Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum

Klaus Schewiola

Steffen Seeber

Gernot Echner

The invention relates to a contour collimator for radiotherapy, comprising a plurality of plate-shaped diaphragm elements provided in a guiding block and movably arranged with respect to one another to form a contour diaphragm for a radiation beam emitted by a radiation source towards the collimator, and at least one drive for moving the diaphragm elements, wherein a drive of its own is associated with each diaphragm element, the drives of a group of diaphragm elements are arranged substantially adjacent to one another, and the drive is a linear motor, wherein each linear motor comprises a linearly movable rod directly fixed to the associated diaphragm element. The invention facilitates a design of a contour collimator with a shape being as compact as possible, and wherein both precise and stable adjustability of the diaphragm elements is achieved without a backlash. In this way improvements to contour collimators are provided.

Contour collimator for radiotherapy

A leaf module for a multi-leaf collimator comprises a leaf unit and a leaf drive unit. The leaf unit comprises a leaf for shielding beams from a selected area. The leaf unit is mounted displaceably in an adjusting direction with relation to the leaf drive unit. The leaf drive unit is designed to displace the leaf unit linearly in the adjusting direction. The leaf drive unit comprises at least one drive mechanism which operates based on piezoelectric actuation, being designed such that the leaf drive unit thoroughly encloses the leaf unit within a plane being oriented substantially perpendicularly related to the adjusting direction. The multi-leaf collimator can comprise a plurality of leaf modules while being shaped as compact as possible. Both precise and stable adjustability of the leaf unit is achieved with the leaf module.

Growing community of inventors

Heidelberg, Germany

Klaus Schewiola