Separate Linear Accelerators for Nuclide Beam Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In particle beam therapy, the combined use of different nuclides such as carbon and proton beams for irradiation results in an insufficient number of proton particles due to shared linear accelerators, leading to reduced absorbed doses and particle accumulation due to the space charge effect.
Innovation Solution
The use of separate linear accelerators for each nuclide, optimized in terms of energy and particle number, allows for pre-acceleration and injection into a main accelerator, ensuring balanced absorbed doses between different nuclide beams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a shared linear accelerator is used for pre-accelerating both carbon beam and proton beam, then device complexity is reduced, but the number of proton particles becomes insufficient due to space charge effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the accelerator system into separate linear accelerators for different nuclides. Specifically, a first linear accelerator is dedicated to carbon beam pre-acceleration while a second linear accelerator is dedicated to proton beam pre-acceleration. This segmentation eliminates the space charge effect interference between different particle types and ensures sufficient particle numbers for each beam type.
2Quantity of substance
If separate linear accelerators are used for each nuclide, then the number of particles for each nuclide is optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a shared inflector structure that can handle multiple nuclide beams from different linear accelerators. The inflector is designed to receive and inject both carbon beams and proton beams into the circular accelerator, providing a universal interface that reduces the overall system complexity despite having separate pre-acceleration stages.
3Use of energy by moving object
If carbon beam and proton beam are injected into circular accelerator with the same energy, then energy optimization is achieved, but particle accumulation is reduced due to space charge effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements separate acceleration paths for different nuclides by using dedicated linear accelerators. This segmentation prevents space charge effect between carbon and proton beams during pre-acceleration, allowing sufficient particle accumulation for each beam type before injection into the circular accelerator at optimized energies.
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 optimizes the energy and particle number for each nuclide, enhancing the therapeutic effectiveness of particle beam irradiation by maintaining sufficient particle numbers and achieving balanced absorbed doses.
Implementation Method 1
a first linear accelerator (21) that linearly accelerates the generated first nuclide ions (31)
Implementation Method 2
accelerated by an accelerator to approximately 70% of the speed of light
Implementation Method 3
the number of accumulated particles in the proton beam is reduced due to the space charge effect
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a technique by which each nuclide is optimized in terms of energy and number of particles and pre-accelerated so as to be injected into a main accelerator in charged particle beam irradiation by the combined use of different nuclides.A charged particle beam injector includes: a first ion source that generates first nuclide ions; a first linear accelerator that linearly accelerates the generated first nuclide ions to form a first charged particle beam; a second ion source that generates second nuclide ions; a second linear accelerator that linearly accelerates the generated second nuclide ions to form a second charged particle beam; and a switching electromagnet that injects one of the first charged particle beam and the second charged particle beam into an inflector of a main accelerator.