Orthogonal double dipole cancer therapy treatment beam scanning apparatus and method of use thereof

Abstract

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for scanning charged particles in a cancer therapy system, comprising the steps of: (1) providing a first and second dipole magnet system and a gap, the gap comprising a common gap length, along a path of the charged particles, within both the first and second dipole magnet systems, the gap comprising a progressively increasing x/y-plane cross-section area from an entrance area of the charged particles into the double dipole magnet system to an exit area of the double dipole magnet system, the x/y-plane perpendicular to a z-axis from a center of the entrance area to a center of the exit area; (2) scanning the positively charged particles along a first axis of the x/y-plane using the first dipole magnet system; and (3) scanning the positively charged particles along a second axis of the x/y-plane using the second dipole magnet system.

1 . An apparatus for steering positively charged particles in a cancer therapy system, comprising:
 a double dipole magnet system, comprising:
 a first dipole magnet system; 
 a second dipole magnet system; and 
 a gap, a common length of the gap along a path of the positively charged particles both: (1) within said first dipole magnet system and (2) within said second dipole magnet system, said gap comprising at least ten progressively increased x/y-plane cross-section areas from an entrance area into said double dipole magnet system to an exit area of said double dipole magnet system, 
 the x/y-plane perpendicular to a z-axis from a center of the entrance area to a center of the exit area. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , said first dipole magnet system further comprising:
 a first magnet core of a first magnet half of said first dipole magnet system, said first magnet core comprising a first gap surface proximate the gap and a set of winding surfaces; and   a first set of windings wound longitudinally around said first magnet core along said set of winding surfaces.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , said first set of windings further comprising:
 a first set of hollow core windings, said first set of hollow core windings comprising:
 a first winding comprising m turns, said m turns comprising a first mean distance from said first magnet core; and 
 a second winding comprising n turns, said n turns comprising a second mean distance from said first magnet core, the second distance greater than the first distance, wherein m>n, wherein m and n comprise positive integers. 
   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , said first set of hollow core windings further comprising:
 an electrically parallel connection to a first power supply.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a pump configured to pump a coolant through said first set of hollow core windings.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , said first gap surface further comprising:
 a trapezoid shape.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , the gap comprising:
 a truncated rectangular pyramid gap volume comprising an entrance rectangle and an exit rectangle connected by four trapezoid gap sides.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , said first magnet core further comprising:
 a truncated rectangular pyramid core comprising a top rectangle and a base rectangle connected by four trapezoid core sides.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , said top rectangle coplanar with said entrance rectangle. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , the gap comprising:
 a truncated square pyramid gap comprising an entrance square and an exit square connected by four trapezoid shape gap sides.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a first power supply electrically connected to said first dipole and configured to steer the positively charged particles along a first axis of the x/y-plane during use;   a second power supply electrically connected to said second dipole and configured to steer the positively charged particles along a second axis of the x/y-plane during use.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a charged particle beam path from a synchrotron to the gap.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , said gap further comprising:
 a first trapezoid shape surface and a second trapezoid shape surface respectively facing: (1) said first magnet core of said first half of said first dipole magnet system and (2) a second magnet core of a second half of said first dipole magnet system; and   a third trapezoid shape surface and a fourth trapezoid shape surface respectively facing first and second cores of said second dipole magnet system.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , said first set of windings further comprising:
 a first hollow core winding comprising more turns than a second hollow core winding.   
     
     
         15 . A method for steering positively charged particles in a cancer therapy system, comprising the steps of:
 providing a double dipole magnet system, comprising:
 a first dipole magnet system; 
 a second dipole magnet system; and 
 a gap comprising a common gap length along a path of the positively charged particles both: (1) within said first dipole magnet system and (2) within said second dipole magnet system, said gap comprising at least ten progressively increasing x/y-plane cross-section areas, separated from each other by greater than one millimeter, from an entrance area into said double dipole magnet system to an exit area of said double dipole magnet system, the x/y-plane perpendicular to a z-axis from a center of the entrance area to a center of the exit area; 
   steering the positively charged particles along a first axis of the x/y-plane using said first dipole magnet system; and   scanning the positively charged particles along a second axis of the x/y-plane using said second dipole magnet system.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
 carrying a current from a power supply using a first set of windings wound longitudinally around a first magnet core along a set of winding surfaces, said first magnet core comprising a first magnet half of said first dipole magnet system, said set of winding surfaces comprising faces of a truncated rectangular pyramid.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 cooling said first dipole magnet using a fluid flowing through a first set of hollow core windings of said first set of windings, said first set of hollow core windings comprising:
 a first winding comprising m turns, said m turns comprising a first mean distance from said first magnet core; and 
 a second winding comprising n turns, said n turns comprising a second mean distance from said first magnet core, the second distance greater than the first distance, wherein m>n. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 transporting the positively charged particles from a synchrotron through the gap, the gap length centered between: (1) first and second halves of said first dipole magnet system and (2) first and second sides of said second dipole magnet system.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , the gap comprising a truncated rectangular pyramid volume comprising a first rectangular entrance side, a second rectangular exit side, and four trapezoid shaped sides, said first rectangular entrance side at least ten percent smaller than said second rectangular exit side. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of:
 treating a tumor of a patient using the charged particles, the charged particles comprising at least one of:
 H + ; 
 C 4+ ; and 
   C 6+ .