Hitachi, Ltd.

Akihiko Maeda

Kunio Moriyama

Takahide Nakayama

Yoshikatsu Yasue

A first manual input device for inputting an irradiation ready state is provided in each treatment room or a control room formed corresponding to the treatment room. A safety device confirms that preparations for generation of an ion beam in an accelerator are completed and preparations for transport of the ion beam in a beam transport system for introducing the ion beam to an irradiation unit in the treatment room selected in response to a ready signal from the first manual input device are completed, followed by outputting ready information. A ready state display unit for displaying the ready information is provided. In the treatment room or the control room, a second manual input device is provided for inputting an irradiation start instruction when the ready information is displayed by the ready state display unit.

Particle beam therapy system

A particle beam therapy system transports an ion beam emitted from an accelerator to one of a plurality of treatment rooms. When preparations for irradiation of the ion beam to patients in the plurality of treatment rooms are completed, irradiation ready signals are outputted from treatment (operator) consoles provided respectively in the treatment rooms. A first-come, first-served basis controller decides the sequence of introducing the ion beam to the treatment rooms based on the order in which the respective irradiation ready signals have been inputted. Beam paths for introducing the ion beam emitted from the accelerator to respective irradiation units in the treatment rooms are formed in accordance with the decided sequence.

A particle beam therapy system transports an ion beam emitted from an accelerator to one of a plurality of treatment rooms. For that purpose, the therapy system includes a first beam transport system connected to the accelerator, and a plurality of second beam transport systems provided respectively corresponding to the treatment rooms and connected to the first beam transport system. To transport the ion beam to the selected treatment room, a plurality of electromagnets disposed in the corresponding second beam transport system and in a portion of the first beam transport system extended into the relevant second beam transport system are excited in accordance with respective control commands. Control command information including the respective control commands is formed by using at least treatment room information representing the selected treatment room and treatment plan information specified depending on patient identification information.

A particle beam therapy system which can surely prevent a beam from being erroneously transported to a treatment room that is not an irradiation target, and can improve safety. The particle beam therapy system comprises a charged particle beam generator for emitting a charged particle beam, a plurality of treatment rooms provided with respective irradiation units, one first beam transport system for transporting the emitted beam toward the downstream side in the direction of beam advance, a plurality of second beam transport systems branched from the first beam transport system and transporting the beam to the corresponding irradiation units in the treatment rooms, a plurality of switching electromagnets for bending the beam transported through the first beam transport system to be introduced to the corresponding second beam transport systems, and a first group of shutters provided downstream of the switching electromagnets and shutting off respective beam paths.

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Hitachi, Japan

Akihiko Maeda