The disclosure provides systems and methods for adjusting a multi-leaf collimator (MLC). The MLC includes a plurality of cross-layer leaf pairs, each cross-layer leaf pair of the plurality of cross-layer leaf pairs includes a first leaf located in a first layer of leaves and a second leaf opposingly located in a second layer of leaves. For at least one cross-layer leaf pair, an effective cross-layer leaf gap to be formed between the first leaf and the second leaf may be determined; at least one of the first leaf or the second leaf may be caused to move to form the effective cross-layer leaf gap; and an in-layer leaf gap may be caused, based on the effective cross-layer leaf gap, to be formed between the first leaf and an opposing first leaf in the first layer. A size of the in-layer leaf gap may be no less than a threshold.

A particle beam radiotherapy system has been proposed by using a set of first and second scatterers, whereby a short-duration pulse beam is irradiated to a lesion. When the duration of the radiotherapy beam is 200 milliseconds or less, healthy tissues are selectively protected and only cancer tissues are damaged. For example, it can be used for cancer treatment of brain metastases that may be distributed throughout the entire brain tissues. The positions of the scatterers and the energy of the incident particle beams are optimized according to the position and the volume of the brain tissues.

Presented systems and methods facilitate efficient and effective monitoring of particle beams. In some embodiments, a radiation gun system comprises: a particle beam gun that generates a particle beam, and a gun control component that controls the gun particle beam generation characteristics, including particle beam fidelity characteristics. The particle beam characteristics can be compatible with FLASH radiation therapy. Resolution control of the particle beam generation can enable dose delivery at an intra-pulse level and micro-bunch level. The micro-bunch can include individual bunches per each 3 GHz RF cycle within the 5 to 15 μsec pulse-width. The FLASH radiation therapy dose delivery can have a bunch level resolution of approximately 4.4×10{circumflex over ( )}−6cGy/bunch.

A plurality of wall cells rest upon an underlying cementitious foundation and form a perimeter of the vault. Each wall cell has two lateral sides with mating surfaces thereon which are of complementary undulating shape with adjacent lateral surfaces of adjacent wall cells. The wall cells have different thicknesses and widths to provide desirable wall thickness for a different portions of the oncology vault. A door assembly formed of specialized wall cells and with a pivoting door element are also included within the wall. A ceiling is provided above space inboard of the wall cells. This ceiling is formed of separate ceiling slab elements. The slabs are stacked in at least one layer. In one embodiment, multiple layers of slabs are stacked with seams between slabs of each layer offset from each other. In another embodiment, lateral sides of the slabs have a complementary undulating shape.

It is provided a method for determining a distribution of spots for use with ion beam therapy for providing the spots in a target volume, wherein each spot represents a collection of ions of a specific energy level and of a specific size at a specific lateral location. The method is performed in a treatment planning system and comprises the steps of: dividing the target volume in a plurality of target sections based on a user configuration comprising at least one spot size strategy defining a maximum spot size at the location of a Bragg peak; assigning a spot size strategy to each one of the target sections based on the location of the respective target section; and determining, within each target section, spots in accordance with its spot size strategy.

A medical system for providing radiotherapy is disclosed. The system comprises a particle accelerator configured to produce a radiation beam and irradiate at least a part of a subject with the radiation beam. The particle accelerator comprises a plasma zone comprising or configured to receive a plasma, and at least one beam source configured to provide an excitation beam along an axis through the plasma zone. The medical system is configured to provide a plurality of charged particles in the plasma in a region that propagates through the plasma zone behind the excitation beam such that the plurality of charged particles are accelerated to produce a radiation beam comprising the plurality of charged particles with a broadband energy distribution, wherein: at least part or all of the energy distribution of the radiation beam is substantially exponential or power-law; the radiation beam delivers 75% or more of a dose of the charged particles at and below 2 g/cm.sup.2; and/or the energy beam has an energy or energy distribution in the range from 10 eV to 10 MeV.

Particle therapy systems and methods for treating patients are provided. In one implementation, a particle therapy system may include an interaction chamber for containing a target and an electromagnetic radiation source configured to generate a pulsed electromagnetic radiation beam of at least about 100 terawatts and at a repetition rate of at least about 20 Hz. The particle therapy system may further include optics configured to direct the pulsed electromagnetic radiation beam along a path towards a target in the interaction chamber. The particle therapy system may further include an actuator configured to cause relative movement between the target and the electromagnetic radiation beam at a speed associated with the repetition rate of the electromagnetic radiation source, to thereby vary a location of interaction of the pulsed electromagnetic radiation beam on a surface of the target and thereby cause a resultant emission from the target of at least about 3×10.sup.6 charged particles per pulse.

A tool for radiation therapy simulation or planning is disclosed which aids in avoiding collisions during treatment. Configurations of components including at least a radiation delivery device (30) and a patient (32) are generated. Each configuration defines positions of the components in a common coordinate system. For each configuration, proximities of pairs of components of the configuration are computed using ray tracing between three-dimensional surface models (30m, 32m, 36m, 38m) representing the components of the pair. A collision is identified as any pair of components having a computed proximity that is less than a margin for the pair of components. Each identified collision is displayed on a display (12), e.g. as a rendering. The simulations or planning may be used to verify deliverability of arc, 4Pi, or static therapy, to determine safety margins for collisions, to calculate and display realizable trajectories, and so forth.

Systems, devices, and methods for converting a raw neutron beam to a specified deliverable format having a targeted energy range, size, and direction are described. Embodiments of a neutron beam converter can include numerous regions based on location, function, dimension, and/or constituent material. The regions can include a central region, an intermediate region, a peripheral region, and a frontal region. Materials are also described.

A Cherenkov-based or thin-sheet scintillator-based imaging system uses a radio-optical triggering unit (RTU) that detects scattered radiation in a fast-response scintillator to detect pulses of radiation to permit capture of Cherenkov-light or scintillator-light images during pulses of radiation and background images at times when pulses of radiation are not present without need for electrical interface to the accelerator that provides the pulses of radiation. The Cherenkov images are corrected by background subtraction and used for purposes including optimization of treatment, commissioning, routine quality auditing, R&D, and manufacture. The radio-optical triggering unit employs high-speed, highly sensitive radio-optical sensing to generate a digital timing signal which is synchronous with the treatment beam for use in triggering Cherenkov light or scintillator light imaging.