Radiant energy – Radiant energy generation and sources – With container for radioactive source and radiation...
Patent
1976-12-06
1978-09-05
Dixon, Harold A.
Radiant energy
Radiant energy generation and sources
With container for radioactive source and radiation...
328234, G21G 402
Patent
active
041123069
ABSTRACT:
In a neutron irradiation therapy machine for treating patients with a beam of high energy neutrons, a gantry is provided which supports a non-superconducting cyclotron proton accelerator and target for generating a neutron beam and which permits rotation of the accelerator and neutron beam around an axis of revolution coaxial with a patient treatment zone. A counter-weight is carried from the gantry in a diametrically opposed relation to the cyclotron and behind the support bearing for counter-weighting the cyclotron and its associated equipment rotationally and longitudinally. The cyclotron includes an enclosing magnetic return yoke having a re-entrant portion in axial alignment with the magnetic poles of the cyclotron for reducing the weight of the yoke. The enclosing magnetic return yoke, and any additional surrounding material such as boron loaded polyethylene and lead, provide radiation shielding to protect the patient. An alternative patient table is coaxially mounted of the gantry and supported from a rotor portion thereof via a bearing assembly so that the rotor rotates around the stationary patient table. A neutron beam stopper is carried from the rotator of the gantry in axial alignment with the neutron beam and diametrically opposed to the cyclotron for absorbing neutrons passing through the patient treatment zone. Evacuable radio frequency transmission lines are provided for feeding RF power to the cyclotron and which pass through the yoke and are connected in gas communication with a vacuum pump for evacuating the cyclotron via the intermediary of the RF transmission lines. The cyclotron accelerates a beam of charge particles, such as protons, to relatively high energy, as of 30 MeV, to bombard a target formed of first and second materials. The first target material has a relatively high yield for high energy neutrons at proton energies in excess of 15 MeV, whereas a second portion of the target has a low yield for neutrons at proton energies less than 15 MeV, for stopping the protons. Tungsten shielding elements are disposed surrounding the neutron producing target and other regions for attenuation of neutrons falling outside of the desired neutron beam lobe. An adjustable and rotatable neutron beam collimator is arranged for varying the orientation and cross sectional dimensions of the neutron beam as applied to the patient treatment zone.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3015030 (1961-12-01), Jones
patent: 3175131 (1965-03-01), Burleigh et al.
patent: 3868522 (1975-02-01), Bigham et al.
patent: 3925676 (1975-12-01), Bigham et al.
Berkowitz Edward H.
Cole Stanley Z.
Dixon Harold A.
Herbert Leon F.
Varian Associates Inc.
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