The invention comprises a method and apparatus for treating a tumor with positively charged particles, comprising the steps of: (1) transporting the positively charged particles sequentially from an accelerator, along a beam transport path, through a nozzle system, and along a treatment beam path and (2) while scanning the treatment beam path along each of a set of vectors for treating the tumor, on average for the set of vectors, intentionally deviating the treatment beam path from a current vector of the set of vectors off of the current vector by at least one-eighth of a treatment beam diameter at least once for every twenty movements of the treatment beam.

A neutron capture therapy system, comprising a charged particle beam generation portion, a beam transmission portion, and a neutron beam generation portion. The neutron beam generation portion comprises a target; the target interacts with a charged particle beam generated by the charged particle beam generation portion to generate a neutron beam; the neutron capture therapy system further comprises a charged particle beam generation chamber and a target replacement chamber; the charged particle beam generation chamber at least partially accommodates the charged particle beam generation portion and the beam transmission portion; the target replacement chamber is used for installing the target. By providing the target replacement chamber to install the target, the environment in the target replacement chamber can be set, so that the oxidation or nitridation of the target during an installation process is avoided, the operation is simple, and the cost is low.

A beam equipment controlling method is provided. The method includes: proton beam regulatory steps, including: generating a first proton beam after confirming that the generating conditions are met, and marking the proton beam regulatory steps as completed after confirming that the first proton beam meets the specifications; neutron beam regulatory steps, including: generating a first neutron beam after confirming that the proton beam regulatory steps are completed and the generating conditions are met, confirming that the first neutron beam meets specifications, and marking the neutron beam regulatory steps as completed after turning off the cyclotron system; and treatment regulatory steps, including: generating a second neutron beam after confirming that the neutron beam regulatory steps are completed and the treatment-beam generating conditions are met, confirming that the second neutron beam meets treatment needs; and marking the treatment regulatory steps as completed after turning off the cyclotron system.

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 beam therapy apparatus includes: a particle beam irradiator outputting a particle beam; a movable supporting structure supporting the particle beam irradiator; movable plates disposed on a displacement trajectory of the particle beam irradiator, forming a substantially horizontal enveloping surface below a table for placing an irradiation object, and including first and second floor members in at least one of the movable plates, the second floor member being larger in X-ray transmittance than the first floor member; an X-ray generator provided in a non-collision area where the X-ray generator does not collide with any of the particle beam irradiator, the supporting structure, and the movable plates; and an X-ray detector installed at a position where the X-ray detector faces the X-ray generator.

A photon source emits a flattening filter-free photon beam. A control circuit operably couples to a multi-layer multi-leaf collimator that is disposed between the photon source and a treatment area of a patient. The control circuit automatically arranges operation of some, but not all, of the layers of the multi-layer multi-leaf collimator to serve as a virtual flattening filter with respect to the flattening filter-free photon beam emitted by the photon source. By one approach, another of the layers of the multi-layer multi-leaf collimator serves to form a treatment aperture corresponding to a shape of the treatment area of the patient. By one approach the control circuit comprises an integral part of a treatment platform (as versus a dedicated treatment planning platform) and can carry out most or even essentially all of the planning steps that lead to administration of the treatment to a patient.

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

Methods, devices and systems for ultra-high dose radiotherapy are described that rely in-part on active switching control of a photoconductive switch when the accelerator is accelerating charged particles to produce output radiation at desired dose rates. One example method for producing output radiation in a flash radiotherapy system includes receiving, at a particle accelerator, a charged particle beam, where the particle accelerator system also includes a photoconductive switch coupled to the particle accelerator. The photoconductive switch can operate in a linear mode and includes a doped crystalline material that receives a voltage to establish an electric field across the crystalline material. The method includes producing a plurality of voltage pulses by the photoconductive switch in response to receiving light incident on the doped crystalline material, and accelerating the charged particles by the particle accelerator based on the plurality of voltage pulses to produce the output radiation beams for flash radiotherapy.

Disclosed a particle accelerator that accelerates a charged particle beam while circulating the charged particle beam as a circulating beam and outputs some of the circulating beam as an output beam, the particle accelerator including: a first deflection section and a second deflection sections each having a deflection electromagnet; a first straight section, a second straight section, and third straight section each not having the deflection electromagnet; and a control unit, wherein a preceding output deflector of the first straight section deflects some of the circulating beam toward an inner side of a circulating trajectory of the circulating beam to separate the some of the circulating beam as an output beam, wherein a succeeding output deflector of the third straight section deflects the output beam separated from the circulating beam by the preceding output deflector toward an outer side of the circulating trajectory of the circulating beam, and wherein the control unit controls at least the quadrupole electromagnet such that a phase advance of a betatron oscillation of the output beam is 270?45 degrees in a section from the preceding output deflector to the succeeding output deflector.

Systems and techniques may be used for radiotherapy. An example system may include a fixation device arranged to receive and immobilize a patient. The example system may include a first filter arranged to extend along a first portion (e.g., a spine or cranium) of the patient, the first filter attached to the fixation device at a first location, the first filter including a plurality of beam attenuating elements. The example system may include a fixed beam proton delivery system arranged to deliver a therapeutic proton radiation dose attenuated via the first filter to the first portion of the patient.