173 results about "Proton therapy" patented technology

The invention comprises an X-ray system that is orientated to provide X-ray images of a patient in the same orientation as viewed by a proton therapy beam, is synchronized with patient respiration, is operable on a patient positioned for proton therapy, and does not interfere with a proton beam treatment path. Preferably, the synchronized system is used in conjunction with a negative ion beam source, synchrotron, and/or targeting method apparatus to provide an X-ray timed with patient respiration and performed immediately prior to and/or concurrently with particle beam therapy irradiation to ensure targeted and controlled delivery of energy relative to a patient position resulting in efficient, precise, and/or accurate noninvasive, in-vivo treatment of a solid cancerous tumor with minimization of damage to surrounding healthy tissue in a patient using the proton beam position verification system.

The invention comprises an X-ray system that is orientated to provide X-ray images of a patient in the same orientation as viewed by a proton therapy beam, is synchronized with patient respiration, is operable on a patient positioned for proton therapy, and does not interfere with a proton beam treatment path. Preferably, the synchronized system is used in conjunction with a negative ion beam source, synchrotron, and/or targeting method apparatus to provide an X-ray timed with patient respiration and performed immediately prior to and/or concurrently with particle beam therapy irradiation to ensure targeted and controlled delivery of energy relative to a patient position resulting in efficient, precise, and/or accurate noninvasive, in-vivo treatment of a solid cancerous tumor with minimization of damage to surrounding healthy tissue in a patient using the proton beam position verification system.

A tiered communications architecture for managing network traffic in a distributed system. Communication between client or control computers and a plurality of hardware devices is administered by agent and monitor devices whose activities are coordinated to reduce the number of open channels or sockets. The communications architecture also improves the transparency and scalability of the distributed system by reducing network mapping dependence. The architecture is desirably implemented in a proton beam therapy system to provide flexible security policies which improve patent safety and facilitate system maintenance and development.

The invention comprises a rapid patient positioning system including a computer and motor controlled patient constraint system, such as a patient head and/or back support system having multiple adjustable degrees of freedom that facilitates accurate, precise, and rapid alignment of a patient relative to a support or table. The patient support system is preferably integrated with a rapid patient positioning system including steps of: positioning a patient relative to the table in a substantially vertical orientation, transitioning the table through a semi-vertical orientation, such as with a robot arm, and orientating the patient and the table in a substantially horizontal orientation, such as in a position for charged particle tumor therapy. Preferably, the robot arm is in common with an arm used to move the patient in traditional proton therapy.

A system and methods are provided for generating intensity modulated proton therapy plans robust to various kinds of delivery uncertainties with the capability for treatment planners to control the balance between plan quality and robustness. The system obtains a representation of a subject and a proton beam configuration that describes a number of beamlets and their respective arrangement. The system computes an objective function, in the treatment planning system, first part of which is about dose deviations from the prescribed dose in the target volumes, second part of which is about dose deviations from the dose constraint in the non-target volumes, and computing dose volume constraints for targets using a probability to control the dose distribution in the target volumes to be between a lower threshold and an upper threshold. Based on this information, the system obtains a robust chance-constrained treatment planning model with a user-adjustable tolerance level.

The invention comprises a charged particle beam, rapid patient positioning system including steps of: positioning a patient relative to a table in a substantially vertical orientation, optionally constraining motion of the patient with one or more constraints, transitioning the table through a semi-vertical orientation, such as with a robot arm, and orientating the patient and table in a substantially horizontal orientation, such as in a position for tumor therapy. Preferably, the robot arm is in common with an arm used to move the patient in traditional proton therapy. Optionally, the robot arm is used to re-orientate the patient into a substantially vertical orientation at the conclusion of a charged particle therapy session.

Simulating particle beam interactions includes identifying a set of n functions F₁, F₂, . . . , F_n corresponding to a plurality of different physical aspects of a particle beam, performing simulations of each F_i using a full physics model, selecting for each F_i a distribution function f_i that models relevant behavior and reducing computation of the full physics model for each F_i by replacing F_i with a distribution function f_i. The computation reduction includes comparing a set of simulations wherein each f_i replaces its respective F_i to determine if relevant behavior is accurately modeled and selecting one of f_i or F_i for each n, for a Monte Carlo simulation based on a runtime and accuracy criteria.

Compact particle selection and collimation devices are disclosed for delivering beams of protons with desired energy spectra. These devices are useful with laser-accelerated proton therapy systems, in which the initial protons have broad energy and angular distributions. Superconducting magnet systems produce a desired magnetic field configuration to spread the protons with different energies and emitting angles for particle selection. The simulation of proton transport in the presence of the magnetic field shows that the selected protons are successfully refocused on the beam axis after passing through the magnetic field with the optimal magnet system. Dose distributions are also provided using Monte Carlo simulations of the laser-accelerated proton beams for radiation therapy applications.

The invention discloses a proton therapy system based on a compact superconducting cyclotron. The proton therapy system includes a superconducting cyclotron system, an energy selection system and a beam transportation system, a fixed treatment room subsystem and a rotary frame treatment subsystem; the fixed energy proton beam led out by the superconducting cyclotron in the superconducting cyclotron system can be a continuously adjusting proton beam of 70-200MeV via the energy selection system, so that the longitudinal adjustment of the range during the proton therapy of tumors can be met; thebeam is transmitted to the fixed treatment room subsystem and the rotary frame treatment subsystem via the beam transportation system; the superconducting cyclotron system, the energy selection system, the beam transportation system and a treatment head are subjected to cooperative control to realize the transverse expansion of the proton beam, so that the intensity modulation treatment of the tumor can be completed. According to the invention, the innovation is good, the practicability is high, the beam intensity of the superconducting cyclotron is adjustable, and the intensity modulation treatment can be realized; and the system has an extremely important promotion effect on the accuracy, effectiveness and high efficiency of tumor treatment of a patient.

Systems and apparatuses for providing particle beams for radiation therapy with a compact design and suitable to a single treatment room. The radiation system comprises a stationary cyclotron coupled to a rotating gantry assembly through a beam line assembly. The system is equipped with a single set of dipole magnets that are installed on the rotating gantry assembly and undertakes the dual functions of beam energy selection and beam deflection. The energy degrader may be exposed to the air pressure. The beam line assembly comprises a rotating segment and a stationary segment that are separated from each other through an intermediate segment that is exposed to an ambient pressure.

A gantry apparatus for a proton treatment system, including a proton beam nozzle to emit a proton beam to a targeted region of a patient, a gantry wheel to support the proton beam nozzle to direct the proton beam to an isocenter of the gantry wheel corresponding to a center of the targeted region, a plurality of adjustable bearings incrementally spaced apart along an outer diametrical surface of the gantry wheel, and a bearing surface to support a portion of the adjustable bearings such that when the wheel is rotated from a first angular position to a second angular position, at least a portion of the bearings contact the bearing surface to raise or lower the gantry wheel to realign the proton beam to the center of the targeted region.

System and method of dynamically presenting visual representations of a target volume in an anatomical context to an operator-user of a charged particle radiation therapy system. The visual representations are integrated as a part of a treatment console graphical user interface (GUI) and presented as a part of a holistic view of treatment information. The visual representations are digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) constructed based on anatomical images captured before the therapy session, or alternatively during a treatment session using an imaging system attached to the radiation treatment system. In an online mode, the on-screen visual representations are rendered in synchronization with the irradiation delivery process.

Systems and methods are described herein to provide a user-interface to visualize and control a beam request panel for requesting allocation of usage of a shared therapy beam. The user interface allows a user to visualize a beam request queue, to request the shared therapy beam for treatment, to estimate when a beam request will be fulfilled, and to cancel a beam request if needed.