Particle Accelerator Beam Calibration System and Calibration Method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a beam calibration system and a calibration method for a particle accelerator. The beam calibration system for the particle accelerator includes a support assembly, a particle accelerator, and a calibration assembly. The particle accelerator is provided with a rotation axis and an exit port for emitting a beam, and the particle accelerator is connected to the support assembly and can rotate under the drive of the support assembly. The calibration assembly is installed on the particle accelerator and can rotate following the particle accelerator. One end of the calibration assembly can horizontally extend to the isocenter of the calibration system and form an indication portion, and the indication portion can indicate the position of the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator. The beam calibration system and the calibration method of the present invention are used for pre-commissioning the beam of the particle accelerator, reducing the commissioning period when the particle accelerator is installed in a hospital, and facilitating the particle accelerator to be put into use faster for the benefit of the people.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of particle radiotherapy equipment, and in particular to a particle accelerator beam calibration system and a calibration method. Background Art

[0002] A proton therapy device is a radiotherapy device that uses high-energy particles to destroy targeted positions such as tumor cells in a patient's body. The high-energy particles in the proton therapy device mainly accelerate protons by using a particle accelerator to form a proton beam, and the beam exits through the beam outlet of the particle accelerator to destroy targeted positions such as tumor cells in the patient's body.

[0003] Generally, various required components of a proton therapy device are processed in a factory and partially assembled, and then various components are finally assembled in a hospital to obtain the proton therapy device. Since the proton therapy device has relatively strict requirements for the beam exit direction, if the beam exit path deviates, the beam cannot accurately and effectively destroy targeted positions such as tumor cells in the patient's body, thereby affecting the treatment effect. Therefore, when the proton therapy device is built in a hospital, it is necessary to debug the proton therapy device, especially the particle accelerator used to generate the beam in the proton therapy device, to ensure that the beam exit path of the beam generated by the particle accelerator meets the requirements. However, when debugging the proton therapy device in a hospital, the debugging period is relatively long, which in turn leads to a relatively long construction period for installing the proton therapy device in the hospital. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a particle accelerator beam calibration system and a calibration method for pre-debugging the particle accelerator beam and reducing the debugging period when the particle accelerator is installed in a hospital.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] A particle accelerator beam calibration system includes:

[0007] A support assembly for being installed on a ground provided with a pit and for providing a driving force;

[0008] A particle accelerator having a rotation axis and a beam outlet for emitting a beam, and the particle accelerator is directly or indirectly connected to the support assembly and is suspended relative to the pit on the ground, and can rotate around the rotation axis under the action of the driving force of the support assembly;

[0009] A calibration component is installed on the particle accelerator and can rotate along with the particle accelerator, and is used for beam calibration of the particle accelerator before leaving the factory; the calibration component is provided with an extension channel that penetrates through from front to back, and the straight line where the extension channel is located does not intersect the rotation axis; one end of the calibration component can horizontally extend to the isocenter of the calibration system and form an indication part, and the other end is directly or indirectly docked with the beam outlet for guiding the beam leaving the particle accelerator to move along the extension channel, and the indication part is used for indicating the position of the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator during the rotation of the particle accelerator; a plurality of marking points are provided on the indication part, and when the particle accelerator rotates, the intersection point formed by the projection of the plurality of marking points indicates the position of the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator.

[0010] Preferably, the calibration component includes a mounting seat and an extension rod that are connected to each other, the mounting seat is installed on the particle accelerator, and the indication part is arranged at one end of the extension rod.

[0011] Preferably, the extension rod further includes a rod body part, and the indication part is installed on the rod body part and can be locked with the rod body part at multiple positions;

[0012] And / or, the calibration system further includes a cylinder body, the cylinder body is connected with the particle accelerator and is rotatably installed on the support assembly, so that the particle accelerator can rotate relative to the support assembly through the cylinder body.

[0013] Preferably, the indication part includes a plurality of indication surfaces, each indication surface is respectively provided with the marking points, and the plurality of marking points are jointly projected onto the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator to indicate the position of the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator.

[0014] Preferably, the indication surface is provided with cross scale lines, and the intersection point of the cross scale lines forms the marking point;

[0015] The calibration system further includes a laser lamp, the laser lamp is used for generating cross laser, the laser lamp is correspondingly arranged with the indication surface, and the cross laser of the laser lamp can coincide with the cross scale lines of the indication surface.

[0016] Preferably, it further includes a wall body, and the laser lamp is adjustably installed on the wall body;

[0017] The particle accelerator is provided with a central marking line, and the cross laser generated by at least one laser lamp coincides with the central marking line.

[0018] A method for beam calibration of a particle accelerator is applied to the particle accelerator beam calibration system of any one of the above, and the calibration method includes:

[0019] Install the particle accelerator on the support assembly and rotate the particle accelerator to the initial position;

[0020] Install the calibration assembly and adjust the position of the calibration assembly so that the indicating part of the calibration assembly can indicate the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator;

[0021] Rotate the particle accelerator and make the particle accelerator emit beams at multiple angles, and judge the offset of the beam at multiple rotation angles through the position deviation between the beam and the isocenter indicated by the indicating part;

[0022] Adjust the particle accelerator to correct the beam output path of the beam generated by the particle accelerator.

[0023] Preferably, the step of installing the particle accelerator on the support assembly and rotating the particle accelerator to the initial position specifically includes: installing the particle accelerator on the cylinder body and rotatably installing the cylinder body on the support assembly, and rotating the cylinder body to make the particle accelerator rotate to the horizontal direction.

[0024] Preferably, the step of installing the calibration assembly and adjusting the position of the calibration assembly specifically includes:

[0025] Install the first laser lamp facing the beam outlet of the particle accelerator, and install the second laser lamps on both sides of the particle accelerator;

[0026] Install the calibration assembly and adjust the position of the indicating part of the calibration assembly according to the laser generated by the first laser lamp;

[0027] Adjust the position of the second laser lamp so that the laser generated by the second laser lamp corresponds to the indicating part.

[0028] Preferably, the step of installing the first laser lamp facing the beam outlet of the particle accelerator specifically includes: installing the first laser lamp at the position where the beam generated by the particle accelerator irradiates on the wall, and making the laser generated by the first laser lamp coincide with the center marking line of the particle accelerator;

[0029] The step of installing the calibration assembly and adjusting the position of the indicating part of the calibration assembly according to the laser generated by the first laser lamp specifically includes: adjusting the position between the indicating surface facing the first laser lamp of the indicating part and the first laser lamp so that the cross scale line of the indicating surface facing the first laser lamp coincides with the laser generated by the first laser lamp, and locking the calibration assembly.

[0030] Preferably, the step of adjusting the particle accelerator to calibrate the beam output path of the beam generated by the particle accelerator specifically includes:

[0031] Determine whether the offset of the beam in the first direction at each rotation angle exceeds the threshold. If the offset of the beam in the first direction exceeds the threshold, adjust the path of the beam in the first direction;

[0032] Obtain the offsets of the beam in the second direction at multiple rotation angles, and adjust the particle accelerator according to the offsets of the beam in the second direction at multiple rotation angles;

[0033] Wherein, the first direction is parallel to the axis of the cylinder body, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0034] Preferably, the adjusting the particle accelerator according to the offsets of the beam in the second direction at multiple rotation angles specifically includes:

[0035] Calculate the deflection angle β of the particle accelerator, wherein the deflection angle β = arctan a / b, a is the average value of the maximum and minimum values among the multiple offsets of the beam in the second direction, and b is the source axis distance of the particles in the particle accelerator;

[0036] According to the deflection angle β of the particle accelerator, adjust the relative position between the particle accelerator and the cylinder body.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention at least include:

[0038] By setting the particle accelerator to be rotatable about its rotation axis, the beam output of the particle accelerator at different angles can be realized in a smaller space; by setting a calibration component that can rotate with the particle accelerator, the calibration component can indicate the corresponding isocenter position of the particle accelerator in real time, thereby realizing the judgment of the beam offset of the particle accelerator at multiple angles, and then the beam of the particle accelerator can be correspondingly debugged in the factory, reducing the debugging cycle when the particle accelerator is installed in the hospital after leaving the factory. Description of the Drawings

[0039] Figure 1 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the beam calibration system of the particle accelerator according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the calibration component according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 is an exploded schematic diagram of the calibration component according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the calibration component from another perspective according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the indicating part according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] In the figure: 1. Bracket assembly; 11. Support frame; 12. Support feet; 2. Particle accelerator; 3. Calibration assembly; 31. Mounting base; 32. Extension rod; 321. Extension channel; 322. Rod body part; 323. Indicator part; 3231. Indicator surface; P. Marking point; 3232. Waist-shaped groove; 4. Cylinder; 51. First laser lamp; 52. Second laser lamp. Detailed implementation mode

[0045] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this invention will be more complete and comprehensive, and will fully convey the concept of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals in the figures denote the same or similar structures, and thus their repeated description will be omitted.

[0046] The words expressing position and direction described in the present invention are all illustrated by taking the accompanying drawings as examples, but can also be changed as needed, and all the changes made are included in the protection scope of the present invention.

[0047] As Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a particle accelerator beam calibration system, which can be used to calibrate the particle accelerator 2 in a proton therapy device to adjust the beam output path of the particle accelerator 2, so that the beam paths of the particle accelerator 2 at various angles meet the factory requirements. The particle accelerator beam calibration system of the present application can be applied in a factory, and this calibration system does not need to pre-build a treatment room for installing a proton therapy device. The particle accelerator beam calibration system includes a bracket assembly 1, a particle accelerator 2 directly or indirectly connected to the bracket assembly 1 and capable of rotating relative to the bracket assembly 1, a calibration assembly 3 installed on the particle accelerator 2, and may also include a cylinder 4 connected to the particle accelerator 2.

[0048] The bracket assembly 1 can be fixed on the ground with a pit in the calibration system, and the bracket assembly 1 can be used to provide a driving force for the particle accelerator 2 so that the particle accelerator 2 can rotate. Specifically, when the calibration system is applied in a factory, the ground in the factory can be provided with a pit, the bracket assembly 1 can be installed on the ground with the pit, and the superconducting magnet in the particle accelerator 2 is located directly above the pit. Among them, the setting of the pit can prevent the components directly or indirectly installed on the bracket assembly 1 (such as the superconducting magnet in the particle accelerator 2) from interfering with the ground when rotating relative to the bracket assembly 1.

[0049] The support assembly 1 may include a pair of support frames 11. Each support frame 11 includes a pair of support feet 12 that contact the ground, and the support feet 12 can be fixed to the ground by locking members such as screws. By controlling the installation position of the support feet 12 when installed on the ground, the installation position of the support assembly 1 can be controlled.

[0050] In some specific embodiments, there may be a pair of cylinders 4. One end of each cylinder 4 is connected to the particle accelerator 2, and the other end is rotatably connected to one of the support frames 11 in the support assembly 1. Specifically, the pair of cylinders 4 are arranged on opposite sides of the particle accelerator 2 and jointly clamp and fix the particle accelerator 2. The pair of support frames 11 are arranged on opposite sides of the whole formed by the pair of cylinders 4 and the particle accelerator 2, and each support frame 11 is connected to a corresponding cylinder 4 and can drive the cylinder 4 to rotate, so that the cylinder 4 is rotatably connected to the support frame 11. Among them, the cylinder 4 can rotate around the axis of the cylinder 4, and the axes of the pair of cylinders 4 coincide. The rotatable connection between the support frame 11 and the cylinder 4 can be achieved by common existing rotating structures, and the connection between the cylinder 4 and the particle accelerator 2 can adopt common connection methods in the proton therapy system, so it will not be elaborated here. In addition, the cylinder 4 can be supported by the support frame 11 and thus be suspended relative to the pit on the ground in the calibration system. The axis can also be called the rotation axis, and the direction where the rotation axis is located is the X direction.

[0051] The particle accelerator 2 is used to accelerate particles to form a beam. The particle accelerator 2 is provided with a rotation axis and an outlet for emitting the beam. The particle accelerator 2 is installed on the cylinder 4 so that the particle accelerator 2 can be indirectly supported by the support assembly 1 through the cylinder 4 and be suspended relative to the pit. The rotation axis of the particle accelerator 2 can be parallel to the axis of the cylinder 4. When the support assembly 1 drives the cylinder 4 to rotate, it will simultaneously drive the particle accelerator 2 installed on the cylinder 4 to rotate synchronously. At this time, the particle accelerator 2 can rotate around the axis of its cylinder 4, that is, the rotation axis of the particle accelerator 2. In other embodiments, if the axis of the cylinder 4 is not parallel and does not coincide with the rotation axis of the particle accelerator 2, the cylinder 4 is used to transmit the rotational driving force provided by the support assembly 1 to the particle accelerator 2 so that the particle accelerator 2 rotates around its rotation axis. Among them, the particle accelerator 2 can specifically be a proton accelerator 2, and the particles can specifically be protons. The axis of the particle accelerator 2, that is, the central axis, can coincide with the axis of the cylinder 4, that is, the central axis. The central axis can also be called the rotation axis of the particle accelerator 2.

[0052] When installing a proton therapy system, the particle accelerator 2 is installed in the treatment room of a hospital. Three layers of space will be formed in the treatment room. The space on the second layer can form the isocenter of the treatment room. The particle accelerator 2 needs to rotate around the isocenter of the treatment room, and the particle accelerator 2 needs to generate beam currents at multiple angles to destroy targeted positions such as tumor cells in the patient's body. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the proton therapy system to ensure that the beam paths generated by the particle accelerator 2 at multiple angles meet the requirements. When the hospital debugs the proton therapy system, its debugging cycle is long, and when components in the proton therapy system need to be adjusted during debugging, there are few relevant adjustment devices in the hospital, which affects the debugging efficiency of the proton therapy system; moreover, during the debugging process, if it is found that components such as the particle accelerator in the proton therapy system need to be sent back to the factory for reprocessing, operations such as the removal and transportation of the components will also cause a long delay in the construction cycle of the proton therapy system. Since the construction cost of the treatment room for installing proton therapy equipment is high, existing factories do not build treatment rooms separately, resulting in the inability of existing factories to perform operations similar to debugging the proton therapy system in hospitals.

[0053] In this application, by setting the particle accelerator 2 to be rotatable relative to the support assembly 1 about its rotation axis, the particle accelerator 2 can rotate without requiring a large amount of space, that is, the particle accelerator 2 can be rotated in the factory, and thus the particle accelerator 2 can simulate the rotation around the isocenter of the treatment room in the hospital treatment room. During the rotation of the particle accelerator 2, the position of the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 in the calibration system also rotates. For example, the particle accelerator 2 can rotate by 0 - 190° about its rotation axis, and at this time, the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 also rotates by 0 - 190° about the rotation axis of the particle accelerator 2. In order to enable the calibration assembly 3 to indicate the position of the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 in real time when the particle accelerator 2 rotates, this application adopts that the calibration assembly 3 is installed on the particle accelerator 2 and can be used to indicate the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2. The calibration assembly 3 can rotate with the particle accelerator 2 to indicate the position of the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 in real time when the particle accelerator 2 rotates. When debugging the particle accelerator 2, the particle accelerator 2 can drive the calibration assembly 3 to rotate together. During the rotation of the particle accelerator 2, that is, during the rotation process of the particle accelerator 2 in the simulation of the radiotherapy patient process, the path of the beam when the particle accelerator 2 emits the beam and whether the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 is offset and the offset amount can be recorded at multiple angles, and then the particle accelerator 2 can be adjusted accordingly. Among them, the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 can be the position where the beam of the particle accelerator 2 is expected to be used for treating patients, that is, when the particle accelerator 2 is installed in the hospital and rotated to the same angle, the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 is set to coincide with the isocenter position of the treatment room. When the particle accelerator 2 rotates by 0 - 190° about its rotation axis, the calibration assembly 3 also rotates by 0 - 190° about the rotation axis of the particle accelerator 2 synchronously, and the calibration assembly 3 can rotate in the pit on the ground of the calibration system and the space above the ground. By enabling the calibration assembly 3 to rotate in the pit on the ground of the calibration system, interference between the calibration assembly 3 and the ground during rotation can be avoided.

[0054] By means of the cooperation between the calibration component 3 and the particle accelerator 2, when the particle accelerator 2 rotates to different angles, by judging whether the beam of the particle accelerator 2 deviates from the isocenter position indicated by the calibration component 3 at the corresponding angle and the magnitude of the deviation when there is a deviation, the beam path of the particle accelerator 2 can be calibrated. The structure is simple, the occupied space is small and the cost is low, so that the particle accelerator 2 can be preliminarily debugged in the factory. If the particle accelerator 2 is disassembled or reprocessed during the debugging process, it can also be directly carried out in the factory, greatly reducing the debugging cycle of the beam path of the particle accelerator 2. After the adjustment of the beam path of the particle accelerator 2 is completed, the particle accelerator 2 and the cylinder body 4 can be transported as a whole to the hospital for installation, effectively reducing the debugging cycle of the proton therapy system during the hospital construction, and further effectively reducing the construction cycle of the proton therapy system in the hospital, which is beneficial to the particle accelerator being used for radiotherapy faster to benefit the people.

[0055] Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , in order to enable the calibration component 3 to indicate the corresponding isocenter position of the particle accelerator 2, one end of the calibration component 3 can horizontally extend to the corresponding isocenter position of the particle accelerator 2 and form an indicating part 323. The indicating part 323 can indicate a virtual point, and this virtual point can coincide with the corresponding isocenter of the particle accelerator 2, so that the indicating part 323 can indicate the corresponding isocenter of the particle accelerator 2. When the particle accelerator 2 rotates, the indicating part 323 of the calibration component 3 will rotate synchronously with the particle accelerator 2, and the virtual point indicated by the indicating part 323 will rotate with the particle accelerator 2 to indicate the corresponding isocenter position of the particle accelerator 2 when the particle accelerator 2 rotates to different angles.

[0056] Refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5, specifically, the indicating part 323 may include a plurality of indicating surfaces 3231 perpendicular to each other. Each indicating surface 3231 is respectively provided with a marking point P. The marking points P on each indicating surface 3231 can be respectively projected onto the corresponding isocenter of the particle accelerator, so that the intersection point formed by the projection of the marking points P on the plurality of indicating surfaces 3231 can indicate the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator 2; that is, when the particle accelerator 2 rotates, the position of the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 can be indicated by the intersection point formed by the projection of the marking points P on the plurality of indicating surfaces 3231. For example, when the indicating surface 3231 is perpendicular to the beam emission path, the projection of the marking point P on the indicating surface 3231 along the opposite direction of the beam emission path can coincide with the isocenter of the calibration system; when the indicating surface 3231 is parallel to the beam emission path, the projection of the marking point P on the indicating surface 3231 along the direction perpendicular to the beam emission path can coincide with the isocenter of the calibration system. Among them, the projection direction of the indicating part 323 can be perpendicular to the indicating surface 3231 where the indicating part 323 is located. The indicating surface 3231 can also be provided with a plurality of intersecting scale lines, and the intersection of the plurality of scale lines forms the marking point P on the indicating surface 3231; for example, a cross scale line can be provided on the indicating surface 3231, and the intersection point of the cross scale line forms the marking point P on the indicating surface 3231. The cross scale lines on the indicating surface 3231 can actually intersect so that the actual intersection point of the cross scale lines forms the marking point P, or the middle part of the cross scale lines on the indicating surface 3231 is vacant, and the virtual intersection point of the virtual extension lines of the cross scale lines forms the marking point P.

[0057] In the initial state, ensure that the virtual point indicated by the indicating part 323 coincides with the corresponding isocenter position of the particle accelerator 2 in the initial state. After that, when the particle accelerator 2 rotates, the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 and the position of the indicating part 323 of the calibration assembly 3 will move synchronously around the axis of the cylinder 4, so that the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 and the virtual point indicated by the indicating part 323 remain coincident during the rotation process. Therefore, the indicating part 323 can indicate the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 in real time during the rotation of the particle accelerator 2.

[0058] Refer to Figure 3In some specific embodiments, the calibration assembly 3 includes a mounting seat 31 and an extension rod 32 that are connected to each other. The mounting seat 31 can be integrally formed with the extension rod 32. The mounting seat 31 can be mounted on the particle accelerator 2, for example, on a housing or an iron yoke of the particle accelerator 2. One end of the extension rod 32 is integrally connected to the mounting seat 31, and the other end can extend to the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2 and is provided with an indication portion 323 for indicating the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2. Specifically, the extension rod 32 may include a rod body portion 322 and an indication portion 323, one end of the rod body portion 322 is integrally connected to the mounting seat 31, and the other end extends horizontally to the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2, and the indication portion 323 is mounted on one end of the rod body portion 322 facing the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2, so that the indication portion 323 can indicate the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator 2. Among them, an extension channel 321 that extends straight and runs through the front and back can be formed in the extension rod 32. One end of the extension channel 321 is connected to the beam outlet of the particle accelerator 2, and the other end can extend to the indicator 323. When the particle accelerator 2 emits a beam, the beam can be transmitted to the indicator 323 through the extension channel 321. Among them, the straight line where the extension channel 321 is located does not intersect with the rotation axis of the particle accelerator 2, which ensures that the extension channel 321 and the beam are accurately corresponding and guided. The straight line where the extension channel 321 is located is the direction of the beam, that is, the Y direction. The Z direction is perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction, and the X direction and the Y direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0059] In some specific embodiments, in order to intuitively, efficiently and accurately judge the offset between the beam of the particle accelerator 2 and the position of the corresponding isocenter of the particle accelerator 2, the indicator 323 is provided with a projection surface, and the beam of the particle accelerator 2 is projected onto the projection surface to form an image corresponding to the beam, such as a beam spot image, and the offset of the beam of the particle accelerator 2 is obtained by observing the position of the beam spot image generated on the projection surface and the position deviation of the virtual point indicated by the indicator 323. The projection surface can be arranged in close contact with the indicator surface 3231 in the indicator 323 that is perpendicular to the beam direction and parallel to each other.

[0060] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5, in some specific embodiments, the indicating portion 323 can be locked with the rod body portion 322 at multiple positions. Specifically, the indicating portion 323 can be provided with an elongated slot 3232, and the elongated slot 3232 can extend in the horizontal or vertical direction. The indicating portion 323 can be fixed to the rod body portion 322 by fixing members such as screws passing through the elongated slot 3232. When installing the indicating portion 323, the screw can slide in the elongated slot 3232 along the extending direction of the elongated slot 3232, so that the screw can press the indicating portion 323 at different positions, so that the indicating portion 323 can be locked at multiple different positions relative to the rod body portion 322, thereby realizing the adjustment of the position of the indicating portion 323.

[0061] Referring to Figure 1 , for facilitating the adjustment of the position of the indicating portion 323 in the calibration assembly 3, the calibration system further includes laser lights. A plurality of laser lights can be provided, and each laser light can be correspondingly arranged with an indicating surface 3231, so that each laser light can emit a laser beam onto the corresponding indicating surface 3231, and the lasers generated by the plurality of laser lights can intersect at a virtual point indicated by the indicating portion 323. Among them, the laser lights are adjustably installed in the wall of the calibration system so that the laser lights are locked at multiple different positions relative to the wall. The wall can specifically be the wall in a factory. The laser lights can generate cross lasers with a cross-section of a cross, and the indicating surface 3231 is provided with cross scale lines. When the calibration assembly 3 is adjusted to be completed, the cross lasers generated by each laser light coincide with the cross scale lines of the corresponding indicating surface 3231. Among them, the laser lights can specifically include a first laser light 51 and a second laser light 52. The first laser light 51 can be directly opposite to the beam outlet of the particle accelerator 2, and the second laser light 52 can be located on the opposite sides of the particle accelerator 2 along the axial direction of the cylinder 4.

[0062] In some specific embodiments, at the central position along the axial direction of the particle accelerator 2, there is a central marking line, and this central marking line can be used to indicate the installation position of the laser lights. The central marking line can be a connection seam formed when a pair of yokes in the particle accelerator 2 are assembled. This connection seam extends along the circumferential direction of the particle accelerator 2 and is located in the central part of the particle accelerator 2. The vertical part of the cross laser line generated by at least one laser light can coincide with the central marking line of the particle accelerator 2, so that this central marking line can indicate the installation position of the corresponding laser light; for example, the vertical part of the cross laser line generated by the first laser light 51 can coincide with the central marking line of the particle accelerator 2, so that the central marking line can indicate the installation position of the first laser light 51.

[0063] The present invention also provides a method for calibrating the beam of a particle accelerator, which is applied to the above-mentioned particle accelerator beam calibration system. The method for calibrating the beam of a particle accelerator can include steps S01 to S04.

[0064] Step S01: Install the particle accelerator 2 on the bracket assembly 1 and rotate the particle accelerator 2 to the initial position.

[0065] Step S02: Install the calibration assembly 3 and adjust the position of the calibration assembly 3 so that the indicating part 323 of the calibration assembly 3 can indicate the corresponding isocenter of the particle accelerator 2.

[0066] Step S03: Rotate the cylinder 4 and emit beams from the particle accelerator 2 at multiple angles, and judge the offset of the beam at multiple rotation angles through the position deviation between the beam and the isocenter indicated by the indicating part 323.

[0067] Step S04: Adjust the particle accelerator 2 to correct the beam output path generated by the particle accelerator 2.

[0068] Step S01 specifically includes: Install the particle accelerator 2 on the cylinder 4 and rotatably install the cylinder 4 on the bracket assembly 1. Rotate the cylinder 4 to the horizontal state so that the particle accelerator 2 is located at the initial position. Among them, the rotation angle range of the cylinder 4 can be 0-190°. When the cylinder 4 rotates to the horizontal state, it corresponds to the state where the cylinder 4 is horizontally aligned with the isocenter of the treatment room in the hospital treatment room. The horizontal state of the cylinder 4 can be the state when the cylinder 4 rotates to 90° or a state adjacent to 90°. Specifically, the horizontal state of the cylinder 4 is the state when the cylinder 4 rotates to 89.9-90.1°. The rotation angle of the cylinder 4 can be measured by an angle measuring instrument to ensure that the cylinder 4 rotates to the horizontal state.

[0069] Step S02 specifically includes steps S21 to S23.

[0070] Step S21: Install the first laser lamp 51 facing the beam output port of the particle accelerator 2, and install a second laser lamp 52 on each of the two opposite sides of the particle accelerator 2. Specifically, when the particle accelerator 2 is in the initial position, the beam generated by the particle accelerator 2 will hit the wall. Install the first laser lamp 51 at the point where the beam hits the wall to make the first laser lamp 51 face the beam output port of the particle accelerator 2. Then adjust the position of the first laser lamp 51 in the first direction. For example, adjust the position of the first laser lamp 51 in the first direction so that the vertical part of the cross laser generated by the first laser lamp 51 coincides with the center marking line of the particle accelerator 2. Among them, the first direction can be parallel to the axis of the cylinder 4.

[0071] Since the particle accelerator 2 is generally in a circular ring structure and the central marking line is a circular ring line, the first laser lamp 51 is arranged on one side of the particle accelerator 2. The laser generated by the first laser lamp 51 can coincide with a part of the central marking line on the side of the particle accelerator 2 facing the first laser lamp 51. Whether the part of the central marking line of the particle accelerator 2 facing away from the first laser lamp 51 coincides with the laser generated by the first laser lamp 51 can be achieved through a plumb line. For example, the plumb line is arranged on the side of the particle accelerator 2 facing away from the first laser lamp 51, and the plumb line is parallel to the part of the central marking line of the particle accelerator 2 facing away from the first laser lamp 51. A part of the plumb line passes through the particle accelerator 2 to be located below the particle accelerator 2, so that the part of the plumb line located below the particle accelerator 2 is not blocked by the particle accelerator 2 and can be irradiated by the laser generated by the first laser lamp 51. By judging whether the laser generated by the first laser lamp 51 coincides with the part of the plumb line located below the particle accelerator 2, it can be judged whether the laser generated by the first laser lamp 51 coincides with the part of the central marking line of the particle accelerator 2 facing away from the first laser lamp 51. When the laser generated by the first laser lamp 51 can coincide with a part of the central marking line of the particle accelerator 2 facing the first laser lamp 51 and coincide with the part of the central marking line of the particle accelerator 2 facing away from the first laser lamp 51, the position adjustment of the first laser lamp 51 in the first direction is completed.

[0072] The second laser lamp 52 can be arranged at the projection position on the corresponding wall along the first direction where the intersection point of the laser generated by the first laser lamp 51 and the center point position of the particle accelerator 2 extends. A pair of second laser lamps 52 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the particle accelerator 2 along the first direction.

[0073] Step S22: Install the calibration component 3 and adjust the position of the indicating part 323 of the calibration component 3 according to the laser generated by the first laser lamp 51. Specifically, install the calibration component 3 on the particle accelerator 2 and make the calibration component 3 horizontally set. At this time, both the mounting base 31 and the extension rod 32 in the calibration component 3 are in a horizontal state. Among them, the calibration component 3 can be measured by a level to ensure that the calibration component 3 is in a horizontal state. When the calibration component 3 is horizontal, the calibration component 3 is at 90° or approximately 90°, for example, the calibration component 3 is at 89.9 - 90.1°, that is, the mounting base 31 and the extension rod 32 are respectively at 89.9 - 90.1°.

[0074] After the calibration assembly 3 is installed on the particle accelerator 2, turn on the first laser lamp 51 so that the first laser lamp 51 emits laser light towards the calibration assembly 3. Adjust the position of the first laser lamp 51 so that the horizontal part of the cross laser generated by the first laser lamp 51 coincides with the horizontal part of the cross scale on the corresponding indication surface 3231 of the indicating part 323, and lock the first laser lamp 51. Loosen the screw for locking the indicating part 323 in the calibration assembly 3, adjust the position of the indicating part 323 so that the vertical part of the cross scale on the corresponding indication surface 3231 of the indicating part 323 coincides with the vertical part of the cross laser generated by the first laser lamp 51, and lock the indicating part 323.

[0075] When the calibration assembly 3 is in a horizontal state, the horizontal part of the cross scale on the above-mentioned indication surface 3231 is the horizontal scale line in the cross scale, and the vertical part is the vertical scale line in the cross scale; the horizontal part of the cross laser generated by the laser lamp is the horizontal laser in the cross laser, and the vertical part is the vertical laser in the cross laser.

[0076] Step S23: Adjust a pair of second laser lamps 52 so that the cross laser generated by the second laser lamps 52 coincides with the cross scale on the corresponding indication surface 3231, and lock the pair of second laser lamps 52. At this time, the indication mark of the calibration assembly 3 can indicate the isocenter of the calibration system.

[0077] In step S03, the cylinder body 4 can be rotated in steps of 22.5°, and the beam offset generated by the particle accelerator 2 is measured once every time the cylinder body 4 rotates one step. That is, after the indication mark of the calibration assembly 3 can indicate the isocenter of the calibration system, the cylinder body 4 is successively rotated to 0°, 22.5°, 45°, 67.5°, 90°, 112.5°, 135°, 157.5°, 180° and other 9 angles, and the beam offsets at these 9 angles are obtained.

[0078] Step S04 specifically includes: each time the beam offset is measured, it is judged whether the offset of the beam in the first direction exceeds the threshold value. If the offset of the beam in the first direction exceeds the threshold value, the beam is adjusted so that the offset of the beam in the first direction meets the requirements. Each time the beam offset is measured, the offset of the beam in the second direction is recorded; after the offsets of the beam in the second direction at multiple angles are measured, the particle accelerator 2 is adjusted according to the offsets of the beam in the second direction at multiple angles.

[0079] Among them, the threshold value of the offset of the beam in the first direction is 1 mm. When the offset of the beam in the first direction exceeds the threshold value, it is adjusted by adjusting the dipole magnet in the beam extraction channel of the particle accelerator 2. The second direction can be perpendicular to the first direction, and the second direction can be perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the beam direction of the particle accelerator 2.

[0080] Adjusting the particle accelerator 2 based on the offsets of the beam in the second direction at multiple angles can be specifically as follows: calculating the deflection angle β of the particle accelerator 2 based on the offsets of the beam in the second direction at multiple angles, where the deflection angle β = arctan a / b, a is the average of the maximum and minimum values among the multiple offsets of the beam in the second direction, and b is the SAD (source axis distance) of the particles in the particle accelerator 2. Adjust the relative position of the particle accelerator 2 and the cylinder 4 according to the deflection angle β.

[0081] As a specific example, when the cylinder 4 is successively rotated to 9 angles such as 0°, 22.5°, 45°, 67.5°, 90°, 112.5°, 135°, 157.5°, and 180°, the offsets of the beam in the second direction are -30mm, -26mm, -27mm, -35mm, -31mm, -25mm, -29mm, -28mm, and -33mm in sequence. Among them, the maximum and minimum values of the offsets of the beam in the second direction are -35mm and -25mm respectively, and at this time a is 30mm. The SAD of miniaturized protons is generally about 2000mm, and b is set to 2000mm here. At this time, the deflection angle β = arctan(-30 / 2000), and the deflection angle β is -0.859°. At this time, rotate the particle accelerator 2 so that the particle accelerator 2 rotates -0.859° relative to the cylinder 4. Among them, the indicating part 323 of the calibration component 3 has a first end and a second end that are opposite to each other in the second direction. For example, in the initial state, the first end of the indicating part 323 is located above the second end. The offset of the beam relative to the isocenter of the calibration system towards the first end is the offset in the positive direction, and the offset of the beam relative to the isocenter of the calibration system towards the second end is the offset in the negative direction. When the deflection angle β is -0.859°, the particle accelerator 2 can rotate 0.859° in the negative direction, that is, towards the direction of the second end.

[0082] After the position of the particle accelerator 2 is adjusted according to the deflection angle β, perform the above steps S01 to S03 again to ensure that after adjustment, the beam path meets the requirements. For example, the offset of the beam in the first direction does not exceed 1mm, and the offset of the beam in the second direction does not exceed 1mm. At this time, the beam calibration of the particle accelerator 2 is completed, ensuring accurate particle radiotherapy in the follow-up. The overall formed by the particle accelerator 2 and the cylinder 4 can be transported to the hospital for the final assembly and detection of the proton therapy system.

[0083] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, those of ordinary skill in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the invention, and all such changes should fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A particle accelerator beam calibration system, characterized in that: The beam calibration system is used to pre-debug a particle accelerator (2), and the beam calibration system comprises: A bracket assembly (1) is used to be installed on a ground provided with a pit and to provide a driving force; A particle accelerator (2) is provided with a rotation axis and a beam outlet for emitting a beam, and the particle accelerator (2) is directly or indirectly connected to the support assembly (1) and is suspended relative to a pit on the ground, and can rotate around the rotation axis under the action of a driving force of the support assembly (1); A calibration component (3) is mounted on the particle accelerator (2) and is capable of rotating with the particle accelerator (2), and is used for calibrating the particle accelerator beam before the particle accelerator (2) leaves the factory; the calibration component (3) is provided with an extension channel (321) that passes through from front to back, and the straight line on which the extension channel (321) is located does not intersect the rotation axis; one end of the calibration component (3) is capable of horizontally extending to the isocenter of the calibration system and forming an indicator (323), and the other end is directly or indirectly connected to the beam outlet and is used to guide the beam leaving the particle accelerator (2) along the extension channel (321). The particle accelerator (2) is rotated, the indicating portion (323) being used to indicate the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator (2) during the rotation of the particle accelerator (2); a plurality of marking points (P) are provided on the indicating portion (323); when the particle accelerator (2) rotates, an intersection formed by the projection of the plurality of marking points (P) indicates the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator; the calibration component (3) comprises a mounting seat (31) and an extension rod (32) connected to each other, the mounting seat (31) being mounted on the particle accelerator (2), and the indicating portion (323) being provided at one end of the extension rod (32); a barrel (4), the barrel (4) being connected to the particle accelerator (2) and being rotatably mounted on the support assembly (1), so that the particle accelerator (2) can be rotated relative to the support assembly (1) through the barrel (4); The isocenter position indicated by the calibration component (3) and the position offset of the path of the outgoing beam of the particle accelerator (2) indicate the debugging of the particle accelerator (2), and the particle accelerator (2) after debugging is moved to the proton therapy system.

2. The particle accelerator beam calibration system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extension rod (32) further comprises a rod body portion (322), and the indicating portion (323) is mounted on the rod body portion (322) and can be locked with the rod body portion (322) at multiple positions.

3. The particle accelerator beam calibration system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The indicating portion (323) comprises a plurality of indicating surfaces (3231), each indicating surface (3231) being provided with the marking point (P), and the plurality of marking points (P) being jointly projected onto an isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator (2) to indicate the position of the isocenter corresponding to the particle accelerator (2).

4. The particle accelerator beam calibration system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The indicating surface (3231) is provided with a cross scale line, and the intersection of the cross scale line forms the marking point (P); The calibration system also includes a laser lamp, which is used to generate a cross laser. The laser lamp is arranged corresponding to the indication surface (3231), and the cross laser of the laser lamp can coincide with the cross scale line of the indication surface (3231).

5. The particle accelerator beam calibration system according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also included is a wall, and the laser light is adjustably mounted on the wall; The particle accelerator (2) is provided with a central marking line, and a cross laser generated by at least one of the laser lamps coincides with the central marking line.

6. A particle accelerator beam calibration method, characterized in that: Applied to the particle accelerator beam calibration system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the calibration method comprises: Installing the particle accelerator (2) on the support assembly (1) and rotating the particle accelerator (2) to an initial position; Installing a calibration component (3) and adjusting the position of the calibration component (3) so that the indicating portion (323) of the calibration component (3) can indicate the isocenter position corresponding to the particle accelerator (2); Rotating the particle accelerator (2) so that the particle accelerator (2) emits beams at multiple angles, and judging the offset of the beam at multiple rotation angles by the position deviation between the beam and the isocenter indicated by the indicating unit (323); The particle accelerator (2) is adjusted to correct the beam exit path of the beam generated by the particle accelerator (2).

7. The particle accelerator beam calibration method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The step of installing the particle accelerator (2) on the support assembly (1) and rotating the particle accelerator (2) to an initial position specifically comprises: installing the particle accelerator (2) on a cylinder (4), rotatably installing the cylinder (4) on the support assembly (1), and rotating the cylinder (4) to rotate the particle accelerator (2) to a horizontal direction.

8. The particle accelerator beam calibration method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The step of installing the calibration component (3) and adjusting the position of the calibration component (3) specifically includes: A first laser lamp (51) is installed facing the beam outlet of the particle accelerator (2), and a second laser lamp (52) is installed on both sides of the particle accelerator (2); Installing a calibration component (3) and adjusting the position of an indicating portion (323) of the calibration component (3) according to the laser light generated by the first laser lamp (51); The position of the second laser lamp (52) is adjusted so that the laser light generated by the second laser lamp (52) corresponds to the indicating portion (323).

9. The particle accelerator beam calibration method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The installation of the first laser lamp (51) facing the beam outlet of the particle accelerator (2) specifically comprises: installing the first laser lamp (51) at a position where the beam generated by the particle accelerator (2) irradiates the wall, and making the laser light generated by the first laser lamp (51) coincide with the center mark line of the particle accelerator (2); The step of installing the calibration component (3) and adjusting the position of the indicating portion (323) of the calibration component (3) according to the laser light generated by the first laser light (51) specifically comprises: adjusting the position between the indicating surface (3231) of the indicating portion (323) facing the first laser light (51) and the first laser light (51), so that the cross scale line of the indicating surface (3231) facing the first laser light (51) coincides with the laser light generated by the first laser light (51), thereby locking the calibration component (3).

10. The particle accelerator beam calibration method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The step of adjusting the particle accelerator (2) to calibrate the beam output path of the beam generated by the particle accelerator (2) specifically comprises: determining whether the offset of the beam in the first direction at each rotation angle exceeds a threshold, and adjusting the path of the beam in the first direction if the offset of the beam in the first direction exceeds the threshold; Obtaining the offset of the beam in the second direction at multiple rotation angles, and adjusting the particle accelerator (2) according to the offset of the beam in the second direction at multiple rotation angles; The first direction is parallel to the rotation axis, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

11. The particle accelerator beam calibration method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The step of adjusting the particle accelerator (2) according to the offset of the beam in the second direction at multiple rotation angles specifically comprises: Calculating a deflection angle β of the particle accelerator (2), wherein the deflection angle β=arctan a / b, a is the average value of the maximum value and the minimum value of a plurality of offsets of the beam in the second direction, and b is the source axis distance of the particles in the particle accelerator (2); The relative position of the particle accelerator (2) and the cylinder (4) is adjusted according to the deflection angle β of the particle accelerator (2).

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