Source box, treatment head and source loading method of treatment head

Abstract

The invention discloses a source box, a treatment head and a source loading method of the treatment head, relates to the technical field of radiotherapy equipment, and aims to solve the problems that in the process of replacing a radioactive source, the radiotherapy equipment needs to be shut down for a long time, and implementation of a treatment plan is affected; and in addition, a radiation risk exists in the process of exporting the old radioactive source, and the exported old radioactive source still has activity, so that the problems of resource waste and cost increase are also caused. The source box comprises a source box base body and a plurality of containing holes, and the containing holes are distributed in the source box base body and used for containing radioactive sources. And the plurality of accommodating holes comprise a main accommodating hole for filling the radioactive source for the first time and an auxiliary accommodating hole for supplementing the radioactive source, so that the dose adjustment of the source box is realized. According to the source box, the radioactive source can be supplemented through the auxiliary containing hole, so that dosage adjustment is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of radiotherapy equipment, and particularly to a source cassette, a treatment head and a method for loading a source into the treatment head. Background Art

[0002] Radiotherapy equipment is used to treat malignant tumors and some benign diseases by using radiation, for example, treating with γ-rays. The radiation source of radiotherapy equipment is usually arranged on a source cassette for transportation and use. In order to meet the requirements of radiotherapy, after the radiotherapy equipment is initially installed with a radiation source, the focal dose rate of the radiation source in the radiotherapy equipment is usually greater than 3 Gy / min.

[0003] In the related art, the source cassette of radiotherapy equipment is usually an integrated independent component. In order to ensure the treatment effect, after the focal dose rate of the radiation source in the radiotherapy equipment decays to 1.5 Gy / min, it is necessary to replace the radiation source in the source cassette, export the old radiation source for recycling, purchase a new radiation source and install it. During the process of replacing the radiation source, the radiotherapy equipment needs to be shut down for a long time, which affects the implementation of the treatment plan. Recycling the radiation source with a focal dose rate of still 1.5 Gy / min not only adds the export step, but also there is a radiation risk during the export process, and the exported old radiation source still has activity, so it will also cause waste of resources and increase costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a source cassette, a treatment head and a method for loading a source into the treatment head, aiming to solve the problems that during the process of replacing the radiation source, the radiotherapy equipment needs to be shut down for a long time, which affects the implementation of the treatment plan; and there is a radiation risk during the process of exporting the old radiation source, and the exported old radiation source still has activity, so it will also cause waste of resources and increase costs.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a source cassette, including: a source cassette base body; a plurality of accommodating holes distributed on the source cassette base body for accommodating radiation sources; the plurality of accommodating holes include main accommodating holes for initially filling radiation sources and auxiliary accommodating holes for supplementing radiation sources to achieve dose adjustment of the source cassette.

[0007] When initially installing a radiation source in the treatment head of a radiotherapy device, a source cassette filled with a radiation source in the main accommodation hole can be fixed to the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches a first preset dose rate to meet the requirements of radiotherapy. After being used for a period of time, the focal dose rate of the treatment head will gradually decay to be less than or equal to a second preset dose rate, resulting in a deteriorated treatment effect of the radiotherapy device. At this time, by filling a radiation source into the secondary accommodation hole or adjusting the dose of the radiation source placed in the accommodation hole, the focal dose rate of the treatment head can be increased to a target dose rate to improve the treatment effect of the radiotherapy device. This can make full use of the radiation source to reduce the cost for users to purchase radiation sources; at the same time, it can reduce the steps of exporting the radiation source and reduce the radiation risk. In addition, the time required to replenish the radiation source in the radiotherapy device is short, and there is no need to keep the radiotherapy device shut down for a long time, which can reduce the impact on the implementation of the treatment plan.

[0008] In some embodiments, the source cassette is a detachable source cassette, and the source cassette body includes: a first source cassette and a second source cassette detachably connected to the first source cassette. The first source cassette includes a main accommodation hole, and the second source cassette includes a secondary accommodation hole.

[0009] In some embodiments, in a first direction, the first source cassette includes a first sub-source cassette and a second sub-source cassette arranged in parallel. The first sub-source cassette and the second sub-source cassette are detachably connected through a mounting portion; the second source cassette is disposed between the first sub-source cassette and the second sub-source cassette and is parallel to the first sub-source cassette and the second sub-source cassette.

[0010] In some embodiments, a limiting notch is provided on the second source cassette, and the mounting portion is clamped in the limiting notch.

[0011] In some embodiments, the number of accommodation holes in the second source cassette, the first sub-source cassette, and the second sub-source cassette is equal.

[0012] In some embodiments, the central axes of the accommodation holes on the first source cassette and the central axes of the accommodation holes on the second source cassette are parallel and perpendicular to the first direction; along the first direction, the central axes of the accommodation holes on the first source cassette and the central axes of the accommodation holes on the second source cassette are arranged in a staggered manner.

[0013] In some embodiments, the source cassette is an integral source cassette. The source cassette includes multiple rows of parallel accommodation holes, and the dose of the radiation source placed in the accommodation holes is adjustable.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application provides a treatment head applied to a radiotherapy device, including: a treatment head body and a source cassette fixed to the treatment head body. The source cassette is the source cassette in any of the above embodiments.

[0015] Thirdly, the present application provides a method for loading a radiation source into the treatment head in the above embodiments, including: fixing a source cassette filled with a radiation source in the main accommodation hole to the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches a first preset dose rate; when the focal dose rate of the treatment head decays to be less than or equal to a second preset dose rate, filling a radiation source into the secondary accommodation hole of the source cassette or adjusting the dose of the radiation source placed in the accommodation hole, and then fixing the source cassette to the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches a target dose rate.

[0016] Fourthly, the present application provides a method for loading a radiation source into the treatment head in the above embodiments, where the source cassette is a detachable source cassette, and the method includes: fixing a first source cassette filled with a radiation source to the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches a first preset dose rate; when the focal dose rate of the treatment head decays to be less than or equal to a second preset dose rate, snap-fitting a second source cassette filled with a radiation source onto the installation part of the first source cassette, and then fixing the combined source cassette to the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches a target dose rate.

[0017] The technical effects brought by any of the embodiments in the above second to fourth aspects can be referred to the corresponding embodiments in the first aspect, and will not be elaborated here. Description of the Drawings

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a source cassette provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 It is an exploded view of another source cassette provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a first source cassette provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 For Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the source cassette shown;

[0023] Figure 5 It is a flowchart of the steps of a method for loading a radiation source into a treatment head provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of the steps of another method for loading a radiation source into a treatment head provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Reference numerals:

[0026] 100 - Source cassette; 1 - Source cassette base; 11 - First source cassette; 111 - First sub - source cassette; 112 - Second sub - source cassette; 113 - Mounting portion; 12 - Second source cassette; 121 - Limiting notch; 2 - Accommodating hole; 21 - Main accommodating hole; 22 - Sub - accommodating hole. Detailed implementation manners

[0027] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0028] It should be noted that in practical applications, due to the limitations of equipment precision or installation errors, absolute parallel or perpendicular effects are difficult to achieve. In this application, the descriptions of "vertical", "parallel" or "same direction" are not absolute limiting conditions, but mean that a vertical or parallel structural setting can be achieved within a preset error range and the corresponding preset effects can be achieved. In this way, the technical effects of the defined features can be maximally realized, and the corresponding technical solutions are easy to implement and have high feasibility. For example, "vertical" includes absolute vertical and approximate vertical, and the acceptable deviation range of approximate vertical can be, for example, within 5° deviation. "Parallel" includes absolute parallel and approximate parallel, and the acceptable deviation range of approximate parallel can be, for example, within 5° deviation. "Same direction" includes absolute same direction and approximate same direction, and the acceptable deviation range of approximate same direction can be, for example, within 5° deviation.

[0029] In the description of the embodiments of this application, "first" and "second" are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise stated, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

[0030] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "mount", "connect", "couple", "communicate" shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. It may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0031] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, article or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the statement "comprising a..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, article or device comprising the element.

[0032] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to mean for example, illustration or explanation. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as being more preferred or having more advantages than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0033] A radiotherapy device is a device that uses radiation to treat malignant tumors and some benign diseases. For example, it uses γ-rays for treatment. The radiation source of the radiotherapy device is usually arranged on the source cassette for transportation and use. To meet the needs of radiotherapy, after the radiotherapy device is initially installed with a radiation source, the focal dose rate of the radiation source in the radiotherapy device is usually greater than 3 Gy / min. After the focal dose rate of the radiation source in the radiotherapy device decays to 1.5 Gy / min, the radiation source in the source cassette needs to be replaced to ensure the treatment efficiency and treatment effect.

[0034] In the related art, the source cassette of a radiotherapy device is usually an integral independent component. After the focal dose rate of the radiation source in the radiotherapy device decays to 1.5 Gy / min, the old radiation source in the source cassette needs to be exported for recycling, and a new radiation source needs to be purchased and installed. During the process of replacing the radiation source, the radiotherapy device needs to be shut down for a long time, which affects the implementation of the treatment plan. Recycling a radiation source with a focal dose rate of still 1.5 Gy / min not only adds an export step, but also there is a radiation risk during the export process, and the exported old radiation source is still active, so it will also cause waste of resources and increase costs. Further, by supplementing the radiation source, different dose requirements can be met, and personalized solutions can be customized for different usage scenarios.

[0035] Based on this, the embodiments of the present application provide a source cassette, a treatment head and a method for loading a radiation source into the treatment head, which are used to solve the problems that during the process of replacing the radiation source, the radiotherapy device needs to be shut down for a long time, affecting the implementation of the treatment plan; and there is a radiation risk during the process of exporting the old radiation source, which also causes waste of resources and increases costs.

[0036] See Figure 1, an embodiment of the present application provides a source cassette 100, which includes a source cassette base body 1 and a plurality of accommodating holes 2. The plurality of accommodating holes 2 are distributed on the source cassette base body 1 and are used to accommodate radioactive sources. The radioactive source can be a source with a relatively small active area (for example, a columnar radioactive source with a diameter of the active area less than or equal to 3.6 mm) to obtain higher focus quality, such as low dose rate, less leakage, and can also improve beam accuracy and reduce penumbra, etc.

[0037] Among them, the plurality of accommodating holes 2 include main accommodating holes 21 for initially filling radioactive sources and secondary accommodating holes 22 for replenishing radioactive sources, which can realize dose adjustment of the source cassette 100.

[0038] When a radioactive source is initially installed in the treatment head of a radiotherapy device, the source cassette 100 filled with a radioactive source in the main accommodating hole 21 can be fixed to the treatment head so that the focus dose rate of the treatment head reaches a first preset dose rate to meet the requirements of radiotherapy. After being used for a period of time, the focus dose rate of the treatment head will gradually decay to be less than or equal to a second preset dose rate, resulting in a poor treatment effect of the radiotherapy device. At this time, by filling a radioactive source into the secondary accommodating hole 22 or adjusting the dose of the radioactive source placed in the accommodating hole 2, the focus dose rate of the treatment head can be increased to a target dose rate to improve the treatment effect of the radiotherapy device. This can make full use of the radioactive source to reduce the cost of purchasing radioactive sources for users; at the same time, it can reduce the steps of exporting radioactive sources and reduce the radiation risk. In addition, the time required to replenish the radioactive source in the radiotherapy device is short, and there is no need to keep the radiotherapy device shut down for a long time, which can reduce the impact on the implementation of the treatment plan.

[0039] It should be noted that the second preset dose rate is less than or equal to the first preset dose rate, and the target dose rate is greater than the second preset dose rate. That is to say, either when the focus dose rate of the treatment head decays to the point where it cannot meet the treatment requirements, a radioactive source can be filled into the secondary accommodating hole 22 or the dose of the radioactive source placed in the accommodating hole 2 can be adjusted to restore the focus dose rate of the treatment head; or when the focus dose rate of the treatment head does not show obvious decay, a radioactive source can be filled into the secondary accommodating hole 22 or the dose of the radioactive source placed in the accommodating hole 2 can be adjusted to increase the focus dose rate of the treatment head to meet the diverse needs of customers.

[0040] Among them, the first preset dose rate can be set to be greater than or equal to 3 Gy / min. For example, the first preset dose rate can be any one of 3 Gy / min, 3.5 Gy / min, 4 Gy / min, 4.5 Gy / min, and 5 Gy / min. The second preset dose rate can be set to be greater than or equal to 1.5 Gy / min. For example, the second preset dose rate can be any one of 1.5 Gy / min, 1.75 Gy / min, 2 Gy / min, 2.25 Gy / min, 2.5 Gy / min, 2.75 Gy / min, and 3 Gy / min. The target dose rate can be set to be greater than or equal to 3 Gy / min. For example, the target dose rate can be any one of 3 Gy / min, 3.5 Gy / min, 4 Gy / min, 4.5 Gy / min, and 5 Gy / min.

[0041] In some embodiments, the source cassette 100 includes multiple rows of parallel accommodation holes 2, and the dose of the radiation source placed in the accommodation holes 2 is adjustable. In this way, radiation sources with the same or different doses can be filled in the accommodation holes 2 with the same or different quantities, so as to adjust the dose of the source cassette 100 to meet the diverse needs of customers.

[0042] In order to adjust the dose of the radiation source placed in the accommodation hole 2, the accommodation hole 2 can be set to accommodate columnar radiation sources with different heights extending along the central axis of the accommodation hole 2. In this way, the dose of the radiation source placed in the accommodation hole 2 can be adjusted by selecting to fill radiation sources with different heights in each accommodation hole 2. It can be understood that before attenuation begins, the higher the height of the columnar radiation source, the higher the dose.

[0043] It should be noted that the present application does not specifically limit the height of the columnar radiation source. For example, the height of the columnar radiation source is 16 mm. In addition, the heights of the columnar radiation sources filled in each accommodation hole 2 can be the same or different, and can be specifically selected according to the actual situation.

[0044] Exemplarily, as Figure 1 shown, the source cassette 100 includes multiple rows of parallel accommodation holes 2. The multiple rows of accommodation holes 2 are spaced apart in the first direction X, and each row of accommodation holes 2 is arranged along the second direction Y, and the second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X. The present application does not specifically limit the number of accommodation holes 2 on the source cassette 100. For example, there are 3 rows of parallel accommodation holes 2 on the source cassette 100, and among them, each row includes 10 or 16 accommodation holes 2.

[0045] On this basis, in order to reduce the damage to normal tissues during the treatment process, the central axes of the multiple rows of accommodating holes 2 on the source cassette 100 can be staggeredly arranged in the first direction X. In this way, during the arc-drawing process, the incident areas of the radiation sources in each accommodating hole 2 on the source cassette 100 can be made non-overlapping. That is to say, when the rays emitted by the source cassette 100 rotate one week along with the gantry of the radiotherapy device, the central axes of the conical beams emitted by the radiation sources in each individual accommodating hole 2 do not lie in the same plane.

[0046] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 shown, the source cassette 100 is an integral source cassette, that is, the source cassette 100 is an independent component.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the integral source cassette includes multiple rows of parallel accommodating holes, and the dose of the radiation source placed in the accommodating hole can be adjusted. For columnar radiation sources, the dose can usually be adjusted by selecting radiation sources with the same diameter but different heights or radiation sources with different diameters but the same height for filling.

[0048] In some other embodiments, as Figure 2 shown, the source cassette 100 is a detachable source cassette, that is to say, the source cassette base 1 is composed of multiple detachable connecting components. In this case, accommodating holes 2 can be provided on at least two components.

[0049] Exemplarily, the source cassette base 1 includes a first source cassette 11 and a second source cassette 12, and the first source cassette 11 and the second source cassette 12 are detachably connected. Among them, accommodating holes 2 can be provided on both the first source cassette 11 and the second source cassette 12. For example, the first source cassette 11 includes a main accommodating hole 21, and the second source cassette 12 includes a secondary accommodating hole 22, that is, the main accommodating hole 21 is provided on the first source cassette 11, and the secondary accommodating hole 22 is provided on the second source cassette 12.

[0050] In this case, when initially installing the radiation source on the treatment head of the radiotherapy device, the first source cassette 11 filled with the radiation source can be fixed to the treatment head so that the focus dose rate of the treatment head reaches the first preset dose rate. When the focus dose rate of the treatment head decays to be less than or equal to the second preset dose rate, the second source cassette 12 filled with the radiation source is then connected to the first source cassette 11, and the combined source cassette 1 is fixed to the treatment head so that the focus dose rate of the treatment head reaches the target dose rate.

[0051] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 3 , in the first direction X, the first source cassette 11 includes a first sub-source cassette 111 and a second sub-source cassette 112 arranged in parallel, and the first sub-source cassette 111 and the second sub-source cassette 112 are detachably connected through the mounting portion 113. It should be noted that accommodating holes 2 can be provided on both the first sub-source cassette 111 and the second sub-source cassette 112.

[0052] On this basis, referring to Figure 4 , the second source cassette 12 is disposed between the first sub-source cassette 111 and the second sub-source cassette 112 and is parallel to the first sub-source cassette 111 and the second sub-source cassette 112. It can be understood that the second source cassette 12 can also be disposed on the side of the first sub-source cassette 111 facing away from the second sub-source cassette 112, and the second source cassette 12 can also be disposed on the side of the second sub-source cassette 112 facing away from the first sub-source cassette 111. Specifically, it can be selected according to the actual situation, and the present application does not make any limitation thereto.

[0053] Among them, when the second source cassette 12 is disposed between the first sub-source cassette 111 and the second sub-source cassette 112, when using the second source cassette 12 to replenish the radiation source for the treatment head, the space occupied by the source cassette 100 formed by the combination of the first source cassette 11 and the second source cassette 12 can be reduced, which is convenient for fixing the combined source cassette 100 on the treatment head, and at the same time, the influence of the combined source cassette 100 on other components on the treatment head can be reduced.

[0054] The present application does not make specific limitations on the connection manner between the second source cassette 12 and the first source cassette 11. For example, a limiting notch 121 is provided on the second source cassette 12 (as shown in Figure 2 ), and the installation portion 113 of the first source cassette 11 (as shown in Figure 2 ) is snapped into the limiting notch 121. In this way, during the assembly process of the first source cassette 11 and the second source cassette 12, the limiting notch 121 and the installation portion 113 can cooperate with each other to play a role in guiding and positioning, which helps to reduce the assembly difficulty of the first source cassette 11 and the second source cassette 12 and improve the assembly efficiency.

[0055] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 4 , the number of accommodation holes 2 in the second source cassette 12, the first sub-source cassette 111, and the second sub-source cassette 112 is equal. For example, the second source cassette 12, the first sub-source cassette 111, and the second sub-source cassette 112 each have 10 accommodation holes, or the second source cassette 12, the first sub-source cassette 111, and the second sub-source cassette 112 each have 16 accommodation holes.

[0056] It should be noted that the number of accommodation holes 2 in at least two of the second source cassette 12, the first sub-source cassette 111, and the second sub-source cassette 112 can also be set to be unequal, and specifically can be selected according to the actual situation, and the present application does not make any limitation thereto. For example, the number of accommodation holes 2 in the second source cassette 12, the first sub-source cassette 111, and the second sub-source cassette 112 are all unequal. For another example, the number of accommodation holes 2 in the first sub-source cassette 111 and the second sub-source cassette 112 is equal and is not equal to the number of accommodation holes 2 in the second source cassette 12.

[0057] Exemplarily, the second source cassette 12, the first sub-source cassette 111, and the second sub-source cassette 112 are each provided with a row of accommodation holes 2 arranged along the second direction Y. Of course, the second source cassette 12, the first sub-source cassette 111, and the second sub-source cassette 112 may also be respectively provided with one row or multiple rows of accommodation holes arranged along the second direction Y, and the present application does not limit this.

[0058] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 4 , the central axes of the accommodation holes 2 on the first source cassette 11 and the central axes of the accommodation holes 2 on the second source cassette 12 are parallel and perpendicular to the first direction X. Moreover, along the first direction X, the central axes of the accommodation holes 2 on the first source cassette 11 and the central axes of the accommodation holes 2 on the second source cassette 12 are arranged in a staggered manner.

[0059] With this arrangement, during the arc-drawing process, it can be achieved that the incident regions of the radiation sources in each of the accommodation holes 2 on the first source cassette 11 and the second source cassette 12 do not overlap. That is to say, when the rays emitted by the source cassette 100 rotate one week along with the gantry of the radiotherapy device, the central axes of the conical beams emitted by the radiation sources in each individual accommodation hole 2 do not lie in the same plane. This can improve the focus-skin ratio during arc-drawing irradiation, thereby reducing the damage to normal tissues during the treatment process.

[0060] Exemplarily, as Figure 4 shown, the central axes of the accommodation holes 2 on the first source cassette 11 and the central axes of the accommodation holes 2 on the second source cassette 12 are parallel to the third direction Z, and the third direction Z is perpendicular to the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0061] The present application also provides a treatment head applied to a radiotherapy device. The treatment head includes a treatment head body and a source cassette 100 fixed to the treatment head body, and the source cassette 100 is the source cassette 100 in any of the above embodiments.

[0062] The treatment head in the embodiments of the present application has the same beneficial effects as the source cassette 100 in any of the above embodiments, and will not be elaborated here.

[0063] The embodiments of the present application also provide a method for loading a radiation source into a treatment head, which is used to install a radiation source into the treatment head in the above embodiments. This method is applicable to both an integrated source cassette and a detachable source cassette. As Figure 5 shown, this method includes the following steps:

[0064] S1. Fix the source cassette filled with a radiation source in the main accommodation hole to the treatment head so that the focus dose rate of the treatment head reaches a first preset dose rate.

[0065] It should be noted that the source cassette filled with a radiation source in the main accommodation hole may be a source cassette with some main accommodation holes filled with a radiation source, or a source cassette with all main accommodation holes filled with a radiation source.

[0066] S2. When the focal dose rate of the treatment head decays to be less than or equal to the second preset dose rate, fill the auxiliary accommodation holes of the source cassette with radioactive sources or adjust the dose of the radioactive sources placed in the accommodation holes, and then fix the source cassette on the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches the target dose rate.

[0067] Among them, adjusting the dose of the radioactive sources placed in the accommodation holes can also be filling the main accommodation holes with a larger number of radioactive sources.

[0068] The embodiment of the present application also provides another method for loading radioactive sources into the treatment head, which is used to install radioactive sources into the treatment head in the above embodiment when the source cassette is a detachable source cassette. As Figure 6 shown, this method includes the following steps:

[0069] S10. Fix the first source cassette filled with radioactive sources on the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches the first preset dose rate.

[0070] S20. When the focal dose rate of the treatment head decays to be less than or equal to the second preset dose rate, snap the second source cassette filled with radioactive sources onto the installation part of the first source cassette, and then fix the combined source cassette on the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches the target dose rate.

[0071] The following takes the height of the radioactive source being 16 mm or 32 mm, the source cassette including 3 rows of accommodation holes, and each row having 16 accommodation holes as an example to give an exemplary description of the method for loading radioactive sources into the treatment head.

[0072] Example 1. When initially installing radioactive sources, fill 3 rows of accommodation holes, and install columnar radioactive sources with a height of 16 mm in each accommodation hole. That is to say, when initially installing radioactive sources, a total of 48 radioactive sources are installed in the source cassette.

[0073] Example 2. When initially installing radioactive sources, fill 2 rows of accommodation holes, and install columnar radioactive sources with a height of 16 mm in each accommodation hole. That is to say, when initially installing radioactive sources, a total of 32 radioactive sources are installed in the source cassette. After 5 years, supplement a source cassette with 1 row of accommodation holes, and install columnar radioactive sources with a height of 16 mm in each accommodation hole to increase the focal dose rate of the radioactive sources in the source cassette.

[0074] Example 3. When initially installing radioactive sources, fill 3 rows of accommodation holes, and install columnar radioactive sources with a height of 32 mm in each accommodation hole. That is to say, when initially installing radioactive sources, a total of sources equivalent to the dose of 96 columnar radioactive sources with a height of 16 mm are installed in the source cassette, so that an ultra-high dose rate can be obtained.

[0075] The above source switching method can meet different dosage requirements and customize personalized solutions for different usage scenarios.

[0076] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0077] The above is only the specific implementation manner of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A source box, characterized in that: include: Source box matrix; A plurality of accommodating holes, distributed on the source box base, for accommodating the radiation source; The multiple accommodating holes include a main accommodating hole for initially filling the radiation source and an auxiliary accommodating hole for replenishing the radiation source, so as to achieve dose adjustment of the source box.

2. The source box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The source box is a detachable source box, and the source box base comprises: A first source box and a second source box detachably connected to the first source box, the first source box includes the main accommodating hole, and the second source box includes the auxiliary accommodating hole.

3. The source box according to claim 2, characterized in that: In a first direction, the first source box includes a first sub-source box and a second sub-source box arranged in parallel, and the first sub-source box and the second sub-source box are detachably connected via a mounting portion; The second source box is disposed between the first sub-source box and the second sub-source box, and is parallel to the first sub-source box and the second sub-source box.

4. The source box according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second source box is provided with a limiting notch, and the mounting portion is clamped in the limiting notch.

5. The source box according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second source box, the first sub-source box and the second sub-source box have the same number of the accommodating holes.

6. The source box according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The central axis of the accommodating hole on the first source box and the central axis of the accommodating hole on the second source box are parallel and perpendicular to the first direction; along the first direction, the central axis of the accommodating hole on the first source box and the central axis of the accommodating hole on the second source box are staggered.

7. The source box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The source box is an integrated source box, and the source box includes a plurality of parallel rows of the accommodating holes, and the dose of the radiation source placed in the accommodating holes is adjustable.

8. A treatment head, used in radiotherapy equipment, characterized in that: include: A treatment head body and a source box fixed on the treatment head body, wherein the source box is the source box according to any one of claims 1-7.

9. A method for loading a treatment head as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The method comprises: Fixing the source box filled with the radiation source in the main containing hole to the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches a first preset dose rate; When the focal dose rate of the treatment head decays to less than or equal to the second preset dose rate, the radiation source is filled into the auxiliary receiving hole of the source box or the dose of the radiation source placed in the receiving hole is adjusted, and then the source box is fixed to the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches the target dose rate.

10. A method for loading a treatment head as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The source box is a detachable source box, and the method comprises: Fixing the first source box filled with the radiation source on the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches the first preset dose rate; When the focal dose rate of the treatment head decays to less than or equal to the second preset dose rate, the second source box filled with the radiation source is clamped onto the mounting portion of the first source box, and the assembled source box is then fixed to the treatment head so that the focal dose rate of the treatment head reaches the target dose rate.

Images