RF Beam Scanner for Hadron Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current proton therapy systems are large, expensive, and have slow energy scanning rates, leading to increased treatment time and susceptibility to patient motion, with existing beam delivery systems being inefficient and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A compact beam delivery system incorporating an RF energy modulator, RF deflector, and a short permanent magnet quadrupole for rapid 3D scanning of proton or ion beams, enabling dose delivery rates of up to 50 Gy/L/s and accommodating tumor motion, with components designed for high efficiency and compactness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional energy scanning methods are used to change beam energy in multiple small steps, then beam energy can be adjusted, but the scanning rate becomes slow (hundreds of milliseconds to seconds per step)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical energy degradation systems with an RF cavity-based electromagnetic field system. The RF cavity modulates beam energy through electromagnetic interaction rather than mechanical degradation, enabling energy changes on microsecond timescales instead of hundreds of milliseconds to seconds required by conventional methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameter from gradual mechanical energy degradation to rapid RF-based energy modulation. By varying RF amplitude and phase, the system achieves continuous energy adjustment across the treatment volume, reducing total treatment time while maintaining dose precision.
2Productivity
If conventional beam delivery systems are used, then beam energy can be controlled, but the system size becomes large and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the energy modulation function from the main accelerator and places it in a separate, compact RF cavity system. This allows the use of a fixed-energy, compact accelerator (such as a cyclotron) while achieving variable energy delivery through the RF cavity, reducing overall system size and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The RF cavity serves multiple functions: it acts as an energy modulator, a beam deflector, and a timing synchronization device. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall system while maintaining high productivity.
3Measurement precision
If slow energy scanning is used, then beam energy can be adjusted, but the treatment plan becomes susceptible to patient motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic RF pulses at frequencies of 1-10 kHz to modulate beam energy and position. This rapid periodic action allows the beam to be delivered in synchronized pulses that can track and accommodate patient motion, maintaining dose precision even during treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic energy and position adjustment during beam delivery. The RF system can change energy and deflection in real-time based on feedback or pre-planned trajectories, allowing the treatment to adapt to patient motion and maintain reliability.
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 solution significantly reduces treatment time, increases patient throughput, and provides biological benefits by enabling fast and precise delivery of high doses to tumors, addressing the limitations of existing systems with improved size, cost, and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
RF energy modulation and deflection to enable a dose delivery of 50 Gy/L/s
Implementation Method 2
RF energy modulation and deflection to enable a dose delivery of 50 Gy/L/s
Implementation Method 3
a short permanent magnet quadrupole into the beam delivery system
Data Source
AI summary
A hadron therapy system that provides 3D scanning and rapid delivery of a high dose. Such systems can include a hadron source and accelerator with an RF energy modulator and an RF deflector that operate in combination to provide 3D scanning of a targeted tissue. The systems can include a permanent magnet quadrupole for magnification of the beam. The systems can include high energy hadron sources that utilize a multi-cell, multi-klystron design that achieves scanning of high energy hadron beams, for example a fixed energy of 200 MeV protons. Such systems can provide full irradiation of a liter scale tumor within one second or less.