Techniques are described herein for delivering a particle beam composed of a plurality of beamlets from a continuously rotating gantry towards a target, by determining a plurality of predefined spots on the target and configuring them into a set of smaller spots on the outside of the target and a set of larger spots on the inside of the target, optimizing the delivery of the rotating particle beam such that the inside edge and the outside edge of the arc of the rotating beam are delivered to the spots located at the center of the target, and the central component of the arc of the beam is delivered to the spots located at the outside of the target.

The present invention makes it possible to reliably verify irradiation with a particle beam in accordance with a selected irradiation technique. A particle beam therapy system includes a charged particle beam generator accelerating the particle beam, an irradiator irradiating a target with the particle beam accelerated by the charged particle beam generator, and a controller controlling the charged particle beam generator and the irradiator. The controller controls the charged particle beam generator and the irradiator so as to irradiate the target with the particle beam through switching between at least two different irradiation techniques, and furthermore, after switching between the two irradiation techniques, controls the charged particle beam generator and the irradiator to perform tentative irradiation with the charged particle beam in accordance with one of the irradiation techniques switched, to verify the particle beam.

A method is provided for determining the stopping power from computed tomography scans. The method includes preparing computed tomography scans of a body region with two different recording energies; determining the stopping power for different CT numbers from dual energy image areas of the computed tomography scans; forming a data field in which the determined values for the stopping power for different CT numbers from dual energy image areas are applied as a function of the CT numbers; forming a look-up table from the data field; determining the stopping power for different CT numbers from single energy image areas of the computed tomography scans by the look-up table. A corresponding device and control device, a corresponding particle therapy system, and a corresponding computed tomography system, are also provided.

To provide a particle beam therapy device that expands an irradiation field while avoiding an increase in size of a scanning unit or an irradiation device including the scanning unit. A shift unit 36 is provided downstream of a scanning unit 34. The shift unit 36 deflects a carbon beam as a particle beam to shift the irradiation field, thereby forming an expanded irradiation field. The shift unit 36 includes a first shift electromagnet 42 that shifts the irradiation field in a Y direction and a second shift electromagnet 44 that shifts the irradiation field in an X direction. The scanning unit is dynamically controlled, and the shift unit 36 is statically controlled.

A proton beam therapy system with a cantilever gantry. The cantilever gantry has one end portion (the fixed end portion) affixed to an external structure that supports the weight of the gantry. The remainder of the gantry is suspended and the free end portion is coupled to a beam nozzle. A main bearing is coupled to the fixed end portion and enables the gantry to rotate in a full range of 360 around the iso-center. A large counterweight can be disposed in the fixed end portion to keep the system center of mass close to the bearing. The gantry may have a monocoque housing, including a cantilever section enclosing the magnets and other components of the gantry beamline and a drum section on which the bearing is placed.

A method performed by a medical device, includes: providing a permanent magnetic field by a permanent magnet; operating an electromagnet to provide a first electromagnetic field with a first electromagnetic field value; and operating the electromagnet to provide a second electromagnetic field with a second electromagnetic field value; wherein the first electromagnetic field and the permanent magnetic field forms a first total magnetic field with a first total magnetic field value, and wherein the second electromagnetic field and the permanent magnetic field forms a second total magnetic field with a second total magnetic field value; wherein the first total magnetic is formed when an electric field in an accelerator or an energy level of a particle beam has a first value, and wherein the second total magnetic field is formed when the electric field in the accelerator or the energy level of the particle beam has a second value.

The invention comprises a laying, semi-vertical, or seated patient positioning, alignment, and/or control method and apparatus used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle or proton beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. Patient positioning constraints are used to maintain the patient in a treatment position, including one or more of: a seat support, a back support, a head support, an arm support, a knee support, and a foot support. One or more of the positioning constraints are movable and/or under computer control for rapid positioning and/or immobilization of the patient. The system optionally uses an X-ray beam that lies in substantially the same path as a proton beam path of a particle beam cancer therapy system. The generated image is usable for: fine tuning body alignment relative to the proton beam path, to control the proton beam path to accurately and precisely target the tumor, and/or in system verification and validation.

A cryogenic magnet structure includes at least two superconducting coils that are substantially symmetric about a central axis and on opposite sides of a median plane. At least one cryostat contains the superconducting coils; and a magnetic yoke surrounds the superconducting coils and contains at least a portion of a chamber, wherein the median plane extends through the chamber. At least one integral maintenance boot assembly is in thermal contact with the superconducting coils and is configured to preserve a sealed vacuum in the cryostat; and a cryogenic refrigerator is in thermal contact with the maintenance boot assembly and is configured to cool the superconducting coils below their critical superconducting temperatures and is configured for removal from thermal contact with the integral maintenance boot assembly without breaking the sealed vacuum in the cryostat.

A phantom, calibration system and calibration method are described. The phantom having a phantom body and an X-ray luminescent material, wherein at least a portion of the X-ray luminescent material is on a surface of the phantom.

A proton beam therapy system with a cantilever gantry. The cantilever gantry has one end portion (the fixed end portion) affixed to an external structure that supports the weight of the gantry. The remainder of the gantry is suspended and the free end portion is coupled to a beam nozzle. A main bearing is coupled to the fixed end portion and enables the gantry to rotate in a full range of 360 around the iso-center. A large counterweight can be disposed in the fixed end portion to keep the system center of mass close to the bearing. The gantry may have a monocoque housing, including a cantilever section enclosing the magnets and other components of the gantry beamline and a drum section on which the bearing is placed.