the monitoring unit sends monitoring data to the monitoring end through the on-site wireless network, thereby realizing remote monitoring and control of the on-site vacuum equipment by the monitoring end. The monitoring end can be an office service computer or other terminal, and the present invention is not limited to this. Optionally, the wireless network includes at least one of a Wi-Fi network, an APN network, a 4G network, and a fiber optic network. Through the vacuum monitoring system 60 of the present invention, staff can realize remote monitoring of vacuum equipment including vacuum carts within the coverage of the on-site wireless network, avoiding the cumbersome process of personnel entering the radiation control area and saving time for fault recovery.

[0050] The monitoring unit (Raspberry Pi) communicates and interacts with the on-site vacuum equipment (e.g., molecular pump, vacuum gauge controller, etc.) of the portable vacuum pump via a USB-to-RS485 / 232 serial communication protocol. Most on-site vacuum equipment supports the RS485 / 232 serial communication protocol. For example, the TCP350 electronic drive unit, the molecular pump controller, has an RJ45 plug and supports the RS485 communication protocol; the vacuum gauge is connected to the TPG362 controller, and its USB-type B interface supports the serial communication protocol. It is understood that the execution method of the monitoring unit is not limited to the above, and the communication method between the various devices is also not limited to the above. These can be configured according to actual needs and the overall on-site layout.

[0051] To facilitate timely detection of abnormalities by staff, the medical proton and heavy ion accelerator also includes an alarm unit. This alarm unit is connected to the control unit. When the vacuum monitoring system 60 detects data anomalies, the control unit controls the alarm unit to issue an alarm. The alarm unit can issue an alarm by displaying an alarm message, emitting a sound, or emitting a light. This can be configured as needed in practice.

[0052] Furthermore, the medical proton and heavy ion accelerator also includes a display unit, which is connected to the control unit and / or the vacuum monitoring system 60. The display unit is used to display the monitoring data of the control unit and / or the vacuum monitoring system 60, to realize the visualization of the monitoring data, to facilitate the staff to integrate the information, and to adjust the equipment operating parameters based on the visualized data.

[0053] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a monitoring method using the vacuum monitoring system 60, such as Figure 2As shown, the method includes: 100, connecting a monitoring unit to a controller of a vacuum pump (molecular pump controller) on a movable carrier to monitor the operating parameters of the vacuum pump (molecular pump); 200, transmitting the monitoring data from the monitoring unit to a monitoring terminal. The vacuum monitoring system 60 monitors the status of the movable vacuum pump to monitor the vacuum environment of the entire particle therapy system. This reduces the probability of system downtime due to failures of the movable vacuum pump, helps promptly detect vacuum environment anomalies, and avoids prolonged downtime of the entire system.

[0054] Furthermore, the present invention enables remote monitoring and control of vacuum equipment through Python programming and remote communication via a monitoring unit, i.e., a Raspberry Pi. In this embodiment, the method further comprises: 201, wherein the monitoring unit sends a communication address to a designated receiving terminal. The monitoring terminal obtains the communication address from the designated receiving terminal and communicates and interacts with the monitoring unit based on the communication address, enabling real-time data feedback and interaction between the monitoring unit and the monitoring terminal. Specifically, upon startup, the monitoring unit automatically identifies wireless networks and automatically sends its currently assigned IP address to a designated receiving terminal (e.g., a designated email address). A web application is then built using the Python package Streamlit to enable communication and interaction between the monitoring unit and a mobile terminal and / or a computer. The control unit, i.e., an office service computer, can monitor the status of the vacuum cart by inputting the IP address and port number in a browser. Alternatively, the method further comprises: 202, wherein the monitoring terminal uses the successful connection with the monitoring unit as one of the criteria for determining whether the monitoring unit has experienced a power outage, shutdown, or malfunction. If the monitoring terminal fails to successfully connect to the monitoring unit, the monitoring unit is determined to have experienced a power outage, shutdown, or malfunction. Furthermore, when the monitoring end determines that the monitoring unit is powered off and shut down, it further determines that the vacuum pumping equipment that shares the power supply with the monitoring unit is powered off and shut down. In this embodiment, the power supply of the monitoring unit and the molecular pump controller depends on the power supply of the vacuum trolley. Therefore, when the vacuum trolley is powered off, the monitoring end (office service computer) cannot monitor the information of the monitoring unit and the molecular pump, and can determine that the monitoring unit and the molecular pump are powered off and shut down or fail. Therefore, the monitoring end can also monitor the accidental power outage and shutdown of the vacuum trolley. The Streamlit application runs on the Raspberry Pi. In the absence of an office service computer or when the staff is not in the office, the Raspberry Pi IP and port can be input through the mobile browser to monitor the status of the vacuum trolley.

[0055] In this embodiment, the control unit monitors the status of the monitoring unit by commanding the ping Raspberry Pi IP address. When the control unit identifies that the vacuum trolley data monitored by the vacuum monitoring system 60 is abnormal, the control unit controls the alarm unit to sound an alarm so that on-site engineers can respond quickly, troubleshoot the problem before the vacuum deteriorates, and restore the operation of the vacuum trolley, thereby avoiding long-term downtime of the entire system caused by ion pump ignition.

[0056] In summary, the vacuum monitoring system 60 of the present invention can reduce system downtime caused by vacuum equipment failure in the particle therapy system, and help staff to promptly identify the cause of the failure, shortening the time for fault detection and system vacuum recovery.

[0057] Furthermore, the vacuum monitoring system 60 can remotely clear errors with one click; when the vacuum vehicle loses power unexpectedly, the abnormality can be detected in time and an alarm can be triggered, thus shortening the troubleshooting and recovery time.

[0058] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the above description is not intended to limit the present invention. After reading the above description, various modifications and substitutions of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vacuum monitoring system, characterized in that: It is used for vacuum status monitoring of a particle therapy system, and the vacuum monitoring system comprises: a monitoring unit, the monitoring unit being in communication with a controller of a vacuum pumping device to monitor operating parameters of the vacuum pumping device, the vacuum pumping device being used to draw a vacuum for the particle therapy system, the monitoring unit and the vacuum pumping device being disposed on a movable carrier; a monitoring terminal, which is communicatively connected to the monitoring unit to receive monitoring data from the monitoring unit; The monitoring unit and the vacuum equipment share a common power supply, and the monitoring end uses whether it is successfully connected to the monitoring unit as one of the conditions for judging whether the vacuum equipment has been powered off and shut down; when the monitoring end cannot be successfully connected to the monitoring unit, it is determined that the monitoring unit has been powered off and shut down or has failed, and further determines that the vacuum equipment has been powered off and shut down.

2. The vacuum monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The monitoring unit is used to send control instructions to the controller of the vacuum equipment to control the start and stop, speed and error clearing of the vacuum equipment.

3. The vacuum monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The operating parameters of the vacuum equipment include at least one of rotation speed, current, on / off and error information.

4. The vacuum monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: A vacuum gauge for monitoring the vacuum degree is provided at the air suction port of the vacuum pumping equipment, and the monitoring unit is communicatively connected with a controller of the vacuum gauge.

5. The vacuum monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The vacuuming device includes a molecular pump for extracting vacuum. The monitoring unit is communicatively connected to a controller of the molecular pump to monitor operating parameters of the molecular pump.

6. The vacuum monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The monitoring unit is a programmable microprocessor; The monitoring unit sends a communication address to the designated receiving end, the monitoring end obtains the communication address from the designated receiving end, and communicates and interacts with the monitoring unit based on the communication address; The monitoring end determines whether the monitoring unit is powered off or has failed based on whether it can obtain the monitoring data of the monitoring unit based on the communication address. When the monitoring end cannot obtain the monitoring data of the monitoring unit based on the communication address, it determines that the monitoring unit is powered off or has failed.

7. The vacuum monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The monitoring unit communicates and interacts with the vacuum pumping equipment of the movable vacuum pumping equipment based on the RS485 / 232 serial communication protocol; The monitoring unit sends the monitoring data to the monitoring end via a wireless network, where the wireless network includes at least one of a Wi-Fi network, an APN network, a 4G network, and a fiber optic network.

8. A particle therapy system, characterized in that: include: At least one ion source, the particles generated by the ion source are transported to the treatment terminal through a vacuum beam channel, and the vacuum beam channel is provided with a plurality of vacuum ports; a control unit for monitoring the operation of the ion source; At least one movable vacuum pumping device, the movable vacuum pumping device is used to draw a vacuum for the vacuum beam channel, and the movable vacuum pumping device is connected to the vacuum beam channel through a vacuum pumping interface; The vacuum monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is used to monitor the operating parameters of the movable vacuum equipment.

9. The particle therapy system according to claim 8, wherein: The monitoring unit of the vacuum monitoring system is communicatively connected with the control unit.

10. The particle therapy system according to claim 9, wherein: Also includes: An alarm unit is connected to the control unit. When the vacuum monitoring system detects abnormal data, the control unit controls the alarm unit to issue an alarm.

11. The particle therapy system according to claim 9, wherein: Also includes: A display unit is connected to the control unit and / or the vacuum monitoring system, and is used to display monitoring data of the control unit and / or the vacuum monitoring system.

12. A monitoring method using the vacuum monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Include: Connecting the monitoring unit to a controller of a vacuum device on a movable carrier to monitor operating parameters of the vacuum device; The monitoring unit sends the monitoring data to the monitoring terminal.

13. The monitoring method of a vacuum monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein: When the monitoring unit is powered on, it automatically identifies the wireless network and automatically sends the current communication address to the designated receiving end. The monitoring end obtains the communication address from the designated receiving end and communicates and interacts with the monitoring unit based on the communication address. The monitoring end uses whether it is successfully connected to the monitoring unit as one of the conditions for judging whether the monitoring unit is powered off or has failed. When the monitoring end cannot successfully connect to the monitoring unit, it is determined that the monitoring unit is powered off or has failed. When the monitoring end determines that the monitoring unit is powered off and shut down, it further determines that the vacuum pumping equipment sharing the power supply with the monitoring unit is powered off and shut down.

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