Respiration Synchronized Proton Beam Therapy Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for monitoring and verification of proper patient respiration or breath control during particle beam therapy to ensure targeted and controlled delivery of energy to cancerous tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue, as well as efficient control of magnetic fields in charged particle cancer therapy systems to deliver charged particles with specified energy, intensity, and timing relative to the patient's respiration cycle.
Innovation Solution
A patient respiration monitoring and control method and apparatus are used in conjunction with multi-axis controlled charged particle beam radiation therapy, employing thermal and/or force sensors to determine the patient's breathing cycle and providing feedback signals for breath control, synchronized with charged particle delivery to enhance accuracy, precision, and efficiency of tumor treatment. Additionally, novel features of a synchrotron with intensity control of charged particle beam acceleration, extraction, and targeting methods are described, utilizing turning magnets, edge focusing magnets, and magnetic field control coils to tightly control the charged particle beam.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If charged particle beam therapy is delivered without respiration monitoring, then treatment speed is improved, but treatment precision deteriorates due to tumor movement during breathing
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates respiration monitoring devices that continuously track patient breathing and provide real-time feedback to the therapy delivery system. This feedback enables dynamic adjustment of beam delivery timing to account for tumor movement during respiration, maintaining precision without significantly reducing treatment speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system synchronizes charged particle beam delivery with the patient's respiration cycle by identifying specific phases (such as end-inspiration or end-expiration) when the tumor is in a known position. This periodic synchronization allows precise targeting during stable respiratory phases while allowing movement during other phases.
2Device complexity
If magnetic field control is simplified, then device complexity is reduced, but beam control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic field control system is divided into multiple independent control elements (such as separate magnet coils or magnetic field generators) that can be individually adjusted. This segmentation allows precise control of different aspects of beam trajectory and energy without requiring complete redesign of the entire magnetic field system.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic field control system employs dynamic adjustment capabilities where field strength and distribution can be changed in real-time during beam delivery. This dynamic control allows the system to compensate for patient movement and optimize beam positioning without requiring overly complex static field configurations.
3Loss of time
If particle delivery is not synchronized with respiration, then treatment time is reduced, but tissue damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Real-time respiration monitoring provides continuous feedback that triggers beam delivery only when the tumor is positioned optimally in its respiratory cycle. This feedback mechanism ensures that the majority of beam delivery occurs during phases when the tumor is stationary or in known positions, minimizing exposure of surrounding healthy tissues while maintaining efficient treatment timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification and characterization of the patient's respiration pattern before beam delivery begins. This preliminary analysis establishes a template for synchronizing beam delivery with respiratory phases, allowing efficient treatment planning that minimizes both treatment time and tissue 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
This approach allows for accurate and precise delivery of protons to tumors, reducing tissue damage and optimizing the use of synchrotron time by synchronizing particle delivery with the patient's respiration cycle and tightly controlling the charged particle beam, resulting in efficient treatment of solid tumors with minimized damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Implementation Method 1
charged particle beam acceleration, extraction, and/or targeting methods and apparatus
Implementation Method 2
utilizing turning magnets, edge focusing magnets, and magnetic field control coils to tightly control the charged particle beam
Implementation Method 3
employing thermal and/or force sensors to determine the patient's breathing cycle and providing feedback signals for breath control
Implementation Method 4
charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors
Data Source
AI summary
The invention comprises a patient respiration monitoring and/or control method and apparatus used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle or proton beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The respiration monitoring system uses thermal and/or force sensors to determine where a patient is in a respiration cycle in combination with a feedback signal control delivered to the patient to inform the patient when breath control is required. The resulting breath control is timed with charged particle delivery to the tumor to enhance accuracy, precision, and/or efficiency of tumor treatment.