Provided is a particle beam treatment apparatus irradiating an irradiation target with a particle beam. The apparatus includes: an accelerator that generates the particle beam in an acceleration space; and an irradiation unit that virtually divides the irradiation target into a plurality of layers and irradiates each layer while performing scanning with the particle beam with a scanning electromagnet. The accelerator includes a particle generation unit generating particles that are to accelerate in the acceleration space, and the accelerator sets a parameter of the particle generation unit based on at least one of the layers of the irradiation target and adjusts an intensity of the particle beam based on the set parameter.

An example synchrocyclotron includes the following: a voltage source to provide a radio frequency (RF) voltage to a cavity to accelerate particles from a particle source; a coil to receive a variable electrical current and to generate a magnetic field that is at least 4 Tesla to cause the particles to move orbitally within the cavity; and an extraction channel to receive the accelerated particles and to output the received particles from the cavity. The particles that are output from the cavity have an energy that is variable based at least on the variable electrical current applied to the coil.

A spot determination unit classifies an irradiation region to be irradiated with a charged particle beam into a plurality of layers in an irradiation direction of the charged particle beam, and arranges a plurality of irradiation spots in the plurality of layers. The irradiation spots are classified into groups in accordance with at least either a distance between one irradiation spot and another irradiation spot which are arranged in the same layer or a target irradiation dose of each irradiation spot. A plan is prepared for continuously emitting the charged particle beam while the irradiation position is changed from an irradiation spot belonging to a certain group to a subsequent irradiation spot, and so as to stop emitting the charged particle beam while the irradiation position is changed from an irradiation spot belonging to a certain group to an irradiation spot belonging to another group located in the same layer.

An example particle therapy system includes a gantry having a beamline structure configured to direct a particle beam that is monoenergetic from an output of a particle accelerator towards an irradiation target, where the beamline structure includes magnetic bending elements to bend the particle beam along a length of the beamline structure; and an energy degrader downstream of the beamline structure relative to the particle accelerator, where the energy degrader is configured and controllable to change an energy of the particle beam prior to at least part of the particle beam reaching the irradiation target.

The present invention is related to an apparatus for transporting a charged particle beam. The apparatus may include means for scanning the charged particle beam on a target, a dipole magnet arranged upstream of the means for scanning, at least three quadrupole lenses arranged between the dipole magnet and the means for scanning and means for adjusting the field strength of said at least three quadrupole lenses in function of the scanning angle of the charged particle beam. The apparatus can be made at least single achromatic.

A control system for providing a closed loop, real time control of a charged particle pencil beam is disclosed. The system includes a first detector apparatus, a second detector apparatus, a first orthogonal magnetic deflector apparatus, a second orthogonal magnetic deflector apparatus, and a controller. The controller compares the measured position and beam angle of the beam with a model position and beam angle of a model beam to determine an offset error and a beam angle error. The first orthogonal magnetic deflector apparatus includes a pair of electromagnets to correct a first component of the offset and beam angle errors. The second orthogonal magnetic deflector apparatus includes a pair of electromagnets to correct a second component of the offset and beam angle errors. The beam can be iteratively adjusted during patient therapy or short pauses in patient therapy.

A detector for measuring scanning ion beams in radiation therapy sequentially includes a first high voltage electrode, a first spacing member, and a segmented electrode. The first spacing member is connected to the first high voltage electrode and the segmented electrode to form a first ionization cavity. The first ionization cavity is formed with a plurality of first reading electrodes and a plurality of second reading electrodes therein. A second spacing member and a second high voltage electrode are further sequentially disposed. The second spacing member is connected to the second high voltage electrode and the segmented electrode to form a second ionization cavity. The first reading electrodes and the second reading electrodes are respectively formed in the first ionization cavity and the second ionization cavity. With the first reading electrodes and the second reading electrodes in different directions, highly accurate space resolution, space dosage and scanning speed are achieved.

A particle radiation therapy apparatus 10 includes: a bed 15 for positioning of a patient 12; irradiation ports 16 (16a, 16b) that output a particle beam in a treatment room 11; a horizontal-direction imaging unit 21 composed of a first X-ray source 25 and a first X-ray detector 26 that face each other with the bed 15 interposed therebetween; a vertical-direction imaging unit 22 composed of a second X-ray source 27 and a second X-ray detector 28 that face each other with the bed 15 interposed therebetween; a storage room 18 for housing the first X-ray detector 26 under the floor when the horizontal-direction imaging unit 21 is not used; and a support member 23 that moves the first X-ray detector 26 above the floor and supports it between the bed 15 and the side of the irradiation ports 16 when the horizontal-direction imaging unit 21 is used.

First ions and second ions that are heavier than first ions are generated in an ion source. One kind of ions of the first ions and second ions is injected into an accelerator by action of a switching magnet and accelerated in the accelerator. An ion beam including the one kind of ions is extracted from the accelerator to a beam transport system and a tumor volume of a patient is irradiated with the ion beam from an irradiation nozzle. In the irradiation of the ion beam, a tumor volume depth and the largest underwater range of each ion species are compared, and an ion species in which the tumor volume depth becomes the longest underwater range or lower is injected into the accelerator, and accelerated by the accelerator. The tumor volume is irradiated with the ion species.

The dose rate of voxels within a particle beam (e.g., proton beam) treatment field delivered using pencil beam scanning (PBS) is calculated, and a representative dose rate for the PBS treatment field is reported. The calculations account for dose accumulation in a local region or sub-volume (e.g., a voxel) as a function of time.