Particle Therapy Command Value Segmentation for Beam Setting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing particle therapy systems face inefficiencies in beam setting due to the large number of command value groups required, leading to prolonged search times and reduced treatment efficiency as the number of beam types increases, affecting the number of patients that can be treated per unit time.
Innovation Solution
Classifying command values into first and second groups, with the second group depending on gantry angle and energy, allowing for automatic computation and storage reduction, and using index information to simplify data handling, thereby shortening beam setting time and increasing treatment efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If all command value groups are stored in entirety for each beam type, then beam setting accuracy is ensured, but the number of stored data increases significantly leading to prolonged search time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides command value groups into two categories: first command value groups (independent of gantry angle) and second command value groups (dependent on gantry angle). This segmentation allows the system to store only essential data once and compute others as needed, reducing storage requirements while maintaining beam setting accuracy across all beam types and gantry angles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-computes and stores first command value groups that are independent of gantry angle, so they are ready for immediate use. When a beam setting is required, the system retrieves pre-computed data and only computes the gantry angle-dependent portions (second command value groups) as needed, reducing overall search time while ensuring accuracy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of beam types increases to accommodate more tumor varieties, then treatment versatility improves, but the number of command value groups increases leading to reduced treatment efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates universal first command value groups that can be applied across multiple beam types and gantry angles. These universal data structures serve multiple purposes, allowing the system to handle diverse tumor treatments without storing separate complete command value sets for each beam type, thus maintaining versatility while improving efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from storing complete command value groups for each beam type to storing only the invariant portions (first command value groups) and computing variable portions (second command value groups) based on gantry angle. This parameter change in data storage strategy allows the system to accommodate increasing numbers of beam types without proportionally increasing storage requirements or search times.
3Manufacturing precision
If command value groups are stored for all beam parameters, then beam configuration accuracy is maintained, but data handling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments command value data into two distinct groups based on their dependency relationships. First command value groups are stored independently of gantry angle, while second command value groups are computed based on gantry angle. This segmentation simplifies data handling by reducing the total amount of data that needs to be stored and managed, while maintaining beam configuration accuracy through systematic computation of required values.
Data Source
AI summary
A particle therapy system capable of increasing the number of patients treated in one treatment room per unit time. The particle therapy system comprises a charged particle beam generator for generating an ion beam, an irradiation apparatus for irradiating the ion beam extracted from the charged particle beam generator to an irradiation target, a beam transport system for transporting the ion beam extracted from the charged particle beam generator to the irradiation apparatus, and a central control unit for producing a set of command data to command excitation currents for magnets disposed in the charged particle beam generator and the beam transport system, the set of command data being classified into group-1 data and group-2 data.