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 radiotherapy system includes an X-ray target configured to convert an incident electron beam into a therapeutic X-ray beam, a purging magnet configured to redirect unwanted particles emitted from the X-ray target away from the therapeutic X-ray beam, and a particle collector configured to absorb the unwanted particles subsequent to redirection by the purging magnet. The particle collector may be configured to dissipate at least 50% of the energy of the incident electron beam.

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.

An x-ray device is for creation of high-energy x-ray radiation. In an embodiment, the x-ray device includes a linear accelerator. The linear accelerator, for creation of x-ray radiation, is embodied so as to create an electron beam directed onto a target, of which the kinetic energy per electron amounts to at least 1 MeV. In an embodiment, the x-ray device further includes a beam limiting device, arranged in the beam path of the electron beam between linear accelerator and the target, including an edge region surrounding a beam limiting device opening. A material thickness of the edge region, in a propagation direction of the accelerated electron beam emerging from the linear accelerator, amounting to less than 10% of the average reach of electrons of the created kinetic energy in the material of the edge region.

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 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 present disclosure is related to a microwave source. The microwave source may include a cathode heater and a thermionic emitter. The cathode heater may include a first component, and a second component enclosing at least a portion of the first component. The thermionic emitter may be configured to release electrons when the thermionic emitter is heated by the cathode heater. At least a portion of the second component of the cathode heater may be in contact with the thermionic emitter.

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 stable sequences of pulses having different energy levels or different dose.