Generally, a method or apparatus for tomographically imaging a sample, such as a tumor of a patient, using positively charged particles positions n two-dimensional detector arrays on n surfaces of a scintillation material or scintillator, respectively. Resultant from energy transfer from the positively charged particles, secondary photons are emitted from the scintillation material and detected by the plurality of two-dimensional detector arrays, where each detector array images the scintillation material. Combining signals from the plurality of two-dimensional detector arrays, the path, position, energy, and/or state of the positively charged particle beam as a function of time and/or rotation of the patient relative to the positively charged particle beam is determined and used in tomographic reconstruction of an image of the sample or the tumor.

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for charged particle tomography imaging. In one aspect, a system includes a charged particle tomography scanner (CPTS) unit to detect individual charged particles of an emitted charged particle beam delivered to a subject by a charged particle delivery (CPD) system, and a processing unit to determine the angular trajectory change (scattering) and energy loss of the charged particle beam based on detected trajectory information and produce an anatomical image. The CPTS unit includes two detectors, one positioned between the subject and the CPD system, and the other detector positioned opposite to the first detector to detect the trajectory information of the individual charged particles of the charged particle beam having passed through the first detector and the subject, and a motion control unit to move the detectors, in which the detectors' size covers an area at least that of the beam's cross-section.

An X-ray apparatus includes an X-ray source embodied to generate X-rays; an X-ray detector; and an X-ray-reflection unit. The X-ray-reflection unit is embodied to reflect X-rays generated by the X-ray source such that the reflected X-rays hit the X-ray detector. The X-ray detector is in particular embodied to detect the X-rays. The X-ray apparatus can, on the one hand, enlarge the available space above a patient. Furthermore, focusing via the X-ray-reflection unit enables the power of the X-ray source to be increased while retaining a constant spatial resolution or the spatial resolution to be improved while retaining a constant power of the X-ray source.

Apparatus and methods for therapy delivery are disclosed. In one embodiment, a therapy delivery system includes a plurality of movable components including a radiation therapy nozzle and a patient pod for holding a patient, a patient registration module for determining a desired position of at least one of the plurality of movable components, and a motion control module for coordinating the movement of the least one of the plurality of movable components from a current position to the desired position. The motion control module includes a path planning module for simulating at least one projected trajectory of movement of the least one of the plurality of moveable components from the current position to the desired position.

The invention comprises a method or apparatus for tomographically imaging a sample, such as a tumor of a patient, using positively charged particles. Position, energy, and/or vectors of the positively charged particles are determined using a plurality of scintillators, such as layers of chemically distinct scintillators where each chemically distinct scintillator emits photons of differing wavelengths upon energy transfer from the positively charged particles. Knowledge of position of a given scintillator type and a color of the emitted photon from the scintillator type allows a determination of residual energy of the charged particle energy in a scintillator detector. Optionally, a two-dimensional detector array additionally yields x/y-plane information, coupled with the z-axis energy information, about state of the positively charged particles. State of the positively charged particles as a function of relative sample/particle beam rotation is used in tomographic reconstruction of an image of the sample or the tumor.

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for determining a radiation beam treatment path to a tumor, comprising the steps of: (1) delivering charged particles from an accelerator, along a first beam transport path, through an output nozzle, and along a treatment path to the tumor relative to a calibrated reference beam path from the output nozzle toward a patient position and (2) prior to the step of delivering, a main controller verifying an unobstructed linear path of the treatment path using a set of fiducial indicators positioned at least: on a first element physically affixed and co-movable with the output nozzle and on a moveable object in the treatment room. Optionally, voxels of the treatment beam path and potentially obstructing objects are defined in the treatment room using an axis system relative to the calibrated reference beam path and a reference beam point.

X-ray scattering imaging can provide complementary information about the unresolved microstructures of a sample. The scattering signal can be accessed with various methods based on coherent illumination, which span from self-imaging to speckle scanning. The directional sensitivity of the existing methods is limited to a few directions on the imaging plane and it requires the scanning of the optical components, or the rotation of either the sample or the imaging setup, if the full range of possible scattering directions is desired. A new arrangement is provided that allows the simultaneous acquisition of the scattering images in all possible directions in a single shot. This is achieved by a specialized phase grating and a device for recording the generated interference fringe with sufficient spatial resolution. The technique decouples the sample dark-field signal with the sample orientation, which can be crucial for medical and industrial applications.

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.

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.