Remote Proton Beam Control for Distributed Service Uptime
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional proton beam therapy systems require on-site servicing by trained technicians, leading to increased costs and reduced system uptime due to the need for co-located service equipment and personnel, which becomes impractical with widespread deployment across geographic boundaries.
Innovation Solution
Implementing remote control and monitoring systems with hardware interconnects and dedicated communication channels to allow technicians to manage proton beam emitting and delivery systems 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 is implemented, then system reliability and immediate fault response are improved, but device complexity and operational costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A remote interface system acts as an intermediary between technicians and the proton beam therapy system. This interface includes hardware interconnects that couple to system components and communication channels that transmit control signals and diagnostic data, enabling remote technicians to service the system without being physically present at the installation site.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical presence of technicians at the system location with electronic and communication-based remote access. Hardware interconnects and communication channels substitute for direct human intervention, allowing diagnostic and control functions to be performed remotely through digital interfaces rather than physical interaction with the system.
2Ease of operation
If technicians are co-located with each deployed system, then ease of operation and immediate maintenance are improved, but loss of time for system deployment and operational costs worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The remote interface system serves as a mediator that connects technicians to the proton beam therapy system across geographic distances. Hardware interconnects coupled to system components and communication channels enable technicians to perform maintenance and diagnostics remotely, eliminating the need for rapid physical deployment to multiple sites.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the technician's control environment at a remote location. The interface system replicates the necessary control and diagnostic capabilities at the technician's location, allowing them to interact with the system remotely as if they were physically present, thus eliminating travel time while maintaining full operational capability.
3Productivity
If multiple proton beam therapy systems are deployed across geographic boundaries, then productivity and treatment coverage are improved, but device complexity and servicing requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The remote interface system is designed with universal applicability across multiple proton beam therapy systems. The hardware interconnects and communication channels can couple to and control various system components at different locations through a standardized interface, allowing a single remote technician to service multiple distributed systems with diverse functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the control and diagnostic capabilities of multiple geographically distributed systems into a single remote interface. By combining access to multiple systems through unified hardware interconnects and communication channels, the technician can manage multiple proton beam therapy systems from one location, reducing the overall complexity of distributed system management.
Data Source
AI summary
A remote diagnostic control of physical components of a particle accelerator system includes presenting, by at least one processor at a first physical location, a fault control interface including at least one control affordance corresponding to a physical component associated with a particle emitting system and a particle delivery system each located at a second physical location remote from the first physical location, and at least one arrangement presentation corresponding to the physical component and at least one physical device including the physical component, the arrangement presentation including a first operating state indicator associated with the physical component and a second operating state indicator associated with the physical device, and in response to activating the control affordance, and presenting the modified control affordance, the modified first operating state indicator, and the modified second operating state indicator at the fault control interface.