FLASH Radiotherapy X-Ray Target with Purging Magnet and Collector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional X-ray targets and components are unsuitable for the high beam currents and instantaneous dose rates required in FLASH radiotherapy, leading to deterioration and potential destruction, as well as thermal stress issues due to repeated thermal cycling.
Innovation Solution
A radiotherapy system featuring a bremsstrahlung X-ray target made of refractory metals and a purging magnet to redirect unwanted particles, combined with a particle collector to absorb these particles and dissipate a significant portion of the electron beam's energy, ensuring system reliability and compatibility with existing radiotherapy systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If conventional X-ray targets are used to generate high dose rate radiotherapy beams, then the instantaneous dose rate can be increased, but the X-ray target deteriorates and may be destroyed due to high beam currents and thermal stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the electron beam energy dissipation function into two separate components: the X-ray target that converts electron beam energy to X-rays, and the particle collector that absorbs unwanted particles and dissipates excess energy. This segmentation prevents the X-ray target from being overloaded by high beam currents and thermal stresses, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving high instantaneous dose rates and maintaining target reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The particle collector acts as an intermediary component between the electron beam and the X-ray target. It redirects and absorbs unwanted particles while allowing the X-ray generation process to continue with reduced thermal load on the target, enabling high power operation without target destruction.
2Productivity
If conventional X-ray targets undergo repeated thermal cycling, then the treatment can be delivered, but the targets crack and melt due to thermal stresses
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the energy dissipation function from the X-ray generation function, the system reduces the thermal cycling burden on the X-ray target. The particle collector absorbs the majority of electron beam energy, allowing the target to undergo milder thermal cycles that preserve structural integrity while still enabling treatment delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The particle collector is designed as a sacrificial component that absorbs the harsh thermal and particle load, protecting the more valuable X-ray target from degradation. This allows the system to maintain productivity while preserving target strength.
3Loss of time
If high beam currents are used to achieve FLASH radiotherapy dose rates, then the treatment time is reduced to fractions of a second, but conventional targets cannot withstand the large currents
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the beam current handling into two pathways: one for X-ray generation and another for particle absorption. The particle collector is specifically designed to handle high beam currents and redirect particles, allowing the use of high currents for FLASH therapy without damaging the X-ray target.
Solution Approach 2:
The purging magnet and particle collector system serves as an intermediary that manages the harmful effects of high beam currents by redirecting and absorbing unwanted particles, enabling FLASH radiotherapy treatment times of fractions of a second without target damage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively manages high dose rates in FLASH radiotherapy, maintaining system reliability and allowing for efficient scanning of the radiotherapy beam while minimizing thermal stress on the X-ray target, thus enabling reliable and high-energy electron beam therapy.
Implementation Method 1
a linear accelerator configured to accelerate a stream of electrons to an energy of, for example, at least 50 MeV
Implementation Method 2
a bremsstrahlung X-ray target configured to convert a portion of the stream of electrons into X-rays
Implementation Method 3
a purging magnet configured to redirect residual particles escaping from the bremsstrahlung X-ray target while passing the X-rays
Implementation Method 4
a particle collector configured to absorb the escaping particles subsequent to redirection by the purging magnet
Data Source
AI summary
A radiotherapy system includes an X-ray target configured to convert an incident electron beam into a therapeutic X-ray beam, a purging magnet configured to redirect unwanted particles emitted from the X-ray target away from the therapeutic X-ray beam, and a particle collector configured to absorb the unwanted particles subsequent to redirection by the purging magnet. The particle collector may be configured to dissipate at least 50% of the energy of the incident electron beam.