Method, apparatus and particle therapy system for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method, device and particle therapy system for monitoring particle beam energy in real time, the treatment energy of the particle beam being provided by a synchrotron comprising a module having an accelerating function. The method comprises: acquiring in real time a characteristic value of the module having the accelerating function at the treatment energy, the characteristic value being indicative of a current magnetic field strength of the module; determining whether the characteristic value at the treatment energy is out of a preset characteristic value range; and triggering stopping beam generation in response to the characteristic value at the treatment energy being out of the preset characteristic value range. Further, the method comprises: acquiring in real time a current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron at the treatment energy; determining whether the current position is out of a preset position range of the particle beam at the treatment energy; and outputting information indicating that the energy of the particle beam exceeds a threshold value in response to the real-time position being out of the preset position range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of radiotherapy, and in particular to a method, apparatus, particle therapy system, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy. Background Technology

[0002] Charged particles exhibiting Bragg peak characteristics include protons, light ions, heavy ions, and π mesons. The Bragg peak refers to the phenomenon where, after a charged particle enters the human body, its energy is slowly lost at the surface of tissues, but concentrates near the endpoint of its trajectory, forming a high-ionization absorption peak within the body. Therapy using charged particles exhibiting Bragg peak characteristics offers higher precision than conventional radiotherapy, such as electron beams and X-rays, and can treat lesions near healthy, sensitive tissues. Among charged particles with Bragg peak characteristics, proton therapy is currently the most widely used internationally.

[0003] The methods described in this section are not necessarily methods that had been previously conceived or adopted. Unless otherwise specified, no method described in this section should be assumed to be prior art simply because it is included in this section. Similarly, unless otherwise specified, the issues mentioned in this section should not be considered to be accepted in any prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy is provided, wherein the therapeutic energy of the particle beam is provided by a synchrotron, and the synchrotron includes a module with acceleration function. The method includes: acquiring in real-time a characteristic value indicating the current magnetic field strength of the module with acceleration function at the therapeutic energy; determining whether the characteristic value exceeds a preset characteristic value range at the therapeutic energy; and triggering a stop to beam generation in response to the characteristic value exceeding the preset characteristic value range at the therapeutic energy.

[0005] In another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy is provided, wherein the therapeutic energy of the particle beam is provided by a synchrotron, the synchrotron including a module with acceleration function, the apparatus comprising: a first unit configured to acquire in real time a characteristic value indicating the current magnetic field strength of the module with acceleration function at the therapeutic energy; a second unit configured to determine whether the characteristic value exceeds a preset characteristic value range at the therapeutic energy; and a third unit configured to trigger a stop to beam generation in response to the characteristic value exceeding the preset characteristic value range at the therapeutic energy.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a particle therapy system is proposed, comprising: a particle source for emitting a particle beam; a synchrotron for accelerating the particle beam to an energy capable of reaching a predetermined penetration depth, the synchrotron including a module with acceleration function; a treatment chamber to which the accelerated particle beam is guided; and an electronic device including: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores a computer program that, when executed by the at least one processor, implements the method according to the present disclosure.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program is provided, wherein the computer program implements the method according to the present disclosure when executed by a processor.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method according to the present disclosure.

[0009] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The accompanying drawings exemplify embodiments and form part of the specification, serving together with the textual description to explain exemplary implementations of the embodiments. The illustrated embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the claims. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to similar but not necessarily identical elements.

[0011] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can more clearly understand the above and other features and advantages of this disclosure, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary particle therapy system for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy is shown, in which various methods described herein may be implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart of a method for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart of a method for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0015] Figure 4 A schematic flowchart is shown in the method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure for determining whether the current position exceeds a preset position range of the particle beam;

[0016] Figure 5 A schematic flowchart is shown in the method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure for determining whether the current position exceeds a preset position range of the particle beam;

[0017] Figure 6 A schematic flowchart is shown in which the current position of a particle beam in a synchrotron is monitored in real time according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 7 A schematic flowchart illustrating how a method according to an embodiment of this disclosure acquires the current position of a particle beam in a synchrotron in real time using multiple bent-iron modules is shown; and

[0019] Figure 8 A block diagram of an apparatus for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To provide a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of this disclosure, specific embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same parts.

[0021] In this document, “illustrative” means “serving as an example, illustration or description”, and any illustration or implementation described herein as “illustrative” should not be construed as a more preferred or advantageous technical solution.

[0022] To keep the drawings concise, each drawing only schematically shows the parts relevant to this disclosure, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, to facilitate understanding, in some drawings, components with the same structure or function are shown only schematically, or only one is labeled.

[0023] In this article, "one" can mean not only "only one" but also "more than one". In this article, "first", "second", etc., are used only to distinguish one from another, not to indicate their importance, order, or mutual dependence.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary particle therapy system 100 for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy, in which various methods described herein may be implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] like Figure 1As shown, the particle therapy system 100 includes a particle source 103, a linear accelerator, a synchrotron 101, treatment chambers 104, 104', and 104" and a vacuum tube 105. The particle source 103, linear accelerator, synchrotron 101, and treatment chambers 104, 104', and 104" are connected as a single unit via the vacuum tube 105. The particle source 103 generates particles, such as protons and heavy ions, and multiple particles constitute a particle beam. The particles generated by the particle source 103 are moved through the vacuum tube 105 to the linear accelerator. The linear accelerator is used to initially accelerate the particles. Then, the synchrotron 101 uses radio frequency and magnetic field to energize the particles. The particles undergo circular motion under the influence of the Lorentz force in the magnetic field and are repeatedly accelerated by the high-frequency electric field during this circular motion. In some examples, the synchrotron is a ring-shaped synchrotron. The synchrotron 101 includes modules with acceleration functions, such as multiple bent iron modules 102 and a radio frequency module. Depending on the specific needs, such as the location and size of the patient's lesion (e.g., a tumor), particles can be assigned different therapeutic energies in the synchrotron 101. Ultimately, the particle beam with specific therapeutic energy is transmitted to the treatment chamber via the beam transmission system 106 and applied to the patient's lesion.

[0026] In some examples, each bent iron module 102 may include a pair of bent magnets. When an electric current flows through the bent magnets, they generate a magnetic field that causes the particles to move in a circular motion. It is understood that the period of the particle's circular motion is related to the magnetic field strength of the bent magnets. If the magnetic field strength deviates, the period of the particle's circular motion will not match the frequency of the high-frequency electric field, preventing the particles from being properly energized and causing an anomaly in the particle beam energy.

[0027] In some examples, each bent iron module 102 also includes a beam position detector for detecting the position of the particle beam in each bent iron module of the synchrotron, including readings in the horizontal x direction and the vertical y direction, wherein the reading in the horizontal x direction indicates the position of the particle beam in the cross-section of the corresponding bent iron module along the horizontal x direction, and the reading in the vertical y direction indicates the position of the particle beam in the cross-section of the corresponding bent iron module along the vertical y direction.

[0028] When using particle beams, the penetration depth in the human body is determined by adjusting the particle beam energy, for example, by adjusting the radio frequency and magnetic field of the synchrotron, so that the particle beam correctly reaches the lesion location. If the energy changes, the penetration depth changes accordingly. However, even if the correct instructions and values ​​are input into the particle therapy system 100, the particle therapy system 100 may still output a particle beam with incorrect energy. In addition, during long-term use of the particle therapy system 100, due to equipment aging and the influence of various other factors (such as temperature changes, humidity changes, air pressure changes, foundation settlement, etc.), the synchrotron parameter settings may also drift, causing the energy of the extracted particle beam to drift.

[0029] Because the particle beam releases a significant amount of energy at its focal point, if the focal point deviates from the lesion and lands on a healthy area, it can actually harm the patient. Therefore, real-time monitoring of the focal point's position is necessary during treatment to avoid unnecessary harm. However, precise energy measurement requires a dedicated Bragg peak detector, which cannot be used simultaneously with patient treatment; the treatment must be interrupted. Furthermore, the Bragg peak detector demands highly precise placement, requiring at least half an hour for both setup and measurement. This extended measurement time conflicts with the limited patient treatment time.

[0030] The inventors of this disclosure have discovered that existing technologies focus solely on how to calibrate the synchrotron during particle beam production, neglecting the crucial emergency response mechanisms needed in practical applications. These mechanisms operate in real-time during treatment, preventing adverse outcomes caused by uncontrollable factors.

[0031] In the use of a particle therapy system, a synchrotron first accelerates the particle beam to a specific therapeutic energy as needed. The particle beam is then drawn into a treatment chamber and applied to the patient. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the energy of the particle beam is monitored in real time during its introduction into the treatment chamber to ensure the safety of the treatment process. Figure 2 A flowchart of a method 200 for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy during the extraction of a particle beam into a treatment chamber, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown, as follows: Figure 2 As shown, method 200 includes:

[0032] S210. Real-time acquisition of a characteristic value indicating the current magnetic field strength of the module with acceleration function under the said therapeutic energy;

[0033] S220. Determine whether the characteristic value under the treatment energy exceeds a preset characteristic value range; and

[0034] S230, In response to the characteristic value exceeding the preset characteristic value range under the treatment energy, trigger the termination of beam generation.

[0035] As described above, synchrotrons can provide a variety of energy sources. In some embodiments, the module with acceleration functionality includes a plurality of bent iron modules 102, each of which includes a pair of bending magnets.

[0036] In step S210, the characteristic value indicating the current magnetic field strength of each bent iron module under each energy level is acquired in real time.

[0037] In step S220, it is determined whether the characteristic value of each bent iron module under each energy exceeds the preset characteristic value range; and

[0038] In step S230, in response to the characteristic value of any bent iron module exceeding the preset characteristic value range under each energy, the beam generation is triggered to stop.

[0039] If the characteristic value of the bent iron module does not exceed the preset characteristic value range, then continue to repeat steps S210 to 220.

[0040] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the characteristic value indicating the magnetic field strength is a characteristic value that can represent the strength of the magnetic field applied to each bent iron module. This value can be the magnetic field strength itself, or other values ​​that can characterize the magnetic field strength, such as the current strength used to generate the magnetic field. The magnetic field strength is obtained by setting a magnetic field detection ring on each bent iron module. This detection ring is a magnetic sensor capable of measuring the magnetic field strength. Preferably, six bent iron modules are set, each spaced equidistantly in the circumferential direction of the synchrotron. Beam generation is stopped as soon as any of the six bent iron modules' magnetic field detection rings measures a magnetic field strength exceeding the predicted characteristic value. The number of bent iron modules is not limited to six; it can be any number.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the characteristic value is the intensity of the current passing through each pair of bent magnets. The bent magnets generate a magnetic field perpendicular to the direction of particle beam movement, causing the particle beam to undergo circular motion at a predetermined period under the influence of the Lorentz force. It can be understood that the bent magnets generate the magnetic field perpendicular to the direction of particle beam movement by flowing current through them. According to the law of electromagnetic induction, the flowing current generates a predetermined magnetic field, and the magnetic field strength changes with the magnitude of the flowing current. Therefore, this disclosure provides an embodiment for measuring magnetic field strength that can replace the magnetic field detection ring, i.e., by installing an electronic component such as an ammeter on the bent magnets to measure the magnitude of the current flowing through them. Preferably, six current detectors are installed corresponding to six pairs of bent magnets, and beam generation stops as soon as the current magnitude on any of the six current detectors exceeds the predicted characteristic value.

[0042] As an alternative to or supplement to real-time monitoring of the magnetic field, the radio frequency of the synchrotron can be monitored in real time. In some embodiments, method 200 includes: acquiring in real time the current radio frequency of the module with acceleration function under the treatment energy; determining whether the current radio frequency under the treatment energy exceeds a preset characteristic value range; and triggering a stop beam generation in response to the current radio frequency under the treatment energy exceeding the preset characteristic value range.

[0043] By monitoring the magnetic field and / or radio frequency of the synchrotron in real time during the beam extraction process into the treatment room, real-time energy monitoring can be achieved, and timely responses can be made when energy anomalies occur, ensuring safety during the beam extraction process.

[0044] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, it is also provided to determine whether the energy is abnormal by real-time monitoring of the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron.

[0045] After the synchrotron is properly adjusted, that is, the radio frequency frequency and the average orbital radius of the beam are calibrated, the penetration depth of the particle beam corresponds to the position of the particle beam in the synchrotron during actual use.

[0046] Under the condition that the synchrotron radio frequency is constant:

[0047]

[0048] Where R represents the average orbital radius of the particle beam, dR represents the change in the average orbital radius of the particle beam, P represents the particle momentum, dp represents the change in particle momentum, and γ represents the parameter as a relative factor.

[0049] and,

[0050]

[0051] Where E represents particle energy, dE represents the change in particle energy, z represents the penetration depth of the particle beam, dz represents the change in penetration depth of the particle beam, c represents the speed of light, β represents the relative velocity, e represents the charge of the electron, and m e Let n represent the remaining electron mass, n represent the electron density, I represent the average excitation potential of the target, and ε0 represent the vacuum dielectric constant.

[0052] Combining equations (1) and (2), we get:

[0053]

[0054] Where m is the relative atomic mass of the particle.

[0055] As can be seen from equation (3) above, when the radio frequency frequency of the synchrotron is constant, the penetration depth of the particle beam has a corresponding relationship with the orbital radius of the particle beam.

[0056] Based on this, the particle beam energy can be monitored in real time by monitoring the position of the particle beam in the synchrotron, which corresponds to the orbital radius of the particle beam.

[0057] Figure 3 A flowchart of a method for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 As shown, the method 200 for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy further includes:

[0058] S240. Real-time acquisition of the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron;

[0059] S250, Determine whether the current position exceeds the preset position range of the particle beam; and

[0060] S260. In response to the current position exceeding the preset position range, output information indicating that the energy of the particle beam exceeds a threshold.

[0061] In the embodiments of this disclosure, in addition to the magnetic field strength and radio frequency of the bent iron module, the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron is also used to further determine whether the particle beam energy has experienced abnormal drift. The current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron refers to the position of the particle beam in the cross-section of the synchrotron. If the synchrotron is composed of multiple bent iron modules, it refers to the position of the particle beam in the cross-section of the corresponding bent iron module of the synchrotron, including the position along the horizontal direction and the position along the vertical direction, but excluding the position along the direction of particle beam propagation.

[0062] The reason for acquiring the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron in real time is that even if the current through the synchrotron's bending iron module is within the normal range, individual devices may fail or the synchrotron may drift during long-term use, causing the particle beam energy to drift. Therefore, in order to construct multi-layered protection to improve safety, this disclosure further provides steps for determining whether abnormal energy drift has occurred by real-time monitoring of the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron.

[0063] For example, to meet different treatment needs, the particle beam is provided with different energies by the ring-shaped synchrotron 101. For example, the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron is detected in real time by a beam position detector 102, which can detect the horizontal and vertical positions of the particle beam within the cross-section of the synchrotron. In some examples, the output indicating that the particle beam energy exceeds a threshold can be a reminder to medical personnel, such as a displayed text warning or an audible alarm. It is understood that, compared to serious errors such as abnormal magnetic field strength, anomalies in real-time position are sporadic and random. Therefore, reminders such as displayed text warnings or audible alarms can be sent to the operator. Based on experience, the operator can choose to immediately shut down beam generation or continue to observe the reminder. If the reminder persists for an extended period, the operator can choose to shut down beam generation and troubleshoot the equipment, thereby ensuring both treatment efficiency and safety. In existing particle therapy systems equipped with devices capable of measuring beam position in real time, embodiments of this disclosure can utilize existing particle therapy systems by introducing safety thresholds into the system, thereby determining in real time whether the energy of the particle beam during treatment is safe for the patient.

[0064] It is understandable that the patient's lesion has a certain size. Compared to the lesion, the dwell position of the particle beam is smaller. The particle beam can treat the affected area near the dwell position simultaneously. Therefore, during treatment, without damaging healthy areas, there are multiple selectable dwell positions on the lesion, constituting an allowable range of penetration depth variation, corresponding to a preset position range of the particle beam in the synchrotron. According to some embodiments, steps S240 to S260 can also be configured independently for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy.

[0065] By adding real-time monitoring of the particle beam position in the synchrotron, energy drift caused by individual equipment failures or long-term drift can be detected in a timely manner. Combined with the aforementioned real-time monitoring of the synchrotron's magnetic field and / or radio frequency to monitor the particle beam energy, dual monitoring of the particle beam extraction process can be achieved, providing double insurance for energy monitoring.

[0066] According to some embodiments, see Figure 4 Step S250, determining whether the current position exceeds the preset position range of the particle beam, includes:

[0067] S410. Based on the current position, obtain the current radial position of the particle beam in the radial direction of the synchrotron;

[0068] S420. Calculate the deviation between the current radial position and the preset radial position of the particle beam, wherein the particle beam can reach a preset penetration depth at the preset radial position; and

[0069] S430. Determine whether the calculated deviation exceeds the allowable deviation.

[0070] If the deviation between the current radial position and the preset radial position of the particle beam exceeds the allowable deviation, it is determined that the current position is outside the preset position range, and step S260 continues, outputting information indicating that the energy of the particle beam exceeds a threshold. If the deviation between the current radial position and the preset radial position of the particle beam does not exceed the allowable deviation, it is determined that the real-time position is not outside the preset position range, and step S410 is returned to continue monitoring.

[0071] In embodiments of this disclosure, the radial direction of the synchrotron refers to the radial direction of the entire annular synchrotron. In some embodiments, the current radial position of the particle beam in the radial direction of the synchrotron corresponds to the real-time orbital radius of the particle beam, and the preset radial position corresponds to the preset orbital radius of the particle beam. Based on the correspondence between the change in the penetration depth of the particle beam and the change in the orbital radius of the particle beam according to equation (3), the allowable change in the orbital radius of the particle beam can be determined corresponding to the change in the penetration depth of the particle beam. In embodiments including steps S410 to S430, the current radial position of the particle beam in the radial direction of the synchrotron can be determined first based on the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron obtained in step S240. Then, the deviation between the current radial position and the preset radial position of the particle beam is calculated to obtain the change value of the orbital radius of the particle beam. If the change value of the orbital radius of the particle beam exceeds the allowable change in the orbital radius of the particle beam, it is determined that the current position exceeds the preset position range.

[0072] According to other embodiments, see Figure 5 Step S250, determining whether the current position exceeds the preset position range of the particle beam, includes:

[0073] S510. Based on the preset trajectory of the particle beam and the allowable trajectory radius deviation, determine a preset position range, wherein the particle beam on the preset trajectory can reach a preset penetration depth, and the allowable trajectory radius deviation is determined based on the allowable deviation from the preset penetration depth; and

[0074] S520. Determine whether the acquired current location falls within the allowed location range.

[0075] Similarly, based on the correspondence between the change in the penetration depth of the particle beam and the change in the orbital radius of the particle beam according to equation (3), the allowable change in the particle beam orbital radius can be determined corresponding to the change in the allowable particle beam penetration depth. In the embodiment including steps S510 to S520, the preset position range of the particle beam in the synchrotron is first determined based on the preset orbit of the particle beam and the allowable change or deviation in the orbital radius. Then, based on the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron obtained in real time in step S240, it is determined whether the current position falls within the preset position range. Thus, if an allowable position range is determined, and the current position falls outside the range, it is determined that the particle beam is abnormal, thereby improving efficiency.

[0076] In some embodiments, see Figure 6 As an alternative to or supplement to monitoring magnetic fields and / or radio frequencies, method 200 also includes:

[0077] S610, based on the type of particle, its highest energy, and the allowable deviation of the preset penetration depth, determines the allowable particle beam trajectory deviation;

[0078] S620 determines the real-time trajectory deviation of the particle beam based on the real-time acquired current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron and the preset position of the particle beam.

[0079] S630, in response to the real-time trajectory deviation of the particle beam exceeding the allowable particle beam trajectory deviation, outputs information indicating that the energy of the particle beam exceeds a threshold.

[0080] For example, for particles in the form of carbon ions, the highest energy of carbon ions is 430 MeV / u, and dR ≈ 5.8 dz can be obtained through equation (3). Therefore, in some embodiments, the allowable orbital deviation is determined by the following equation: dR 允许 ≈5.8dz 允许 , where dR 允许 For the allowable orbital radius deviation, dz 允许 This represents the permissible preset penetration depth deviation. When a particle with energy of 430 MeV / u is allowed a 1 mm variation in penetration depth dz, the permissible variation in the particle beam's orbital radius dR is approximately 5.8 mm. That is, when the penetration position deviates slightly, a correspondingly amplified radial position deviation will occur on the synchrotron, which improves the detectability of particle beam deviation.

[0081] According to some embodiments, the synchrotron includes multiple bent iron modules, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 7 The real-time acquisition of the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron in step S240 or S620 includes:

[0082] S710, acquire multiple positions of the particle beam detected in real time at multiple bent iron modules; and

[0083] S720: Calculate the average position of the particle beam based on multiple positions as the current position.

[0084] By monitoring the particle beam at different locations and calculating the average position, the accuracy and sensitivity of the monitoring are improved.

[0085] According to some embodiments, each of the multiple bent iron modules is equipped with at least one beam position detector. Each beam position detector includes horizontal and vertical readings, wherein the horizontal reading indicates the position of the particle beam in the horizontal direction within the cross-section of the corresponding bent iron module, and the vertical reading indicates the position of the particle beam in the vertical direction within the cross-section of the corresponding bent iron module. Obtaining the real-time position of the particle beam in the synchrotron in step S240 or S620 includes: real-time reading of the horizontal and vertical readings of each of the beam position detectors; calculating the average value of the horizontal readings and the average value of the vertical readings of the beam position detectors; and calculating the average position of the particle beam as the current position based on the average value of the horizontal and vertical readings.

[0086] In one embodiment, the synchrotron includes six bending iron modules, and real-time acquisition of the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron includes: acquiring six positions of the particle beam detected in real time at the six bending iron modules; and calculating the average position of the particle beam as the current position based on the six positions.

[0087] For example, in Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, a beam position detector is positioned at the exit end of the bent iron module in the direction of particle beam movement, thereby monitoring the beam position segmentally. Setting too many or too few detection positions and beam position detectors will increase costs or decrease accuracy.

[0088] According to some embodiments, real-time refers to intervals of predetermined time.

[0089] According to some embodiments, the beam generation can be stopped only after anomalies are detected multiple times at different time points, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of detection and avoiding the situation of blindly and forcibly stopping the particle therapy device due to occasional events.

[0090] Figure 8 A block diagram of an apparatus 800 for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0091] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a device 800 for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy is proposed, wherein the final therapeutic energy of the particle beam is provided by a synchrotron, the synchrotron including a module with acceleration function, and the device 800 includes: a first unit 810 configured to acquire in real-time a characteristic value indicating the current magnetic field strength of the module with acceleration function at the therapeutic energy; a second unit 820 configured to determine whether the characteristic value exceeds a preset characteristic value range at the therapeutic energy; and a third unit 830 configured to trigger a stop beam generation in response to the characteristic value exceeding the preset characteristic value range at the therapeutic energy.

[0092] According to some embodiments, the module with acceleration function includes a radio frequency module and a plurality of bending modules, each bending module including a pair of bending magnets, the characteristic value being the current intensity through each pair of bending magnets.

[0093] According to some embodiments, the device 800 further includes a fourth unit configured to acquire in real time the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron, determine whether the current position exceeds a preset position range of the particle beam, and, in response to the current position exceeding the preset position range, output information indicating that the energy of the particle beam exceeds a threshold.

[0094] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a particle therapy system 100 is proposed, comprising: a particle source 103 for emitting a particle beam; a synchrotron 101 for accelerating the particle beam to an energy capable of reaching a predetermined penetration depth, the synchrotron including a module with acceleration function; treatment chambers 104, 104', 104'' where the accelerated particle beam is guided into the treatment chambers; and electronic equipment. The electronic equipment includes: at least one processor and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program that, when executed by the at least one processor, implements a method for real-time monitoring of the particle beam energy according to any of the above embodiments. In some embodiments, the particle therapy system 100 further includes: a linear accelerator for initial acceleration of the particles.

[0095] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program is provided, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements a method for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy according to any of the above embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0096] According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program product is proposed, comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements a method for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy according to any of the above embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0097] Various embodiments of the systems and techniques described above herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, integrated circuit systems, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), payload-programmable logic devices (CPLDs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various embodiments may include implementations in one or more computer programs that can be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be a dedicated or general-purpose programmable processor, capable of receiving data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and transmitting data and instructions to the storage system, the at least one input device, and the at least one output device.

[0098] The program code used to implement the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a standalone software package partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0099] In the context of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible medium that may contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer-readable storage medium can be a computationally readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable medium can be, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of readable storage media include electrical connections based on one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0100] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to rearrange, add, or delete steps. For example, the steps described in this disclosure can be performed in parallel, sequentially, or in a different order, as long as the desired result of the technical solution disclosed in this disclosure can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0101] While embodiments or examples of this disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the methods, systems, and devices described above are merely exemplary embodiments or examples, and the scope of the invention is not limited by these embodiments or examples, but only by the granted claims and their equivalents. Various elements in the embodiments or examples may be omitted or replaced by their equivalents. Furthermore, the steps may be performed in a different order than that described in this disclosure. Further, various elements in the embodiments or examples may be combined in various ways. Importantly, as the technology evolves, many elements described herein can be replaced by equivalents that appear after this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy, wherein the therapeutic energy of the particle beam is provided by a synchrotron, the synchrotron including a module with acceleration functionality, the method comprising: The characteristic value indicating the current magnetic field strength of the module with acceleration function under the said treatment energy is acquired in real time. Determine whether the characteristic value under the stated treatment energy exceeds a preset characteristic value range; as well as In response to the characteristic value exceeding a preset characteristic value range under the therapeutic energy, the beam generation is triggered to stop; The method further includes: Real-time acquisition of the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron at therapeutic energy; Determine whether the current position exceeds the preset position range of the particle beam; and In response to the current position exceeding the preset position range, information indicating that the energy of the particle beam exceeds a threshold is output; The synchrotron includes multiple bent iron modules, and the real-time acquisition of the current position of the particle beam within the synchrotron includes: Acquire multiple current positions of the particle beam detected in real time at multiple bent iron modules under the said treatment energy; and Based on the multiple current positions, the average position of the particle beam is calculated as the current position; At least one beam position detector is provided at each of the plurality of bent iron modules. Each beam position detector includes readings in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. The horizontal reading indicates the position of the particle beam in the cross-section of the corresponding bent iron module along the horizontal direction, and the vertical reading indicates the position of the particle beam in the cross-section of the corresponding bent iron module along the vertical direction. Real-time readings of the horizontal and vertical directions of each of the beam position detectors; Calculate the average value of the horizontal readings and the average value of the vertical readings of the beam position detector; and The average position of the particle beam is calculated as the current position based on the average value of the readings in the horizontal direction and the average value of the readings in the vertical direction.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The acceleration module includes a radio frequency module and multiple bending modules, each bending module including a pair of bending magnets, the characteristic value being the current intensity passing through the pair of bending magnets.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The current radio frequency of the module with acceleration function under the treatment energy is acquired in real time; Determine whether the current radio frequency at the treatment energy exceeds a preset characteristic value range; as well as In response to the current radio frequency exceeding a preset characteristic value range under the treatment energy, beam generation is triggered to stop.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining whether the current position exceeds the preset position range includes: Based on the current position, obtain the current radial position of the particle beam in the radial direction of the synchrotron; Calculate the deviation between the current radial position and the preset radial position of the particle beam, wherein the particle beam can achieve a preset penetration depth at the preset radial position; and Determine whether the calculated deviation exceeds the allowable deviation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The synchrotron includes six bent iron modules. Real-time acquisition of the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron includes: Obtain the six current positions of the particle beam detected in real time at the six bent iron modules; and Based on the six current positions, the average position of the particle beam is calculated as the current position.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining whether the current position exceeds the preset position range includes: Based on the preset trajectory of the particle beam and the allowable trajectory radius deviation, the preset position range is determined, wherein the particle beam on the preset trajectory can reach a preset penetration depth, and the allowable trajectory radius deviation is determined based on the allowable deviation from the preset penetration depth; and Determine whether the current position falls within the allowed position range.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: The allowable particle beam trajectory deviation is determined based on the type of particle, its highest energy, and the allowable deviation from the preset penetration depth. The real-time trajectory deviation of the particle beam is determined based on the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron and the preset position of the particle beam. In response to a real-time trajectory deviation of the particle beam exceeding the permissible particle beam trajectory deviation, information indicating that the energy of the particle beam exceeds a threshold is output.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The permissible particle beam trajectory deviation is represented by the permissible particle beam trajectory radius deviation. For particles in the form of carbon ions, the permissible particle beam trajectory radius deviation is determined by the following equation: in, dR 允许 To allow for the deviation of the particle beam trajectory radius, dz 允许 The allowable deviation from the preset penetration depth.

9. An apparatus for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy, the apparatus being used to perform the method for real-time monitoring of particle beam energy as described in claim 1, wherein the therapeutic energy of the particle beam is provided by a synchrotron, the synchrotron comprising a module having acceleration functionality. The device includes: The first unit is configured to acquire in real time a characteristic value indicating the current magnetic field strength of a module that has an acceleration function under the therapeutic energy; The second unit is configured to determine whether the characteristic value under the therapeutic energy exceeds a preset characteristic value range; as well as The third unit is configured to trigger a stop beam generation in response to the characteristic value exceeding a preset characteristic value range under the therapeutic energy.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The acceleration module includes a radio frequency module and multiple bent iron modules, each bent iron module including a pair of bent magnets, the characteristic value being the current intensity passing through the pair of bent magnets.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: The fourth unit is configured to acquire the current position of the particle beam in the synchrotron in real time, determine whether the current position exceeds a preset position range of the particle beam, and, in response to the current position exceeding the preset position range, output information indicating that the energy of the particle beam exceeds a threshold.

12. A particle therapy system, comprising: A particle source, used to emit a particle beam; A synchrotron is used to accelerate a particle beam to an energy capable of reaching a predetermined penetration depth, and the synchrotron includes a module with acceleration function. In the treatment room, an accelerated particle beam is directed into the treatment room; as well as An electronic device, the electronic device comprising: At least one processor; and A memory that is communicatively connected to the at least one processor; The memory stores a computer program that, when executed by the at least one processor, implements the method according to any one of claims 1-8.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein, The computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method according to any one of claims 1-8.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein, The computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method according to any one of claims 1-8.

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