Remote Proton Beam Monitoring Interfaces for Fault Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional proton beam therapy systems require on-site servicing by technicians, leading to increased costs and reduced system uptime due to the need for co-located monitoring and control equipment, which is impractical for widespread deployment.
Innovation Solution
Implementing remote monitoring and control systems with hardware interconnects and dedicated communication channels to allow technicians to monitor and diagnose faults from a remote location, reducing the need for on-site personnel and infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If on-site servicing with co-located technicians and monitoring equipment is implemented, then system reliability and immediate fault response are improved, but infrastructure cost and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A remote interface system acts as an intermediary between the proton beam therapy system and technicians, enabling remote monitoring and control without requiring physical presence. The system includes remote interface hardware coupled to system components and a remote interface software that presents controls and indicators to technicians remotely, eliminating the need for co-located monitoring equipment while maintaining system reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical system of co-located technicians and on-site monitoring equipment with an electronic communication system. Hardware interfaces and software protocols transmit system states and control commands over communication networks, substituting physical presence with digital communication to reduce infrastructure complexity while maintaining reliability
2Reliability
If co-located service equipment and technician staff are deployed at each proton beam therapy system location, then immediate servicing and system reliability are improved, but operational cost increases dramatically
Solution Approach 1:
The remote interface system serves multiple functions through a single deployment: it enables monitoring, diagnostics, and control of proton beam therapy systems from any location with network connectivity. This universal system can support multiple systems across different geographic locations without requiring separate infrastructure at each site, dramatically reducing operational costs while maintaining system availability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the system interface that can be accessed remotely. The remote interface software presents controls and indicators that replicate the functionality of on-site interfaces, allowing technicians to interact with the system remotely as if physically present, thereby eliminating the need for expensive on-site infrastructure while maintaining full system access and availability
3Ease of operation
If technicians must be physically present at each proton beam therapy system location for servicing, then direct system control is improved, but system uptime decreases due to technician travel and deployment time
Solution Approach 1:
The remote interface system serves as an intermediary that enables direct system control without physical presence. Hardware interfaces coupled to system components transmit control commands and system states through communication networks, allowing technicians to operate the system remotely with the same directness as on-site control, eliminating travel time and maximizing system uptime
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical requirement of physical presence with electronic communication mechanisms. Control commands and system states are transmitted through hardware interfaces and communication protocols, substituting the need for technician travel and physical deployment with instant digital communication, thereby maintaining ease of operation while maximizing system availability
Data Source
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AI summary
Present implementations are directed to remote monitoring and control of proton beam emitting and delivery. Present implementations can reduce the number of co-located technicians and service monitoring equipment required to perform monitoring of proton beam emitting and delivery systems 600, allowing proton beam emitting and delivery systems to be deployed at significantly more locations while reducing the infrastructure requirements and cost burdens associated with co-locating large staffs of technicians with at each proton beam emitting and delivery system location. Present implementations include multiple hardware interconnects 200 operatively couplable to specific hardware components of proton beam emitting and delivery systems. These interconnects provide a technical solution for allowing servicing technicians to remotely monitor proton beam emitting and delivery systems, and to diagnose operating faults without the requirement to be co-located with the proton beam emitting and delivery system location.