A microbeam device based on a proton accelerator

Abstract

This application relates to the field of aerospace device manufacturing technology, and particularly to a microbeam device based on a proton accelerator. A microbeam device based on a proton accelerator includes: a beamline system, including a beamline and deflecting magnets disposed on the beamline, one end of the beamline being connected to a proton accelerator for transmitting a proton beam; a microbeam system, disposed at the proton beam output end of the beamline, for focusing the proton beam to a micrometer beam spot and measuring the intensity of the proton beam; and a single-particle control system for controlling and monitoring the proton beam, ensuring that the proton beam meets the requirement of irradiating a designated area with a single proton. This invention employs multi-level high-gradient quadrupole magnets to control the energy envelope, combined with scanning magnets for two-dimensional scanning and trajectory compensation, and utilizes micrometer slits to constrain the phase space, achieving stable proton beam transmission, precise shaping, and high-resolution, high-current output.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of aerospace device manufacturing technology, and in particular to a microbeam device based on a proton accelerator. Background Technology

[0002] In existing technologies, heavy ion microbeam devices are mainly represented by the HIRFL high-energy heavy ion microbeam device developed by the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Beijing HI-13 tandem accelerator heavy ion microbeam irradiation device developed by the China Institute of Atomic Energy. These heavy ion microbeam devices can achieve micron-level focusing and precise control of high-energy heavy ion beams, and have significant application value in micro-area irradiation and single-ion effect research.

[0003] The HIRFL high-energy heavy-ion microbeam facility is the world's highest-energy heavy-ion microbeam facility. The microbeam unit at the HIRFL high-energy heavy-ion accelerator terminal can focus GeV high-energy heavy-ion beams to the micrometer scale, providing micrometer-level beam current and offering unique single-ion precision manipulation technology for heavy-ion beam micro- and nano-scale applications. It can accelerate a wide variety of ions, from hydrogen to uranium ions. Commonly accelerated ions include 7Li²⁺, 12C⁴⁺ / 12C⁶⁺, 14N⁵⁺, 40Ar¹¹⁺, 56Fe¹⁵⁺, 56Fe¹⁷⁺, 86Kr¹⁷⁺ / 86Kr²⁶⁺, 129Xe²⁷⁺, 181Ta³¹⁺, and 238U³⁷⁺. The HIRFL high-energy microbeam can perform precise micro-area analysis of samples, radiation biology research, single-ion irradiation, and online micro- and nano-scale imaging of irradiation effects, making it a multidisciplinary research platform for single-ion irradiation, single-particle effect analysis, and other related studies.

[0004] However, heavy ions and protons differ significantly in their composition ratio, energy distribution, and radiation effect mechanism in the space radiation environment, making it difficult for heavy ion microbeam devices to replace the role of protons in the study of space radiation effects.

[0005] The heavy-ion microbeam at the Institute of Atomic Energy is primarily based on the HI-13 tandem accelerator and its upgrades. This device utilizes pinhole technology to construct the heavy-ion microbeam device, where the heavy-ion beam passes through a micrometer-scale (…). A micrometer-scale beam is formed through a pinhole. Measurements were taken using the nuclear pore membrane method, showing the beam behind the pinhole. Location, microbeam spot size is The HI-13 tandem accelerator officially began operation in 1987 and was the highest-energy electrostatic accelerator in Asia at the time. After the upgrade project was completed, it formed a multi-purpose scientific research platform, reaching the advanced level of similar international facilities. It is widely used in basic research in nuclear science and technology, materials science, and life sciences, as well as in applied research in nuclear technology fields such as energy and medical health.

[0006] Although the aforementioned devices are relatively mature in the field of heavy ion microbeams, their technical approach is mainly optimized for heavy ion beam characteristics and is difficult to directly apply to the high-precision control requirements of proton microbeams.

[0007] In the space radiation environment, proton flux is significantly higher than that of heavy ions, especially medium-energy protons (e.g., 30-50 MeV) produced by Earth's radiation belts and solar proton events, which have a significant impact on spacecraft electronic devices, materials, and biological samples. Currently, China lacks a ground-based experimental facility capable of systematically simulating this type of energy proton microbeam. Existing proton microbeam research in China mainly relies on atmospheric environment microbeam technology developed based on a 2.5 MeV proton linear accelerator jointly built by Lanzhou University and the Institute of Modern Physics. Although several proton accelerators with energies above 30 MeV have been gradually built in recent years (such as the 100 MeV cyclotron accelerator at the China Institute of Atomic Energy, the 200 MeV cyclotron accelerator at the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, and the 300 MeV cyclotron accelerator at Harbin Institute of Technology), these facilities have not yet built medium-energy proton microbeam beamlines with high positioning accuracy, controllable microbeam spots, and real-time dose monitoring capabilities. Therefore, conducting precise research on the effects of space proton radiation still faces common bottlenecks such as limited experimental time, difficulties in micro-area irradiation positioning, and insufficient dose control precision.

[0008] In the existing technology, the main difficulty in realizing medium-energy proton microbeams is that the proton beam is easily affected by factors such as energy divergence, space charge effect and optical matching during the transmission process in this energy range, which leads to beam divergence, phase space increase, current intensity decrease or beam spot distortion, making it difficult to stably obtain low current intensity, micron-scale beam spot at the sample.

[0009] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a microbeam device based on a proton accelerator to achieve high-precision microbeam modulation, stable transmission, and precise dose control of medium-energy proton beams, thereby meeting the needs of refined research on space radiation effects. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of this application is to overcome the shortcomings of limited experimental time, difficulty in micro-area irradiation positioning, and insufficient dose control precision, thereby providing a microbeam device based on a proton accelerator.

[0011] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of this application provides a microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, comprising: A beamline system includes a beamline and a deflecting magnet 2 disposed on the beamline. One end of the beamline is connected to a proton accelerator 1 for transmitting a proton beam. A microbeam system, located at the proton beam output end of the beam pipeline, is used to focus the proton beam onto a micrometer-sized beam spot and measure the intensity of the proton beam; and A single-particle control system is used to control and monitor the proton beam, so that the proton beam meets the requirement of irradiating a designated area with a single proton.

[0012] According to the proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, it also includes: A precise beam irradiation system is used for sample isolation, proton beam intensity monitoring, and precise movement, measurement, and control of sample position. It works in conjunction with the single-particle control system to achieve single-particle irradiation of the target area. Cell culture and imaging systems for culturing and observing fluorescence in live biological cell samples.

[0013] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the deflecting magnet 2 includes a first deflecting magnet 201 and a second deflecting magnet 202; The beam pipeline system includes a main beamline straight section 901, a first deflecting magnet 201, an accelerator hall horizontal section 902, a second deflecting magnet 202, and a vertical microbeam section 903 arranged sequentially along the proton beam transmission direction. One end of the main beamline straight section 901 is connected to the proton accelerator 1, and the other end is connected to one end of the horizontal section 902 of the accelerator hall through the first deflecting magnet 201. The other end of the horizontal section 902 of the accelerator hall is connected to the vertical microbeam section 903 via a second deflecting magnet 202.

[0014] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the microbeam system includes: The microbeam focusing subsystem includes a quadrupole lens disposed in the vertical microbeam segment 903 for focusing the proton beam; A high-precision micron slit subsystem for microbeams includes a slit structure 3; the slit structure 3 includes a collimating slit 301, an object slit 302, and an angle slit 303 sequentially disposed on the proton beam transmission path, wherein the collimating slit 301 is disposed in the horizontal section 902 of the accelerator hall, and the object slit 302 and the angle slit 303 are disposed in the vertical microbeam section 903; A weak beam measurement subsystem, including a Faraday cylinder 4 and a fluorescent target 5, is used to measure the proton beam intensity; and The radiation protection subsystem includes an overall protection module located around the beam pipeline and a local protection module around the target.

[0015] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the collimating slit 301, the object slit 302, and the angle slit 303 each include: a slit structure 3 composed of four single-blade slits 304 and a vacuum chamber for mounting the single-blade slits; the angle slit 303 is a diverging angle slit.

[0016] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the quadrupole lens includes: several coaxially arranged high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnets 6, which are powered by a DC power supply, and the gradient magnetic field accuracy in the central region is better than... ; The high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnet 6 includes an iron core 601 and a coil 602. The iron core 601 is integrally formed by wire cutting, and the coil 602 is made of copper busbars connected in segments.

[0017] According to the proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the Faraday tube 4 is disposed in the horizontal section 902 and the vertical microbeam section 903 of the accelerator hall, and the fluorescent target 5 is disposed in the horizontal section 902 and the vertical microbeam section 903 of the accelerator hall. The Faraday tube 4 and the fluorescent target 5 disposed in the horizontal section 902 of the accelerator hall are controlled by a pneumatic control module to enter or exit the proton beam path, so as to achieve selective measurement of the proton beam intensity.

[0018] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the single-particle control system includes: The proton detector 7, nuclear electronics subsystem 8, PXI multi-functional control subsystem 9, high-voltage pulse generator 10, and beam switch 11 are connected in sequence. The beam switch 11 and the proton detector 7 are sequentially arranged in the vertical microbeam segment 903 along the proton beam transmission direction, with the beam switch 11 located upstream of the proton detector 7. The proton detector 7 is used to detect passing protons and output a detection signal; The nuclear electronics subsystem 8 includes nuclear electronics circuits and amplifiers, used to amplify and discriminate the detection signal and generate a single-particle trigger signal; The PXI multi-functional control subsystem 9 is used to receive the single-particle trigger signal and generate control commands. The high-voltage pulse generator 10 is used to output control pulses according to the control command to drive the beam switch 11 to deflect the proton beam. The beam switch 11 is used to deflect the proton beam under the action of the control pulse, so as to achieve selective passage or cut-off control of individual protons.

[0019] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the beam-precision irradiation system includes: The optical platform includes an upper optical platform 12, a middle optical platform 13 and a lower optical platform 14 arranged sequentially along the direction of the proton beam propagation. The platforms are connected by an optical platform support 15. The optical platform is arranged around the direction of the proton beam transmission and forms a channel for the proton beam to pass through at its center. The displacement stage 16 is a large-stroke three-dimensional moving displacement stage, which is set above the middle optical platform 13 and is used to control the microscope 17 and the sample stage 18. Several scanning magnets 19 are coaxially arranged along the direction of the proton beam propagation and located downstream of the quadrupole lens; and The sample stage 18 is located in the vertical microbeam segment 903, downstream of the scanning magnet 19. The sample stage 18 includes an electric precision sample stage. A transition plate 20 is provided below the sample stage 18. A through hole is provided in the center of the transition plate 20 for the proton beam to pass through. A groove is provided on the upper surface of the transition plate 20. A proton detector 7 and a detector support 21 are provided in the groove. The proton detector 7 corresponds to the through hole on the transition plate 20.

[0020] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the cell culture and imaging system includes: Fluid control module, including a programmable injection pump, for controlling the microenvironment during cell culture; The microscopic imaging module is used for real-time observation of cell culture status and irradiation effects; and The cell culture module includes a constant temperature culture unit 23 and a cell tray 24 when the cell culture and imaging system requires temperature control. When the cell culture and imaging system does not require temperature control, the cell culture module includes a sample scaffold 22 and a cell disk 24; The sample holder 22 is used to fix the cell disc 24; The isothermal culture unit 23 is used to fix the cell tray 24 while controlling the temperature of the cell culture environment.

[0021] The advantages of this application are: This invention employs a three-combination high-gradient quadrupole magnet with a multi-level adjustable structure to dynamically adjust the magnetic field based on the energy envelope of the proton beam, thereby suppressing beam divergence during transmission. The scanning magnet, through high-frequency response and nonlinear correction design, achieves precise two-dimensional scanning of the micron-sized beam spot while compensating for trajectory deviations caused by energy divergence. A high-precision micron-sized slit system is placed at the critical beam cross-section, effectively controlling energy dispersion and lateral emissivity growth by constraining the beam phase space. This invention focuses on the propagation and divergence control of the energy envelope. Through the coordinated optimization of parameters across various systems, it achieves excellent matching and stable shaping of the medium-energy proton beam during transmission, ultimately obtaining a high-resolution, high-current proton micro-beam at the sample. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall design of the radiation platform beamline and microbeam device described in this invention; Figure 2 The beamline layout and beam envelope diagram of the horizontal section of the accelerator hall described in this invention; Figure 3 The beamline layout and beam envelope diagram of the vertical micro-beam segment described in this invention; Figure 4 This is a top view cross-sectional diagram of the quadrupole magnet described in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the scanning magnet described in this invention. Figure 6 A diagram illustrating the slit structure described in this invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the single-blade slit described in this invention; Figure 8 This is the physical structure of the single-particle control system described in this invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the precision irradiation system described in this invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the live cell imaging system based on an ion microbeam irradiation device described in this invention.

[0023] Attached Figure Labels 1. Proton accelerator 2. Deflecting magnet 3. Slit structure 4. Faraday cylinder; 5. Fluorescent target; 6. High-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnet. 7. Proton detector; 8. Nuclear electronics subsystem; 9. PXI multi-functional control subsystem 10. High-voltage pulse generator; 11. Beam switch; 12. Upper optical platform 13. Middle-layer optical platform; 14. Lower-layer optical platform; 15. Optical platform support. 16. Displacement stage; 17. Microscope; 18. Sample stage 19. Scanning magnet; 20. Adapter plate; 21. Detector bracket 22. Sample holder; 23. Constant temperature incubation unit; 24. Sample tray 201. First deflecting magnet; 202. Second deflecting magnet 301. Collimation slit; 302. Object slit; 303. Angular slit; 304. Single-blade slit. 601, Iron core; 602, Coil 901. Main beamline straight section; 902. Accelerator hall horizontal section; 903. Vertical microbeam section. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions provided in this application are further illustrated below with reference to the embodiments.

[0025] To facilitate the description of the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Unless otherwise specified, the terms "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "back" used in this article are relative orientations determined based on the overall structural schematic diagram shown in the attached drawings, and are used to describe the relative positional relationships between the components.

[0027] Unless otherwise specified, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" used in this article refer to relative orientations defined based on the direction of the proton beam's propagation. The side closer to the proton beam input end along the direction of the proton beam propagation is upstream, and the side closer to the proton beam output end is downstream. These terms are used to describe the relative positional relationships between the components.

[0028] For enlarged views, cross-sectional views, or schematic deformed views, the above orientation relationships are only used to help understand the structure and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention.

[0029] Example 1 like Figure 1 As shown, a microbeam device based on a proton accelerator is described. Based on the proton beam output from a 50MeV proton accelerator 1, the proton beam is deflected horizontally, transmitted, and deflected vertically upwards, and then focused in the vertical microbeam segment to form a micron beam.

[0030] A proton accelerator-based microbeam device includes a beam pipeline system, a microbeam system, a single-particle control system, a beam-precision irradiation system, and a live-cell culture and imaging system. The total length of the microbeam device is approximately 20 m, and considering the needs of different physics experiments, the acceptable proton energy range is from 30 MeV / u to 50 MeV / u. The specific functions of each system are as follows: (i) Beam pipeline system, used to deflect and extract protons with energies of 30-50 MeV generated by proton accelerator 1, provide basic conditions such as vacuum pipelines for proton transport, and control the direction and quality of proton transport to a certain extent. In this embodiment, proton accelerator 1 is based on a 50 MeV proton cyclotron accelerator.

[0031] The beam pipeline system includes a vacuum subsystem, a magnet subsystem, a power supply subsystem, and a beam diagnostic subsystem.

[0032] The beam pipeline system includes a main beamline straight section 901, a first deflecting magnet 201, an accelerator hall horizontal section 902, a second deflecting magnet 202, and a vertical microbeam section 903 arranged sequentially along the proton beam transmission direction. One end of the main beamline straight section 901 is connected to the proton accelerator 1, and the other end is connected to one end of the accelerator hall horizontal section 902 through the first deflecting magnet 201. The other end of the accelerator hall horizontal section 902 is connected to the vertical microbeam section 903 through the second deflecting magnet 202. The deflecting magnet 2 includes a first deflecting magnet 201 and a second deflecting magnet 202.

[0033] like Figure 2 The diagram shows the beamline layout and beam envelope of the horizontal section of the accelerator hall.

[0034] The beam pipeline system deflects and transports protons with energies of 30–50 MeV generated by proton accelerator 1. The vacuum subsystem provides the basic conditions for proton transport, such as vacuum channels, and can control the direction and quality of proton transport to a certain extent. The power supply subsystem is used to control power stability, specifically the power stability of the beam pipeline system. Power stability of microbeam focusing system The proton beam (with a 1% energy dispersion) generated by the 50MeV proton cyclotron accelerator is horizontally deflected by the first deflector magnet 201 (90 degrees for dispersion reduction), then horizontally transmitted, and finally vertically deflected by the second deflector magnet 202 (90 degrees for upward transmission) before entering the vertical micro-beam segment. The beamline subsystem provides the basic conditions for the transport of the proton beam. The entire beamline's technical design, construction, installation, collimation, operation monitoring, and control require extremely high precision, stability, and reliability. The vacuum level of the beamline pipeline is also a factor. Pa, vacuum level at the experimental terminal Pa.

[0035] (ii) Microbeam system: The intensity of the proton beam is controlled by slit structure 3 or electromagnetic field, so that the intensity of the proton beam is reduced and the quality of the proton beam is guaranteed. At the same time, the proton beam after control is monitored and the proton beam is focused to a micron beam spot by microbeam focusing subsystem.

[0036] The microbeam system, based on architectural spatial design and beam transmission optics, is used to acquire a micrometer-sized beam spot and measure beam intensity. This system includes: a microbeam focusing subsystem, a high-precision microbeam slit subsystem, a radiation protection subsystem, and a weak current measurement subsystem. The microbeam focusing subsystem uses three sets of high-gradient, small-aperture quadrupole magnets to focus the beam. The high-precision microbeam slit subsystem can limit the beam in a single direction with micrometer precision according to experimental requirements, improving the beam quality of the proton beam. These two subsystems working together can achieve a microbeam spot size of 10 μm (in atmospheric conditions). The weak current measurement system can measure pA to μA level beam currents and, combined with the high-precision microbeam slit subsystem, can perform proton beam center alignment and beam selection. The radiation protection subsystem can monitor the radiation status of the microbeam device in real time, providing a safe working environment for experimental personnel.

[0037] The microbeam system monitors the controlled proton beam, measuring weak beam intensity (pA to μA level, resolution 0.1 nA) and slit position (resolution 1 to 2 μm). This information is used in the beam tuning stage (measuring the beam intensity at different positions using a Faraday cylinder 4 and limiting the beam through object slit 302 and angle slit 303 (divergence angle slit) to determine beam center alignment and scattering degree) and the microbeam generation stage (monitoring the beam spot size and intensity after focusing the microbeam with a high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnet 6 to verify beam spot quality). Its function and effect is to obtain a microbeam with a beam spot size of up to 10 μm (or better) on the sample surface (under normal atmospheric pressure), improving beam tuning efficiency and beam quality.

[0038] 1. Microbeam focusing subsystem: Based on the architectural space design and overall beam optics design, the microbeam focusing subsystem transmits the beam horizontally through achromatic and waist-to-waist transmissions, then deflects it vertically upwards before fabricating a microbeam in the vertical segment using microbeam optics. For example... Figure 3 The diagram shows the beamline layout and beam envelope of the vertical microbeam segment 903. A microbeam focusing subsystem is formed by three high-gradient, small-aperture quadrupole magnets 6 (0.1m long, 15mm aperture, maximum polar surface field 0.9T). This subsystem is a three-stage focusing mode. In this embodiment, the microbeam focusing subsystem is an Oxford three-stage lens structure, which focuses the beam with reduction factors of 12 and 41 in the X and Y directions, respectively. Under the three-stage lens structure, when the object slit 302 ( μm) and corner slit 303 ( The atmospheric microbeam spot size obtained after limiting the beam (μm) is better than 10μm. In this embodiment, the angle slit 303 is a diverging angle slit.

[0039] The core focusing element in the microbeam system is a quadrupole lens, specifically a high-gradient, three-pole, high-focusing quadrupole lens with a 15mm aperture, comprising three high-gradient, small-aperture quadrupole magnets 6. These high-gradient, small-aperture quadrupole magnets 6 operate in DC mode, therefore their core 601 is made of DT4 material. The high-gradient, three-pole focusing lens utilizes high-gradient, small-aperture quadrupole magnets 6 with a small aperture and high magnetic field precision; the gradient magnetic field precision in the central region of these magnets is superior to... The high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnet 6 requires high positional accuracy. As a high-gradient lens, its processing and installation demand high precision. To meet these physical requirements, the core 601 of the high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnet 6 is integrally formed by wire cutting, while the coil 602 is connected in segments by copper busbars. To reduce the disturbance of the heat dissipation system to the overall system, the magnet employs a passive heat dissipation design. The main magnet parameters of the microbeam system and the main technical parameters of the Φ15 quadrupole lens are detailed in Tables 1 and 2.

[0040] Table 1 Physical design parameters of the high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnet 6

[0041] Table 2 Hardware Design Parameters for High Gradient Small Aperture Quadrupole Magnets

[0042] The high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnet 6 operates in DC mode, therefore its core 601 is made of DT4 material. This micro-beam quadrupole magnet has a small aperture, high magnetic field precision, and high requirements for magnet position accuracy. To meet these physical requirements, the core 601 of the high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnet 6 is integrally formed by wire cutting, and the coil 602 is connected in segments by copper busbars. The cross-section of the high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnet 6 is shown below. Figure 4 As shown.

[0043] 2. Microbeam high-precision micron slit subsystem The high-precision micron-slit subsystem for the microbeam includes a collimating slit 301, an object slit 302, and an angle slit 303, along with their control system. All are composed of high-precision polished tungsten carbide curved surfaces, allowing for micron-level beam confinement in a single direction according to experimental requirements. The object slit 302 and angle slit 303 can be used in conjunction to determine the degree of beam scattering during beam tuning, thereby contributing to improved proton beam quality. In this embodiment, the collimating slit 301, object slit 302, and angle slit 303 all utilize fully motorized remote-controlled micron-slits. These fully motorized remote-controlled micron-slits are specifically designed for high-energy proton beams with long range and high power, facilitating beam tuning and implementation in the microbeam optics of the deflection system. Figure 6The diagram shows a slit structure 3, which consists of four single-blade slits 304 and a vacuum chamber for mounting the single-blade slits 304. A schematic diagram of the single-blade slit is shown below. Figure 7 As shown, it adopts motor drive and resistance ruler feedback. The mechanical design and slit parameters are shown in Table 3: Table 3 Mechanical Design Parameters of Slit Assembly

[0044] 3. Radiation Protection Subsystem The radiation protection subsystem is divided into overall protection and local protection. To prevent radiation leakage, the overall protection of the microbeam line is a fully enclosed design with a shielding wall no less than 1.5m thick. In addition, a polyethylene + iron local shield is installed around the target to reduce the dose rate to 100μSv / h at a distance of 1 meter from the beam-limiting aperture shield. Simultaneously, critical locations on the beam line with high proton doses require the use of non-activating materials, and the activation level of the equipment and shielding materials is regularly monitored. Polyester material is used for radiation shielding of the beam-limiting slits in the horizontal beamline segment, limiting the vast majority of neutrons and... X-ray radiation. At the vertical section of the roof opening, the vacuum pipe is shielded with polyethylene material.

[0045] 4. Weak Beam Measurement Subsystem The Faraday Cylinder 4 is used for weak beam current measurement. After the beam current strikes the Faraday Cylinder 4 and is collected, it passes through a current-to-voltage converter to obtain the beam intensity information, with a resolution typically reaching 0.1 nA. The Faraday Cylinder 4 includes a mechanical structure, a motion controller, a bias source, and a data acquisition module responsible for data acquisition. The Faraday Cylinder 4 uses a pneumatic control method, similar to that of the fluorescent target 5. The Faraday Cylinder 4 employs a tri-coaxial structure for signal acquisition, which effectively improves resolution. The front-end Faraday Cylinder acquires the beam current signal, which is then converted into a voltage signal by a Keithley 6485 picoammeter. The final signal acquisition is completed on the analog acquisition card 9215 in the NICrio9075 expansion chassis. The beam current information and related control variables are then published on the NICrio9075 EPICSSever terminal, and finally, the relevant variables are read and controlled on the EPICSClient terminal.

[0046] (III) A single-event control system is used to precisely control and monitor the proton beam, achieving the requirement of irradiating a designated area with a single proton. The single-event control system can improve the irradiation dose control precision of the proton microbeam to the irradiation level of a single ion, providing ideal experimental conditions for low-dose radiation assessment and simulation of space radiation environment. In this embodiment, the proton detector 7 is a gold-silicon surface barrier detector.

[0047] The single-particle control system is used for precise control and monitoring of the proton beam. The measured information is the single-ion count (the electrical pulse signal induced by each incident proton is measured in particle-by-particle mode by the proton detector 7 (gold-silicon surface barrier detector), and the digital pulse is output after amplification, shaping, and threshold discrimination by the nuclear electronics subsystem 8). This information is used for the beam switching control step in the single-ion irradiation process (when the proton detector 7 records a predetermined number of ions, the dose control system notifies the PXI multi-functional control subsystem 9, which triggers the high-voltage pulse generator 10 to apply a 6kV high voltage to the beam switch 11 (electrostatic deflection plate), causing the subsequent beam to deflect and be blocked by the divergence angle slit, thus shutting off the beam; after the sample stage moves to the next target point, the PXI multi-functional control subsystem 9 controls the high voltage to reset, the beam recovers, and the next irradiation begins). Its function and effect is to improve the irradiation dose control accuracy to the level of a single ion per irradiation (minimum 1 ion), realistically simulating the single-particle radiation environment in space, and providing automated and reliable irradiation control for basic research such as low-dose radiation effect assessment and DNA damage. Hardware required for a single-particle control system, such as Figure 8 As shown, it includes a beam switch 11, a PXI multi-functional control system 9, a proton detector 7 and a nuclear electronics subsystem 8, a high-voltage pulse generator 10, a metering control system, and single-ion irradiation software. The hardware involved includes a high-voltage deflection plate, a high-voltage power supply, a PXI hardware platform, a proton detector 7, and nuclear electronics equipment.

[0048] The beam switch 11 is located upstream of the proton detector 7. After the proton detector 7 detects a proton, it triggers the beam switch 11 located in front to prevent the next proton from hitting the sample.

[0049] Table 4 lists the components of the single-particle control system and the technical specifications of each device.

[0050] Table 4 Composition of Single-Effect Control System

[0051] (iv) A beam precision irradiation system is used for vibration isolation of the sample stage 18, online monitoring of beam intensity, precise measurement and control of sample position movement, and matching of sample position with single particle control system to achieve accurate irradiation experiment on single cell.

[0052] The beam precision irradiation system measures the following information: beam spot position (by observing the image of the ion beam excitation spot on the fluorescent target using an upright microscope and calibrating the actual spatial position of the beam spot in the sample coordinate system), and sample feature region position (by measuring and recording the three-dimensional coordinates of the target point to be irradiated using a displacement stage 16 (three-dimensional displacement stage) equipped with a 1μm resolution grating ruler and a sample stage 18 (electric precision sample stage) with a minimum step size of 0.05μm). This information is used in the beam calibration step (establishing the calibration relationship between the PXI analog output signal and the beam deflection), the sample positioning step (mapping the coordinates of the sample feature region observed under the microscope to the beam coordinate system), and the precision irradiation step (by adjusting the power supply of the scanning magnet 19 according to the calibration relationship through the PXI multi-functional control subsystem 9 to deflect the beam spot to the predetermined target point, or by moving the sample stage 18 to align the target point with the fixed beam spot, achieving point-to-point or area scanning irradiation). Its function and effect are to achieve a positioning accuracy better than ±5μm, supporting point-to-point irradiation and lattice scanning irradiation (maximum 1mm). 2 ) and multi-zone irradiation (single ≥4mm) 2 Combined with a single-ion control system, it can complete single-ion level fixed-point quantitative irradiation, significantly improving the sample processing throughput of the microbeam system.

[0053] The system consists of two main parts: precise positioning and precise irradiation. The precise positioning section includes an optical platform for vibration isolation and support, a large-stroke three-dimensional displacement stage 16 for controlling the movement and position monitoring of the microscope 17, a sample stage 18 for fixing the sample and controlling its precise movement, and a microscope for calibrating the beam irradiation position. The precise irradiation section includes magnets and a power supply for deflecting the beam position, a PXI system for adjusting the power output of the scanning magnet, and various software required for irradiation execution, including beam spot calibration software, micro-area irradiation software, and multi-area irradiation software.

[0054] In this embodiment, the optical platform includes an upper optical platform 12, an intermediate optical platform 13, and a lower optical platform 14 arranged sequentially along the proton beam propagation direction. The platforms are connected by an optical platform support 15. The optical platform is arranged around the proton beam transmission direction and forms a channel for the proton beam to pass through at its center.

[0055] In this embodiment, the displacement stage 16 is a large-stroke three-dimensional moving displacement stage.

[0056] In this embodiment, the sample stage 18 is an electric precision sample stage.

[0057] The beam precision irradiation system also includes two scanning magnets 19, which can rapidly deflect the beam spot and achieve high-precision, rapid irradiation of the sample. The scanning magnets 19 operate at a frequency of 1 kHz. To meet this high-frequency operation, each scanning magnet 19 consists of a core and a coil. The core is made of ferrite, and the coil is continuously wound flat copper wire. The mechanical length of the scanning magnet 19 is only 60 mm, making its core highly susceptible to saturation, resulting in an excitation efficiency of only 79%. The physical and hardware design parameters of the scanning magnets 19 are shown in Tables 5 and 6. The cross-section of the scanning magnet 19 is shown in... Figure 5 As shown, the white part is the iron core of the scanning magnet 19, and the red part is the coil of the scanning magnet 19.

[0058] Table 5 Physical design parameters of scanning magnet 19

[0059] Table 6 Hardware design parameters of scanning magnet 19

[0060] A schematic diagram of the precision irradiation system is shown below. Figure 9 As shown, when irradiating a sample, the sample is first moved to the beam spot position using a precise positioning system, and then the irradiation system is used to perform point-to-point or area scanning irradiation.

[0061] (v) Cell culture and imaging system, used for online culture and online fluorescence observation and testing of biological live cell samples.

[0062] like Figure 10 The diagram shows a live cell culture and microscopic imaging system based on an ion microbeam irradiation device. A cell culture and imaging system capable of long-term environmental control and cell microscopic imaging was designed based on the ion microbeam irradiation device. The cell culture and imaging system includes a fluid control module, a microscopic imaging module, and a cell culture module. When the cell culture and imaging system requires temperature control, the cell culture module includes a constant temperature culture unit 23 and a cell tray 24; When the cell culture and imaging system does not require temperature control, the cell culture module includes a sample scaffold 22 and a cell disk 24; The sample holder 22 is used to fix the cell disc 24; The isothermal culture unit 23 is used to fix the cell tray 24 while controlling the temperature of the cell culture environment.

[0063] In this embodiment, the cell culture module controls the temperature of the cell culture environment through the isothermal culture unit 23, fixes the sample through the sample tray 24, controls the microenvironment of the cell culture process through the programmable injection pump in the fluid control module, and observes the culture status and subsequent irradiation effects in real time through the microscopic imaging module.

[0064] In this embodiment, the isothermal incubation unit 23 and the sample tray 24 are used together; In this embodiment, the sample holder 22 and the isothermal culture unit 23 are the same size. When the cell culture and imaging system requires temperature control, the isothermal culture unit 23 is used instead of the sample holder 22 and is used in conjunction with the sample tray 24. When the cell culture and imaging system does not require temperature control, the sample holder 22 is used to fix the sample tray 24.

[0065] In other embodiments or specific applications, when the cell culture and imaging system does not require temperature control, standard biological culture dishes at room temperature or other biological culture dishes with a diameter of 30-35 mm can be used instead of the sample plate 24 in this embodiment.

[0066] In other embodiments or specific applications, other components capable of achieving the same or similar functions may be used to replace the isothermal incubation unit 23 in this embodiment.

[0067] In other embodiments or specific applications, other components capable of achieving the same or similar functions may be used to replace the sample holder 22 in this embodiment.

[0068] This device can effectively simulate the culture environment in a cell culture chamber, enabling real-time microscopic imaging observation of live cells over extended periods (including bright field and fluorescence), providing an excellent platform for studying the effects of ion irradiation on cells.

[0069] Example 2 A microbeam device based on a proton accelerator includes: A beamline system includes a beamline and a deflecting magnet 2 disposed on the beamline. One end of the beamline is connected to a proton accelerator 1 for transmitting a proton beam. A microbeam system, located at the proton beam output end of the beam pipeline, is used to focus the proton beam onto a micrometer-sized beam spot and measure the intensity of the proton beam; and A single-particle control system is used to control and monitor the proton beam, so that the proton beam meets the requirement of irradiating a designated area with a single proton.

[0070] According to the proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, it also includes: A precise beam irradiation system is used for sample isolation, proton beam intensity monitoring, and precise movement, measurement, and control of sample position. It works in conjunction with the single-particle control system to achieve single-particle irradiation of the target area. Cell culture and imaging systems for culturing and observing fluorescence in live biological cell samples.

[0071] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the deflecting magnet 2 includes a first deflecting magnet 201 and a second deflecting magnet 202; The beam pipeline system includes a main beamline straight section 901, a first deflecting magnet 201, an accelerator hall horizontal section 902, a second deflecting magnet 202, and a vertical microbeam section 903 arranged sequentially along the proton beam transmission direction. One end of the main beamline straight section 901 is connected to the proton accelerator 1, and the other end is connected to one end of the horizontal section 902 of the accelerator hall through the first deflecting magnet 201. The other end of the horizontal section 902 of the accelerator hall is connected to the vertical microbeam section 903 via a second deflecting magnet 202.

[0072] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the microbeam system includes: The microbeam focusing subsystem includes a quadrupole lens disposed in the vertical microbeam segment 903 for focusing the proton beam; A high-precision micron slit subsystem for microbeams includes a slit structure 3; the slit structure 3 includes a collimating slit 301, an object slit 302, and an angle slit 303 sequentially disposed on the proton beam transmission path, wherein the collimating slit 301 is disposed in the horizontal section 902 of the accelerator hall, and the object slit 302 and the angle slit 303 are disposed in the vertical microbeam section 903; A weak beam measurement subsystem, including a Faraday cylinder 4 and a fluorescent target 5, is used to measure the proton beam intensity; and The radiation protection subsystem includes an overall protection module located around the beam pipeline and a local protection module around the target.

[0073] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the collimating slit 301, the object slit 302, and the angle slit 303 each include: a slit structure 3 composed of four single-blade slits 304 and a vacuum chamber for mounting the single-blade slits; the angle slit 303 is a diverging angle slit.

[0074] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the quadrupole lens includes: several coaxially arranged high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnets 6, which are powered by a DC power supply, and the gradient magnetic field accuracy in the central region is better than... ; The high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnet 6 includes an iron core 601 and a coil 602. The iron core 601 is integrally formed by wire cutting, and the coil 602 is made of copper busbars connected in segments.

[0075] According to the proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the Faraday tube 4 is disposed in the horizontal section 902 and the vertical microbeam section 903 of the accelerator hall, and the fluorescent target 5 is disposed in the horizontal section 902 and the vertical microbeam section 903 of the accelerator hall. The Faraday tube 4 and the fluorescent target 5 disposed in the horizontal section 902 of the accelerator hall are controlled by a pneumatic control module to enter or exit the proton beam path, so as to achieve selective measurement of the proton beam intensity.

[0076] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the single-particle control system includes: The proton detector 7, nuclear electronics subsystem 8, PXI multi-functional control subsystem 9, high-voltage pulse generator 10, and beam switch 11 are connected in sequence. The beam switch 11 and the proton detector 7 are sequentially arranged in the vertical microbeam segment 903 along the proton beam transmission direction, with the beam switch 11 located upstream of the proton detector 7. The proton detector 7 is used to detect passing protons and output a detection signal; The nuclear electronics subsystem 8 includes nuclear electronics circuits and amplifiers, used to amplify and discriminate the detection signal and generate a single-particle trigger signal; The PXI multi-functional control subsystem 9 is used to receive the single-particle trigger signal and generate control commands. The high-voltage pulse generator 10 is used to output control pulses according to the control command to drive the beam switch 11 to deflect the proton beam. The beam switch 11 is used to deflect the proton beam under the action of the control pulse, so as to achieve selective passage or cut-off control of individual protons.

[0077] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the beam-precision irradiation system includes: The optical platform includes an upper optical platform 12, a middle optical platform 13 and a lower optical platform 14 arranged sequentially along the direction of the proton beam propagation. The platforms are connected by an optical platform support 15. The optical platform is arranged around the direction of the proton beam transmission and forms a channel for the proton beam to pass through at its center. The displacement stage 16 is a large-stroke three-dimensional moving displacement stage, which is set above the middle optical platform 13 and is used to control the microscope 17 and the sample stage 18. Several scanning magnets 19 are coaxially arranged along the direction of the proton beam propagation and located downstream of the quadrupole lens; and The sample stage 18 is located in the vertical microbeam segment 903, downstream of the scanning magnet 19. The sample stage 18 includes an electric precision sample stage. A transition plate 20 is provided below the sample stage 18. A through hole is provided in the center of the transition plate 20 for the proton beam to pass through. A groove is provided on the upper surface of the transition plate 20. A proton detector 7 and a detector support 21 are provided in the groove. The proton detector 7 corresponds to the through hole on the transition plate 20.

[0078] According to a proposed microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, the cell culture and imaging system includes: Fluid control module, including a programmable injection pump, for controlling the microenvironment during cell culture; The microscopic imaging module is used for real-time observation of cell culture status and irradiation effects; and The cell culture module includes a constant temperature culture unit 23 and a cell tray 24 when the cell culture and imaging system requires temperature control. When the cell culture and imaging system does not require temperature control, the cell culture module includes a sample scaffold 22 and a cell disk 24; The sample holder 22 is used to fix the cell disc 24; The isothermal culture unit 23 is used to fix the cell tray 24 while controlling the temperature of the cell culture environment.

[0079] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions to the technical solutions of this application do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application, and should all be covered within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A microbeam device based on a proton accelerator, comprising: A beamline system includes a beamline and a deflecting magnet (2) disposed on the beamline. One end of the beamline is connected to a proton accelerator (1) for transmitting a proton beam. A microbeam system, located at the proton beam output end of the beam pipeline, is used to focus the proton beam onto a micrometer beam spot and measure the intensity of the proton beam. and A single-particle control system is used to control and monitor the proton beam, so that the proton beam meets the requirement of irradiating a designated area with a single proton.

2. The microbeam device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The beam precision irradiation system is used to isolate the sample from vibration, monitor the proton beam intensity, and precisely move, measure and control the sample position, and works with the single-particle control system to achieve single-particle irradiation of the target area. and Cell culture and imaging systems for culturing and observing fluorescence in live biological cell samples.

3. The microbeam device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deflecting magnet (2) includes a first deflecting magnet (201) and a second deflecting magnet (202); The beam pipeline system includes a main beamline straight section (901), a first deflecting magnet (201), an accelerator hall horizontal section (902), a second deflecting magnet (202), and a vertical microbeam section (903) arranged sequentially along the proton beam transmission direction. One end of the main beamline straight section (901) is connected to the proton accelerator (1), and the other end is connected to one end of the horizontal section (902) of the accelerator hall through the first deflecting magnet (201); The other end of the horizontal section (902) of the accelerator hall is connected to the vertical microbeam section (903) via a second deflecting magnet (202).

4. The microbeam device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The microbeam system includes: The microbeam focusing subsystem includes a quadrupole lens disposed in the vertical microbeam segment (903) for focusing the proton beam; A high-precision micron slit subsystem for microbeams includes a slit structure (3); the slit structure (3) includes a collimating slit (301), an object slit (302), and an angle slit (303) sequentially disposed on the proton beam transmission path, wherein the collimating slit (301) is disposed in the horizontal section (902) of the accelerator hall, and the object slit (302) and the angle slit (303) are disposed in the vertical microbeam section (903); A weak beam measurement subsystem, comprising a Faraday tube (4) and a fluorescent target (5), is used to measure the proton beam intensity; and The radiation protection subsystem includes an overall protection module located around the beam pipeline and a local protection module around the target.

5. The microbeam device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The collimation slit (301), object slit (302), and angle slit (303) each include: a slit structure (3) consisting of four single-blade slits (304) and a vacuum chamber for mounting the single-blade slits; the angle slit (303) is a diverging angle slit.

6. The microbeam device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The quadrupole lens includes several coaxially arranged high-gradient small-aperture quadrupole magnets (6), which are powered by a DC power supply, and the gradient magnetic field accuracy in the central region is better than that of the quadrupole magnets (6). ; The high gradient small aperture quadrature magnet (6) includes an iron core (601) and a coil (602). The iron core (601) is integrally formed by wire cutting, and the coil (602) is made of copper busbars connected in segments.

7. The microbeam device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The Faraday tube (4) is located in the horizontal section (902) and the vertical microbeam section (903) of the accelerator hall, and the fluorescent target (5) is located in the horizontal section (902) and the vertical microbeam section (903) of the accelerator hall. The Faraday tube (4) and the fluorescent target (5) located in the horizontal section (902) of the accelerator hall are controlled by a pneumatic control module to enter or exit the proton beam path, so as to achieve selective measurement of the proton beam intensity.

8. The microbeam device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The single-event control system includes: The proton detector (7), nuclear electronics subsystem (8), PXI multi-function control subsystem (9), high voltage pulse generator (10) and beam switch (11) are connected in sequence. The beam switch (11) and the proton detector (7) are sequentially arranged in the vertical microbeam segment (903) along the proton beam transmission direction, with the beam switch (11) located upstream of the proton detector (7). The proton detector (7) is used to detect the passing protons and output a detection signal; The nuclear electronics subsystem (8) includes nuclear electronics circuits and amplifiers, used to amplify and discriminate the detection signal and generate a single-particle trigger signal; The PXI multi-functional control subsystem (9) is used to receive the single-particle trigger signal and generate control commands; The high-voltage pulse generator (10) is used to output control pulses according to the control command to drive the beam switch (11) to deflect the proton beam. The beam switch (11) is used to deflect the proton beam under the action of the control pulse, so as to achieve selective passage or cut-off control of individual protons.

9. The microbeam device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The beam-precision irradiation system includes: The optical platform includes an upper optical platform (12), an intermediate optical platform (13) and a lower optical platform (14) arranged sequentially along the direction of the proton beam propagation. The platforms are connected by an optical platform support (15). The optical platform is arranged around the direction of the proton beam transmission and forms a channel for the proton beam to pass through at its center. The displacement stage (16) is a large-stroke three-dimensional moving displacement stage, which is set above the middle optical platform (13) and is used to control the microscope (17) and the sample stage (18). Several scanning magnets (19) are coaxially arranged along the direction of the proton beam propagation and located downstream of the quadrupole lens; and The sample stage (18) is located in the vertical microbeam segment (903) and downstream of the scanning magnet (19). The sample stage (18) includes an electric precision sample stage. A transition plate (20) is provided below the sample stage (18). A through hole is provided in the center of the transition plate (20) for the proton beam to pass through. A groove is provided on the upper surface of the transition plate (20). A proton detector (7) and a detector support (21) are provided in the groove. The proton detector (7) corresponds to the through hole on the transition plate (20).

10. The microbeam device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cell culture and imaging system includes: Fluid control module, including a programmable injection pump, for controlling the microenvironment during cell culture; The microscopic imaging module is used for real-time observation of cell culture status and irradiation effects; and The cell culture module includes a constant temperature culture unit (23) and a cell tray (24) when the cell culture and imaging system requires temperature control. When the cell culture and imaging system does not require temperature control, the cell culture module includes a sample scaffold (22) and a cell disk (24). The sample scaffold (22) is used to fix the cell disc (24). The isothermal culture unit (23) is used to fix the cell plate (24) while controlling the temperature of the cell culture environment.

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