The invention comprises a method and apparatus for treating a tumor of a patient, in a beam treatment center comprising a floor, with positively charged particles, comprising: (1) a synchrotron mounted to an elevated floor section above the floor of the beam treatment center; (2) a beam transport system, comprising: at least three fixed-position beam transport lines, where none of the synchrotron and the beam transport system penetrate through the floor of the beam treatment center; (3) the positively charged particles transported from the synchrotron, through the beam transport system, to a position above a patient positioning system during use; and (4) an optional repositionable nozzle system connected to a first, second, and third fixed-position beam transport line at a first, second, and third time, respectively, where the nozzle track forms an arc of a circle and the repositionable nozzle system moves along the nozzle track.

A radiation system is provided. The radiation system may include a bore accommodating an object, a rotary ring, a first radiation source and a second radiation source mounted on the rotary ring and a processor. The first radiation source may be configured to emit a first cone beam toward a first region of the object. The second radiation source may be configured to emit a second beam toward a second region of the object, the second region including at least a part of the first region. The processor may be configured to obtain a treatment plan of the object, the treatment plan including parameters associated with radiation segments. The processor may be further configured to control an emission of the first cone beam and/or the second beam based on the parameters associated with the radiation segments to perform a treatment and a 3-D imaging simultaneously.

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for treating a tumor, comprising the steps of: (1) a main controller sequentially delivering charged particles from a synchrotron along a first beam transport line, through a nozzle system, and to the tumor according to a current version of the radiation treatment plan; (2) concurrent with the step of delivering, generating an image of the tumor using an imaging system; (3) the main controller automatically generating an updated version of the radiation treatment plan using the image, the updated version of the radiation treatment plan becoming the current version of the radiation treatment plan; and (4) repeating the steps of: delivering grouped bunches of the charged particles, generating an image of the tumor, and automatically generating the updated or current version of the radiation treatment plan with optional intervening doctor approval.

An irradiation treatment system comprising: a synchrotron ring defining a border extending vertically from the synchrotron ring; a particle beam generator, an output of the particle beam generator coupled to an inlet of the synchrotron ring and arranged to inject charged particle beams into the synchrotron ring; a field control unit arranged to adjust an electric and magnetic field such that the injected charged particle beams are accelerated; a treatment irradiation source positioned within the defined border, the input of the irradiation source coupled to the outlet of the synchrotron ring and arranged to receive the accelerated particle beams from the synchrotron ring; and a patient support member positioned within the defined border and arranged to support a patient in a predetermined relationship with the output of the treatment irradiation source, the treatment irradiation source arranged to irradiate the supported patient with the accelerated particle beams.

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for using a multi-layer multi-color scintillation based detector element to image a tumor of a patient using a process of determining residual energies of positively charged particles after passing through the patient, the process comprising the steps of: (1) transmitting the positively charged particles at known energies through the patient and into a multi-layer detector element; (2) detecting first and second secondary photons, resultant from passage of the positively charged particles, respectively from a first layer of a first scintillation material and a second layer of a second scintillation material at two respective layer depths, where the first wavelength range differs from the second wavelength range; (4) determining residual energies of the positively charged particles, using output from the step of detecting; and (5) relating the residual energies to body densities to generate an image.

A source grating structure (G0) for interferometric X-ray imaging cable of generating a non-uniform intensity profile behind a surface (S) of the grating structure when exposed to X-ray radiation.

A method and system for detecting an image of an object in an analyzer-based system with a polychromatic x-ray beam from an x-ray source, wherein an analyzer crystal and a detector simultaneously acquire a rocking curve of the x-ray beam for all energies of the x-ray beam. The x-ray beam is diffracted through the object using an asymmetrical monochromator. A detector movement is synchronized with one of the x-ray source or the object. The synchronization includes moving the detector at a first rate that is different than a second rate of the object or the x-ray source, wherein a ratio between the first rate and the second rate is determined by the magnification of the system.

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for treating a tumor of a patient, in a beam treatment center comprising a floor, with positively charged particles, comprising: (1) a synchrotron mounted to an elevated floor section above the floor of the beam treatment center; (2) a beam transport system, comprising: at least three fixed-position beam transport lines, where none of the synchrotron and the beam transport system penetrate through the floor of the beam treatment center; (3) the positively charged particles transported from the synchrotron, through the beam transport system, to a position above a patient positioning system during use; and (4) an optional repositionable nozzle system connected to a first, second, and third fixed-position beam transport line at a first, second, and third time, respectively, where the nozzle track forms an arc of a circle and the repositionable nozzle system moves along the nozzle track.

An irradiation treatment system comprising: a synchrotron ring defining a border extending vertically from the synchrotron ring; a particle beam generator, an output of the particle beam generator coupled to an inlet of the synchrotron ring and arranged to inject charged particle beams into the synchrotron ring; a field control unit arranged to adjust an electric and magnetic field such that the injected charged particle beams are accelerated; a treatment irradiation source positioned within the defined border, the input of the irradiation source coupled to the outlet of the synchrotron ring and arranged to receive the accelerated particle beams from the synchrotron ring; and a patient support member positioned within the defined border and arranged to support a patient in a predetermined relationship with the output of the treatment irradiation source, the treatment irradiation source arranged to irradiate the supported patient with the accelerated particle beams.

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for treating a tumor of a patient, in a beam treatment center comprising a floor, with positively charged particles, comprising: (1) a synchrotron mounted to an elevated floor section above the floor of the beam treatment center; (2) a beam transport system, comprising: at least three fixed-position beam transport lines, where none of the synchrotron and the beam transport system penetrate through the floor of the beam treatment center; (3) the positively charged particles transported from the synchrotron, through the beam transport system, to a position above a patient positioning system during use; and (4) an optional repositionable nozzle system connected to a first, second, and third fixed-position beam transport line at a first, second, and third time, respectively, where the nozzle track forms an arc of a circle and the repositionable nozzle system moves along the nozzle track.