Elekta, Inc.

Mark Holmes

Alessandra Chiap

Keith Richardson

Chris Flint

Marcelo Jordao

Alessandra Ceccherini

Described is a method of determining whether repair or replacement of an electron gun of a radiotherapy device should be scheduled. The radiotherapy device comprises a linear accelerator and is configured to provide therapeutic radiation to a patient. The radiotherapy device comprises a vacuum tube comprising the electron gun, a waveguide configured to accelerate electrons emitted by the electron gun toward a target to produce said radiation. The radiotherapy device comprises also comprises a current sensor, the current sensor being configured to provide signals indicative of current supplied to the electron gun. The method comprises receiving a current value, processing the current value, and based on the processing of the current value, determining whether repair or replacement of the electron gun should be scheduled. Processing the current value comprises determining whether the current value meets at least one threshold criterion, and determining whether the current value has changed by at least a threshold amount in a particular time period.

Method for use with a radiotherapy device

Disclosed herein is a method of determining the nature of a fault in a radiotherapy device comprising a linear accelerator. The radiotherapy device is configured to provide therapeutic radiation to a patient. The radiotherapy device comprises a vacuum tube comprising an electron gun, a waveguide configured to accelerate electrons emitted by the electron gun toward a target to produce said radiation, and a flight tube. The electron gun is located at a first end of the vacuum tube and the flight tube is located at a second end of the vacuum tube. The radiotherapy device further comprises a first and a second sensor. The first sensor is configured to provide signals indicative of pressure at a first region inside the vacuum tube and the second sensor is configured to provide signals indicative of pressure at a second region inside the vacuum tube. The first region is closer to the first end of the vacuum tube than the second region is. The method comprises processing a first value derived from signals from the first sensor and a second value derived from signals from the second sensor. The first value is indicative of pressure at the first region inside the vacuum tube, and the second value is indicative of pressure at the second region inside the vacuum tube. Processing the first and second value comprises comparing the first value with a first threshold and comparing the second value with a second threshold; and, based on the processing of the signals, determining that the nature of the fault is associated with the flight tube.

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Crawley, United Kingdom

Mark Holmes