Pulse power supply method, pulse power supply device, and radiation device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a pulse power supply method for an electron gun, comprising: collecting in real time at least one working parameter of a target electron gun, wherein the at least one working parameter comprises a gun voltage and a gun current of the target electron gun; and delivering N pulse signals to the target electron gun at intervals to supply power, wherein any two adjacent pulse signals are delivered at intervals, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and at least one of the N pulse signals is modulated on the basis of the at least one working parameter. The present disclosure further provides a pulse power supply method for a plurality of electron guns.

Description

Pulse power supply method, pulse power supply device and radiation device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202510072116.4, filed on January 16, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the fields of radiotherapy, ultra-high dose radiation, flash radiotherapy, radiation examination, electron gun power supply, or other technical fields, and more specifically, to pulse power supply methods, pulse power supply devices, and radiation devices. Background Technology

[0003] The classic operation of an electron linear accelerator is as follows: After receiving a beam output command, the accelerator generates two continuous and stable high-voltage pulses. One pulse acts on a microwave source (klystron or magnetron) to generate microwaves, and the other pulse acts on an electron gun to generate an electron beam. The microwaves accelerate the electron beam inside the accelerating tube, and then the beam strikes a target to produce X-rays.

[0004] With the development of industries such as security inspection and medical care, the requirements for the precision of electron beams generated by electron guns are becoming increasingly stringent. Furthermore, in some scenarios, a single electron linear accelerator cannot meet the demands, such as the requirements for CT scans of aircraft cases and multi-angle FLASH therapy under ultra-high dose conditions. Therefore, multiple electron linear accelerators are needed, which raises the question of how to accurately control the coordinated operation of multiple electron guns in complex electromagnetic environments. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, this disclosure provides a pulse power supply method, a pulse power supply device, and a radiation device.

[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a pulse power supply method for an electron gun is provided, comprising: real-time acquisition of at least one operating parameter of a target electron gun, wherein the at least one operating parameter includes a gun voltage and a gun current of the target electron gun; and periodically supplying N pulse signals to the target electron gun for power supply, wherein any two adjacent pulse signals are periodically supplied, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; wherein at least one of the N pulse signals is modulated according to the at least one operating parameter.

[0007] In some embodiments, at least one of the N pulse signals is modulated based on the gun voltage and gun current, including: determining the pulse voltage and pulse width of the pulse signal to be transmitted according to a preset first mapping relationship based on the gun voltage and gun current.

[0008] In some embodiments, the modulation of at least one of the N pulse signals according to the at least one operating parameter further includes: for any two adjacent pulse signals, the latter pulse signal is modulated according to the at least one operating parameter acquired after the previous pulse signal is delivered to the target electron gun.

[0009] In some embodiments, for a target pulse signal that is not being transmitted for the first time among the N pulse signals, the method further includes: modulating the pulse voltage and pulse width of the target pulse signal according to the gun voltage and gun current, and the previous actual dose; wherein the previous actual dose includes the actual dose output by the radiation source to which the target electron gun belongs after the previous pulse signal of the target pulse signal was transmitted.

[0010] In some embodiments, modulating the pulse voltage and pulse width of the target pulse signal includes: correcting the gun voltage and gun current according to a second mapping relationship between the gun voltage and gun current of the target electron gun when the previous pulse signal was transmitted and the previous actual dose; and determining the pulse voltage and pulse width of the target pulse signal according to the corrected gun voltage and gun current.

[0011] In some embodiments, the interval delivery of N matching pulse signals to the target electron gun includes: after delivering M pulse signals, obtaining a first superimposed dose of the radiation source to which the target electron gun belongs, wherein the first superimposed dose includes the sum of the actual doses output by the radiation source measured in response to the delivery of the M pulse signals, where M is less than or equal to N; and in response to any one of the N pulse signals being delivered, determining the number of subsequent pulse signals to be delivered based on the difference between the first superimposed dose and the target dose.

[0012] In some embodiments, determining the number of pulse signals to be delivered based on the difference between the first superimposed dose and the target dose includes: continuing to deliver the pulse signals to be delivered from the N pulse signals when M is less than N and the first superimposed dose is less than the target dose; stopping the delivery of the pulse signals to be delivered from the N pulse signals when M is less than N and the first superimposed dose is greater than or equal to the target dose; and increasing and delivering a predetermined number of pulse signals to be delivered when M is equal to N and the first superimposed dose is less than the target dose.

[0013] In some embodiments, increasing and transmitting a predetermined number of pulse signals to be transmitted includes: after transmitting S pulse signals, obtaining a second superimposed dose of the radiation source to which the target electron gun belongs, wherein the second superimposed dose includes the sum of the actual doses output by the radiation source measured in response to transmitting the S pulse signals, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; in response to any one of the predetermined number of pulse signals to be transmitted being transmitted, determining the number of subsequent pulse signals to be transmitted based on the difference between the sum of the first superimposed dose and the second superimposed dose and the target dose.

[0014] In some embodiments, the interval delivery of N matching pulse signals to the target electron gun includes: the interval between any two adjacent delivered pulse signals is less than or equal to 1 millisecond.

[0015] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a pulse power supply method for multiple electron guns, comprising: acquiring the order in which multiple X-ray sources send multiple X-ray beams to the same target, and a pulse sequence matching the electron gun in each X-ray source, the pulse sequence comprising N pulse signals, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; and, based on the method described above, controlling a power supply to alternately deliver the matching pulse sequence to the multiple electron guns in the multiple X-ray sources in the order to provide power.

[0016] In some embodiments, the plurality of electron guns correspond one-to-one with a plurality of power supply ports, and controlling the power supply to alternately deliver matching pulse sequences to the plurality of electron guns in the plurality of radiation sources in the order to supply power includes: controlling the power supply to alternately select the power supply ports of the corresponding electron guns in the order.

[0017] In some embodiments, obtaining a pulse sequence that matches the electron gun in each radiation source includes: assigning a plurality of target doses to the plurality of radiation sources in a one-to-one correspondence according to radiation mission information, wherein any two target doses are the same or different; and determining a pulse sequence that matches the electron gun in each radiation source according to the target dose of each radiation source.

[0018] In some embodiments, determining a pulse sequence matching the electron gun based on the target dose of each radiation source includes: determining a sub-dose corresponding to each of the N pulse signals based on the target dose of each radiation source; wherein the target dose is obtained by superimposing the N sub-dose.

[0019] In some embodiments, obtaining the order in which the plurality of radiation sources send multiple radiation beams to the same target includes: obtaining the time at which each radiation source sends a radiation beam, and its position at the corresponding time; wherein, the different radiation sources send radiation beams at different times, and the position of each radiation source is dynamically adjustable.

[0020] In some embodiments, the power supply is controlled to alternately supply power to the plurality of electron guns in the order within a time period of less than or equal to 1 second; and / or, after the power supply to any of the plurality of electron guns is terminated, the power supply is controlled to switch to supply power to another electron gun in the order within a time period of less than or equal to 1 second.

[0021] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a pulse power supply device, comprising: a power supply; and a control unit for controlling the power supply to perform the method described in any of the preceding embodiments, providing pulse power to one or more electron guns.

[0022] In some embodiments, the power supply includes: a first voltage module, including at least one first submodule, the first submodule being configured to output a fixed volt DC voltage; and a second voltage module, including at least one second submodule, the second submodule being configured to output a variable volt DC voltage.

[0023] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a radiation device, including: a plurality of radiation sources, each including a plurality of electron guns corresponding to each other; and a power supply device as described in any of the preceding claims, the power supply device being configured to provide pulsed power to the plurality of electron guns. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The foregoing contents, as well as other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure, will become clearer from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 schematically shows a partial structural diagram of an ultra-high dose rate radiation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a pulse power supply method for an electron gun according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 3 schematically illustrates an architecture diagram for pulse power supply control of an electron gun according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 4 schematically illustrates a flowchart of the modulation of the target pulse signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 5 schematically illustrates a flowchart of the dynamic adjustment of the power supply according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 6 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a pulse power supply method for multiple electron guns according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 7 schematically illustrates an architecture diagram for pulse power supply control of multiple electron guns according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 8 schematically illustrates a structural block diagram of a pulse power supply device for an electron gun according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 9 schematically illustrates a structural block diagram of a pulse power supply device for multiple electron guns according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 10 schematically shows a structural block diagram of a power supply according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] The reference numerals in the above figures include: 100, ultra-high dose rate radiation device; 110, beam assembly; 111, first beam module; 112, second beam module; 113, third beam module; 114, fourth beam module; 115, fifth beam module; 140, mounting support; 141, first support; 142, second support; 120, rotation assembly; 130, target.

[0036] It should be noted that, for clarity, the dimensions of the overall / partial structure or the overall / partial region in the drawings used to describe the embodiments of this disclosure may be enlarged or reduced, i.e., these drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure for ease of explanation. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 1 schematically shows a partial structural diagram of an ultra-high dose rate radiation device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the ultra-high dose rate radiation device 100 includes a beam assembly 110, a rotation assembly 120, and a mounting bracket 140. The beam assembly 110 may include multiple beam modules for emitting multiple radiation beams, such as a first beam module 111, a second beam module 112, a third beam module 113, a fourth beam module 114, and a fifth beam module 115. The mounting bracket 140 may include a first bracket 141 and a second bracket 142. The first beam module 111, the second beam module 112, and the third beam module 113 may be mounted on the first bracket 141, and the fourth beam module 114 and the fifth beam module 115 may be mounted on the second bracket 142.

[0040] For example, the radiation device 100 disclosed herein may include an ultra-high dose rate radiation device that generates a radiation beam applicable to fields such as flash radiotherapy, container security inspection and industrial imaging, and can achieve ultra-high dose (e.g., above 40 Gy / s) radiation delivery, thereby completing the desired radiation in a very short time.

[0041] FLASH-RT uses ultrafast irradiation, with dose rates several orders of magnitude higher than those used in conventional radiotherapy (e.g., 20-100 Gy / s compared to 1-4 Gy / min). This high dose rate reduces radiation-induced toxicity to normal tissues while maintaining an equally effective response to lesions. This is known as the "flash effect."

[0042] In some embodiments, the beam emission positions of each of the multiple beam modules are substantially equal to the distance from the target 130. This is beneficial for ensuring that the radiation effect of each beam module on the radiotherapy area is substantially consistent, and also for improving calibration accuracy.

[0043] For example, the rotating assembly 120 may include a roller, a ring (or other shaped fixing ring, such as a hexagonal, triangular, or irregularly shaped fixing ring, etc.). The rotating assembly 120 can rotate about its axis of rotation, thereby driving the first beam module 111, the second beam module 112, the third beam module 113, the fourth beam module 114, and the fifth beam module 115 to rotate, for example, during calibration, the center of the target 130 is located at the axis of rotation of the rotating assembly 120. Thus, during rotation, the rotating assembly 120 can rotate around the target 130. During rotation, by switching the beams emitted by different beam modules, radiation can be delivered to the same target 130 (e.g., where a lesion exists) at different angles, where the radiation beam emitted by each beam module can achieve the effect of ultra-high dose radiation. Multiple beam modules can emit beams in sequence and relative to the predetermined radiation area, or they can emit beams in a random order. Even when necessary, beams can be emitted simultaneously for treatment.

[0044] By setting multiple beam modules at different angles on a rotatable rotary assembly 120 and switching between the beam modules that generate radiation, the goal of rapidly performing multi-angle irradiation treatment within a very short time, as required in flash radiotherapy, can be achieved. That is, after calibration, through the cooperation of the rotary assembly 120 and multiple beam modules, ultra-high dose irradiation of a predetermined radiation area can be achieved at multiple angles.

[0045] For example, the beam module may include an electron linear accelerator. The radiation beam may include an X-ray beam. For example, the rotating assembly 120 has a receiving space that can accommodate the target object to be radiotreated. Figure 1 shows a schematic location of the target portion 130, which may be located within the rotating assembly 120. For example, the lesion of the target object (such as a person) can be adjusted to the target portion 130 and then irradiated by one or more radiation beams.

[0046] It is understood that the number, location, and installation relationship of the beam modules in Figure 1 are only examples and can be flexibly determined according to requirements.

[0047] The pulse power supply method for an electron gun according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below based on the structure described in FIG1.

[0048] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a pulse power supply method for an electron gun according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 schematically illustrates an architecture diagram of a pulse power supply control for an electron gun according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] As shown in Figure 2, this embodiment includes:

[0050] During operation of S210, at least one operating parameter of the target electron gun is acquired in real time.

[0051] As shown in Figure 1, the first beam module 111, the second beam module 112, the third beam module 113, the fourth beam module 114, and the fifth beam module 115 are modularly designed and independent of each other. Each beam module includes an electron gun device. The target electron gun can be the electron gun in any of the beam modules.

[0052] For example, one or more sensors can be used to collect operating parameters of the electron gun during the preparation for emitting an electron beam in the start-up state, or during the emission of the electron beam. These parameters may include temperature, cathode emission current density, potential distribution, space charge distribution, vacuum level, gun voltage, and gun current. It is understood that at least one operating parameter collected in real time during operation S210 is related to the parameters of the emitted electron beam.

[0053] In operation S220, N pulse signals are delivered to the target electron gun at intervals to provide power, including any two adjacent pulse signals being delivered at intervals, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. Modulation involves adjusting the characteristics of the pulse signals, such as amplitude and frequency, according to certain operating parameters to adapt to different operating conditions.

[0054] In some embodiments, at least one of the N pulse signals is modulated according to at least one operating parameter. For example, for any two adjacent pulse signals, the latter pulse signal is modulated according to the at least one operating parameter acquired after the previous pulse signal is delivered to the target electron gun.

[0055] For example, the interval transmission in operation S220 refers to transmitting two adjacent pulse signals out of N pulse signals at intervals of a certain time, such as a time interval between 0.1 microseconds and 1 millisecond, or between 1 millisecond and several hundred milliseconds. That is, the N pulse signals include a series of voltage peaks transmitted at intervals of a certain time for controlling the emission of the electron beam.

[0056] It is understandable that electron guns have different electron emission capabilities under different pulse signals. Two different pulse signals cause the electron gun to emit different electron beams. This is because the electron gun's emission performance varies due to many factors, such as its lifespan, single continuous beam emission time, temperature changes during beam emission, manufacturing process, material differences, and different production batches after replacing spare parts. This difference is particularly noticeable in multi-electron gun systems.

[0057] Therefore, the working status of the target electron gun can be monitored in real time, and the pulse parameters can be adjusted in a timely manner according to the dynamic changes in the gun status, thereby maintaining the overall stable working status. For example, if the working parameters of the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal are different when they are collected in real time before transmission, then under the premise of outputting the same electron beam, the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal will have different amplitudes and widths.

[0058] According to embodiments of this disclosure, by acquiring at least one operating parameter of the target electron gun in real time, it is possible to modulate part or all of the N pulse signals with pulse signals as the control granularity, thereby achieving pulse-level precise control of the electron beam output by the electron gun through pulse-level control of the input to the electron gun.

[0059] In some embodiments, at least one operating parameter includes the gun voltage and gun current of the target electron gun, and at least one of the N pulse signals is modulated based on the gun voltage and gun current.

[0060] For example, at least one of the above operating parameters includes key parameter 1, key parameter 2, ... key parameter Y as shown in Figure 3. The measured values ​​are the actual operating parameter values ​​collected. The electron gun voltage is obtained by collecting the voltage of the circuit in the electron gun, which is used to establish a high-voltage electric field between the cathode and anode of the electron gun to accelerate electrons. The gun current can be obtained from one or more of the cathode current, grid current, current from the previous electron beam emission, or current in other regions. For example, it can be obtained by measuring a certain current value or by summing multiple current values.

[0061] For example, modulation can be used to obtain the pulse voltage amplitude, pulse width, and interval time between the pulse signal to be transmitted and the adjacent previous pulse signal. For instance, based on the device shown in Figure 1, the mapping relationship between different electron beams and different doses can be determined in advance through experiments. Different combinations of operating parameters and different pulse signals can also be predetermined. The resulting electron beam parameters are stored in a data table or fitted to a mathematical model (expressed as a mathematical equation), yielding the basic algorithm values ​​shown in Figure 3. Modulation is then achieved by looking up the table or inputting the values ​​into the mathematical model.

[0062] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the pulse signal to be delivered can be precisely modulated based on the real-time collected gun voltage and gun current, which are reflected on the input side, so as to achieve precise control of the output electron beam.

[0063] In some embodiments, at least one of the N pulse signals is obtained by modulating based on the gun voltage and gun current, including: determining the pulse voltage and pulse width of the pulse signal to be transmitted according to a preset first mapping relationship based on the gun voltage and gun current.

[0064] The first mapping relationship can refer to the correspondence between gun voltage, gun current, pulse voltage, and pulse width. This might be pre-stored in the form of a data table or mathematical model, for example, using linear regression analysis to determine the relationship between gun voltage, gun current, pulse voltage, and pulse width. The first mapping relationship describes the process of calculating the pulse voltage and pulse width using gun voltage and gun current as inputs under given electron beam parameters, corresponding to the workflow using the basic algorithm values ​​in Figure 3. For example, if the gun voltage is 150kV and the gun current is 0.5mA, the system can look up a table or use a mathematical model to calculate the corresponding pulse voltage as 10kV and the pulse width as 1 microsecond (this is just an example).

[0065] According to embodiments of this disclosure, an automated modulation process can be achieved using a first mapping relationship, reducing the time required for manual adjustments and minimizing resource consumption and time required for automated adjustments.

[0066] In some embodiments, for a target pulse signal that is not the first one delivered among the N pulse signals, the method further includes: modulating the pulse voltage and pulse width of the target pulse signal based on the gun voltage and gun current, and the previous actual dose. The previous actual dose includes the actual dose output by the radiation source to which the target electron gun belongs after the previous pulse signal delivered.

[0067] The initial delivery refers to the first pulse signal delivered to the target electron gun out of N pulse signals. The X-ray source includes any beam module with a modular design as shown in Figure 1. For example, if the target pulse signal corresponds to the same dose as the previous pulse signal, using the negative feedback algorithm value in Figure 3, it is found that the previous actual dose is lower than expected. By increasing the pulse voltage and pulse width of the target pulse signal, the output of the X-ray source can reach the expected dose. This expected dose can be the dose corresponding to the target signal itself, or it can be based on the additional compensation value for the previous actual dose.

[0068] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the target pulse signal can be precisely modulated based on the previous actual output of the radiation source and the operating parameters of the electron gun itself, thereby achieving pulse-level control of the electron gun output.

[0069] Figure 4 schematically illustrates a flowchart of obtaining a target pulse signal by modulation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0070] As shown in Figure 4, this embodiment includes:

[0071] In operation S410, the gun voltage and gun current are corrected according to the second mapping relationship between the gun voltage and gun current of the target electron gun when the previous pulse signal was transmitted and the previous actual dose.

[0072] During operation of S420, the pulse voltage and pulse width of the target pulse signal are determined based on the corrected gun voltage and gun current.

[0073] The second mapping relationship includes the correspondence between the gun voltage and gun current when transmitting the previous pulse signal and the actual dose. Based on the second mapping relationship and the deviation between the previous actual dose and the target dose, the theoretical gun voltage and theoretical gun current required for the radiation source to achieve the corresponding dose after transmitting the target pulse signal can be calculated. Then, based on the difference between the collected actual gun voltage and actual gun current and their respective theoretical values, corrections are made if the difference exceeds a certain range (e.g., the deviation exceeds 10%). The corrected gun voltage and gun current can then be the aforementioned theoretical values, thereby allowing the pulse voltage and pulse width of the target pulse signal to be deduced, modulated, and transmitted.

[0074] According to embodiments of this disclosure, adaptive correction can be performed based on the actual performance of the electron gun and the actual output of the X-ray source, enabling precise control of the electron beam under different operating conditions and improving the stability and reliability of the X-ray source output.

[0075] Figure 5 schematically illustrates a flowchart of dynamically adjusting the power supply according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] As shown in Figure 5, this embodiment is one example of operating S220, including:

[0077] In operation S510, after transmitting M pulse signals, the first superimposed dose of the radiation source to which the target electron gun belongs is obtained, wherein the first superimposed dose includes the sum of the actual doses output by the radiation source measured in response to transmitting M pulse signals, and M is less than or equal to N;

[0078] For example, if each pulse signal generates a dose of 1 unit, and 5 pulse signals are delivered, then the first superimposed dose is 5 units.

[0079] In operation S520, in response to each of the N pulse signals being delivered, the number of pulse signals to be delivered, i.e., the number of pulse signals to be subsequently delivered to the target electron gun, is determined based on the difference between the first superimposed dose and the target dose. In some embodiments, the determination of the pulse width and pulse voltage of each subsequent pulse signal to be delivered may also be included.

[0080] According to embodiments of this disclosure, subsequent pulse signals can be dynamically adjusted based on the actual output dose to achieve precise control of the output dose of the radiation source to which the target electron gun belongs.

[0081] In some embodiments, determining the number of pulse signals to be delivered based on the difference between the first superimposed dose and the target dose includes:

[0082] If M is less than N and the first superimposed dose is less than the target dose, continue to deliver the pulse signal to be delivered from N pulse signals. The number of pulse signals to be delivered in this step is the difference between N and M. For example, the previously modulated pulse signals to be delivered can also be executed. Furthermore, the pulse width and pulse voltage of each subsequent modulated pulse signal to be delivered can be re-determined based on the difference between the first superimposed dose and the target dose, so as to achieve the task of outputting the target dose.

[0083] If M is less than N and the first superimposed dose is greater than or equal to the target dose, the delivery of the pulse signal to be delivered among the N pulse signals is stopped. This step determines that the number of pulse signals to be delivered is 0.

[0084] When M equals N and the first superimposed dose is less than the target dose, a predetermined number of pulse signals to be delivered are added and transmitted. The predetermined number may include: delivering one pulse according to the original pulse signal parameters, and detecting in real time whether the first superimposed dose has reached the target dose. If it has not reached the target dose, one more pulse is delivered until the target dose is achieved.

[0085] In some embodiments, the predetermined quantity may further include: splitting the differential dose according to the maximum dose corresponding to each pulse signal, allocating it to one or more pulse signals and transmitting it, wherein operations S510 to S520 may be repeatedly performed, for example, after transmitting S pulse signals, obtaining the second superimposed dose of the radiation source to which the target electron gun belongs, wherein the second superimposed dose includes the sum of the actual doses output by the radiation source measured in response to transmitting S pulse signals, where S is an integer greater than or equal to 1; in response to any one of the predetermined quantity of pulse signals to be transmitted being transmitted, determining the number of subsequent pulse signals to be transmitted based on the difference between the sum of the first superimposed dose and the second superimposed dose and the target dose.

[0086] In some embodiments, delivering N matching pulse signals to the target electron gun at intervals includes: the interval between any two adjacent delivered pulse signals is less than or equal to 1 millisecond.

[0087] For example, in a flash radiotherapy scenario, the width of the electron gun pulse high voltage, i.e., the effective working time of the electron gun, can be 10 microseconds, and at most a few tens of microseconds (for example only). The duty cycle of the effective time is not high; it is idle for the rest of the time, and at any given moment, only one electron gun is working. Preferably, if a pulse signal is transmitted within 1 millisecond, and its pulse width is 10 microseconds, then the interval between transmitting the next pulse signal is 990 microseconds.

[0088] The pulse power supply method for multiple electron guns according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below based on Figures 1 to 5 and the above description.

[0089] Figure 6 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a pulse power supply method for multiple electron guns according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 schematically illustrates an architecture diagram of pulse power supply control for multiple electron guns according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] As shown in Figure 6, this embodiment includes:

[0091] In operation S610, the order in which multiple X-ray sources send multiple X-ray beams to the same target (as shown in Figure 7, the trigger sequence of each gun) is obtained, as well as the pulse sequence that matches the electron gun in each X-ray source. The pulse sequence includes N pulse signals, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0092] In operation S620, the control power supply sequentially and alternately delivers matching pulse sequences to multiple electron guns among multiple radiation sources to provide power. During the power supply process, the pulse power supply method for the electron guns, as shown in Figures 1-5 and various embodiments above, can be executed.

[0093] For example, the working status of the electron gun can be monitored in real time, and the pulse parameters can be adjusted in a timely manner according to different gun states. A closed-loop control algorithm is adopted to achieve a normalized working effect for each gun, thereby maintaining the overall stable working state of the equipment. The time between two electron gun pulses can be used to combine the various sub-modules (as shown in Figure 10) and select different electron gun ports, thereby enabling the delivery of different high-precision DC pulse high voltages to different electron guns.

[0094] Referring to Figure 7, the host system can be a control unit, such as a computer or PLC controller. Users can interact with the host system to issue radiation task requirements. Relationship parameter 1, parameter of interest 2... parameter of interest U (such as environmental factors like air humidity, altitude, temperature, and mains power stability) can be used as inputs to achieve parameter analysis, dose analysis, and sequence decomposition, obtaining the pulse number and pulse dose of each electron gun 1, electron gun 2... electron gun M.

[0095] As shown in Figure 1, the delivery sequence of each electron gun in the multi-electron gun system can vary depending on the radiation mission requirements. As shown in Figure 7, pulse control is achieved through a modular power supply and a high-speed processor. That is, the parameters of the previous pulse signal and the electron gun port can be different from the parameters of the subsequent pulse signal and the electron gun parameters, or the parameters of the previous pulse sequence and the electron gun port can be different from the parameters of the subsequent pulse sequence and the electron gun parameters.

[0096] In some embodiments, obtaining the order in which multiple radiation sources send multiple radiation beams to the same target 130 includes: configuring each radiation source to send radiation beams once or multiple times, wherein at least one other radiation source is configured to send radiation beams between two adjacent times in the multiple times.

[0097] The triggering order and operating parameters of each electron gun are not restricted. Assuming there are five electron guns, they can be triggered sequentially in the order 1-2-3-4-5, in combination in the order 2-4-5, or in the order 1-2-3-2 – any combination is possible, maximizing the overall efficiency of the multi-electron gun system. High-speed data processing algorithms can be used to rapidly decompose radiation mission information, such as the specific dose requirements under ultra-high dose radiation, into the dose (pulse dose), the number of pulses delivered (i.e., the value of N), and the triggering sequence of each electron gun's single-pulse signal.

[0098] Figure 7 illustrates the final dose supplementation (final supplementation sequence). For example, for each electron gun, the number of pulse signals to be delivered and modulated can be determined and executed based on the difference between the first superimposed dose and the target dose. For instance, if the radiation source of electron gun 1 is to deliver a dose of 20 cGy, and after completing a certain number of pulses as planned, the actual measured dose is less than 20 cGy, then 1-2 more pulses are added to supplement the target dose of 20 cGy. If the measured dose is sufficient, no further supplementation is needed. As another example, based on the difference between the total superimposed dose after multiple electron guns are triggered together and the total target dose, one or more electron guns can be designated to be triggered again one or more times to perform dose supplementation.

[0099] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a "one-to-many" power supply scheme is provided, in which multiple electron guns share a single power supply. By alternately powering multiple electron guns with a single power supply, overall costs can be saved, and pulse-level control of the output of each electron gun can be achieved, enabling precise pulse-level beam control.

[0100] In some embodiments, the power supply is controlled to alternately supply power to multiple electron guns in sequence within a time period of less than or equal to 1 second; and / or, after the power supply to any of the multiple electron guns is terminated, the power supply is controlled to switch to supply power to another electron gun in sequence within a time period of less than or equal to 1 second (such as switching time intervals within 1 millisecond).

[0101] In some embodiments, multiple electron guns correspond one-to-one with multiple power supply ports. Controlling the power supply to alternately deliver matching pulse sequences to multiple electron guns in multiple radiation sources in sequence for power supply includes: controlling the power supply to alternately select the power supply port (i.e., the electron gun port) corresponding to the electron gun in sequence, for example, switching the selected power supply port within a time period of less than or equal to 1 second (such as switching the time interval within 1 millisecond).

[0102] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a single power supply can power different electron guns, and the parameters of a single pulse signal are adjustable, namely, the pulse high voltage amplitude and pulse width are adjustable. The power supply port output can also be specified, enabling fast and reliable switching in complex electromagnetic environments.

[0103] In some embodiments, obtaining a pulse sequence that matches the electron gun in each radiation source includes: assigning multiple target doses to multiple radiation sources in a one-to-one correspondence based on radiation mission information, wherein any two target doses are the same or different; and determining a pulse sequence that matches the electron gun in each radiation source based on the target dose of each radiation source.

[0104] For example, multiple radiation sources correspond to multiple modularly designed and independent beam modules. Radiation mission information may include the dose required for a single flash radiotherapy session, such as 100 cGy. The five target doses allocated to the five radiation sources can all be 20 cGy, or they can be 30 cGy, 20 cGy, 10 cGy, 15 cGy, and 25 cGy. The target dose of different radiation sources can be determined based on the relative position of their emitted radiation beams to the target point; for example, if a radiation source emits a beam that passes through a vital organ, it can provide a lower target dose to that organ.

[0105] According to embodiments of this disclosure, multiple electron guns are treated as a whole, and the target dose is allocated in a coordinated manner in conjunction with radiation mission information. Then, a pulse sequence that can achieve the target dose is obtained, thereby realizing the effect of adjustable single pulse signal parameters of a single electron gun and coordinated control of multiple electron guns.

[0106] In some embodiments, determining the pulse sequence matching the electron gun based on the target dose of each radiation source includes: determining a sub-dose corresponding to each of the N pulse signals based on the target dose of each radiation source; wherein the target dose is obtained by superimposing the N sub-dose signals.

[0107] For example, if the target dose of electron gun 1 is 30 cGy, the maximum dose corresponding to a single pulse signal, such as 3 cGy, can be obtained based on the factory parameters, service life, temperature, and historical beam output data of electron gun 1. Then, 10 pulse signals can be obtained to form a pulse sequence.

[0108] According to embodiments of this disclosure, high-precision pulse high voltage of different pulse signals is delivered to different electron guns to achieve pulse-level control of the electron guns and fine and accurate control of the output dose of the radiation source.

[0109] In some embodiments, obtaining the order in which multiple radiation sources send multiple radiation beams to the same target 130 includes: obtaining the time at which each radiation source sends a radiation beam, and its position at the corresponding time; wherein the different radiation sources send radiation beams at different times, and the position of each radiation source is dynamically adjustable. As shown in Figure 1, for example, the position of each radiation source is adjusted by rotating the rotary assembly 120.

[0110] Figure 8 schematically illustrates a structural block diagram of a pulse power supply device 800 for an electron gun according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0111] In some embodiments, the pulse power supply device 800 for the electron gun includes:

[0112] The acquisition module 810 can perform operation S210 to acquire at least one operating parameter of the target electron gun in real time.

[0113] The power supply module 820 can perform operation S220 to periodically supply N pulse signals to the target electron gun for power supply, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; wherein at least one of the N pulse signals is modulated according to at least one operating parameter.

[0114] In some embodiments, the pulse power supply device 800 for the electron gun further includes a control unit 830, which is configured to acquire a first superimposed dose of the radiation source to which the target electron gun belongs after transmitting M pulse signals, wherein the first superimposed dose includes the sum of the actual doses output by the radiation source measured in response to the transmission of M pulse signals, and M is less than or equal to N; and in response to each of the N pulse signals being transmitted, the number of pulse signals to be transmitted is determined based on the difference between the first superimposed dose and the target dose.

[0115] In some embodiments, the control unit is further configured to continue executing the pulse signal to be delivered among the N pulse signals when M is less than N and the first superimposed dose is less than the target dose; to stop executing the pulse signal to be delivered among the N pulse signals when M is less than N and the first superimposed dose is greater than or equal to the target dose; and to increase and execute a predetermined number of pulse signals to be delivered when M is equal to and the first superimposed dose is less than the target dose.

[0116] It is understood that the pulse power supply device 800 for an electron gun includes modules for implementing the steps of any of the above embodiments of the pulse power supply method for an electron gun, and can solve the same technical problems and achieve the same technical effects.

[0117] Figure 9 schematically illustrates a structural block diagram of a pulse power supply device 900 for multiple electron guns according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0118] In some embodiments, the pulse power supply device 900 for multiple electron guns includes: a power supply 910; and a control unit 920 for performing one or more steps of the pulse power supply method for multiple electron guns as described above, to pulse power the multiple electron guns.

[0119] In some embodiments, the power supply may include a power supply module 920 as described above for the pulse power supply device for the electron gun. The control unit 920 may be the same as the control unit 830.

[0120] It is understood that the pulse power supply device 900 for the electron gun includes modules for implementing the steps of any embodiment of the pulse power supply method for multiple electron guns as described above, and can solve the same technical problems and achieve the same technical effects.

[0121] In some embodiments, the pulse power supply device 900 for multiple electron guns may include the pulse power supply device 800 for multiple electron guns as described above.

[0122] Figure 10 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a structure capable of pulse power supply according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] In some embodiments, the power supply may include a first voltage module and a second voltage module. The first voltage module includes at least one first submodule configured to output a fixed-volt DC voltage; the second voltage module includes at least one second submodule configured to output a variable-volt DC voltage.

[0124] As shown in Figure 10, the AC mains power is first modulated into a lower voltage DC power supply, forming a sub-module of the power supply. Based on the principle of "series voltage addition," multiple sub-modules are connected in series to form the main circuit for converting 380V AC mains power to a DC pulse high voltage. Different numbers of sub-modules can be selected to obtain different DC pulse high voltage values. To improve the adjustment accuracy of the DC pulse high voltage, some adjustable DC voltage modules are also included, ready for use according to the required pulse voltage accuracy.

[0125] Referring to Figure 10, at least one first submodule includes submodule 1, submodule 2...submodule N, and at least one second submodule includes submodule a1, submodule a2...submodule aK. Further referring to Figure 10, the voltage-fixed module can be used to receive instructions from the control unit to select one or more of submodules 1, 2...submodule N for activation, wherein each submodule can convert 380V mains power into a DC pulse voltage of fixed amplitude. The voltage-adjustable module can be used to receive instructions from the control unit to select one or more of submodules a1, a2...submodule aK for activation, wherein each submodule can convert 380V mains power into a DC pulse voltage of adjustable amplitude. Then, a high-voltage pulse can be obtained. Through the output port selection step, in response to delivering a specific high-voltage pulse and pulse width to the target electron gun, the pulse signal transmission is achieved.

[0126] For example, each of submodules 1, 2, ..., N can output a fixed 1000V DC pulse. To boost the voltage to 7500V, submodules 1 through 7 are selected, and another submodule a1 is used to adjust its voltage to 500V. This allows all eight submodules to be selected to achieve a 7500V boost voltage. By utilizing the interval between two pulse signals from the same electron gun, or the interval between switching between two electron guns, the combination of submodules and the selection of different output ports can be achieved, thus enabling the delivery of different high-precision DC pulse high voltages to different electron guns.

[0127] In some embodiments, this disclosure also provides a radiation device including an ultra-high dose rate radiation device 100 as shown in FIG1. ​​The radiation device may be configured with a plurality of radiation sources, the plurality of radiation sources including a plurality of corresponding electron guns. The radiation device may also include a power supply device as described in any of the above.

[0128] The above one or more embodiments have the following beneficial effects:

[0129] 1) By acquiring at least one operating parameter of the target electron gun in real time, it is possible to modulate part or all of the N pulse signals with pulse signals as the control granularity, thereby achieving pulse-level precise control of the electron beam output by the electron gun through pulse-level control of the input electron gun.

[0130] 2) Provide a "one-to-many" power supply solution for multiple electron guns sharing a power supply. By alternately powering multiple electron guns with a single power supply, overall costs can be saved, and pulse-level control of the output of each electron gun can be achieved, enabling precise pulse-level beam control.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will understand that the features described in the various embodiments of this disclosure can be combined and / or combined in various ways, even if such combinations or combinations are not explicitly described in this disclosure. In particular, the features described in the various embodiments of this disclosure can be combined and / or combined in various ways without departing from the spirit and teachings of this disclosure. All such combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0132] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. However, these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used advantageously in combination. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Various substitutions and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and all such substitutions and modifications should fall within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A pulse power supply method for an electron gun, comprising: At least one operating parameter of the target electron gun is acquired in real time, wherein the at least one operating parameter includes the gun voltage and gun current of the target electron gun; N pulse signals are delivered to the target electron gun at intervals to provide power, including any two adjacent pulse signals being delivered at intervals, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; Wherein, at least one of the N pulse signals is modulated according to the at least one operating parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the N pulse signals is obtained by modulation based on the gun voltage and gun current, including: Based on the gun voltage and gun current, the pulse voltage and pulse width of the pulse signal to be transmitted are determined according to a preset first mapping relationship.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The fact that at least one of the N pulse signals is modulated according to the at least one operating parameter also includes: For any two adjacent pulse signals, the latter pulse signal is modulated based on at least one operating parameter acquired after the former pulse signal is transmitted to the target electron gun.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, For the target pulse signal that is not transmitted for the first time among the N pulse signals, it also includes: Based on the gun voltage and gun current, and the previous actual dose, the pulse voltage and pulse width of the target pulse signal are modulated. The previous actual dose includes the actual dose output by the radiation source to which the target electron gun belongs after the previous pulse signal that delivered the target pulse signal.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The pulse voltage and pulse width of the target pulse signal obtained by modulation include: Based on the second mapping relationship between the gun voltage and gun current of the target electron gun when the previous pulse signal was transmitted and the previous actual dose, the gun voltage and gun current are corrected; Based on the corrected gun voltage and gun current, the pulse voltage and pulse width of the target pulse signal are determined.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The interval delivery of N matching pulse signals to the target electron gun includes: After transmitting M pulse signals, the first superimposed dose of the radiation source to which the target electron gun belongs is obtained, wherein the first superimposed dose includes the sum of the actual doses output by the radiation source measured in response to transmitting the M pulse signals, and M is less than or equal to N; In response to the delivery of any one of the N pulse signals, the number of subsequent pulse signals to be delivered is determined based on the difference between the first superimposed dose and the target dose.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The number of subsequent pulse signals to be delivered is determined based on the difference between the first superimposed dose and the target dose, including: If M is less than N and the first superimposed dose is less than the target dose, the pulse signal to be delivered from the N pulse signals continues to be delivered. If M is less than N and the first superimposed dose is greater than or equal to the target dose, the execution of the pulse signal to be delivered among the N pulse signals shall be stopped. When M equals N and the first superimposed dose is less than the target dose, a predetermined number of pulse signals to be delivered are increased and delivered.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The process of increasing and transmitting a predetermined number of pulse signals to be transmitted includes: After transmitting S pulse signals, the second superimposed dose of the radiation source to which the target electron gun belongs is obtained, wherein the second superimposed dose includes the sum of the actual doses output by the radiation source measured in response to transmitting the S pulse signals, and S is an integer greater than or equal to 1; In response to the delivery of any one of the predetermined number of pulse signals to be delivered, the number of subsequent pulse signals to be delivered is determined based on the difference between the sum of the first superimposed dose and the second superimposed dose and the target dose.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-2 and 4-8, wherein, The interval delivery of N matching pulse signals to the target electron gun includes: The interval between any two adjacent transmitted pulse signals is less than or equal to 1 millisecond.

10. A pulse power supply method for multiple electron guns, comprising: The sequence of multiple X-ray sources sending multiple X-ray beams to the same target is obtained, as well as the pulse sequence matching the electron gun in each X-ray source, wherein the pulse sequence includes N pulse signals, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; Based on the method of any one of claims 1 to 9, the power supply is controlled to alternately deliver matching pulse sequences to the multiple electron guns among the plurality of radiation sources in the order described above for power supply.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, Each of the multiple electron guns corresponds to a multiple power supply port. The control power supply alternately delivers a matching pulse sequence to the multiple electron guns among the plurality of radiation sources in the specified order to provide power, including: The power supply is controlled to alternately select the power supply ports of the corresponding electron guns in the specified order.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, Obtaining the pulse sequence that matches the electron gun in each X-ray source includes: Based on the radiation mission information, multiple target doses are assigned to the multiple radiation sources in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein any two target doses may be the same or different; A pulse sequence matching the electron gun within each radiation source is determined based on the target dose of that source.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, Determining the pulse sequence matching the electron gun within each radiation source based on the target dose of that source includes: Based on the target dose of each radiation source, determine the sub-dose corresponding to each of the N pulse signals; The target dose is obtained by superimposing N sub-dose.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein, The order in which the multiple radiation sources send multiple radiation beams to the same target includes: Obtain the time when each X-ray source emits a beam of X-rays, and its position at the corresponding time; The different X-ray sources emit X-ray beams at different times, and the position of each X-ray source is dynamically adjustable.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein, The power supply is controlled to alternately supply power to the plurality of electron guns in the prescribed sequence within a time period of less than or equal to 1 second; and / or, After power is cut off to any of the plurality of electron guns, the power supply is controlled to switch to power another electron gun in the order within a time of less than or equal to 1 second.

16. A pulse power supply device, comprising: Power supply; A control unit is configured to control the power supply to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 14 or any one of claims 10 to 15, to pulse power one or more electron guns.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, The power supply includes: A first voltage module includes at least one first submodule, the first submodule being configured to output a fixed volt DC voltage; The second voltage module includes at least one second submodule, the second submodule being configured to output a variable DC voltage in volts.

18. A radiation device, comprising: Multiple radiation sources, including multiple electron guns that correspond one-to-one; as well as The power supply device according to any one of claims 16 or 17, wherein the power supply device is configured to provide pulse power to the plurality of electron guns.

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