Photoelectron Corporation

Control Data Corporation

Still River Systems Incorporated

Orbital Therapy LLC

Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.

Other

Carl Zeiss Ag

Ferro Solutions, Inc.

Alan P Sliski

Kenneth J Harte

Kenneth P Gall

Donald O Smith

Mark T Dinsmore

Jason Koshnitsky

John R Shambroom

David M Walker

Robert C O'Handley

Robert A Roth

David Bono

Jiankang Huang

John J Carrona

Jason Kosnitsky

Michael Dalterio

Peter M Nomikos

Nicholas T Zervas

Anthonius J Boom

John F Beatty

Peter J Biggs

A synchrocyclotroncomprisesincludesa resonant circuit that includes electrodes having a gap therebetween across the magnetic field. An oscillating voltage input, having a variable amplitude and frequency determined by a programmable digital waveform generator generates an oscillating electric field across the gap. The synchrocyclotron can include a variable capacitor in circuit with the electrodes to vary the resonant frequency. The synchrocyclotron can further include an injection electrode and an extraction electrode having voltages controlled by the programmable digital waveform generator. The synchrocyclotron can further include a beam monitor. The synchrocyclotron can detect resonant conditions in the resonant circuit by measuring the voltageand orand/orcurrent in the resonant circuit, driven by the input voltage, and adjust the capacitance of the variable capacitor or the frequency of the input voltage to maintain the resonant conditions. The programmable waveform generator can adjust at least one of the oscillating voltage input, the voltage on the injection electrode and the voltage on the extraction electrode according to beam intensity and in response to changes in resonant conditions.

Programmable radio frequency waveform generator for a synchrocyclotron

A synchrocyclotron comprises a resonant circuit that includes electrodes having a gap therebetween across the magnetic field. An oscillating voltage input, having a variable amplitude and frequency determined by a programmable digital waveform generator generates an oscillating electric field across the gap. The synchrocyclotron can include a variable capacitor in circuit with the electrodes to vary the resonant frequency. The synchrocyclotron can further include an injection electrode and an extraction electrode having voltages controlled by the programmable digital waveform generator. The synchrocyclotron can further include a beam monitor. The synchrocyclotron can detect resonant conditions in the resonant circuit by measuring the voltage and or current in the resonant circuit, driven by the input voltage, and adjust the capacitance of the variable capacitor or the frequency of the input voltage to maintain the resonant conditions. The programmable waveform generator can adjust at least one of the oscillating voltage input, the voltage on the injection electrode and the voltage on the extraction electrode according to beam intensity and in response to changes in resonant conditions.

A patient support system for diagnostic and/or therapeutic radiologic procedures with geometric features that eliminate or reduce imaging artifacts created by the patient support is described. The artifact reducing features can be incorporated into an add-on patient positioning device, or directly within the standard diagnostic and/or therapeutic treatment table/couch. One possible configuration is to use a wave-like design of the portion of the patient support that remains in the radiation beam path where the anatomy to be imaged is located. Other configurations may include other geometric shapes or material distributions that serve the same purpose of eliminating artifacts in radiologic images.

Reducing imaging artifacts

A patient support system to be used in conjunction with a standard linear accelerator, and other sources, is described that allows access of the treatment beam to the breast from up to 360 degrees. This support system places the patient in a prone position with the breast going through an aperture. The prone position increases the separation of the breast from the chest wall and other critical organs and reduces motion of the target tissue due to breathing. This invention offers up to 360 degree radiation beam access to the breast. This helps in skin sparing, better dose conformity, and allows one to use modern treatment techniques such as IMRT and IGRT. It also includes a provision for an imaging system. This invention can also be used with CT and MR imaging modalities.

Patient support system for full access prone position breast radiotherapy

A shielding system which can be applied to a radiation therapy system and/or diagnostic system includes a scatter shield configured to absorb scattered radiation from a patient, a source shield to absorb unwanted radiation from the radiation source, and an anti-reflective beam dump configured to absorb radiation that is transmitted through a patient. The radiation therapy and/or diagnostic system includes a radiation source positioned in the source shield, and a patient support positioned in the scatter shield.

Highly shielded radiation therapy system

Interposing a programmable path length of one or more materials into a particle beam modulates scattering angle and beam range in a predetermined manner to create a predetermined spread out Bragg peak at a predetermined range. Materials can be 'low Z' and 'high Z' materials that include fluids. A charged particle beam scatterer/range modulator can comprise a fluid reservoir having opposing walls in a particle beam path and a drive to adjust the distance between the walls of the fluid reservoir under control by a programmable controller. A &#x201c;high Z&#x201d; and, independently, a &#x201c;low Z&#x201d; reservoir, arranged in series, can be used. When used for radiation treatment, the beam can be monitored by measuring beam intensity, and the programmable controller can adjust the distance between the opposing walls of the &#x201c;high Z&#x201d; reservoir and, independently, the distance between the opposing walls of the &#x201c;low Z&#x201d; reservoir according to a predetermined relationship to integral beam intensity. Beam scattering and modulation can be done continuously and dynamically during a treatment in order to deposit dose in a target volume in a predetermined three dimensional distribution.

Programmable particle scatterer for radiation therapy beam formation

An inductive energy harvester comprises a permanent magnet magnetic field source attached by a pair of compact spiral disk springs to an induction coil. The springs position the magnet so that the induction coil surrounds one end of the magnet where the flux density is greatest. In addition, the magnetic flux emerging from that end of the magnet is enhanced by a disk of magnetic material having high permeability and high flux density. In another embodiment, the magnetic field source comprises two dipole magnets arranged in opposing flux relationship with a thin layer of high flux density, high magnetic permeability material located in a gap between the magnets.

High efficiency, inductive vibration energy harvester

A radiation therapy system optimized for treating extremities such as the breast has unique geometrical features that enable the system to deliver an accurately located prescribed dose to a target volume while eliminating or reducing the collateral dose delivered to the rest of the patient. The patient lies in a prone position on a rotating, shielded table, with the anatomy to be treated protruding through an orifice in the table into the path of a radiation beam. An optional integral imaging system provides accurate target volume localization for each treatment session. Utilizing the effects of gravity on a prone patient maximizes the separation of a target volume within the breast to adjacent critical structures such as the chest wall, heart and lungs, thereby reducing long term complications not associated with the primary disease. A shielded interface surface between the radiation source and the patient reduces patient dose due to scattered or stray radiation. A shielded enclosure for the radiation sources combined with the shielded interface surface eliminates the need for primary shielding in the room and allows the therapy system to be used in a transportable, mobile facility.

Radiation therapy system for treating breasts and extremities

A radiation applicator system is structured to be mounted to a radiation source for providing a predefined dose of radiation for treating a localized area or volume, such as the tissue surrounding the site of an excised tumor. The applicator system includes an applicator and an adapter. The adapter is formed for fixedly securing the applicator to a radiation source, such as a radiosurgery system which produces a predefined radiation dose profile with respect to a predefined location along the radiation producing probe. The applicator includes a shank and an applicator head, wherein the head is located at a distal end of the applicator shank. A proximate end of the applicator shank couples to the adapter. A distal end of the shank includes the applicator head, which is adapted for engaging and/or supporting the area or volume to be treated with a predefined does of radiation. The applicator can include a low energy radiation filter inside of the applicator head to reduce undesirable low energy radiation emissions. A biocompatible radiation shield may be coupled to the outer surface of the applicator head to block radiation emitted from a portion of the radiation probe, in order to shield an adjacent location or vital organ from any undesired radiation exposure. A plurality of applicators having applicator heads and radiation shields of different sizes and shapes can be provided to accommodate treatment sites of various sizes and shapes.

Shaped biocompatible radiation shield and method for making same

A radiation applicator system is structured to be mounted to a radiation source for producing a predefined dose of radiation for treating a localized volume of tissue, such as the tissue surrounding the site of an excised tumor. The applicator system includes an applicator and, in some embodiments, an adapter. The adapter is formed for fixedly securing the applicator to a radiation source, such as the x-ray source of a radiosurgery system which produces a predefined radiation dose profile with respect to a predefined location along its radiation producing probe. The applicator includes a shank and an applicator head, wherein the head is located at a distal end of the applicator shank. A proximate end of the applicator shank couples to the adapter. A distal end of the shank includes the applicator head, which defines a concave treatment surface for engaging and, preferably, supporting the area to be treated with a predefined does of radiation. The applicator can include a low energy radiation filter inside of the applicator head to reduce undesirable low energy radiation emissions. A plurality of applicators having applicator heads of different sizes and shapes can be provided to accommodate treatment sites of various sizes and shapes. And, an adaptable applicator having a plurality of radiation positions can be provided to deliver a substantially cylindrical dose of radiation.

Apparatus for local radiation therapy

A support system for a radiation treatment system includes a rotatable extension arm extending from a vertical shaft and a rotatable counterbalance extending diametrically opposed to the extension arm from the vertical shaft. The vertical shaft is rotatably supported by a support base. The support base may include a damping mechanism to damp the rotational motion of the vertical shaft relative to the support base, wherein the damping force is preferably proportional to the velocity of the vertical shaft. The radiation treatment system is suspended from a cable extending from a distal end of the extension arm. The extension arm can be formed from a first arm extending from the vertical shaft and a second arm rotatably coupled to the first arm in order to permit the radiation treatment system to be moved in horizontal direction. The cable supporting the radiation treatment system can be coupled to a vertical counterbalance weight to allow the vertical position of the radiation treatment system to be adjusted. In addition, mass of the vertical counterbalance weight can be adjusted to compensate for attachments which may be used with the radiation treatment system during treatment. The radiation treatment system can be supported to permit rotation about a horizontal axis that extends through the center of mass of the radiation treatment system. In addition position of the horizontal axis of rotation relative to the center of mass of the radiation treatment system can be adjusted to compensate for attachments which may change the center of mass of the radiation treatment system.

Support system for a radiation treatment apparatus

A radiation applicator system is structured to be mounted to a radiation source for producing a beam of radiation for treating a localized volume of tissue, such as growing blood vessels in the eye that can cause macular degeneration. The applicator system includes an applicator and, in some embodiments, an adapter. The adapter is formed for fixedly securing the applicator to a radiation source, such as a radiosurgery system which produces a predefined radiation dose profile with respect to a predefined location along the radiation producing probe. The applicator includes a shank and an applicator head. A proximate end of the applicator shank couples to the adapter. A distal end of the shank includes the applicator head, which is adapted to produce a beam of radiation. The applicator head includes a radiation shield and a beam collimator. The radiation shield selectively blocks the emitted radiation so that the applicator can be held by a surgeon during treatment. The beam collimator extends from an aperture in the shield that forms and directs a beam of radiation at a target area. Applicator systems that form different size and shape beams of radiation can be provided to accommodate a wide range of treatment volumes and for use in different treatments.

Growing community of inventors

Lincoln, MA, United States of America

Alan P Sliski