Provided is a low-dose radiation treatment system for neurodegenerative diseases or chronic inflammation of human body treatment based on a photon energy level, including: a low-dose radiation therapy device wherein a treatment bed where a patient receives treatment while lying down is formed on a device body and a plurality of carbon nanotube sources are installed around the inner periphery of a ring-shaped gate of the device body to form a radiation gantry so that therapeutic radiation is irradiated toward the patient's body; and a controller configured to check a patient's condition using entered patient information, to set a treatment direction and to perform radiation therapy by driving the treatment bed such that a patient is positioned at an optimal treatment position and by controlling the operation of the low-dose radiation therapy device.

According to one embodiment, there is provided an ion source. The ion source includes a vacuum-exhausted vacuum chamber, a target which is set in the vacuum chamber and generates a plurality of valences of ions by irradiation of a laser beam, an acceleration electrode which is applied with voltage in order to accelerate the ions generated by the target, and an intermediate electrode which is provided between the target and the acceleration electrode and is applied with reverse voltage of the voltage applied to the acceleration electrode.

A radiation dosage monitoring system comprising a 3D camera operable to obtain images of a patient undergoing radiation treatment, the 3D camera being operable to detect Cherenkov radiation and any subsequent secondary and scattered radiation originating due the initial Cherenkov radiation emitted from a surface of the patient when the patient is irradiated by a radiation beam; and a processing module operable to process the images obtained by the 3D camera utilizing data indicative of chromophores present in a patient's skin to apply a correction factor to such images to account for absorption of Cherenkov radiation by chromophores in the skin when utilizing the images to generate a representation of radiation applied to the surface of the patient.

An example particle therapy system includes: a particle accelerator to output a beam of charged particles; and a scanning system to scan the beam across at least part of an irradiation target. An example scanning system includes: a scanning magnet to move the beam during scanning; and a control system (i) to control the scanning magnet to produce uninterrupted movement of the beam over at least part of a depth-wise layer of the irradiation target so as to deliver doses of charged particles to the irradiation target; and (ii) to determine, in synchronism with delivery of a dose, information identifying the dose actually delivered at different positions along the depth-wise layer.

An example particle therapy system includes: a particle accelerator to output a beam of charged particles; and a scanning system to scan the beam across at least part of an irradiation target. An example scanning system includes: a scanning magnet to move the beam during scanning; and a control system (i) to control the scanning magnet to produce uninterrupted movement of the beam over at least part of a depth-wise layer of the irradiation target so as to deliver doses of charged particles to the irradiation target; and (ii) to determine, in synchronism with delivery of a dose, information identifying the dose actually delivered at different positions along the depth-wise layer.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a 2D position-sensitive detector assembly comprising at least three substantially planar detector portions arranged in overlapping relationship as viewed normal to a plane of the detector portions, each detector portion comprising an array of substantially parallel, linear detector elements, the detector elements of respective detector portions being mutually non-parallel, the detector elements each being configured to generate one or more electrical signals in response to interaction of a particle of radiation therewith.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus having a particle beamline for passage of charged particles of radiation therealong, comprising: a first beam tracker structure comprising at least one position sensitive detector (PSD) for determining a location with respect to a cross-sectional area of the beam line at which particles pass through the PSD; energy discrimination apparatus for determining an energy of particles that have passed through the first beam tracker structure; and support means for supporting a subject in a path of a particle along the beamline between the first beam tracker structure and the energy discrimination apparatus, the apparatus being configured to be operated in a selected one of a first mode and a second mode, the apparatus being configured, in the first mode of operation, to control an energy of the beam of charged particles passing through the first beam tracker structure such that a Bragg peak of charged particle absorption is located within the subject, and in the second mode of operation, to control an energy of the beam of charged particles passing through the first beam tracker structure such that a Bragg peak of charged particle absorption is located within the energy discrimination apparatus.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus for detecting particles of radiation comprising: a plurality of solid state semiconductor detector devices provided at spaced apart locations along a beam axis, the detector devices each being configured to generate an electrical signal indicative of passage of a particle through or absorption of a particle by the device; and at least one absorber portion configured to absorb at least a portion of an energy of a particle, wherein one said at least one absorber portion is provided in a particle path between at least one pair of adjacent detector devices, the apparatus being configured to provide an output signal indicative of the energy of a particle, the output signal provided being dependent on the electrical signals indicative of passage of a particle through or absorption of a particle by the devices.

An interstitial source including a base suitable for implanting in a tumor and radioactive atoms of one or more isotopes, which are attached to the base. The radioactive atoms have a radon release rate of at least 0.5 micro-Curie (Ci) per centimeter length, and emit beta radiation achieving at 2 millimeters from the base an asymptotic dose of at least 10 Gy. Additionally, the ratio between the beta radiation asymptotic dose at a distance of 2 millimeters from the device, to the radon release rate, is greater than 15 Gy/(microcurie/cm).

A method of accumulating radium radionuclides, comprising providing a first solution including thorium radionuclides and a thorium-binding extractant, wherein the first solution does not bind to radium, allowing a portion of the thorium radionuclides in the first solution to decay into radium atoms and collecting radium atoms resulting from the decay. The collected radium atoms may be included in a solution in which brachytherapy sources are dipped, in a manner which collects the radium atoms onto the source.