Antiproton production and delivery for imaging and termination of undersirable cells

Abstract

Systems and methods for using antiprotons for terminating unwanted or undesirable cells which can be used in the treatment of conditions caused by the existence and/or proliferation of such undesirable cells. Such conditions include cardiovascular ailments, Parkinson's disease, wet macular degeneration, endocrine disorders, dermatological ailments, and cancer. Because of the unique nature of antiprotons and their annihilation characteristics, the preferred antiproton delivery device ( 1010, 1015, 1030 ) embodiments further incorporate detector arrays ( 1050 a ), capable of detecting characteristic emissions in the course of treatment.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for treating a patient having a plurality of undesirable cells, comprising: 
 receiving a plurality of antiprotons in a trapped state;    inserting said antiprotons into an accelerator;    accelerating said antiprotons to a predetermined, therapeutic energy level;    forming a beam of antiprotons; and    exposing at least a portion of the plurality of the of undesirable cells to said beam.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the cells are cancerous.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the antiprotons are received in a trap having a central cavity within which the antiprotons are contained.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the insertion step is performed by placing the trap in structural communication with the accelerator and modifying a plurality of magnetic and electric fields being applied to the central cavity and to the accelerator.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of monitoring the beam.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the monitoring step is performed by use of a beam monitoring system that comprises two monitoring subsystems providing two independent beam flux measurements.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the monitoring step is performed by comparing the amount of antiprotons present in an antiproton source after the exposing step with an amount of antiprotons present in an antiproton source prior to said exposing step.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of detecting a particle emission emanating from the cells wherein said emission results from the interaction of an antiproton with at least one cell.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the detection step is performed by reconstructing a vertex using neutral pion decay gamma radiation.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the gamma radiation is detected using an inorganic scintillator having high stopping power.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the scintillator is selected from one of NaI(TI), CsI(TI), BGO, CeF 3 , BaF 2 , and CdWO 4 .  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the patient is exposed to said beam using an antiproton delivery device comprising a gantry structure in communication with a workstation.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the patient is exposed to said beam using an antiproton delivery device comprising a fixed beam structure in communication with a workstation.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the fixed beam structure comprises a plurality of delivery points capable of targeting a single isocenter.  
     
     
         15 . A method for treating a patient having a plurality of undesirable cells in an area, comprising: 
 imaging the area;    determining a dose of antiproton radiation to be delivered to said area wherein the determination is a function of the destructive affect of antiprotons annihilating in said area and the destructive affect of alpha particles released from said annihilations; and    delivering the determined dose of antiprotons to the area.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the cells are cancerous.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the imaging step is performed by exposing the patient to one of a MRI scan, PET scan, or CT scan.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the steps of accelerating antiprotons to a first energy level, forming a beam of antiprotons, directing said beam at the area, measuring a first quantity of antiprotons in said beam directed toward the area, detecting an emission of radiation from the area wherein said emission is caused by antiprotons annihilating within the area, calculating from the detected emission a first dosage, and calculating a second dosage based upon the first dosage.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the second dosage is calculated by first comparing the first dosage to a predetermined dosage and using said comparison to determine the second dosage.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the detection step is performed by reconstructing a vertex using neutral pion decay gamma radiation.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the gamma radiation is detected using an inorganic scintillator having high stopping power.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the scintillator is selected from one of NaI(TI), CsI(TI), BGO, CeF 3 , BaF 2 , and CdWO 4 .  
     
     
         23 . A system for treating a patient having a plurality of undesirable cells, comprising: 
 an accelerator having a receptor port for receiving a plurality of antiprotons wherein said accelerator accelerates the antiprotons from a trapped state to a predetermined, therapeutic energy level;    an antiproton delivery device for directing the antiprotons as a beam at a plurality of undesirable cells; and    a patient station for supporting a patient in a position to have said plurality of undesirable cells be radiated by the beam.    
     
     
         24 . A system for treating a patient having a plurality of undesirable cells, comprising: 
 an accelerator for accelerating a plurality of antiprotons to a predetermined energy level;    an antiproton delivery device for directing the antiprotons as a beam at a plurality of undesirable cells;    a beam monitoring system, structurally integrated with the antiproton delivery device, for monitoring the beam; and    a patient station for supporting a patient in a position to have said plurality of undesirable cells be radiated by the beam.    
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  further comprising a detector array located proximate to the patient station for detecting radiation emitted when the plurality of undesirable cells is radiated by the beam.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the detection is performed by reconstructing a vertex using neutral pion decay gamma radiation.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 28  wherein the gamma radiation is detected using an inorganic scintillator having high stopping power.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27  wherein the scintillator is selected from one of NaI(TI), CsI(TI), BGO, CeF 3 , BaF 2 , and CdWO 4 .  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the antiproton delivery device comprises a gantry structure in communication with a workstation.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the antiproton delivery device comprises a fixed beam structure in communication with a workstation.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30  wherein the fixed beam structure comprises a plurality of delivery points capable of targeting a single isocenter.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 a processor operative to process an instruction set that determines a dose of antiproton radiation to be delivered to said area wherein the determination is a function of the destructive affect of antiprotons annihilating in said area and the destructive affect of alpha particles released from said annihilations; and    an output device in data communication with the processor.    
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the processor is in data communication with at least one of a PET machine, MRI machine, and CAT scan machine.  
     
     
         34 . A method for activating a patient's immune response to counter cancerous cell growth, comprising: 
 receiving a plurality of antiprotons into an accelerator;    accelerating said antiprotons to a predetermined, therapeutic energy level;    forming a beam of antiprotons; and    exposing a tumor to said beam,    wherein said activation is achieved by minimizing injury to tumor-adjacent antigen serving macrophage dendritic cells and minimizing injury to lymphokine activated killer T-cells in the tumor microenvironment.    
     
     
         35 . A system for activating a patient's immune response to counter cancerous cell growth, comprising: 
 an accelerator for accelerating a plurality of antiprotons to a predetermined therapeutic energy level;    an antiproton delivery device for directing the antiprotons as a beam at a tumor; and    a patient station for supporting a patient in a position to have said tumor be radiated by the beam;    wherein said activation is achieved by minimizing injury to tumor-adjacent antigen serving macrophage dendritic cells and minimizing injury to lymphokine activated killer T-cells in the tumor microenvironment.