Charged particle beam irradiation system

Abstract

The present invention provides a charged particle beam irradiation system capable of realizing respiration-synchronized irradiation using X-rays in a charged particle beam irradiation device not of a rotary gantry type. This charged particle beam irradiation system is provided with: a charged particle beam irradiation device capable of emitting a charged particle beam, which has been emitted from an accelerator and then transported, toward the isocenter; and a first X-ray generation unit and a first detection unit, a second X-ray generation unit and a second detection unit, X-rays generated from the first X-ray generation unit and the second X-ray generation unit passing through the isocenter and being detected by the first detection unit and the second detection unit, respectively, the first X-ray generation unit and the second X-ray generation unit are disposed so as to sandwich an imaginary plane formed by a plurality of tracks of a charged particle beam that can be selected by the charged particle beam irradiation device, and the side on which the charged particle beam is incident on the charged particle beam irradiation device is set as the upstream side. The first detection unit and the second detection unit are positioned upstream or downstream of the first X-ray generation unit and the second X-ray generation unit, when the side on which the charged particle beam is emitted from the charged particle beam irradiation device is set as the downstream side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a charged particle beam irradiation system. Background Art

[0002] In the past, as a treatment method for cancer treatment, particle beam therapy (sometimes also referred to as proton beam therapy) was performed to treat the affected part by irradiating a charged particle beam such as a proton beam or a heavy particle beam (for example, a carbon beam). In such particle beam therapy, in order to concentrate the charged particle beam on the affected part and suppress the radiation of the part other than the affected part, the dose of the charged particle beam on the affected part is increased by irradiating the charged particle beam from various directions. Patent documents 1 and 2 disclose a rotating irradiation device, which is a device for irradiating a charged particle beam, and is configured so that the beam transport system and the irradiation unit rotate around the patient so that the patient can be irradiated with the charged particle beam from all directions. On the other hand, such a rotating irradiation device (hereinafter referred to as a rotating gantry) is gigantic because it is configured to rotate around the patient. Therefore, Patent document 3 discloses a charged particle beam irradiation device, which is a device for irradiating a charged particle beam and can irradiate the charged particle beam from any angle without using a rotating irradiation device. The charged particle beam irradiation device described in Patent Document 3 can be made smaller than the devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2 by not using a mechanism for rotating the irradiation unit, which is one of the causes of the enlargement of the device.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6523076

[0006] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 6158334

[0007] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 6387476 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] Furthermore, the charged particle beam must be irradiated to the patient's treatment site with high precision and accuracy. However, the patient's organs are constantly changing due to the patient's breathing, pulsation, etc., so there is a problem that the treatment site is constantly changing at the irradiation position of the charged particle beam. Therefore, there is an irradiation method called respiratory synchronized irradiation in the treatment that takes into account the patient's breathing, etc. As an example of implementing this irradiation method, there is the following method: in order to confirm the treatment site as the irradiation position of the charged particle beam, the state of the tumor, the mark left around it, and the internal organs of the patient are monitored by X-rays during the treatment irradiation, and the charged particle beam is irradiated and controlled at an appropriate timing. The X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit for monitoring need to be set at an appropriate position that can achieve high-precision detection, but in the case of a rotating frame such as the above-mentioned patent document 1 and patent document 2, there are restrictions on the installation space, and most of them have to be set at a specific position. For example, by setting an X-ray generator and a detector opposed thereto in a manner that rotates coaxially with the irradiation system of the charged particle beam and in a manner that does not hinder the irradiation of the charged particle beam, the state of the internal organs of the patient can be detected and the charged particle beam can be irradiated. In the case of using a rotating gantry (hereinafter referred to as a full gantry) having a rotation angle of more than 360 degrees as disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is generally configured so that the surface formed by the irradiation axes of each charged particle beam generated when irradiated from different angles and the surface formed by the axis connecting the X-ray generator and the detector are formed on the same surface. That is, as the irradiation unit rotates, the X-ray generator and the detector are also rotated. On the other hand, in the case of a rotating gantry (hereinafter referred to as a half gantry) with an angle of less than 360 degrees (for example, 180 degrees) as disclosed in Patent Document 2, unlike the full gantry, the X-ray generator and the detector are sometimes set not to rotate simultaneously with the irradiation unit. By not rotating, the setting accuracy of the X-ray generator and the detector and the repeated position reproducibility of the X-ray generator and the detector after rotation are improved. In contrast, in the case of a charged particle beam irradiation device that is different from a rotating gantry such as the above-mentioned Patent Document 3, it is difficult to arrange the plane formed by the irradiation axis of the charged particle beam and the plane formed by the axis connecting the X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit on the same plane. For example, in the case of arranging the device in such a manner that the X-rays and proton beams travel on a cross-section perpendicular to the head-to-tail direction of the patient, there is a possibility that the irradiation port and the FPD (Flat Panel Detector) as the detecting unit interfere with each other, and the X-ray generating unit located on the ground interferes with the irradiation device, making it difficult to achieve.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam irradiation system capable of performing treatment using respiratory synchronized irradiation using X-rays even in a non-rotating gantry.

[0011] Solutions for solving problems

[0012] In order to address the above-mentioned problems, a charged particle beam irradiation system of one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a charged particle beam irradiation device, which can be injected with a charged particle beam transported after being emitted from an accelerator and emitted toward the isocenter; and a first X-ray generating unit and a first detecting unit, a second X-ray generating unit and a second detecting unit, wherein the X-rays generated from the first X-ray generating unit and the second X-ray generating unit pass through the isocenter and are detected by the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit, respectively, and the first X-ray generating unit and the second X-ray generating unit are configured in a manner separated by an imaginary plane formed by multiple orbits of the charged particle beam that can be selected by the charged particle beam irradiation device, and when the side where the charged particle beam is injected into the charged particle beam irradiation device is set as the upstream side and the side where the charged particle beam is emitted from the charged particle beam irradiation device is set as the downstream side, the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit are located upstream or downstream of the first X-ray generating unit and the second X-ray generating unit.

[0013] According to the charged particle beam irradiation system of the present invention, even in the case of a non-rotating gantry, treatment using respiratory synchronized irradiation using X-rays can be performed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a particle therapy facility.

[0015] Figure 2 (a) is a side view near the irradiation port. Figure 2 (b) is the front view near the irradiation port.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the charged particle beam irradiation system in a state where the X-ray generation unit is not arranged.

[0017] Figure 4 (a) is Figure 3 The left side view of the charged particle beam irradiation system is shown. Figure 4 (b) is a right side view of the charged particle beam irradiation system.

[0018] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A front view of the charged particle beam irradiation system is shown.

[0019] Figure 6 (a) is Figure 3 A top view of a charged particle beam irradiation system is shown. Figure 6 (b) is a rear view of the charged particle beam irradiation system.

[0020] Figure 7This is a perspective view of a charged particle beam irradiation system equipped with an X-ray generating unit and its detecting unit, and a moving vehicle carrying a patient.

[0021] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Right side view of the charged particle beam irradiation system shown.

[0022] Fig. 9 yes Figure 7 A front view of the charged particle beam irradiation system is shown.

[0023] Fig.10 This is a diagram for explaining the mechanism of irradiation with a charged particle beam by the charged particle beam irradiation device.

[0024] Fig.11 This is an example of a top view of a treatment room equipped with a charged particle beam irradiation device.

[0025] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation conditions of the X-ray imaging device.

[0026] Fig.13 This is a diagram showing the relationship between the effective field of view and the installation angle of the X-ray imaging device.

[0027] Fig.14 This is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the system configuration of a charged particle beam irradiation device.

[0028] Fig.15 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing device that controls irradiation of a charged particle beam by a charged particle beam irradiation device.

[0029] Fig.16 This is a flowchart showing an example of the control operation of the charged particle beam irradiation device performed by the information processing device.

[0030] Fig.17 This is an example of a timing chart when respiratory waveform prediction is performed and therapeutic irradiation is performed.

[0031] Fig.18 This is another example of a timing chart when respiratory waveform prediction is performed and therapeutic irradiation is performed.

[0032] Fig.19 (a) is a diagram showing the arrangement relationship among the charged particle beam irradiation system, the X-ray generation unit, and the detection unit according to the present embodiment. Fig.19 (b) is a diagram showing the arrangement relationship of a conventional full-gantry charged particle beam irradiation system, an X-ray generating unit, and a detecting unit. Fig.19 (c) is a diagram showing the arrangement relationship among a conventional half-gantry charged particle beam irradiation system, an X-ray arrangement unit, and a detection unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Hereinafter, the charged particle beam irradiation system according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0034] <Implementation Method>

[0035] <Example 1>

[0036] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a particle beam therapy facility for implementing the present invention. The charged particle beam taken out from an accelerator (not shown) passes through a beam transport system 90 and is transported to a treatment room 30. Here, an accelerator is a device for generating a charged particle beam, for example, by a synchrotron, a cyclotron or a linear accelerator. The beam transport system 90 includes a vacuum pipe and a charged particle beam adjustment device. It should be noted that the charged particle beam adjustment device is appropriately equipped with a beam slit for adjusting the beam shape and / or dose, a deflection electromagnet for adjusting the traveling direction of the charged particle beam, a quadrupole electromagnet for adjusting the beam shape of the charged particle beam, and a steering electromagnet for fine-tuning the beam position of the charged particle beam, etc., according to the specifications, to adjust the beam shape and dose of the charged particle beam. Considering radiation shielding, the treatment room is covered with walls such as cement. There is an irradiation port in the treatment room at the end of the beam transport system, and the charged particle beam passes through the irradiation port to irradiate the patient lying on the treatment table. Figure 1 An example in which the treatment room can be irradiated from two directions, the horizontal direction (irradiation port of the charged particle beam irradiation device 50a) and the vertical direction (irradiation port of the charged particle beam irradiation device 50b), is disclosed. In Example 1, the horizontal direction of travel of the charged particle beam is set to X, the vertical direction of travel is set to Y, and the directions perpendicular to X and Y are set to Z. The charged particle beams traveling in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, respectively, intersect at a point O called the isocenter. The irradiation port is composed of a scanning electromagnet for scanning the charged particle beam into an irradiation target shape, a dose monitor for measuring the dose, a position monitor for measuring the beam position, an energy modulation device, and the like. In addition, a positioning device for positioning the patient is provided in the treatment room. Patient positioning can refer to determining the relative positional relationship between the patient (treatment site) and the irradiation port (and the charged particle beam irradiation device) in the treatment room. The positioning device is composed of an image diagnostic device composed of an X-ray gun as an X-ray generating unit 20, a flat panel detector (hereinafter referred to as FPD) as a detecting unit, and a device for sending and receiving positioning data. In Figure 1 In the figure, two FPDs 21 are installed in a manner suspended from the ceiling (not shown) (only one in the figure). X-ray tubes 20 are installed at positions symmetrical to the FPDs 21 with point O interposed therebetween. Figure 1In the embodiment 1, the two X-ray tubes are arranged under the floor. In the embodiment 1, the FPD 21 is on the ceiling side and the X-ray tube 20 is under the floor, but this does not limit the configuration of the two. The FPD may be on the floor side and the X-ray tube may be on the ceiling side. It should be noted that although not shown in the figure, X-ray CT (computed tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) are sometimes arranged in the treatment room as other image diagnostic devices. In addition, in the embodiment, the FPD 21 is arranged to be suspended from the ceiling, but it is not limited to this and may also be arranged as a device installed in the treatment room.

[0037] Figure 2 (a) is a schematic diagram of a side view near the irradiation port of Example 1. Figure 2 (b) is a front view near the irradiation port of Example 1. Figure 2 In the embodiment, the imaginary plane formed by the charged particle beams in the horizontal and vertical directions is defined as an imaginary plane P, and the point O is within the imaginary plane P. When the paired positioning devices are set as X-ray tube 20a and FPD21a, X-ray tube 20b and FPD21b, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in (a), FPD21a and FPD21b are arranged on the upstream side of the X-ray tube 20a and the X-ray tube 20b in the traveling direction of the charged particle beam. In the present embodiment, FPD21 is arranged on the upstream side of the X-ray tube 20, but FPD21 may also be arranged on the downstream side of the X-ray tube 20. The X-ray tube 20a and the X-ray tube 20b are located at positions symmetrical with respect to the imaginary plane P. FPD21a and FPD21b are located at positions symmetrical with respect to the imaginary plane P. The X-ray tube 20a and FPD21a, the X-ray tube 20b and FPD21b are as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in (b), the X-ray tubes 20a and FPD21b are arranged in a point-symmetrical manner relative to point O, so the X-ray tube 20a and FPD21b are arranged on the same side with the imaginary plane P as a reference, and the X-ray tube 20b and FPD21a are arranged on the opposite side. It should be noted that here, an example of arrangement in a plane-symmetrical manner relative to the imaginary plane P is shown, but the X-ray tubes 20a and X-ray tubes 20b may not be arranged in a plane-symmetrical manner relative to the imaginary plane P. As an example, the FPD21a may also be arranged in a plane-symmetrical manner. Figure 2 In (b), the front-back (depth) direction of the paper is arranged on the rear side (inner side of the paper) than shown in the figure.

[0038] like Figure 2As shown, the Z direction is the head-to-tail direction of the patient. Although not shown, the patient lies on the treatment table for patient positioning and treatment irradiation. In this embodiment, FPD21a and FPD21b, X-ray tube 20a and X-ray tube 20b are respectively arranged across the imaginary plane P, so that a wide range of areas in the head-to-tail direction can be photographed. In the case where the X-ray tube 20a and X-ray tube 20b, FPD21a and FPD21b are respectively arranged on the same side relative to the imaginary plane P, that is, when they are not arranged in a plane-symmetrical manner relative to the imaginary plane P, the left and right sides of the body axis are the shooting area, and the human body cannot be photographed in a large range. As a result, in order to shoot a large range, the patient must be moved in the head-to-tail direction and photographed multiple times. In this embodiment, a large range can be photographed at one time, so the radiation caused by X-ray photography can be reduced. In addition, by shortening the positioning operation time, the utilization efficiency of the treatment room is improved, which also helps to increase the hospital's revenue.

[0039] In this embodiment 1, Figure 2 As shown in (a), two FPD21 (21a, 21b) can be set between the horizontal irradiation port and the vertical irradiation port, which can effectively utilize the space. Generally speaking, in order to facilitate the radiation technician to capture the patient's posture in a three-dimensional position when positioning the patient, the X-ray tube 20 and the FPD21 are set in such a way that the imaginary plane P formed by the irradiation axis of the charged particle beam and the surface formed by the axis connecting the X-ray tube 20 and the FPD21 are on the same plane. Alternatively, the X-ray tube 20 and the FPD21 are set in such a way that the surface formed by the axis connecting the X-ray tube 20 and the FPD21 is inclined relative to the horizontal side than the imaginary plane P. That is, one of the FPD21 is set on the downstream side of the beam travel direction and the open space side in the treatment room. In this case, it is difficult to access the irradiation port from the downstream side of the horizontal beam travel direction, and it is necessary to have a structure such as retracting the FPD21 to prevent interference between the FPD21 and people. In this embodiment, the upstream side can be connected from the downstream side in the horizontal beam travel direction without retracting the FPD21, which can improve the work efficiency. Since there is no need to retract the FPD21, it is also expected that the accuracy of the setting position can be improved, and high-precision treatment irradiation such as respiratory synchronized irradiation can be performed. In addition, if the FPD21 cannot be set on the upstream side, the treatment table may cover the shooting range and the shooting conditions may change. In this embodiment, this situation can be avoided, and the shooting conditions can be made consistent regardless of the position of the treatment table, and it can be expected that the treatment accuracy can be improved.

[0040] <Example 2>

[0041] Figure 3 It is a perspective view of a charged particle beam irradiation system in a state where a charged particle beam irradiation device is not provided, wherein the charged particle beam irradiation device is in a state where an X-ray generation unit and a detection device for detecting the X-rays are not provided. Figure 4 (a) is Figure 3 The right side view of the charged particle beam irradiation device shown. In addition, Figure 4 (b) is a left side view of the charged particle beam irradiation device.

[0042] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A front view of the charged particle beam irradiation device shown. Figure 6 (a) is Figure 3 A top view of the charged particle beam irradiation device shown in FIG. Figure 6 (b) is a rear view of the charged particle beam irradiation device.

[0043] like Figure 3 to Figure 6 (in particular Figure 4 ), when observed from the side, the charged particle beam irradiation device of the present embodiment 2 has a shape in which a part of it is cut into a semicircular shape, and irradiates the charged particle beam from the recess 51 of the semicircle toward the isocenter O at the center of the semicircle. An irradiation port 11 is provided in the recess 51, and the charged particle beam is irradiated from the irradiation port 11 to the affected part (isocenter) serving as the irradiation target. The irradiation port 11 can slide within the range of the semicircle along a guide rail 52 provided in the recess 51 of the charged particle beam irradiation device, and irradiate the charged particle beam from all directions within the range. It should be noted that the irradiation port 11 is not a necessary structure, and even without the irradiation port 11, the charged particle beam can be irradiated from the concave surface of the recess 51.

[0044] Here, use Fig.10 The mechanism of charged particle beam irradiation performed by the charged particle beam irradiation device (non-rotating gantry) of the second embodiment is briefly described. Fig.10 , the irradiation port 11 is omitted.

[0045] Fig.10 (a) is a schematic diagram schematically showing the path of the charged particle beam when the deflection electromagnet 80 of the charged particle beam irradiation device 50 provided in the charged particle beam irradiation system is viewed from the right side. That is, Fig.10 (a) and Figure 4 (a) or the following Figure 8 Corresponding. Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 8 (a), the charged particle beam irradiation device 50 includes a distribution electromagnet 70 and a deflection electromagnet 80 .

[0046] To input the charged particle beam of the charged particle beam irradiation device ( Fig.10 The charged particle beam irradiation device is accelerated by an accelerator (not shown) and input into the charged particle beam irradiation device via a beam transport system (not shown). For further details of the charged particle beam irradiation device, please refer to Patent Document 3.

[0047] Fig.10 (a) shows the deflection angle Here, the traveling direction of the charged particle beam is set as the X-axis, the direction of the magnetic field generated by the deflection electromagnet 80 is set as the Z-axis, and the direction orthogonal to the X-axis and the Z-axis is set as the Y-axis. The deflection electromagnet 80 is configured to deflect the charged particle beam at a deflection angle θ relative to the X-axis on the XY plane. The charged particle beam injected from a large area is focused at the isocenter O. It should be noted that Fig.10 In (a), the irradiation port is omitted. To simplify the description, the isocenter O is set as the origin of the XYZ space, and the upstream side (accelerator side, Fig.10 The left side of the paper (a) is set as the positive direction of the X-axis.

[0048] Deflection Angle The range is greater than -90 degrees and less than +90 degrees, and the positive (+Y axis direction) deflection angle range and the negative (-Y axis direction) deflection angle range can also be different (asymmetric). For example, the maximum deflection angle on the positive side can be Set the maximum deflection angle on the negative side to any one of 10 degrees, 15 degrees, 20 degrees, 25 degrees, 30 degrees, 35 degrees, 40 degrees, 45 degrees, 50 degrees, 60 degrees, 70 degrees, 80 degrees and 85 degrees. It is set to any one of -10 degrees, -15 degrees, -20 degrees, -25 degrees, -30 degrees, -35 degrees, -40 degrees, -45 degrees, -50 degrees, -60 degrees, -70 degrees, -80 degrees and -85 degrees. It should be noted that the deflection angle The angles are not limited to these.

[0049] The deflection electromagnet 80 includes one or more coil pairs, and the coil pairs generate a deflection electromagnet 80 that is directed in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the charged particle beam and at a deflection angle of the charged particle beam. A uniform magnetic field (effective magnetic field regions 81a, 81b) is formed in a direction perpendicular to the expansion direction (Z-axis direction in the figure) and is arranged in a manner that separates the path of the charged particle beam. Fig.10 As shown in (a), the effective magnetic field region generated by a set of coil pairs of the biasing electromagnet 80 has a crescent shape in the XY plane, and its details will be described later. It should be noted that the gap (the distance in the Z-axis direction) between the opposing coil pairs through which the charged particle beam passes is sufficiently small compared to the range of expansion of the charged particle beam on the XY plane, and therefore, the expansion of the charged particle beam in the Z-axis direction is not considered here.

[0050] Fig.10(b) is a cross-sectional view of the deflection electromagnet 80 taken along line AA. The deflection electromagnet 80 preferably includes at least two coil pairs 84a and 84b. Magnetic poles 85a and 85b are assembled inside the coils 84a and 84b, respectively, and a yoke 86 is connected to the magnetic poles 85a and 85b. A power supply device (not shown) is connected to the deflection electromagnet 80, and by supplying current (excitation current) to the coil pairs 84a and 84b from the power supply device, the deflection electromagnet 80 is excited to form effective magnetic field regions 81a and 81b (also collectively referred to as effective magnetic field regions 81).

[0051] It should be noted that the range of the effective magnetic field region 81a and the range of the effective magnetic field region 81b may also be different (asymmetric). The range and the negative (-Y axis direction) deflection angle If the range is asymmetric, the effective magnetic field regions 81a and 81b are also formed asymmetric accordingly, thereby reducing the unused effective magnetic field region.

[0052] The deflection angle of the charged particle beam deflected by the distribution electromagnet 70 and incident on the deflection electromagnet 80 The range is from the maximum positive deflection angle To the maximum negative deflection angle Range, maximum positive deflection angle It is an angle greater than 10 degrees and less than 90 degrees, and the maximum negative deflection angle It is an angle greater than -90 degrees and less than -10 degrees. The irradiation angle θ described later is the angle between the path of the charged particle beam and the X-axis on the XY plane.

[0053] In the positive deflection angle range The injected charged particle beam is deflected by the effective magnetic field region 81a of the first coil pair 84a, passes through the irradiation port 11 and irradiates to the isocenter O. The injected charged particle beam is deflected by the effective magnetic field region 81b of the second coil pair 84b, and irradiates the isocenter O through the irradiation port 11. The directions of the magnetic fields of the effective magnetic field region 81a and the effective magnetic field region 81b are opposite to each other. The charged particle beam injected into the deflection electromagnet 80 passes through one of the effective magnetic field regions 81 a and 81 b or between the two regions 81 a and 81 b , passes through an irradiation port (not shown) and is focused at the isocenter O.

[0054] The deflection angle of the charged particle beam incident on the deflection electromagnet 80 The distribution electromagnet 70 is controlled by the distribution electromagnet 70. The distribution electromagnet 70 comprises: an electromagnet that generates a magnetic field in a direction (the Z axis in the figure) perpendicular to the traveling direction (the X axis in the figure) of the charged particle beam supplied from the accelerator (not shown) to deflect the passing charged particle beam; and a control unit that controls the strength and direction of the magnetic field (both not shown). The distribution electromagnet 70 deflects the charged particle beam on the XY plane by controlling the strength and direction (Z axis direction) of the magnetic field, and deflects the charged particle beam at the deflection starting point Q at a deflection angle The deflected charged particle beam is emitted to the deflection electromagnet 80. Here, the deflection starting point Q and the isocenter O are located on the X-axis (on the same horizontal plane).

[0055] Reference Fig.10 (c) is used to explain the calculation formula for forming the effective magnetic field region 81a of the deflection electromagnet 80. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the deflection of the charged particle beam in the Z-axis direction is not considered, so the formation of the effective magnetic field region on the XY plane is explained. The effective magnetic field region 81a of the deflection electromagnet 80 is explained, but the same is true for the effective magnetic field region 81b, so the explanation is omitted.

[0056] First, the boundary of the effective magnetic field region 81a on the emission side 83 of the charged particle beam of the deflection electromagnet 80 is determined to be a range located at a position equidistant from the isocenter O by a distance r1. Next, the boundary of the effective magnetic field region 81a on the injection side 82 of the charged particle beam of the deflection electromagnet 80 is determined based on the relationship equations (1) to (5) described later so that the deflection angle is set at a virtual deflection starting point Q located at a predetermined distance L from the isocenter O. The deflected and injected charged particle beam converges at the isocenter O. Here, the virtual deflection starting point Q is assumed to be the center of the distribution electromagnet 70 where the charged particle beam is deflected at an angle of 0 within a very short distance. The kick point.

[0057] By deflection angle The charged particle beam enters from an arbitrary point P1 on the boundary of the effective magnetic field region 81a on the injection side 82, and performs a circular motion with a curvature radius r2 in the effective magnetic field region 81a (the central angle at this time is ), from point P2 on the boundary of the effective magnetic field region 81a on the emission side 83, and irradiates toward the isocenter O. That is, point P1 and point P2 are at a radius of r2 and a center angle of on the arc.

[0058] like Fig.10As shown in (c), an XY coordinate system with the isocenter O as the origin is assumed on the XY plane. When the angle between the straight line connecting the point P2 on the emission side 83 and the isocenter O and the X-axis is set as the irradiation angle θ, the coordinates (x, y) of the point P1 on the incident side 82, the deflection angle The distance R between point Q and point P1 is obtained from the following relational expressions (1) to (4).

[0059] [Formula 1]

[0060] x=r1cosθ+r2(sinθ+sinΦ) (1)

[0061] y=r1sinθ-r2(cosθ-cosΦ) (2)

[0062]

[0063] Here, a magnetic field with uniform magnetic flux density B is generated in the effective magnetic field region 81a. When the momentum of the charged particle beam is set to p (roughly depending on the accelerator) and the charge is set to q, the curvature radius r2 of the charged particle beam deflected in the magnetic field is expressed by equation (5).

[0064] [Formula 2]

[0065]

[0066] Based on the above-mentioned relationship equations (1) to (5), the shape and configuration of the coil pair 84a and the magnetic pole 85a of the deflection electromagnet 80 are adjusted, and the current flowing in the coil pair 84a is adjusted, thereby adjusting the shape of the boundary of the effective magnetic field area 81a. That is, the boundary is determined in such a way that the distance between any point P2 on the boundary of the effective magnetic field area 81a on the emission side 83 and the isocenter O is the same distance r1, and the magnetic flux density B of the effective magnetic field area 81a is adjusted, and r2 is determined according to equation (5), and the boundary of the effective magnetic field area 81a on the incident side 82 is determined in such a way that the distance R between the point P1 on the boundary of the effective magnetic field area 81a on the incident side 82 and the deflection starting point Q has the relationship of equation (4). Equation (3) The maximum value is the maximum deflection angle It should be noted that, although not limited, it is preferred that the configuration of the deflection starting point Q, the deflection electromagnet 80 and the isocenter O be pre-adjusted in such a way that the charged particle beam passing through the deflection starting point Q is focused on the isocenter O even if it is not deflected by the deflection electromagnet 80, because the device structure can be simpler.

[0067] The boundary of the effective magnetic field regions 81a and 81b of the deflection electromagnet 80 obtained as described above is an ideal shape for focusing the charged particle beam at the isocenter O. It should be noted that, in reality, even if there is a deviation from the ideal shape or inhomogeneity in the magnetic field distribution, by adjusting the deflection angle The excitation amount (magnetic flux density B) of the deflection electromagnet 80 is finely adjusted in advance, and the information is stored in the power supply device in advance, so that the deflection angle By controlling the deflection electromagnet 80 in conjunction with the current amount, the charged particle beam can be deflected in accordance with the isocenter O. In addition, when the inhomogeneity of the magnetic field distribution can be predicted in advance, the shape and arrangement of the coil pair 84a, 84b and the magnetic poles 85a, 85b of the deflection electromagnet 80 can be corrected to fine-tune the trajectory of the charged particle beam.

[0068] Thereby, the affected part (isocenter O) can be irradiated with the charged particle beam at a desired angle.

[0069] Figure 7 1 is a perspective view of a charged particle beam irradiation system showing a state in which an X-ray generator 20 is arranged in a charged particle beam irradiation device and a moving vehicle 10 on which a patient is placed is arranged. Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Right side view of the charged particle beam irradiation device shown. Fig. 9 yes Figure 3 The front view of the charged particle beam irradiation system is shown. Figure 7 to Figure 9 , the positional relationship between the charged particle beam irradiation device, the X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit is described. Figure 7 to Figure 9 In order to facilitate observation of the X-ray generating unit irradiation device and the moving vehicle 10 carrying the patient, it is not shown. Figure 3 The structure of the accelerator side after the top wall, the back wall, and the wall of the charged particle beam irradiation device 50 shown.

[0070] The charged particle beam irradiation device is provided in a predetermined treatment room. The patient U to be treated is placed on a treatment table 15 of the mobile vehicle 10 and is transported to a treatment position of the charged particle beam irradiation device by automatic control. The treatment table 15 on which the patient U is placed is connected to an arm 16 provided on the mobile vehicle 10, and the arm 16 is driven (the axis of the arm 16 rotates), thereby enabling the treatment site of the patient U placed on the treatment table 15 to be moved to the position of the isocenter O of the charged particle beam irradiation device. The mobile vehicle 10 can be automatically controlled by a program or manually controlled by an operator under remote control.

[0071] like Figure 7 to Figure 9As shown, the charged particle beam irradiation system 1 includes a charged particle beam irradiation device 50, an X-ray generator 20 (20a, 20b), and a detector 21 (21a, 21b). As described above, the charged particle beam irradiation device 50 is a device capable of irradiating a charged particle beam toward the isocenter.

[0072] The X-ray generator 20 is a device for irradiating X-rays, and the detector 21 is a device that is opposite to the X-ray generator 20 and detects X-rays that pass through the body of the patient U to generate an X-ray image. Figure 7 to Figure 9 In FIG. 1 , X-rays are schematically shown by dotted lines. The X-ray image generated by the detection unit 21 may be a dynamic image or a static image. The X-ray image generated by the detection unit 21 is sent to the information processing device 100 described later, which determines the timing of irradiating the charged particle beam.

[0073] like Figure 7 to Figure 9 As shown, the X-ray generating unit 20 (20a, 20b) is provided in a treatment room equipped with a charged particle beam irradiation device, and is provided near the ground such as under the floor on both sides of the charged particle beam irradiation device on the irradiation port 11 side (the irradiation source side of the charged particle beam) when viewed from the isocenter O. By being provided under the floor, for example, it is possible to suppress interference with the movement of the vehicle 10 or the movement of people in the treatment room.

[0074] Furthermore, the detection unit 21 (21a, 21b) for detecting the X-rays irradiated from the X-ray generator 20 is respectively arranged near the ceiling in the treatment room in a manner opposite to the X-ray generator 20 (20a, 20b). That is, the detection unit 21 is arranged on the downstream side of the traveling direction of the charged particle beam than the X-ray generator 20. It should be noted that the configuration positions of the X-ray generator 20 and the detection unit 21 may also be opposite. That is, the detection unit 21 may also be arranged on the upstream side of the traveling direction of the charged particle beam than the X-ray generator 20.

[0075] Fig. 9 The dashed line (17) shown in FIG. 1 shows an imaginary plane 17 (equivalent to the imaginary plane P mentioned above) representing the path through which the charged particle beam passes. Fig. 9 As shown, the charged particle beam passes through an imaginary plane 17, which is a plane passing through Fig. 9The X-rays irradiated from the X-ray generator 20 are irradiated in a manner intersecting the imaginary plane 17 and passing through the isocenter O. That is, in the charged particle beam irradiation system 1 of the present embodiment, the X-ray generator 20a and the detector 21b are arranged on the same side without sandwiching the imaginary plane 17, and the X-ray generator 20b and the detector 21a are also arranged on the same side without sandwiching the imaginary plane 17. It should be noted that the X-ray generator 20a and the X-ray generator 20b may also be arranged in the treatment room in a manner not to be an object with the imaginary plane 17 sandwiched therebetween, and similarly, the detector 21a and the detector 21b may also be arranged in the treatment room in a manner not to be an object with the imaginary plane 17 sandwiched therebetween.

[0076] Fig.11 : is a top view of the treatment room in which the present embodiment is implemented. The dimensions of the treatment room are approximately 8m×approximately 6m, but are not limited thereto. For the sake of safety during treatment and to reduce the psychological burden on patients, only a portion of the top of the irradiation port 11 in the charged particle beam irradiation device 50 is structured to be in contact with the patient's eyes via the decorative wall 55. The decorative wall 55 is mostly made of plywood, so generally speaking, the image quality deteriorates when X-rays are allowed to pass through the decorative wall 55. Therefore, the X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit are preferably arranged on the downstream side of the beam relative to the decorative wall 55. This is because, when the X-ray generating unit is arranged on the upstream side relative to the decorative wall 55, the X-rays will inevitably pass through the decorative wall 55 due to the positional relationship with the detecting unit, which is not preferred. Therefore, in order for the X-rays to pass through the isocenter O, the X-ray generating unit 20 and the detecting unit 21 need to be arranged at a position greater than the decorative wall 55. Fig.11 The decorative wall 55 shown is close to the downstream side of the beam. Moreover, at the edge of the charged particle beam irradiation device 50, the irradiation port 11, the arm 16 of the mobile vehicle 10 and its driving mechanism 16' and the X-ray imaging area ( Fig. 9 If there is interference with the dotted line, X-rays will be attenuated and the effective field of view will be narrowed. Therefore, the setting conditions that can image a large area in the head and tail direction and perform respiratory synchronized irradiation without changing the imaging conditions or enlarging the treatment room are described.

[0077] like Fig.12 (a) Fig.12As shown in (b), when the positional relationship between the X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit when observed from the Z direction is represented by the angle α [deg], and the positional relationship between the X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit when observed from the X direction is represented by the angle β [deg], the influence of α and β on the effective field of view of the detected image is confirmed. Angle α is the angle between the X-ray beam and the horizontal plane on the XY plane, and angle β is the angle between the X-ray beam and the horizontal plane on the YZ plane. Here, the effective field of view refers to the area detected by the detecting unit 21 when the X-ray beam generated from the X-ray generating unit 20 does not interfere with the charged particle beam irradiation device, the treatment table (mobile vehicle), etc. In addition, assuming that the area occupied by the effective field of view is 80 when the entire screen area (the entire detection range realized by the detecting unit 21) is set to 100, the effective field of view is 80%.

[0078] The arrangement of the X-ray generator and the detector to form an ideal effective field of view is such that the axes connecting the two pairs of X-ray generators 20 and detectors 21 are orthogonal. Fig.13 As shown in (a), when β is less than 45 degrees, that is, the larger the opening of the axis connecting the two pairs of X-ray generating units 20 and detecting units 21, the smaller the interference with the charged particle beam irradiation device. On the other hand, when α becomes larger, that is, when the imaging system is tilted toward the irradiation device side, the interference between the arm 16 and the driving mechanism unit 16' becomes larger, and when α becomes smaller, that is, when the imaging system is tilted toward the ground side, the interference between the arm 16 and the driving mechanism unit 16' becomes smaller. However, the smaller α is, the more likely the configuration of the X-ray generating unit 20 or the detecting unit 21 arranged on the ground side will exceed the decorative wall 55 or will not be accommodated in the treatment room, and therefore it is not suitable. Fig.13 In (b), the interference between the X-ray beam and the peripheral devices at α=70 degrees or more and β=45 degrees or so was studied.

[0079] The effect of the value of β on the effective field of view was checked by fixing α at 74 degrees. The effective field of view was 100% when 42<β<45, and 80% when 38<β<47.

[0080] The effect of the value of β on the effective field of view was checked by fixing α at 78 degrees. The result showed that the effective field of view was 100% when 41<β<46, and 80% when 39<β<48.

[0081] The effect of the value of β on the effective field of view was checked by fixing α at 82 degrees. The result showed that the effective field of view was 100% when 41<β<48, and 80% when 39<β<50.

[0082] The higher the effective field of view, the larger the shooting range of the X-ray image obtained by X-ray shooting, and the better the image quality, so the larger the percentage of the effective field of view, the better. By arranging the X-ray generator and the detector in the area where the effective field of view is more than 80%, the function of respiratory synchronized irradiation can be increased, and high-precision therapeutic irradiation can be performed without enlarging the device. It should be noted that this does not mean that it is necessary to configure the X-ray generator 20 and the detector 21 to make the effective field of view more than 80%.

[0083] Fig.14 This is a system configuration diagram for implementing the present embodiment. The comprehensive treatment control system 167 is set as a host system, and has an irradiation control system 166 for performing treatment irradiation and an indoor equipment control system 161 for positioning the patient. The comprehensive treatment control system 167 instructs the focusing electromagnet and the irradiation port in a manner that allows treatment from a desired angle. The focusing electromagnet is excited in a manner that allows irradiation from a desired angle, and the irradiation port is driven to irradiate the charged particle beam toward the isocenter O. The indoor equipment control system 161 drives the treatment table 15 through the treatment table control system 164 to move the patient to the position for treatment irradiation. Thereafter, X-ray radiation is performed through the X-ray generation unit control system 162, and images are acquired through the detection unit control system 163.

[0084] According to the present invention, the X-ray generator 20 and the detector 21 are not provided in the traveling direction of the charged particle beam emitted from the irradiation port, and therefore, it is not necessary to retreat the X-ray generator 20 and the detector 21 during treatment irradiation. As a result, the setting accuracy of the X-ray generator 20 and the detector 21 will not be changed by the retreat drive, and therefore, the treatment accuracy will not be reduced compared to the case where the X-ray generator 20 and the detector 21 are retreated in a manner of being stored under the ceiling or the floor. In addition, the space from the X-ray generator 20 to the detector 21 will not be blocked by the drive of the irradiation port. Therefore, the treatment irradiation angle can be changed, and the patient positioning can be performed, and the treatment time can be shortened. As a result, the number of patients treated in each treatment room can be increased.

[0085] Generally speaking, when positioning a patient, in order to make it easier for a radiographer to capture the patient's posture in a three-dimensional position, the imaginary plane 17 formed by the irradiation axis of the charged particle beam and the plane formed by the axis connecting the two pairs of X-ray generators 20 and detectors 21 are set on the same horizontal / vertical beam lines that are orthogonal to each other. As long as there are captured images from at least two directions, positioning can be performed without depending on the configuration direction, so the same patient positioning accuracy as in the conventional configuration can be obtained in the configuration of the X-ray generator 20 and the detector 21 of the present invention.

[0086] The present invention helps to improve the accuracy of treatment for non-coplanar irradiation that irradiates treatment beams not only from a section perpendicular to the patient's long axis direction, but also from non-coplanar irradiation to reduce the dose to normal tissues and major adjacent important organs. After the patient is positioned, in order to irradiate on the desired non-coplanar surface, the treatment table is rotated around the isocenter and irradiation is started, which depends on the movement accuracy of the treatment table. In the present invention, two pairs of X-ray generating units 20 and detecting units 21 are arranged in the long axis direction of the patient, thereby ensuring a larger space around the patient. Therefore, it is possible to ensure space for the treatment table to rotate around the isocenter, and the patient's position can be confirmed by a certain X-ray shooting system, thereby improving the accuracy of treatment in non-coplanar irradiation.

[0087] In the rotating gantry, two pairs of X-ray generating units 20 and detecting units 21 rotate, so that the patient positioning configuration is in the front and side directions, and the in-vivo monitoring during irradiation is a configuration that depends on the irradiation angle. In the present embodiment, in respiratory synchronized irradiation, in a series of treatments, the images obtained as patient positioning and in-vivo monitoring during irradiation can be evaluated with the same geometric configuration without depending on the irradiation angle. When positioning the patient, bones that are less affected by respiratory movement are used as landmarks. Next, in respiratory synchronized irradiation, it is necessary to perform positioning of the relative positions of the movement of organs and bones taking into account respiratory movement, and perform two-stage position confirmation. In addition, the same confirmation is also performed for the prostate affected by the movement of gas in the intestine and other irradiations in which the movement of the irradiated object changes over time due to the movement of the body during irradiation. In the present invention, the geometric configuration of the two pairs of X-ray generating units 20 and detecting units 21 during patient positioning and in-vivo monitoring is the same, so in treatments that require the position reproducibility of organs, such as respiratory synchronized irradiation, the irradiation accuracy is improved.

[0088] In this embodiment, two pairs of X-ray generators 20 and detectors 21 are arranged in the patient's long axis direction relative to the non-rotating gantry, thereby the equipment setting and building structure will not become complicated, maintenance can be performed, and the overall device can be miniaturized. In the case of the same configuration in the half-gantry, at least one of the two pairs of X-ray generators 20 and detectors 21 arranged on the upstream side of the beam is arranged in the cylindrical rotating gantry. Therefore, a complex support for equipment setting is required in the rotating gantry, and maintenance becomes an operation in the rotating gantry, which is a heavy burden for the operator. In addition, the irradiation device does not rotate, so compared with the rotating gantry, which requires a huge cylindrical structure of about 10m in height and depth as a rotating space, the building that accommodates the irradiation device is about half the size, which can significantly reduce the introduction cost of the treatment device.

[0089] <Example 3>

[0090] <Configuration of Information Processing Device>

[0091] Fig.15 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device 100 for controlling a charged particle beam irradiation system. The information processing device 100 is a computer system for controlling the irradiation of a charged particle beam from a charged particle beam irradiation device to a treatment site of a patient, and may be implemented by a so-called server device, a PC (personal computer), a tablet terminal, etc., but is not limited thereto. Fig.15 As shown, the information processing device 100 includes a communication unit 110, an input unit 120, a control unit 130, and a calculation unit 140. In addition, the information processing device 100 may also include an output unit 150.

[0092] The communication unit 110 is a communication interface capable of communicating with an external device. For example, the communication unit 110 transmits instruction information indicating the timing of irradiating a charged particle beam to the irradiation unit of the charged particle beam irradiation device according to instructions from the control unit 130. In addition, according to instructions from the communication unit 110 and the control unit 130, the communication unit 110 instructs the X-ray generation unit 20 to irradiate X-rays and instructs the detection unit 21 to send X-ray images. In addition, the communication unit 110 receives information about patient treatment from an external device and transmits it to the control unit 130.

[0093] The input unit 120 is an input interface having a function of receiving input from an operator of the information processing device 100 and transmitting the input to the control unit 130. The input unit 120 can be implemented by, for example, an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse, but is not limited thereto. The input unit 120 receives input of information about treatment of a patient, for example, and transmits the received input content to the control unit 130.

[0094] The control unit 130 is a processor having a function of controlling each unit of the information processing device 100. The control unit 130 functions as the information processing device 100 by executing a program built into the calculation unit 140. As functions that the information processing device 100 should perform, the control unit 130 includes a treatment control unit 131 and an X-ray control unit 132. The treatment control unit 131 has a function of sending instruction information for instructing irradiation of a charged particle beam to the charged particle beam irradiation device via the communication unit 110. The X-ray control unit 132 instructs the X-ray generation unit 20 to irradiate X-rays via the communication unit 110, and acquires an X-ray image detected by the detection unit 21. The X-ray control unit 132 transmits the acquired X-ray image to the treatment control unit 131.

[0095] The calculation unit 140 has a function of performing image analysis on the X-ray image acquired by the X-ray control unit 132 to determine the relative position of the object part to be treated and the patient. The image processing unit 141 performs image processing on the X-ray image acquired by the X-ray control unit 132, analyzes the feature quantity in the image, and calculates the position of the treatment part of the object. At this time, the optimal combination of existing image filtering (such as noise removal filtering, contour enhancement filtering) is performed to reduce the burden on the radiographer when positioning the patient, but its detailed description is omitted here. In addition, the calculation unit 140 has a storage unit 142. The storage unit 142 is a storage medium that has the function of storing various programs and various data required for the operation of the information processing device 100. The storage unit 142 can be implemented, for example, by a HDD (Hard Disc Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, etc., but is not limited to this. The storage unit 142 stores a learning model 143 for determining the irradiation timing of the charged particle beam. In addition, as Fig.15 As shown, the position of the treatment site may be calculated via the learning model registered in the learning model 143. The learning model 143 is stored in the storage unit 142.

[0096] An example of the learning model 143 is a learning model that has learned the correspondence between the X-ray image and the position of the organ, and takes the X-ray image and the information indicating the treatment site as input to determine the relative position of the target site and the patient. The image processing unit 141 determines whether the treatment site of the object is located in the irradiable area including the irradiation position (isocenter) of the charged particle beam, and determines the irradiation timing. Therefore, the learning model 143 is generated by learning a plurality of teaching data using information that establishes a correspondence between the X-ray image and the information about the position of various organs indicated by the X-ray image as teaching data. As an algorithm used for the learning model 143, in addition to the known algorithms, for example, linear regression (+regularization), support vector machine (+kernel method), random forest, neural network, deep learning, or kNN (k nearest neighbor method) can also be used, but it is not limited to this. Ideally, the learning model 143 is a patient-specific model that basically learns the X-ray image and the treatment target position of each patient who becomes the treatment target, but it can also be a general model that learns the X-ray images and treatment target positions of multiple different patients. By preparing a model specific to each patient, it is expected that the accuracy of treatment will be improved compared to using a general model. On the other hand, if a general model is used, it is not necessary to prepare a model each time a different patient is treated. Figure 7 to Figure 9The X-ray image is obtained by the X-ray generation unit 20 and the detection unit 21 configured at the positions shown. That is, it is an X-ray image obtained by irradiating X-rays obliquely relative to the human body height direction (long dimension direction) and the horizontal direction relative to the human body height direction. Teaching data is formed by establishing a correspondence between information (annotation) indicating which part of which organ in the image is and the X-ray image, and a learning model 143 is generated. In this embodiment, it is preferred to prepare in advance a first learning model 143 corresponding to the X-ray image captured by the detection unit 21a and a second learning model 143 corresponding to the X-ray image captured by the detection unit 21b. It should be noted that the annotation can also be added by medical staff and the like. In addition, here, the image used for learning can also be a digital reconstructed radiograph generated by simulating an X-ray image based on a CT image. Moreover, multiple learning models can be registered in the learning model 143. As an example of other learning models, a learning model that learns the correspondence between the irradiation site to be treated, the radiation conditions of the X-ray image, etc. and the image filter, and optimizes the image filter can be listed. The image filter selected by the learning model 143 is applied to the acquired X-ray image, and the object is detected analytically by the image processing unit 141. In this case, the relative position of the target part and the patient is also determined, and the image processing unit 141 can determine whether the treatment part of the object has reached and is located in the irradiable area including the irradiation position (isocenter) of the charged particle beam, and determine the relative position of the target part and the patient for determining the irradiation timing.

[0097] The output unit 150 has a function of outputting information specified by the control unit 130. The output unit 150 can be implemented by, for example, a monitor, a speaker, etc., but is not limited thereto. The information output by the output unit 150 can also be implemented by sending the information to an external device. The output unit 150 can also be configured to output information related to the treatment site according to an instruction from the control unit 130.

[0098] <Operation of Information Processing Device 100>

[0099] Fig.16 : is a flowchart showing an operation example of irradiation control of a charged particle beam performed by the information processing device 100 .

[0100] like Fig.16As shown, the communication unit 110 of the information processing device 100 receives an X-ray image. The communication unit 110 transmits the received X-ray image to the control unit 130. The control unit 130 receives an input of a respiratory synchronized X-ray image for proton beam therapy (step S1601). That is, the control unit 130 detects the X-rays emitted from the X-ray generation unit 20 through the detection unit 21, and receives an input of the X-ray image obtained by the detection. As described above, the X-ray image is not an image obtained by photographing the patient's body using X-rays irradiated in parallel to the charged particle beam (the same plane as the imaginary plane formed by the irradiation path of the charged particle beam) as in the past, but an image obtained by photographing the patient's body using X-rays irradiated in a manner that intersects with the imaginary plane formed by the line passed by the charged particle beam. In other words, it is an image obtained by photographing the patient's body using X-rays irradiated at an angle relative to the human body. It should be noted that the X-ray images received here can be any information that can infer the state of the internal organs in the body. They can be dynamic images transmitted by a stream, continuous static images, or dynamic images every specified time unit (for example, 0.1 second units, but not limited to this).

[0101] Next, the communication unit 110 or the input unit 120 of the information processing device 100 receives input of information related to the treatment site of the patient and transmits it to the control unit 130 (step S1602). The information related to the treatment site can be any information that can at least determine the relative position of the target site to be treated and the patient through the information processing device 100.

[0102] The control unit 130 receives input of X-ray images from the communication unit 110 one by one, and inputs the X-ray images and information on the treatment site into the learning model 143 (step S1603). The treatment control unit 131 thereby determines the timing for irradiating the charged particle beam (step S1604).

[0103] Then, the treatment control unit 131 transmits instruction information for instructing the charged particle beam irradiation device to irradiate with a charged particle beam at a specific timing via the communication unit 110 (step S1605 ).

[0104] Thereby, the information processing device 100 can control the irradiation of the charged particle beam at appropriate timing.

[0105] In this embodiment, for organs that move with respiration, by determining the relative position of the irradiated organ and the positional relationship between other organs and the irradiated organ in the information processing device 100, the work performed by the radiographer can be reduced, and the radiation dose based on X-ray radiation can be reduced. For example, X-ray images of one respiratory cycle are continuously acquired as in-vivo information, and the information is simultaneously acquired by multiple in-vitro information acquisition devices arranged outside. As an example, by synchronizing the movement of the respiratory waveform, the body surface, etc. with the in-vivo monitoring information, the relative position of the irradiated organ and the positional relationship between other organs and the irradiated organ can be predicted from the information processing device 100 only by the in-vitro information during treatment, and irradiation can be performed at an appropriate timing. Therefore, radiation is not required during irradiation, and the radiation dose of the patient can be reduced. Moreover, X-ray shooting can be performed to confirm the relative relationship only when there is a concern about an unstable respiratory waveform based on in-vitro monitoring information.

[0106] Fig.17 This is a first control example of predicting an unstable respiratory waveform based on data stored in the storage unit 142 of the calculation unit 140 and performing irradiation, that is, a timing chart schematically showing the timing of irradiation of X-rays, radiation of charged particle beams, etc. Fig.17 In the figure, from the top, there are respectively represented the waveform of the in vitro monitoring information, the waveform of the beam-on signal based on the in vitro monitoring information, the waveform of the irradiation target position information based on the X-ray radiation, the waveform of the X-ray radiation-on signal, the waveform of the beam-on signal based on the irradiation target position information, and the irradiation waveform of the charged particle beam. The in vitro monitoring information may be information of an image obtained by photographing the exterior of the patient, for example, it may be an image obtained by photographing the abdomen of the patient, or it may be waveform information schematically indicating the degree of expansion of the abdomen based on these images. The beam-on signal based on the in vitro monitoring information refers to information indicating the irradiation instruction of the charged particle beam, that is, information of the irradiation instruction generated when the patient's breathing is stable based on the in vitro monitoring information. The irradiation target position information based on the X-ray radiation refers to information indicating the position of the treatment site (the irradiation target part of the charged particle beam) by photographing the body of the patient by performing X-ray radiation. In addition, the X-ray irradiation-on signal refers to a signal instructing the X-ray generation unit 20 to irradiate X-rays. In addition, the beam-on signal based on the irradiation target position information refers to a signal instructing the irradiation of the charged particle beam to the treatment target site determined by X-ray radiation. Moreover, Fig.17 The irradiation at the bottom of represents the irradiation timing of the charged particle beam performed according to the beam-on signal based on the irradiation object position information.

[0107] First, the image processing unit 141 analyzes the external monitoring information of the patient being treated. The external monitoring information may be a photographic image of the patient's abdomen, etc. The charged particle beam irradiation device basically detects that the breathing is stable based on the information from the external monitoring information ( Fig.17 The in vitro monitoring information indicates the location of a stable wave system), which indicates that the patient's body is in a specified state, such as Fig.17 In the example, when the value of the extracorporeal monitoring information is positive (above a specified value), that is, when the patient's peritoneum is dilated above a specified value, the beam-on signal is turned on (ON) according to the extracorporeal monitoring information, and charged particle beam irradiation is performed.

[0108] At this time, the unstable respiratory waveform is predicted in advance by referring to the patient's external monitoring information and the respiratory waveform data at this time registered in the storage unit 142 of the calculation unit 140. Fig.17 The arrow portion in the in vitro monitoring information is the unstable respiratory waveform 1701 surrounded by a dotted line, with the starting point of the respiratory waveform. That is, the in vitro monitoring information is input into the learning model 143 as an input to estimate whether the patient's respiratory disorder may occur. When an unstable respiratory waveform is generated, therapeutic irradiation cannot be performed with high accuracy. Therefore, when an unstable respiratory waveform is predicted to be generated, X-ray-based imaging is implemented. That is, the X-ray generation unit 20 is instructed to start X-ray radiation, and the imaging is performed by the detection unit 21. Then, when the treatment site (irradiation object position information) detected by X-ray radiation reaches the irradiation position, irradiation with a charged particle beam is performed. During the execution of X-ray irradiation, the prediction of the respiratory waveform based on the learning model 143 and the in vitro monitoring information is continued. Then, at the stage where the respiratory waveform is predicted to be stable based on the in vitro monitoring information ( Fig.17 X-ray photography is stopped at the stage where the breathing is unstable (the stage in which the area surrounded by the dotted line 1702 is reached). In this way, unnecessary radiation doses can be reduced. Then, the irradiation control of the charged particle beam based on the in vitro monitoring information is returned. It should be noted that the timing for returning to the irradiation control of the charged particle beam based on the in vitro monitoring information can also be the stage at which the respiratory waveform is predicted to be stable, and the timing is the synchronization between the position of the treatment object part based on the in vitro monitoring information and the position of the treatment object part detected by X-ray radiation. According to the first control example, X-ray radiation is performed only at the timing when the breathing is unstable, so the processing burden of the device can be reduced compared to continuous X-ray radiation during treatment. In addition, according to the first control example, even in the case where the detection of the treatment object part based on the in vitro monitoring information cannot be performed due to respiratory disorder, the detection of the treatment object part based on the in vitro monitoring information can be restored.

[0109] Alternatively, in respiratory synchronized irradiation, X-ray photography is performed only at the start timing and end timing of the irradiation gate (timing near the start of the connection signal of the respiratory gate and the end of the connection signal) to confirm that the irradiated object is within the specified range. In the event of deviation from the original relative relationship, the radiation dose based on X-ray photography can be reduced by correcting the timing of irradiation based on the respiratory waveform. Fig.18 The second control example of performing X-ray imaging at the timing near the ON signal of the respiratory gate for irradiation based on the external monitoring information and near the end of the ON signal is shown. Fig.18 The contents of each signal in Fig.17 The situation is the same as in the first control example, but a waveform indicating the predicted irradiation target position of the treatment target part predicted based on the in vitro monitoring information is added. In the second control example, as shown in the figure, the detection of the irradiation target position based on X-ray radiation is performed periodically. The patient's breathing is basically periodic, so X-ray radiation is performed only at the timing of inhalation and exhalation to determine whether the irradiation target position exists in the desired position. In the case where unstable breathing is not predicted, the connection control of the charged particle beam is performed based on the in vitro monitoring information, as in the first control example. That is, the irradiation of the charged particle beam is performed at the timing when the in vitro monitoring information is above the specified value.

[0110] On the other hand, when it is detected based on the X-ray image that the irradiation target position is not at the desired position (see Fig.18 The dotted line 1801) can detect that a deviation has occurred in the relative relationship with the in vitro monitoring information and the periodic timing of the X-ray radiation. When such a deviation is detected, the charged particle beam irradiation system switches the X-ray radiation from intermittent radiation to continuous radiation. During the continuous X-ray radiation, the position of the treatment object part is continuously determined based on the X-ray image. Then, at the timing when the treatment object part arrives at the irradiation position, the irradiation of the charged particle beam is performed. Then, when the patient's breathing is stable, the charged particle beam irradiation system synchronizes the position of the treatment object part determined by the X-ray radiation with the position of the treatment object part determined according to the in vitro monitoring information, and determines the irradiation timing of the periodically performed X-ray radiation. When the irradiation timing is determined, the continuous X-ray radiation is terminated and the intermittent X-ray radiation is returned.

[0111] In addition, in the case of the combination of the irradiation beam device 50 with a non-rotating gantry of the second embodiment and the third embodiment, a wide space around the patient can be ensured, so that the in vitro information acquisition device, such as a 3D camera, an ultrasonic device, etc., can be installed. In addition to in vitro information, in order to more accurately determine the position, it is also possible to ensure space for installing a relatively large device such as MRI that does not emit radiation. For example, although MRI has a frame rate lower than that of an X-ray image, the relative position of the irradiation target organ and the positional relationship between other organs and the irradiation target organ can be determined more accurately from the information processing device 100, and irradiation can be performed at an appropriate timing.

[0112] Fig.19 The diagram schematically shows the relative positional relationship between the X-ray generator 20 and the detector 21 in a conventional full gantry and a half gantry and the relative positional relationship between the X-ray generator and the detector in the present invention. Fig.19 (a) is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of an X-ray generating unit and a detecting unit in a charged particle beam irradiation system that is not a rotating gantry according to the present invention. Fig.19 (b) is a diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit in the entire gantry. Fig.19 (c) is a diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit in the half gantry. Fig.19 (a)~ Fig.19 The dotted line in (c) represents an imaginary plane P(17) generated by multiple trajectories of the irradiated charged particle beam. In addition, F1 and F2 represent detection units, respectively, and X1 and X2 represent X-ray generating units. In addition, regarding upstream and downstream, the upstream is the source side of the charged particle beam of the charged particle beam irradiation device, and the downstream represents the emission side of the charged particle beam.

[0113] Compare Fig.19 (a) Fig.19 (b) and Fig.19 (c) shows that the charged particle beam irradiation system of the present invention that is not a rotating gantry is similar to the conventional full gantry and half gantry in that the axes connecting the X-ray generating unit (X1, X2) and the detecting unit (F1, F2), that is, the line connecting the X-ray generating unit X1 and the detecting unit F1 and the line connecting the X-ray generating unit X2 and the detecting unit F2 (neither of which is shown in the figure) intersect on the imaginary plane P. On the other hand, the charged particle beam irradiation system of the present invention that is not a rotating gantry and the conventional full gantry and half gantry are different in that the direction from the upstream to the downstream of the device is parallel or orthogonal to the imaginary plane P. In addition, comparing Fig.19 (a) and Fig.19(c) shows that the non-rotating gantry charged particle beam irradiation system of the present invention is different from the conventional full gantry in that all the detection units are located upstream of the X-ray generation unit. Fig.19 (a) and Fig.19 As can be seen from (b), the difference between the two is whether the X-ray generator (X1, X2) and the detector (F1, F2) are located on the same side across the imaginary plane P. Based on the above, as one of the characteristics of the charged particle beam irradiation system of the present invention that is not a rotating gantry, the following two conditions can be listed: (i) the X-ray generator and the detector are not located on the same side relative to the imaginary plane P; (ii) all the detectors (or X-ray generators) are arranged on the upstream side relative to the X-ray generator (or detector).

[0114] <Conclusion>

[0115] In the charged particle beam irradiation system of the above-mentioned embodiment, a rotating gantry is not used as a device for irradiating the charged particle beam, but the first X-ray generating unit and the second X-ray generating unit are configured to be plane-symmetrical with respect to an imaginary plane formed by a plurality of orbits of the charged particle beam that can be selected by the charged particle beam irradiation device. When the side on which the charged particle beam is injected into the charged particle beam irradiation device is set as the upstream side, and the side on which the charged particle beam is emitted from the charged particle beam irradiation device is set as the downstream side, the first detection unit and the second detection unit are located upstream or downstream of the first X-ray generating unit and the second X-ray generating unit, thereby suppressing the enlargement of the charged particle beam irradiation device and enabling the use of X-rays to implement the respiratory synchronization method.

[0116] By placing the X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit on the ground and ceiling on the left and right sides of the charged particle beam irradiation device, the X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit are separated from the irradiation device. Therefore, the X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit are not retreated during the treatment beam irradiation, and a larger space around the patient is ensured. Therefore, the setting accuracy of the X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit will not be changed by the drive caused by the insertion / retreat, and the treatment accuracy will not be reduced. In addition, the treatment irradiation angle can be changed, and the patient positioning can be performed, which can shorten the treatment time and increase the number of patients treated in each treatment room. Moreover, space can be ensured for the treatment table to rotate around the isocenter, and the X-ray shooting can be used to confirm the patient's position in a fixed geometric configuration, thereby improving the treatment accuracy in non-coplanar irradiation.

[0117] In respiratory synchronized irradiation, images acquired as patient positioning and in-vivo monitoring during irradiation can be evaluated in the same geometric configuration in a series of treatments without depending on the irradiation angle. When positioning the patient, it is necessary to use bones that are less affected by respiratory movement as a reference, and also consider the relative positional relationship between the movement of organs with respiratory movement and bones, and perform two-stage position confirmation. At this time, since the geometric configuration of the two pairs of X-ray generating units and detecting units during patient positioning and in-vivo monitoring is the same, the treatment accuracy of respiratory synchronized irradiation is improved.

[0118] <Modification>

[0119] The charged particle beam irradiation system and the information processing device 100 described in the above embodiment are not limited to the embodiments described in the above embodiment. They can be appropriately modified within the scope of knowledge of those skilled in the art. Various modified examples are described below.

[0120] (1) The information processing device 100 may include a learning unit for learning the learning model 143. That is, the information processing device 100 may include a function of generating the learning model 143 by learning according to a predetermined algorithm based on a plurality of teaching data.

[0121] Furthermore, the information processing device 100 may include a relearning unit that receives input of new teaching data and relearns the learning model 143. By providing the relearning unit, more teaching data (knowledge) can be obtained, thereby improving the accuracy of estimation.

[0122] (2) In the above embodiment, the case where there is one learning model 143 is described, but there may be multiple learning models 143. That is, the learning model 143 may be prepared for each organ to be treated, for example. By subdividing the learning model 143 for each organ, higher-precision learning can be performed, and high-precision charged particle beam irradiation can be achieved.

[0123] (3) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the learning model 143 can be prepared according to each patient receiving treatment. In this case, the learning model 143 can also assign the patient's treatment site as annotated information to the X-ray image for learning. By generating the learning model 143 according to each patient, irradiation of the charged particle beam with higher accuracy can be achieved. In addition, sometimes the learning model 143 is constructed not only based on the prior image information taken before the treatment of the corresponding patient receiving treatment, but also based on the patient data such as the X-ray images of unspecified patients who have been treated before before the treatment of the corresponding patient. As a result, it is expected that the treatment accuracy will be improved by the increase in the number of learning data. In this method, it is expected that not only the irradiation control during the treatment of organs accompanied by respiratory movement, but also the positioning accuracy of the bone positioning using the bone X-ray image is improved.

[0124] (4) In the above embodiment, the angle between the X-ray and the imaginary plane 17 is arbitrary, and the X-ray generating unit 20 only needs to be provided on both sides of the charged particle beam irradiation device so as not to hinder the movement of the movable vehicle 10. In this case, the X-ray generating unit 20 is arranged as close to the charged particle beam irradiation device as possible to prevent the treatment room from becoming huge, but it is ideal that the housing of the charged particle beam irradiation device and the movable vehicle 10 in the treatment position are arranged at a position that does not hinder the acquisition of the X-ray image. In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of providing the detection unit 21 corresponding to two X-ray generating units 20 is shown, but it may be a pair, or more than two pairs of detection units corresponding to the X-ray generating units may be provided.

[0125] (5) The program of each embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided in a state of being stored in a storage medium that can be read by an information processing device. Alternatively, the storage medium may store the program in a "non-transitory tangible medium". The program may include, for example, a software program and an information processing device program.

[0126] Where appropriate, the storage medium may include one or more semiconductor-based or other integrated circuits (ICs) (e.g., field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific ICs (ASICs), etc.), hard disk drives (HDDs), hybrid hard disk drives (HHDs), optical disks, optical disk drives (ODDs), magneto-optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy disks, floppy disk drives (FDDs), magnetic tapes, solid-state drives (SSDs), RAM (random access memory) drives, secure digital cards or drives, any other appropriate storage media, or an appropriate combination of two or more thereof. Where appropriate, the storage medium may be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile.

[0127] Furthermore, the program of the present disclosure can be provided to the information processing apparatus 100 via any transmission medium (communication network, broadcast wave, etc.) that can transmit the program.

[0128] Furthermore, each embodiment of the present disclosure can also be implemented in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave that embodies the program through electronic transmission.

[0129] It should be noted that the program of the present disclosure can be implemented using any programming language, such as JavaScript (registered trademark), scripting languages ​​such as Python, C language, Go language, Swift, Koltin, Java (registered trademark), etc.

[0130] (6) The present invention may also be a method for controlling a charged particle beam from a charged particle beam irradiation device performed by an information processing device 100. That is, one embodiment of the present invention is a method for controlling irradiation of a charged particle beam performed by a charged particle beam irradiation system, the charged particle beam irradiation system comprising a charged particle beam irradiation device, an X-ray generating unit for irradiating X-rays, and a detection unit for detecting the X-rays, wherein the charged particle beam irradiation device comprises: a deflection electromagnet for continuously changing the irradiation angle of the charged particle beam toward the isocenter by deflecting the charged particle beam; an irradiation port for continuously moving along the shape of the emission side of the effective magnetic field region of the deflection electromagnet, the charged particle beam emitted from the deflection electromagnet passing through the irradiation port to be irradiated to the isocenter, so as to connect an imaginary line connecting the X-ray generating unit and the detection unit relative to the isocenter formed by the irradiation port. The X-ray generating unit and the detecting unit are arranged in a manner that imaginary planes formed by the charged particle beam irradiated by the heart are not parallel but intersecting. In the irradiation control method of the charged particle beam, the following are performed: a first receiving step, in which an information processing device receives an X-ray image detected by the detecting unit; a second receiving step, in which information on a treatment site of a patient receiving treatment based on the charged particle beam is received; and a control step, in which the timing of irradiating the charged particle beam is controlled using the X-ray image detected by the detecting unit, a learning model that has learned the relationship with the position of the organ in the X-ray image, the X-ray image received in the first receiving step, and the information on the treatment site of the patient received in the second receiving step.

[0131] (7) Fig.16 The processing of the flowchart shown can be appropriately changed within the scope of obtaining the same result. For example, for the processing of step S1601 and step S1602, the processing of step S1602 can be performed first, or the processing of step S1601 and the processing of step S1602 can be performed simultaneously.

[0132] Description of Reference Numerals

[0133] 1: Charged particle beam irradiation system;

[0134] 10: Moving vehicle;

[0135] 11: Irradiation port;

[0136] 15: Treatment table;

[0137] 16: Arm;

[0138] 20, 20a, 20b: X-ray generating unit;

[0139] 21, 21a, 21b: detection unit;

[0140] 50: charged particle beam irradiation device;

[0141] 70: distribution electromagnet;

[0142] 80: bias electromagnet;

[0143] 100: information processing device;

[0144] 110: Ministry of Communications;

[0145] 120: input unit;

[0146] 130: Control unit;

[0147] 131: Treatment Control Department;

[0148] 132: X-ray control unit;

[0149] 140: Computing Department;

[0150] 141: Image processing unit;

[0151] 142: storage unit;

[0152] 143: Learning model;

[0153] 150: Output unit.

Claims

1. A charged particle beam irradiation system, comprising: a charged particle beam irradiation device into which the charged particle beam transported after being emitted from the accelerator is injected and emitted toward the isocenter; and a first X-ray generating unit and a first detecting unit, a second X-ray generating unit and a second detecting unit, X-rays generated from the first X-ray generating unit and the second X-ray generating unit pass through the isocenter and are detected by the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit, respectively. The first X-ray generator and the second X-ray generator are arranged so as to sandwich a virtual plane formed by a plurality of trajectories of the charged particle beam selectable by the charged particle beam irradiation device. When the side where the charged particle beam is injected into the charged particle beam irradiation device is set as the upstream side and the side where the charged particle beam is emitted from the charged particle beam irradiation device is set as the downstream side, the first detection unit and the second detection unit are located upstream or downstream of the first X-ray generation unit and the second X-ray generation unit.

2. The charged particle beam irradiation system according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of tracks are tracks irradiated from an irradiation unit, and the irradiation unit is fixedly provided at fixed intervals in the charged particle beam irradiation device.

3. The charged particle beam irradiation system according to claim 1, wherein: The first X-ray generator and the second X-ray generator are arranged in plane symmetry with respect to the virtual plane.

4. The charged particle beam irradiation system according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of tracks are formed by a focusing electromagnet including a pair of coils arranged so as to sandwich a path of the charged particle beam. The focusing electromagnet is configured to generate an effective magnetic field region in which a magnetic field is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the X-axis, which is the traveling direction of the charged particle beam, when a current is input to the coil pair, wherein an axis perpendicular to both the X-axis and the Z-axis is set as the Y-axis. On the XY plane, At the deflection starting point Q, the deflection angle with the X axis The charged particle beam deflected and injected into the effective magnetic field region is deflected by the effective magnetic field region and irradiated to the isocenter at an irradiation angle θ relative to the X-axis. Any point P2 on the boundary of the effective magnetic field region on the emission side of the charged particle beam is located at an equal distance r1 from the isocenter. The point P1 and the point P2 on the boundary of the effective magnetic field region on the incident side of the charged particle beam are located at a radius of r2 and a central angle of On the arc of When the distance between the deflection starting point Q and the isocenter is set to L, the distance R between the deflection starting point Q and the point P1 satisfies the relational expression 4: [Formula 1]

Images