Bremsstrahlung target for radiation therapy system

Abstract

Described herein is a medical linear accelerator including an accelerator target structure constructed of a material having a thickness of less than 0.2 radiation lengths, and an accelerator structure to receive an electromagnetic wave and generate an output therapy dose rate of electrons having a beam energy between 4-25 mega-electronvolts (MeV).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical linear accelerator comprising:
 an electromagnetic wave source to receive a beam current of electrons and to generate an electromagnetic wave;   an accelerator structure to receive the electromagnetic wave and to generate an output therapy dose rate of electrons having a beam energy between 4-25 mega-electronvolts (MeV); and   an accelerator target structure to receive the output dose of electrons comprised of:
 an x-ray emitting target to emit x-rays in response to receiving the output dose rate of electrons, wherein the x-ray emitting target is less than 0.2 radiation lengths. 
   
     
     
         2 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic wave source is a klystron and the medical linear accelerator is a standing wave accelerator. 
     
     
         3 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 2 , wherein the thickness of the x-ray emitting target is between 0.01 and 0.2 radiation lengths. 
     
     
         4 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 2 , wherein the accelerator is coupled to a robotic arm. 
     
     
         5 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 2 , wherein the accelerator is coupled to a gantry. 
     
     
         6 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 2 , wherein the traveling wave RF linear accelerator is an X-Band, C-Band, S-Band or L-Band linear accelerator. 
     
     
         7 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 2 , wherein the accelerator target structure is further comprised of a heat sink coupled to the x-ray emitting target. 
     
     
         8 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic wave source is a magnetron and the medical linear accelerator is a traveling wave accelerator. 
     
     
         9 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the x-ray emitting target is between 0.01 and 0.2 radiation lengths. 
     
     
         10 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 8 , wherein the accelerator is coupled to a robotic arm. 
     
     
         11 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 8 , wherein the accelerator is coupled to a gantry. 
     
     
         12 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 8 , wherein the traveling wave RF linear accelerator is an X-Band, C-Band, S-Band or L-Band linear accelerator. 
     
     
         13 . The medical linear accelerator of  claim 8 , wherein the accelerator target structure is further comprised of a heat sink coupled to the x-ray emitting target.