Pyramid Technical Consultants Inc.

Applied Materials, Inc.

Laura Thorn Ltd.

Hamilton Equine Associates Limited

William Philip Nett

Raymond Paul Boisseau

John S Gordon

Robert J Ledoux

John Gordon

Sashidar Kollipara

Yuriy Kozlov

James K Roberge

R Paul Boisseau

Kan Ota

Andrew Dart

Paul Boisseau

Boisseau Raymond Paul

Paul R Loomis

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for real-time control of a charged particle pencil beam system during therapeutic treatment of a patient. In an aspect, the present disclosure is directed to measuring an actual shape, an actual intensity distribution, and an actual location at isocenter of the charged particle pencil beam. The actual data is compared to model treatment data in real time to determine if a statistically significant variance occurs in which case the charged particle pencil beam can be stopped mid-treatment for correction and/or analysis.

Method and apparatus for measuring, verifying, and displaying progress of dose delivery in scanned beam particle therapy

An assembly for preventing an overdose of a charged particle beam during therapy to a patient includes a pixelated detector apparatus and a controller. The controller includes, for each pixel: a current integrator circuit that converts the local measured current into a total local detected charge integrated from a start time, the integrator circuit outputting an integrator voltage that corresponds to the total local detected charge; and a discriminator circuit that compares the integrator voltage with a reference voltage, the reference voltage corresponding to a maximum acceptable dose for the patient. A logic circuit generates an overdose fault signal if, at any of the pixels, the integrator voltage is higher than the reference voltage.

Safety dose interlock for charged particle beams

A control system for providing a closed loop, real time control of a charged particle pencil beam is disclosed. The system includes a first detector apparatus, a second detector apparatus, a first orthogonal magnetic deflector apparatus, a second orthogonal magnetic deflector apparatus, and a controller. The controller compares the measured position and beam angle of the beam with a model position and beam angle of a model beam to determine an offset error and a beam angle error. The first orthogonal magnetic deflector apparatus includes a pair of electromagnets to correct a first component of the offset and beam angle errors. The second orthogonal magnetic deflector apparatus includes a pair of electromagnets to correct a second component of the offset and beam angle errors. The beam can be iteratively adjusted during patient therapy or short pauses in patient therapy.

Method and apparatus for controlled pencil beam therapy

A system for calibrating a charged particle pencil beam includes a first pixelated detector, a second pixelated detector, a beam stop, and a diagnostics system. The first and second pixelated detectors measure the pencil beam at positions proximal and/or distal to an isocenter plane. The beam stop is configured to detect an energy level of the pencil beam. The diagnostics system is configured to transmit a signal to request a generation of the charged particle pencil beam at different settings. The diagnostics system is also configured to update a calibration parameter for each setting based on the data received from the pixelated detectors and the beam stop.

Method and apparatus for calibrating a charged particle pencil beam used for therapeutic purposes

An ionization chamber with spatial distribution electrode for monitor hadron beam currents used for therapeutic treatment. Ionization chamber comprises humidity control, environmental sensing and real-time correction thereof. A flexible hermetic seal provide for ambient pressure equalization. X-Y electrode planes measure Gaussian distribution of incident particle beam. Methods described herein are suitable to fabricate highly accurate, low scattering electrodes with high spatial resolutions.

Method and apparatus for monitoring a charged particle beam

A method and apparatus for controlling ion beam scanning in an ion implanter is disclosed. Before an implant process is commenced, a scan waveform to create a uniform distribution along a magnetic scan axis is determined, using a travelling Faraday detector (). Charge data from the travelling Faraday () is collected into a small, finite number of channels and this is used to create a histogram of collected charge vs. beam crossing time. This is in turn used to correct a target scan velocity to compensate for any dose non-uniformity. The target scan velocity is used as a first input to a fast feedback loop. A second input is obtained by digitizing the output of an inductive pickup in the magnet of the magnetic scanner in the ion implanter. Each input is separately integrated and Fast Fourier Transformed Error coefficients Fare obtained by dividing. Fourier coefficients from the target scan velocity by Fourier coefficients from the inductive pickup signal. These error coefficients are used to control the command waveform to the magnetic scanner in the ion implanter.

Method and system for controlling beam scanning in an ion implantation device

A method and apparatus for generating an accurate, stable phase shift (b) in a sinusoidal signal employs fast analog multiplication to implement the trigonometric relationship sin(&ohgr;t&plus;b)&equals;sin(&ohgr;t)cos(b)&plus;cos(&ohgr;t) sin(b). Cos(&ohgr;t) is generated by accurately shifting a signal sin(&ohgr;t) through 90&deg; C. using a delay line, for example. Sin(b) and cos(b) are dc signals generated by digital to analog conversion, using a demanded phase shift (b) whose sine and cosine are obtained from look-up tables. A controller for controlling a phase shift in an rf cavity is also disclosed and operates on the basis of the same trigonometrical principle. The amplitude of the signals in the rf cavity is also controllable; fast analog multipliers are again employed to scale the signal amplitude to a nominal fixed value such as 1 volt.

Controller for a linear accelerator

A method and apparatus for generating an accurate, table phase shift (b) in a sinusoidal signal employs fast analog multiplication to implement the trigonometric relationship sin(&ohgr;t&plus;b)&equals;sin(&ohgr;t)cos(b)&plus;cos(&ohgr;t)sin(b). Cos (&ohgr;t) is generated by accurately shifting a signal sin(&ohgr;t) through 90&deg; using a delay line, for example. Sin(b) and cos(b) are dc signals generated by digital to analogue conversion, using a demanded phase shift (b) whose sine and cosine are obtained from look-up tables. A controller for controlling a phase shift in an rf cavity is also disclosed and operates on the basis of the same trigonometrical principle. The amplitude of the signals in the rf cavity is also controllable; fast analogue multipliers are again employed to scale the signal amplitude to a nominal fixed value such as 1 volt.

An apparatus and method for determining motility and other characteristics of cells in a fluid medium employing both the scattering and transmission of light through that medium and the absorption of shorter wavelength light by the cell with subsequent emission of fluorescent light. Both forms of light are imaged on an image detection apparatus, the output of which is analyzed as a function of time to produce the information concerning the characteristics of the cell.

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Waltham, MA, United States of America

William Philip Nett