Particle Beam Therapy System with Dynamic Table Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional particle beam therapy systems face challenges in achieving high accuracy scanning irradiation due to beam size enlargement caused by scattering, particularly when using expandable vacuum ducts, which are either costly or have limited stroke, and result in large beam spots that are not suitable for precise scanning.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a fixed length irradiation nozzle with a scanning electromagnet and a treatment table control unit to position the patient closer to the beam outlet window, allowing the particle beam to be irradiated from a position closer to the nozzle, thereby minimizing beam size enlargement and enhancing accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If an expandable vacuum duct is used to approach the beam outlet window closer to the patient, then beam size enlargement is suppressed, but the bellows stroke is limited or the cost becomes extremely high
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment table is made dynamically adjustable to move the patient closer to the beam outlet window during irradiation. This dynamic positioning allows the system to achieve the benefits of a shortened beam path without requiring a complex expandable vacuum duct structure, thereby suppressing beam size enlargement while avoiding the limitations of bellows stroke and high cost.
2Device complexity
If the beam outlet window is positioned farther from the patient, then the vacuum duct structure is simpler, but the beam spot diameter becomes large due to scattering
Solution Approach 1:
By making the treatment table dynamically adjustable, the system can position the patient at the optimal distance from the beam outlet window during irradiation. This dynamic adjustment allows the beam outlet window to be positioned at a standard fixed distance in the vacuum duct structure while still achieving a short effective beam path to the patient, thereby maintaining simple vacuum duct structure while controlling beam spot diameter.
3Manufacturing precision
If the treatment table moves the patient closer to the beam outlet window, then scanning irradiation accuracy is improved, but the positional relationship between equipment isocenter and patient isocenter must be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The control system incorporates feedback mechanisms to precisely control and monitor the positional relationship between the equipment isocenter and patient isocenter. When the treatment table moves the patient closer to the beam outlet window, the feedback system adjusts the positioning to ensure accurate alignment, thereby maintaining scanning irradiation accuracy while managing the increased positioning requirements.
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
This approach enables precise scanning irradiation with a smaller beam size, reducing the impact of scattering and allowing for more accurate treatment, especially in areas like the head and neck where beam energy is lower and depth is shallow, while maintaining high precision and minimizing the influence on surrounding organs.
Implementation Method 1
a scanning electromagnet which is provided at the downstream side of the vacuum duct to deflect the particle beam, which travels in the vacuum duct, perpendicular to the direction of travelling so as to scan a patient's affected area
Implementation Method 2
an accelerator configured to accelerate a charged particle beam so as to extract a particle beam
Implementation Method 3
a beam position monitor for monitoring a beam dose
Data Source
AI summary
A particle beam therapy system comprising a treatment table, a treatment table control unit and an irradiation control unit configured to output an instruction for controlling the treatment table control unit, an accelerator and a scanning electromagnet, wherein after the treatment table control unit controls the treatment table so as for a patient isocenter which is reference position of an affected area of a patient to move to a position of an irradiation isocenter which is set at a position which is closer to an irradiation nozzle than an equipment isocenter which is reference of positional relation of the irradiation nozzle and the treatment table, the irradiation control unit outputs an instruction for irradiating the patient with a particle beam.