A system that generates short charged particle packets or pulses (e.g., electron packets) without requiring a fast-switching-laser source is described. This system may include a charged particle source that produces a stream of continuous charged particles to propagate along a charged particle path. The system also includes a charged particle deflector positioned in the charged particle path to deflect the stream of continuous charged particles to a set of directions different from the charged particle path. The system additionally includes a series of beam blockers located downstream from the charged particle deflector and spaced from one another in a linear configuration as a beam-blocker grating. This beam-blocker grating can interact with the deflected stream of charged particles and divide the stream of the charged particles into a set of short particle packets. In one embodiment, the charged particles are electrons. The beam blockers can be conductors.

An apparatus includes an accelerator guide and a shielding structure enclosing the accelerator guide. The accelerator guide includes an electron source at a first end, a target at a second end, and a plurality of accelerating cavities coupled in series along a longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end. The accelerator guide has a contour as viewed in the longitudinal axis. The shielding structure has an inner wall surface defining a contour as viewed in the longitudinal axis generally conformal to the contour of the accelerator guide.

The present invention provides a standing wave electron linear accelerator comprising a modulator and a magnetron for producing radio frequency microwaves; a plurality of accelerating tubes for accelerating electrons; a microwave transmission system for feeding the microwaves into the plurality of accelerating tubes; a plurality of electron guns for emitting electron beams into the plurality of accelerating tubes; a plurality of targets impinged by the electrons from a plurality of accelerating tubes to form continuous spectrums of X-rays; a plurality of shielding devices for shielding the continuous spectrums of X-rays generated by the targets; and a microwave distributor disposed adjacent to the end of the microwave transmission system, wherein the microwave distributor has a microwave inlet and a plurality of microwave outlets for distributing the microwaves in the microwave transmission system into the accelerating tubes.

Methods and system for facilitating rapid radiation treatments are provided herein and relate in particular to radiation generation and delivery, beam control, treatment planning, imaging and dose verification. The methods and systems described herein are particularly advantageous when used with a compact high-gradient, very high energy electron (VHEE) accelerator and delivery system (and related processes) capable of treating patients from multiple beam directions with great speed, using all-electromagnetic or radiofrequency deflection steering is provided, that can deliver an entire dose or fraction of high-dose radiation therapy sufficiently fast to freeze physiologic motion, yet with a better degree of dose conformity or sculpting than conventional photon therapy.

A particle accelerator for creation of a bunched particle beam and a method for the operation of such a particle accelerator are provided, wherein the particle accelerator includes an HF source and a directional coupler for splitting HF power of the HF source of an HF side into at least a first and a second HF power coupler of a cavity side for coupling in the HF power into at least one accelerator cavity. A non-reciprocal phase shifter is inserted on the cavity side between the directional coupler and the second HF power coupler, and an HF load is connected on the HF side to the directional coupler, where the non-reciprocal phase shifter is configured to pass a reflected HF wave of the second HF power coupler with phase delay in the direction of the directional coupler in such a way that a destructive interference of the reflected HF waves of the first and second power couplers occurs in the directional coupler in the direction of the HF source on the HF side.

A linear accelerator head for use in a medical radiation therapy system can include a housing, an electron generator configured to emit electrons along a beam path, and a microwave generation assembly. The linear accelerator head may include a waveguide that is configured to contain a standing or travelling microwave. The waveguide can include a plurality of cells that are disposed adjacent one another, wherein each of the plurality of cells may define an aperture configured to receive electrons therethrough. The linear accelerator head can further include a converter and a primary collimator.

A linear accelerator head for use in a medical radiation therapy system can include a housing, an electron generator configured to emit electrons along a beam path, and a microwave generation assembly. The linear accelerator head may include a waveguide that is configured to contain a standing or travelling microwave. The waveguide can include a plurality of cells that are disposed adjacent one another, wherein each of the plurality of cells may define an aperture configured to receive electrons therethrough. The linear accelerator head can further include a converter and a primary collimator.

An accelerator system and/or method is used to create radionuclides through particle bombardments of target elements by generating a collimated and focused energetic particle beam. The accelerator system and/or method is provided with an ion source, a main beam transport pipeline, a plurality of acceleration tanks, a plurality of beam tuning devices, a plurality of target transport pipelines, a plurality of magnet kickers, and a plurality of target chambers.

A linac-based X-ray system for cargo scanning and imaging applications uses linac design, RF power control, beam current control, and beam current pulse duration control to provide variable controlled dose per pulse to permit scanning a portion of a vehicle at a dose safe for humans and scanning a cargo portion of a vehicle at substantially increased dose per pulse.

The invention relates to a drum assembly for a linear accelerator, the drum assembly comprising a drum having a front face including a front rim and a rear face including a rear rim, one or more support wheels supporting the drum, an arm extending from the front face of the drum and including a beam collimator through which a beam of radiation is emitted to form a radiation isocentre. One or more rear rim members are associated with the rear rim, the rear rim members adapted to substantially offset isocentre distortion due to unintended movement of the drum assembly. The invention also relates to variants thereto and combinations thereof.