Radiation safety monitoring system for medical infrastructure

Abstract

FIELD: monitoring radiation safety of medical infrastructure.SUBSTANCE: system includes a radiation detector located in the medical infrastructure, designed to collect the radiation dose of the environment in specified zones of the medical infrastructure, an alarm device located in the medical infrastructure, wherein the medical infrastructure includes at least a first state, a second state and a third state, when radiation is not generated in the medical infrastructure, the medical infrastructure is in the first state, when radiation is generated in at least one specified zone of the medical infrastructure, and the radiation dose of the environment is below a preset threshold value, the zone with radiation is in the second state, and other specified zones are in the first state, and when the radiation dose of the environment in at least one specified zone is greater than or equal to the preset threshold value, the medical infrastructure is in the third state.EFFECT: increasing the reliability of the radiation safety control system of the medical infrastructure.13 cl, 4 dwg

Description

[0001] Technical field

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of safety control technologies, in particular to a radiation safety control system for medical infrastructure.

[0003] Technology Level

[0004] With the development of atomic science, such as cobalt-60, linear accelerators, and electron beams, radiotherapy has become a major cancer treatment method. However, traditional photon or electron therapy is limited by the physical properties of the radiation itself, which kills tumor cells but damages a large amount of normal tissue along the beam's path. Furthermore, due to the varying sensitivity of tumor cells to radiation, traditional radiotherapy is often ineffective in treating more radiation-resistant malignant tumors (e.g., glioblastoma multiforme, melanoma).

[0005] To reduce radiation damage to normal tissue surrounding the tumor, the concept of targeted therapy in chemotherapy has been applied to radiotherapy. For tumor cells that are highly resistant to radiation, treatment methods using radiation sources with high relative biological effectiveness (RBE), such as proton therapy, particle therapy, and neutron capture therapy, are also being actively developed. Neutron capture therapy is a combination of the two above-mentioned concepts. Boron neutron capture therapy specifically targets boron-containing drugs within tumor cells. This, combined with precise modulation of the neutron beam, provides more effective cancer treatment than traditional radiotherapy.

[0006] Traditional proton therapy and carbon ion therapy equipment are well-established, with several units already in operation in China. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) technology is a new treatment method, but the neutron radiation characteristics of BNCT differ from those of protons and carbon ions, making radiation protection and measurement more complex. Commercial BNCT units require an accelerator-based neutron source to provide a stable and controllable neutron beam.This neutron source is housed in a specialized radiation-shielded facility. When operating the neutron source, it is necessary to ensure the radiation safety of all personnel within the facility, which requires an appropriate safety control system. However, traditional safety control systems cannot be directly applied to a boron neutron capture therapy facility, which uses a neutron beam as the therapeutic radiation, and traditional technologies lack safety control systems suitable for boron neutron capture therapy equipment.

[0007] Essence of the invention

[0008] Based on the above technical problems, it is necessary to propose a high-safety radiation safety monitoring system for medical infrastructure suitable for boron neutron capture therapy.

[0009] The first aspect of the present invention relates to a radiation safety monitoring system for a medical infrastructure, wherein the medical infrastructure includes a therapeutic system including a radiation generation unit and an irradiation unit, wherein the radiation generation unit generates a radiation beam and outputs the radiation beam through the irradiation unit to perform irradiation; the radiation safety monitoring system includes a radiation detector located in the medical infrastructure, designed to collect an environmental radiation dose in predetermined areas of the medical infrastructure; an alarm device located in the medical infrastructure, executing corresponding alarms and prompts in accordance with the collected environmental radiation doses; a server connected to the radiation detector to receive data collected by the radiation detector; the server is connected to the alarm device to output an alarm command;the server is connected to the therapy system for controlling the operation of the therapy system; the medical infrastructure includes at least a first state, a second state and a third state; when no radiation is generated in the medical infrastructure, the medical infrastructure is in the first state; when radiation is irradiated in at least one specified area of ​​the medical infrastructure, and the radiation dose of the environment is below a preset threshold value, the medical infrastructure is in the second state; when the radiation dose of the environment in at least one specified area is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value, the medical infrastructure is in the third state.

[0010] In one embodiment, the specified area includes a treatment room and a treatment monitoring room corresponding to the treatment room; the alarm device includes:

[0011] the first alarm unit located in the treatment room and outputting at least two types of alarm signal;

[0012] The second alarm unit located in the therapeutic monitoring room and outputting at least three types of alarm signal.

[0013] In one embodiment, when the medical infrastructure is in the first state, the first alarm unit and the second alarm unit trigger a safety signal; when at least one of the therapeutic rooms transitions to the second state, the first alarm unit located in the therapeutic room in the second state triggers an evacuation signal, the second alarm unit in the corresponding therapeutic monitoring room also triggers an evacuation signal, and the second alarm units in other therapeutic monitoring rooms also trigger an attention signal; when the medical infrastructure transitions to the third state, all of the first and second alarm units trigger evacuation signals.

[0014] In one embodiment, the specified zone further includes non-therapeutic areas; the alarm device includes a third alarm unit installed in the non-therapeutic area and providing for the triggering of at least two types of emergency signals; when the medical infrastructure is in the first state, the third alarm unit triggers a safety signal; when the medical infrastructure is in the third state, the third alarm unit triggers an evacuation signal; or, when the medical infrastructure is in the second state, the third alarm unit triggers an attention signal indicating the status of the therapeutic room.

[0015] In one embodiment, the alarm device includes a signal lamp and / or a loudspeaker that transmit various information.

[0016] In one embodiment, the specified area includes at least one treatment room; before irradiation is performed in any of the treatment rooms, the loudspeaker produces a beam generation alert signal; after irradiation is started in any treatment room, the loudspeaker plays a voice message reminding the personnel in the medical infrastructure of the operation of the irradiation unit.

[0017] In one embodiment, the therapeutic room, the therapeutic monitoring room and the non-therapeutic areas at least include one radiation protection space, which is equipped with a radiation protection door for protection against radiation, a fourth alarm unit is installed on the radiation protection door, which triggers at least three types of alarm signal.

[0018] In one embodiment, when the medical infrastructure is in the first state, the fourth alarm unit triggers a safety signal; when at least the radiation protection space is in the second state, the fourth alarm unit, located on the radiation protection door of the radiation protection space in the second state, triggers an attention signal; when the medical infrastructure is in the third state, the fourth alarm unit triggers an evacuation signal.

[0019] In one embodiment, the therapy system is a neutron capture therapy system, the radiation detector detects an ambient radiation dose of neutrons or γ-rays in the medical infrastructure.

[0020] In one embodiment, the radiation safety monitoring system further includes a display device connected to the server and designed to display the operating parameters of the medical infrastructure and the status of the alarm device.

[0021] The second aspect of the present invention relates to a method for controlling a radiation safety monitoring system, including the following steps: detecting a radiation dose of the environment in real time; comparing the detected radiation dose of the environment in real time with a preset threshold value in the server, and determining the state of the medical infrastructure; the alarm device triggering an alarm signal in accordance with the state of the medical infrastructure.

[0022] In one embodiment, comparing the detected environmental radiation dose in real time with a preset threshold value, in the absence of radiation generation in the medical infrastructure, the medical infrastructure is in the first state; in the case where the environmental radiation dose is below the threshold value and there is at least one zone where irradiation is carried out, the medical infrastructure enters the second state; when the environmental radiation dose is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the medical infrastructure enters the third state.

[0023] In one embodiment, when the medical infrastructure is in the first state, the alarm unit in the medical infrastructure triggers a safety signal; the alarm unit located in the area in the second state triggers an evacuation signal, and the alarm unit located in other areas triggers an attention signal; when the medical infrastructure is in the third state, the alarm unit in the medical infrastructure triggers an evacuation signal.

[0024] By installing a radiation detector, an alarm device, and a server, the present invention can promptly and accurately notify relevant personnel in each area of ​​the medical infrastructure of the operating status of various devices, so that the relevant personnel can clearly determine the radiation safety conditions of their environment and perform corresponding operations. The radiation safety monitoring system of the present invention adopts a redundant design, and for each operating status of the medical infrastructure, multiple alarm units are used to collectively alarm and notify, improving the reliability of the system. Differentiation is achieved according to the functions of different equipment areas and the responsibilities of personnel, thereby improving the standardization of the normal operation of the system and reducing the incidence of radiation safety emergencies.

[0025] Brief description of drawings

[0026] Fig. 1 shows a diagram of a radiation safety monitoring system for a medical infrastructure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a therapeutic system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Fig. 3 shows a structural diagram of the first floor of the medical infrastructure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Fig. 4 shows a structural diagram of the second floor of the medical infrastructure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Designations on drawings:

[0031] 1 medical infrastructure; 100 radiation safety control system; 200 therapy system; 101 therapy room; 101a horizontal irradiation chamber; 101b vertical irradiation chamber; 102 beam generation chamber; 102a accelerator chamber; 103 therapy monitoring room; 110 radiation protection door;

[0032] 10 radiation detector; 20 alarm device; 30 server; 21 the first alarm unit; 22 the second alarm unit; 23 the third alarm unit; 21a,21b,21c the first alarm lamp; 22a,22b,22c the second alarm lamp; 23a,23b,23c,23d,23e,23f,23g the third alarm lamp; 23h,23i,23j,23k,23l the fourth alarm lamp; 31 client host; 32 server host; 33 display device;

[0033] 210 radiation generation unit; 220 irradiation unit; 230 positioning unit; 211 accelerator; 221 beam former; 222 beam exit; 2211 reflector; 2212 moderator; 2213 thermal neutron absorber; 2214 radiation protection facility; 2215 beam channel.

[0034] Embodiment of the invention

[0035] To more clearly understand the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application, the following is a detailed description of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are provided only for the purpose of explaining the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0036] Referring to Fig. 1, Fig. 1 shows a structural diagram of a radiation safety monitoring system 100 of a medical infrastructure 1, the radiation safety monitoring system 100 includes a radiation detector 10, an alarm device 20, a server 30. A therapy system 200 is additionally located in the medical infrastructure 1, wherein the therapy system 200 at least includes a radiation generation unit 210, an irradiation unit 220, a positioning unit 230 and a therapy planning unit. In the present embodiment, the therapy system 200 is a boron neutron capture therapy system. The radiation detector 10 is located in the medical infrastructure 1 and is designed to collect the radiation dose of the environment in specified areas of the medical infrastructure, when the therapy system 200 is a boron neutron capture therapy system, the radiation detector detects the radiation dose of the environment of neutrons or γ-rays in the medical infrastructure 1.Server 30, connected to radiation detector 10 for receiving data collected by radiation detector 10. Radiation detector 20, located in medical infrastructure 1, designed to collect the radiation dose of the environment in specified areas of the medical infrastructure. Server 30 is connected to alarm device 20 for outputting an alarm command. Server 30 is connected to therapy system 200 for controlling the operation of therapy system 200;

[0037] In combination with Fig. 2, the radiation generation unit 210 is designed to generate a neutron beam N for therapy. The therapy planning unit calculates the dosage based on medical images of the irradiated area and generates a preliminary therapy plan, including the irradiation dose, irradiation position, irradiation angle, irradiation time, etc. After positioning the irradiated object in a predetermined position according to the plan, the irradiation unit 220 performs irradiation according to the therapy plan. The positioning unit 230 is designed to position the irradiated object to ensure a change in the position of the object for stable exposure to the neutron beam N and to support automatic or passive adjustment of the position of the irradiated object. In addition, the positioning unit 230 can be a therapeutic couch, a chair, etc., the positioning unit 230 may be equipped with adjustment mechanisms, for example, a robotic arm for automatically adjusting the position of the positioning unit 230.

[0038] The basic principle of boron neutron capture therapy is as follows: after the irradiated object is administered boron-containing drugs (B-10) orally or by injection, the boron-containing drugs are selectively accumulated in the tumor cells, then the high thermal neutron capture cross section of the boron-containing drugs (B-10) is used, which results in the generation of heavy charged particles 4He and 7Li through the neutron capture reaction of 10B(n, α)7Li and nuclear fission, the average energy of the two heavily charged particles is about 2.33 MeV, they have the characteristics of high linear energy transfer (LET) and short range, the total range of the two particles is equivalent to the size of the cell, so that the radiation damage to the body can be limited to the cellular level, and can achieve the purpose of locally killing tumor cells without causing too much damage to normal tissue.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 2, the radiation generation unit 210 includes an accelerator 211, a beam transfer device and a target T, the accelerator 211 accelerates charged particles (for example, protons, deuterons, etc.) to generate a beam of charged particles P, for example, a proton beam, then the beam of charged particles P irradiates the target T and interacts with it, producing a neutron beam N. Preferably, the target T is made of a metallic material. A suitable nuclear reaction is selected according to the required neutron yield and their energy, the available energy and current of the accelerated charged particles, the physicochemical properties of the metal target, the most frequently discussed nuclear reactions are 7Li(p,n)7Be and 9Be(p,n)9B, both of which are endothermic reactions. The energy thresholds of the two nuclear reactions are 1.881 MeV and 2.055 MeV, respectively.Since epithermal neutrons with energies in the keV range are considered ideal neutron sources for boron neutron capture therapy, theoretically, bombarding a lithium target with protons with energies slightly above threshold can produce relatively low-energy neutrons, so the neutrons can be used clinically without significant attenuation. However, Li (lithium) and Be (beryllium) and threshold-energy protons have low interaction cross sections. To generate sufficient neutron fluxes, high-energy protons are typically selected to initiate nuclear reactions. An ideal target should offer the following advantages: high neutron yield, a neutron energy distribution close to the epithermal neutron energy range, low levels of deeply penetrating radiation, safety, low cost, availability, high thermal stability, and so on., but in reality it is impossible to find a nuclear reaction that satisfies all the requirements. In an embodiment of the present invention, a target made of metallic lithium is preferably used. As is well known to those skilled in the art, materials for the target T can be made of other metals besides lithium or beryllium, for example, tantalum (Ta) or tungsten (W); the target T can be made in the form of a round plate, in other solid configurations, and also in a liquid state (liquid metal). The accelerator 211 can be a linear accelerator, a cyclotron, a synchrotron, a synchrocyclotron, the radiation generation unit 210 can also be a nuclear reactor, without using an accelerator and a target.

[0040] Regardless of whether the neutron source for boron neutron capture therapy is a nuclear reaction between charged particles from a reactor or accelerator and a target, the resulting radiation field is mixed, meaning the beams contain neutrons and photons with energies ranging from low to high. In addition to epithermal neutrons, in boron neutron capture therapy for deep-seated tumors, the higher the content of other radiation, the greater the non-selective dose to normal tissue. Therefore, unnecessary radiation doses should be minimized. Irradiation unit 220 is designed to adjust the quality of the neutron beam generated by radiation generation unit 210 and perform irradiation, reducing unwanted dose deposition and focusing the neutron beam to ensure high selectivity during the therapeutic process.

[0041] Specifically, the irradiation unit 220 includes a beam former 221 for adjusting the quality of the neutron beam and a beam outlet 222 for collecting the neutron beam. The neutron beam N generated by the radiation generation unit 210 sequentially passes through the beam former 221 and the beam outlet 222, directed to the irradiation object located on the positioning unit 230. The beam former 221 ensures the adjustment of the quality of the neutron beam N generated by the radiation generation unit 210, the beam outlet 222 can be the output of a collimator for focusing the neutron beam N, which ensures high precision of exposure during the therapeutic process. It should be understood that in the present embodiment, the system may not have a collimator, and after exiting the beam former 221, the beam is directly directed to the irradiation object located on the positioning unit 230.

[0042] The beam former 221 further includes a reflector 2211, a moderator 2212, a thermal neutron absorber 2213, a radiation protection object 2214 and a beam channel 2215, the neutrons generated by the radiation generation unit 210 have a wide energy spectrum, in addition to the epithermal neutrons required for therapy, it is required to minimize the content of other types of neutrons and photons in order to avoid damage to the operator or the irradiated object, so the neutrons emerging from the target T must pass through the moderator 2212 to adjust the energy of fast neutrons (> 40 keV) to the energy region of epithermal neutrons (0.5 eV-40 keV) and maximize the reduction of thermal neutrons (< 0.5 eV), the moderator 2212 is made of a material with a large cross-section of interaction with fast neutrons and a small cross-section of interaction with epithermal neutrons,as a preferred embodiment, the moderator 2212 is made of at least one of the following materials: D2O, AlF3, Fluental™, CaF2, Li2CO3, MgF2, Al2O3; the reflector 2211 surrounds the moderator 2212 and reflects neutrons scattered to the sides after passing through the moderator 2212 back into the neutron beam N to improve the efficiency of neutron use, and is made of a material with high neutron reflectivity, as a preferred embodiment, the reflector 2211 is made of at least one of Pb or Ni; behind the moderator 2212, there is a thermal neutron absorber 2213 made of a material with a large cross-section for capturing thermal neutrons, as a preferred embodiment, the thermal neutron absorber 2213 is made of Li-6 and is designed to absorb thermal neutrons,passing through the moderator 2212 in order to reduce the content of thermal neutrons in the neutron beam N and to prevent excessive dose effects on the superficial healthy tissues during therapy, it can be understood that the absorber of thermal neutrons 2213 can be structurally combined with the moderator, the moderator material contains Li-6; the radiation-protective object 2214 serves to protect against neutrons and photons leaking beyond the beam channel 2215, the material of the radiation-protective object 2214 includes at least one of the following components: a material for protecting against photon radiation and a material for protecting against neutron radiation, as a preferred embodiment, the material of the radiation screen 2214 includes a photon-protective material lead (Pb) and a neutron-protective material polyethylene (PE). The beam exit 222 is located at the rear of the beam channel 2215, the epithermal neutron beam exiting the beam exit 222,is directed at the irradiated object, where after passing through the superficial healthy tissues it slows down to thermal neutrons and reaches the tumor cells in the affected area M.,

[0043] It can be understood that the beam former 221 may have other designs, provided that it ensures the production of an epithermal neutron beam necessary for therapy; for convenience of description, in the absence of a collimator, the beam output 222 is the output of the beam channel 2215; in the presence of a collimator, the beam output 222 is the output of the collimator.

[0044] The medical infrastructure 1 further includes a treatment room 101 and a beam generation chamber 102, the irradiation object 220 located on the positioning unit 230 performs irradiation with a neutron beam N in the treatment room 101, the beam generation chamber 102 at least partially includes an accelerator 211 and a beam transport device, the beam former 221 is at least partially located in a dividing bulkhead between the treatment room 101 and the beam generation chamber 102. It can be understood that the dividing bulkhead can completely separate the treatment room 101 from the beam generation chamber 102, and can also be a partial partition between the treatment room 101 and the beam generation chamber 102, while the treatment room 101 and the beam generation chamber 102 remain communicating.The number of targets T may be one or several, and the charged particle beam P may selectively interact with one or several targets T or with several targets T simultaneously to generate one or several neutron beams N for therapy. In accordance with the number of targets T, the beam former 221, the beam outlet 222, and the positioning unit 230 may also be made in one or several copies; several positioning units may be placed in one therapy room, or a separate therapy room may be provided for each positioning unit. The therapy room 101 and the beam generation chamber 102 are rooms formed by concrete walls W (including a dividing bulkhead), where the concrete structure provides shielding from neutrons and other radiation beams generated during the operation of the therapy system 200.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the medical infrastructure 1 includes a radiation safety monitoring system 100, a therapy system 200, a building housing the radiation safety monitoring system 100 and the therapy system 200, and a spatial zone encompassing the radiation safety monitoring system 100, the therapy system 200, and the building. The present embodiment is described using one of the above-mentioned methods as an example, and the predetermined zone included in the medical infrastructure 1 is a plurality of separate rooms. The spatial range provided by the medical infrastructure 1 includes a therapy room, a therapy monitoring room, and non-therapy zones.In the embodiments disclosed in the present invention, the non-therapeutic zones include the following: corridors, an accelerator chamber, an accelerator control chamber, a distribution room, a beam conversion and storage room, a positioning simulation room, a water cooling room, auxiliary technical rooms, etc. In this embodiment, the medical infrastructure 1 includes at least a two-story building, where the therapeutic room 101, the therapeutic monitoring room 103 and the non-therapeutic zones are distributed in different rooms on different floors. The therapeutic monitoring room 103 is intended to monitor the irradiation process in the therapeutic room 101. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, in the present embodiment, a first floor zone and a second floor zone are represented.

[0046] The therapeutic room 101 includes a horizontal irradiation chamber 101a and a vertical irradiation chamber 101b, wherein the horizontal irradiation chamber 101a consists of two irradiation chambers; the horizontal irradiation chamber 101a is designed to receive a neutron beam radiated in the horizontal direction and is equipped with a corresponding first therapeutic monitoring room 103a; the vertical irradiation chamber 101b is designed to receive a neutron beam radiated in the vertical direction and is equipped with a corresponding second therapeutic monitoring room 103b. The horizontal irradiation chambers 101a and vertical irradiation chambers 101b are located in the medical infrastructure 1 on different floors or at different altitudes. The therapeutic monitoring room 103 is designed to monitor all radiation therapy processes and is usually located near the therapeutic room 101.

[0047] The beam generation chamber 102 includes an accelerator hall 102a. The accelerator hall 102a contains at least two accelerator rooms located on different floors of the medical infrastructure 1 or at different altitude levels, for respective coupling with the corresponding irradiation chambers.

[0048] Alarm device 20 includes a first alarm unit 21, a second alarm unit 22, and a third alarm unit 23. The first alarm unit 21 is installed in the treatment room and generates at least three types of alarms. The second alarm unit 22 is located in the therapeutic monitoring room and generates at least three types of alarms. The third alarm unit 23 is located in non-therapeutic areas and generates at least three types of alarms. Depending on the specific purpose of the premises, alarm device 20 can be installed either inside the rooms or on external walls, providing an indication of the need to evacuate people inside the premises or warning people outside of a danger.

[0049] The medical infrastructure 1 includes at least a first state, a second state, and a third state. When no radiation is generated in the medical infrastructure 1, namely, when no environmental radiation dose is detected in all zones of the medical infrastructure 1, the medical infrastructure 1 is in the first state; when radiation is irradiated in at least one predetermined zone of the medical infrastructure 1, and the environmental radiation dose is below a predetermined threshold value, the medical infrastructure 1 is in the second state; when the environmental radiation dose in at least one predetermined zone is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, the medical infrastructure 1 is in the third state.Specifically, in this embodiment, the first state may be a safety standby state, which means that at this moment the therapy system 200 is not operating; the second state is a beam generation state, which means that at this moment the therapy system 200 is operating and the environmental radiation dose is below a preset threshold value; the third state is an emergency state, which means that at this moment the environmental radiation dose exceeds or is equal to a preset threshold value.

[0050] When the medical infrastructure 1 is in the first state, the first alarm unit 21, the second alarm unit 22 and the third alarm unit 23 trigger the first signal. When the medical infrastructure 1 is in the second state, the first alarm unit 21 irradiating the output beams in the therapy room triggers the third signal, and the second alarm unit 22 in the corresponding therapeutic monitoring room also triggers the third signal; the first alarm unit 21 in other therapy rooms triggers the second signal, and the second alarm unit 22 in other corresponding therapeutic monitoring rooms also triggers the second signal; a part of the third alarm unit 23 triggers the second signal. When the medical infrastructure 1 is in the third state, the first alarm unit 21, the second alarm unit 22 and the third alarm unit 23 trigger the third signal.Additionally, the first signal is a safety signal, the second signal is an attention signal, and the third signal is an evacuation signal.

[0051] In the present embodiment, among the three types of alarms output by the first alarm unit 21, at least two types belong to different signals of the same category. In other embodiments, all three types of alarms may belong to different categories, but there are obvious differences and cannot be limited here. As shown in Fig. 4, taking the accelerator chamber 102a of the second floor as an example, the first alarm unit 21 includes a plurality of first alarm lamps 21a, 21b, 21c installed in different chambers of the therapy room.The first signal lamps 21a, 21b, 21c can emit a beam of two colors as two types of emergency signals, for example, red and green: a continuously lit green lamp indicates that the medical infrastructure 1 is currently in a safe standby state; a continuously lit red lamp indicates that the therapy room 101 is currently in a beam generation state, and all personnel who are not patients must immediately leave this therapy room 101, while the entry of other persons is prohibited, and the personnel in other therapy rooms 101 must be careful with respect to the therapy room 101 in the beam generation mode. In addition, in addition to the above two types of emergency signals, when the red and green lamps flash simultaneously, which represents a third type of emergency signal in this embodiment.Flashing red and green lamps may indicate an emergency condition of the medical infrastructure 1 requiring the evacuation of all personnel. In other embodiments, the first signaling unit 21 further includes a loudspeaker for announcing the alarm content, which may include safety instructions or evacuation requirements.

[0052] In the present embodiment, the three types of alarms output by the second alarm unit 22 are different alarms of the same category. In other embodiments, these three types of alarms may also belong to different categories, but there are obvious differences and cannot be limited here. As shown in Fig. 3, a therapeutic monitoring room 103 is shown as an example, which includes a first therapeutic monitoring room 103a and a second therapeutic monitoring room 103b located on different floors. The second alarm unit 22 includes second alarm lamps 22a, 22b, 22c, respectively installed in the first therapeutic monitoring room 103a and the second therapeutic monitoring room 103b. The second alarm lamps 22a and 22b correspond to two horizontal irradiation chambers 101a.The signal lamps 22a, 22b, 22c of the second signaling unit emit light of three colors - red, yellow and green: the green lamp being lit indicates that the medical infrastructure 1 is currently in a safe standby state; the constant lit yellow lamp indicates that the therapeutic room 101, corresponding to the therapeutic monitoring room 103, is currently in a beam generation state, which requires increased attention from the personnel in the therapeutic monitoring room 103; the constant lit red lamp indicates an emergency state of the medical infrastructure 1, which requires the evacuation of all personnel.In other embodiments, the second alarm unit 22 further includes a loudspeaker for voicing the contents of emergency signals, which may include safety instructions, the need for increased attention or urgent evacuation, as well as information about the current state of the medical infrastructure 1 or an upcoming change in its state.

[0053] Additionally, before performing irradiation in the treatment room 101 of the present embodiment, the first alarm unit 21, the second alarm unit 22 and the third alarm unit 23 simultaneously generate a beam generation notification signal, and this signal can be transmitted through loudspeakers to warn of the upcoming start of irradiation in this treatment room 101. After irradiation in the treatment room 101 of the present embodiment, the second alarm unit 22 outputs a beam generation completion notification signal, in particular, this signal can be transmitted through loudspeakers, informing that irradiation has already begun in the current treatment room 101 and the treatment process is continuing. The notification signal that the beam should be emitted or that the beam has been emitted can be executed by the operator by entering a corresponding command or by sending a corresponding command to the alarm unit 20 by the server 30.When irradiation is carried out in any of the therapeutic rooms 101, namely when the medical infrastructure 1 is in the second state, the second alarm unit 22, located in the therapeutic monitoring room 103, triggers an attention signal.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the third alarm unit 23 outputs at least three types of alarms, which are different signals of the same category. In other embodiments, the at least three types of alarms may belong to different categories, but there are obvious differences and cannot be limited here. As shown in Fig. 3, the third alarm unit 23 includes third alarm lamps 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, 23f, 23g, installed in corridors or other rooms near the treatment room 101. In particular, the third alarm lamps are located near the horizontal irradiation chamber 101a and the vertical irradiation chamber 101b. The third signal lamps 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, 23f, 23g emit light of two colors, such as green and yellow, of which one green lamp can be installed, and the number of yellow lamps corresponds to the number of therapy room 101.The green lamp being lit indicates that the medical infrastructure 1 is currently in a safe standby state; the yellow lamps correspond to the treatment rooms 101 one by one, and when one of the treatment rooms 101 is in the process of irradiation with beam generation, the yellow lamp corresponding to the third signal lamp 23a is constantly lit to remind the relevant personnel of the need for attention, while the yellow lamps corresponding to the rooms without beam generation are turned off; when the third signal lamps 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, 23f, 23g in all colors flash, this indicates an emergency state of the medical infrastructure 1, requiring the evacuation of all personnel.In other embodiments, the third signaling unit 23 further includes a loudspeaker for announcing the contents of emergency signals, which may include safety instructions, the need for increased attention or urgent evacuation, as well as information on the current state of the medical infrastructure 1 or an upcoming change in its state. As shown in Fig. 3, the third signaling unit 23 further includes fourth signaling lamps 23h, 23i, 23j, 23k, 23l, located at a relatively large distance from the therapeutic rooms 101. It can be understood that, in addition to the third signaling lamps located near the therapeutic rooms 101, all other non-therapeutic areas are equipped with fourth signaling lamps.The fourth signal lamps emit light of two colors, for example, red and green: a continuously lit green lamp indicates that medical infrastructure 1 is currently in a safe standby state; a continuously lit red lamp indicates an emergency state of medical infrastructure 1, which requires the evacuation of all personnel.

[0055] Furthermore, the evacuation signals generated by the first signaling unit 21, the second signaling unit 22, and the third signaling unit 23 may be signals of a different type than the safety or attention signals, thereby clearly distinguishing the third state from the first and second states. For example, in the present embodiment, the signaling unit includes a warning lamp, the safety signal or the attention signal are continuously lit in different colors, and the evacuation signal is flashing or continuously lit in a different color than the safety signal and the attention signal.

[0056] The treatment room, the therapeutic monitoring room, and the non-therapeutic areas each include at least one radiation protection space equipped with a radiation protection door 110 for protection against radiation. In the present invention, the radiation protection space is formed by radiation-protected walls, such as concrete dividing bulkheads with neutron-protective properties. Specifically, the radiation protection door 110 is installed at the junctions of the treatment room 101 with other rooms or zones. The radiation protection door 110 can be located at the junction of the accelerator chamber 102a with other zones, as well as at the junction of the beam conversion and storage chamber with other zones. The radiation protection door 110 is equipped with a fourth alarm unit 24, which provides the generation of at least three types of alarm signals.The signals issued by the fourth alarm unit 24 include fifth signal lamps (not shown in the drawings) installed in the door frame of the radiation protection door 110. The fifth signal lamps emit light of three colors, where, for example, the first type is green, which is a safety signal intended to indicate the medical infrastructure 1 in a safe state in the standby mode; the second type is yellow, which is an attention signal intended to indicate the radiation protection space in the beam generation state; the third type is red, which is an evacuation signal intended to indicate an emergency state of the medical infrastructure 1.

[0057] The server 30 further includes a display device 33, a client host 31 and a server host 32. The server 30 can be built on the basis of microcontroller units (MCUs). The client host 31 is connected to the therapy system 200 and is intended for: receiving user input, storing and processing data of the therapy system 200 and the radiation safety control system 100, controlling the operation of the therapy system 200 in the medical infrastructure 1, etc. The display device 33 is connected to the server host 32 and the client host 31 and is intended to display data related to the therapy system 200 and the radiation safety control system 100, including the operating parameters of the medical infrastructure 1, the environmental radiation doses detected by the radiation detector 10, as well as the status of the alarm device 20 and other relevant information. The server host 32 is connected via a bus to the display device 33 and the client host 31, performing aggregation of all data.Additionally, in one embodiment, the client host 31 and display device 33 are located in the therapeutic monitoring room 103, wherein each horizontal irradiation room 101a and vertical irradiation room 101b are equipped with a corresponding client host 31 and display device 33.

[0058] In other embodiments, the radiation safety monitoring system 100 described in the above embodiments can also be used to monitor the safety of other radiation therapy systems, such as a proton therapy system and a heavy ion therapy system. The radiation safety monitoring system 100 can also be used to monitor and diagnose the safety of medical equipment, such as a diagnostic X-ray system, a PET-CT diagnostic system, etc. Accordingly, the radiation detector 10 monitors the radiation dose of the surrounding X-ray or other radiation particles in the medical infrastructure 1.

[0059] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for controlling a radiation safety monitoring system is further provided, including the following steps:

[0060] S100. Real-time detection of environmental radiation dose;

[0061] S200. Compare the detected radiation dose of the environment in real time with the preset threshold value in the server, and determine the status of the medical infrastructure;

[0062] S300. Trigger an alarm signal by the alarm unit according to the state of the medical infrastructure.

[0063] In addition, the control method also includes:

[0064] S201. Compare the detected environmental radiation dose in real time with the preset threshold value. When the environmental radiation dose is below the threshold value and there is no radiation generation in the medical infrastructure, the medical infrastructure enters the first state; when the environmental radiation dose is below the threshold value and there is at least one area where irradiation is carried out, the medical infrastructure enters the second state; when the environmental radiation dose is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the medical infrastructure enters the third state.

[0065] S301. When the medical infrastructure is in the first state, the alarm unit in the medical infrastructure triggers the safety signal; when the medical infrastructure is in the second state, the alarm unit located in the radiation-exposed area triggers the evacuation signal, and the alarm units in other areas trigger the attention signal; when the medical infrastructure is in the third state, the alarm unit in the medical infrastructure triggers the evacuation signal.

[0066] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts in the described embodiments are shown sequentially according to the direction of the arrows, these steps are not necessarily performed strictly in the indicated order. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the execution of these steps is not strictly limited to the sequence and may be performed in a different order. Moreover, at least a portion of the steps related to each embodiment described above may include multiple steps or stages that are not necessarily performed simultaneously, but may be implemented at different points in time, and their sequence is not necessarily strictly sequential, but may alternate or be performed alternately with other steps or part of the steps / stages of other processes.

[0067] Those skilled in the art understand that all or part of the process in the described embodiments can be performed by a computer program controlling the corresponding components. Said computer program can be stored on a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, and the execution of this computer program can include steps corresponding to the embodiments of the above methods. All references to storage modules, databases, or other storage media in the embodiments presented in this application can include at least one of non-volatile memory and volatile memory.Non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tapes, floppy disks, flash memory, optical storage devices, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive memory (ReRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), graphene memory, and other types. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of explanation, and not limitation, random access memory (RAM) may exist in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Databases used in various embodiments of this application may include at least one of relational databases and non-relational databases.Non-relational databases may include, but are not limited to, blockchain-based distributed databases.

[0068] The processing module used in the various embodiments of this application may be general-purpose processors, central processing units, graphics processing units, digital signal processors, programmable logic devices, quantum computing-based data processing logic devices, and others, but are not limited to them.

[0069] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined in any combination, and all possible combinations of the technical features of each of the above embodiments have not been described for the sake of brevity of the description, however, as long as there is no contradiction in the combinations of these technical features, they shall be regarded as being within the scope of the present specification.

[0070] The above embodiments represent only a few embodiments of the present application, which are described in more detail and in more detail, but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent of this application. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and all of them fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application extends to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A radiation safety monitoring system for a medical infrastructure, characterized in that the medical infrastructure includes a therapeutic system that includes a radiation generating unit and an irradiation unit, wherein the radiation generating unit generates a radiation beam and outputs the radiation beam through the irradiation unit for irradiation; the radiation safety monitoring system includes: a radiation detector located in the medical infrastructure, designed to collect the radiation dose from the environment in specified areas of the medical infrastructure; an alarm device placed in the medical infrastructure that provides appropriate alarms and prompts in accordance with the collected doses of environmental radiation; a server connected to a radiation detector to receive data collected by the radiation detector; a server connected to an alarm device to output an alarm command depending on the status of the medical infrastructure; a server connected to a therapy system to control the operation of the therapy system; the medical infrastructure includes at least a first state, a second state and a third state; when no radiation is generated in the medical infrastructure, the medical infrastructure is in the first state; when radiation is irradiated in at least one specified area of ​​the medical infrastructure and the environmental radiation dose is below a predetermined threshold value, the medical infrastructure is in the second state; when the environmental radiation dose in at least one specified area is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the medical infrastructure is in the third state.

2. A radiation safety monitoring system for medical infrastructure according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the specified zone includes a therapeutic room and a therapeutic monitoring room corresponding to the therapeutic room; the alarm device includes: a first alarm unit located in the treatment room and emitting at least two types of alarm signal; a second alarm unit located in the therapeutic monitoring room and emitting at least three types of alarm signal.

3. The radiation safety monitoring system for medical infrastructure according to paragraph 2, characterized in that when the medical infrastructure is in the first state, the first alarm unit and the second alarm unit initiate a safety signal; when at least one of the therapeutic rooms transitions to the second state, the first alarm unit located in the therapeutic room in the second state initiates an evacuation signal, the second alarm unit in the corresponding therapeutic monitoring room also initiates an evacuation signal, and the second alarm units in other therapeutic monitoring rooms also initiate an attention signal; when the medical infrastructure transitions to the third state, all first and second alarm units initiate evacuation signals.

4. A radiation safety monitoring system for medical infrastructure according to claim 2, characterized in that the specified zone additionally includes non-therapeutic areas; the alarm device includes a third alarm unit installed in the non-therapeutic area and providing for the initiation of at least two types of emergency signal; when the medical infrastructure is in the first state, the third alarm unit initiates a safety signal; when the medical infrastructure is in the third state, the third alarm unit initiates an evacuation signal; or when the medical infrastructure is in the second state, the third alarm unit initiates an attention signal indicating the status of the therapeutic room.

5. A radiation safety monitoring system for medical infrastructure according to paragraph 2, characterized in that the signaling device includes a signal lamp and / or a loudspeaker transmitting various information; the signal lamp is made in at least two colors, its operating modes include at least constant illumination, flashing, or switching off.

6. A radiation safety monitoring system for the medical infrastructure according to paragraph 5, characterized in that the specified zone includes at least one treatment room; before irradiation is carried out in any of the treatment rooms, the loudspeaker emits a signal notifying of the beam generation; after the start of irradiation in any treatment room, the loudspeaker plays a voice message reminding the personnel in the medical infrastructure of the operation of the irradiation unit.

7. A radiation safety control system for medical infrastructure according to paragraph 4, characterized in that the therapeutic room, the therapeutic monitoring room and non-therapeutic areas at least include one radiation-protective space, which is equipped with a radiation-protective door for protection from radiation, and a fourth alarm unit is installed on the radiation-protective door, which triggers at least three types of emergency signals.

8. The radiation safety monitoring system for medical infrastructure according to paragraph 7, characterized in that when the medical infrastructure is in the first state, the fourth signaling unit initiates a safety signal; when at least the radiation protection space is in the second state, the fourth signaling unit, located on the radiation protection door of the radiation protection space, initiates an attention signal in the second state; when the medical infrastructure is in the third state, the fourth signaling unit initiates an evacuation signal.

9. A radiation safety monitoring system for medical infrastructure according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the therapy system is a neutron capture therapy system, and the radiation detector detects the dose of environmental radiation of neutrons or γ-rays in the medical infrastructure.

10. The radiation safety monitoring system for the medical infrastructure according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the radiation safety monitoring system additionally includes a display device connected to the server and designed to display the operating parameters of the medical infrastructure and the state of the alarm device.

11. The radiation safety monitoring system for medical infrastructure according to paragraph 10, characterized in that the radiation safety monitoring system additionally includes a client host and a server host, wherein the client host is connected to the therapy system and is intended for storing and processing data from the therapy system and the radiation safety monitoring system, and for controlling the operation of the therapy system; the server host is connected to the display device and the client host.

12. A method for managing a radiation safety control system for medical infrastructure, characterized in that it includes the following steps: Real-time detection of environmental radiation dose using radiation detectors; comparing the detected environmental radiation dose in real time with a preset threshold value in the server and determining the state of the medical infrastructure; if there is no radiation generation in the medical infrastructure, the medical infrastructure is in the first state; in the case where the environmental radiation dose is below the threshold value and there is at least one area where irradiation is carried out, it goes into the second state; when the environmental radiation dose is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the medical infrastructure goes into the third state; and control of the alarm device by the server to trigger an alarm according to the state of the medical infrastructure.

13. A method for controlling a radiation safety monitoring system for a medical infrastructure according to paragraph 12, characterized in that when the medical infrastructure is in the first state, the alarm device in the medical infrastructure triggers a safety signal; when the medical infrastructure is in the second state, the alarm device located in an area exposed to radiation triggers an evacuation signal, and the alarm device located in an area without exposure to radiation triggers an attention signal; when the medical infrastructure is in the third state, the alarm device in the medical infrastructure triggers an evacuation signal.

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