A method and system for treating a subject with a disorder which provides within the subject at least one photoactivatable drug for treatment of the subject, applies initiation energy from at least one source to generate inside the subject a preferential x-ray flux for generation of Cherenkov radiation (CR) light capable of activating at least one photoactivatable drug, and from the CR light, activating inside the subject the at least one photoactivatable drug to thereby treat the disorder.

A neutron capture therapy system, including a beam shaping assembly and a vacuum tube. The beam shaping assembly includes a beam entrance, an accommodating cavity accommodating the vacuum tube, a moderator adjacent to an end of the accommodating cavity, a reflector surrounding the moderator, a radiation shield disposed in the beam shaping assembly, and a beam exit. A target is disposed at an end of the vacuum tube, nuclear reactions occur between the target and a charged particle beam entering through the beam entrance to generate neutrons. The moderator moderates the neutrons, the reflector guides deflected neutrons back to the moderator. The moderator at least includes two cylindrical moderating members with different outer diameters respectively, the moderator has a first end close to the beam entrance and a second end close to the beam exit, and the target is accommodated between the first end and the second end.

The invention provides a charged particle irradiation apparatus including: a collimator apparatus provided in an irradiation nozzle that emits a charged particle beam to an irradiation target; and a collimator control unit that controls the collimator apparatus. The collimator apparatus includes a collimator mechanism having one or more arm-shape collimators extending from a base part and a drive mechanism that moves the collimator mechanism on a plane perpendicular to a traveling direction of a charged particle beam. The arm-shape collimator includes one or more movable leaves that rotate independently of each other on the perpendicular plane. By moving the collimator mechanism and/or rotating the movable leaves so that the arm-shape collimators are arranged along a shape of an edge of an irradiation target on the perpendicular plane, the collimator control unit causes the arm-shape collimators to block a charged particle beam that would otherwise irradiate outside of the edge of the irradiation target.

An x-ray irradiation system includes a first x-ray tube constructed and arranged to be able to irradiate an object with at least a portion of a first x-ray beam emitted from the first x-ray tube, and a second x-ray tube constructed and arranged to be able to irradiate the object with at least a portion of a second x-ray beam emitted from said second x-ray tube simultaneously with said first x-ray beam. The first and second x-ray tubes are arranged such that the first and second x-ray beams are incident on, and intersect within, the object at respective first and second oblique angles to define a target volume such that a dose rate is substantially uniform as prescribed within said target volume.

An x-ray imaging apparatus and associated methods are provided to receive measured projection data from a wide aperture scan of a wide axial region and a narrow aperture scan of a narrow axial region within the wide axial region and determine an estimated scatter in the wide axial region using an optimized scatter estimation technique. The optimized scatter estimation technique is based on the difference between the measured scatter in the narrow axial region and the estimated scatter in the narrow axial region. Kernel-based scatter estimation/correction techniques can be fitted to minimize the scatter difference in the narrow axial region and thereafter applying the fitted (optimized) kernel-based scatter estimation/correction to the wide axial region. Optimizations can occur in the projection data domain or the reconstruction domain. Iterative processes are also utilized.

Multimodal imaging apparatus and methods include a rotatable gantry system with multiple sources of radiation comprising different energy levels (for example, kV and MV). Fast slip-ring technology and helical scans allow data from multiple sources of radiation to be combined or utilized to generate improved images and workflows, including for IGRT. Features include increasing the precision of spatial registrations between respective image sets to allow more precise radiation treatment delivery, reducing image artifacts (e.g., scatter, metal and beam hardening, image blur, motion, etc.), and utilization of dual energy imaging (e.g., for material separation and quantitative imaging, patient setup, online adaptive IGRT, etc.).

Devices, systems and method that allow for delivery of therapeutic radiation beams of differing sizes or shapes during a radiation treatment are provided herein. Such devices can include a rotatable collimator body having multiple collimator channels of differing size or shape defined therein, the channels extending through the collimator body substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The collimator body can include markers thereon to facilitate detection of an alignment position by a sensor of a control system to allow the collimator body to be rapidly and accurately moved between alignment positions to facilitate delivery of differing therapy beams during a treatment.

A minimally invasive neutron beam generating device is provided. The minimally invasive neutron beam generating device includes a proton accelerator, a target, and a neutron moderator. The proton accelerator is connected to a first channel, the target is located at one end of the first channel, and the neutron moderator covers the end of the first channel so that the target is embedded in the neutron moderator. In addition, the neutron moderator includes an accommodating element for accommodating a moderating substance, and the accommodating element is retractable.

A proton beam imaging system includes: a proton beam generator to generate a proton beam; a proton beam modulator through which the proton beam passes positioned between the proton beam generator and an image target; and a proton beam detector positioned to detect the proton beam existing the image target; wherein the proton beam modulator comprises: a rotating wheel having an axis of rotation positioned so that the proton beam passes through the axis of rotation and the axis of rotation is perpendicular to the proton beam; a first modulating portion comprising a first material portion and a second material portion through which a proton beam passes; and a second modulating portion comprising a third material portion and a fourth material portion through with the proton beam passes; wherein the first and second wedges are positioned opposite each other on the rotating wheel.

A method and system for treating a subject with a disorder which provides within the subject at least one photoactivatable drug for treatment of the subject, applies initiation energy from at least one source to generate inside the subject a preferential x-ray flux for generation of Cherenkov radiation (CR) light capable of activating at least one photoactivatable drug, and from the CR light, activating inside the subject the at least one photoactivatable drug to thereby treat the disorder.