Self-Shielding Radiation Therapy Table Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation therapy systems require extensive and costly shielding, including thick-walled bunkers, to manage stray radiation, which increases installation costs and footprint, and does not adequately reduce radiation exposure for patients and workers.
Innovation Solution
A self-shielding system incorporating a scatter shield, source shield, and anti-reflective beam dump to absorb scattered, source, and transmitted radiation, respectively, reducing leakage radiation to regulatory compliance levels without the need for a traditional bunker.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional open beam radiation therapy systems are used, then treatment versatility is improved, but stray radiation increases requiring expensive bunker construction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a self-shielding table positioned between the radiation source and the treatment area. This table with integrated beam stop and shielding elements acts as an intermediary that absorbs and redirects stray radiation away from the treatment room, allowing the open beam system to maintain versatility while reducing harmful radiation escape.
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding approach moves from traditional three-dimensional bunker construction to a two-dimensional self-shielding table structure. By concentrating shielding mass in the table and beam stop configuration, the system achieves radiation containment without requiring thick-walled rooms, thus maintaining treatment versatility while reducing stray radiation impact.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If thick-walled bunker construction is used, then radiation shielding is improved, but installation cost and footprint increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the shielding function from the building structure (bunker) and relocates it to the treatment table and beam stop assembly. This separation allows the shielding to be integrated into the machine itself rather than requiring expensive architectural construction, significantly reducing installation costs while maintaining effective radiation containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding elements (beam stop, scatter shield, primary shield) are merged into the treatment table structure. This integration consolidates multiple functions (patient support, beam stopping, radiation shielding) into a single unified system, eliminating the need for separate bunker construction and reducing overall installation cost.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If beam stop thickness is increased, then beam absorption is improved, but scatter radiation from beam stop increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beam stop is designed with a tilted geometry rather than a simple vertical thick barrier. By angling the beam stop surface, the system redirects scatter radiation away from the treatment room in a controlled direction, maintaining effective beam absorption while managing scatter radiation propagation through geometric design.
Solution Approach 2:
The scatter shield positioned above the beam stop acts as an intermediary that captures and redirects scatter radiation. This additional shielding element intercepts scatter photons before they can escape into the treatment room, solving the problem of beam stop scatter while maintaining effective beam absorption.
4Ease of manufacture
If self-shielding system is implemented, then bunker requirements are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment table is designed to serve multiple functions: patient support, beam stopping, and radiation shielding. By making the table itself the primary shielding component rather than adding separate complex shielding structures, the system achieves effective radiation containment while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding system is segmented into distinct functional zones: primary shield in the table, beam stop with specific geometry, and scatter shield above. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall system simplicity and avoiding the need for a complex unified bunker structure.
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
The self-shielding system effectively limits leakage radiation to below 0.02 mSv/week, reducing the need for a bunker and lowering operational and installation costs while ensuring safe radiation levels for patients and workers.
Implementation Method 1
a scatter shield configured to absorb scattered radiation from a patient
Implementation Method 2
a source shield on the scatter shield configured to absorb unwanted radiation from a radiation source and beam shaping elements
Implementation Method 3
an anti-reflective beam dump below the scatter shield configured to absorb radiation that is transmitted through a patient
Data Source
AI summary
A shielding system which can be applied to a radiation therapy system and/or diagnostic system includes a scatter shield configured to absorb scattered radiation from a patient, a source shield to absorb unwanted radiation from the radiation source, and an anti-reflective beam dump configured to absorb radiation that is transmitted through a patient. The radiation therapy and/or diagnostic system includes a radiation source positioned in the source shield, and a patient support positioned in the scatter shield.