Device and method for creating a spatial dose distribution in a medium volume

US8039819B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE · FR
• Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum · DE

Inventors

• Jérôme Faure · Cachan, FR
• Yannick Glinec · Serris, FR
• Victor Malka · Paris, FR
• Thomas Fuchs · Bietigheim-Bissingen, DE
• Hanitra Szymanowski · Heidelberg, DE
• Uwe Oelfke · Dossenheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 20, 2006
• Grant date: Oct 18, 2011
• Expiry date: Aug 7, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61N2005/1089
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A device and a method for creating a spatial dose distribution in a medium volume (22) are described. A laser system produces laser pulses (12) with a pulse length shorter than 200 fs (femtoseconds) and is capable to be focused to peak intensities greater than 10^18 W/cm^2 (watts per centimeter squared). An electron source (18) is capable of releasing a high-energy electron pulse (20), in particular the electrons having an energy greater than 100 MeV, upon irradiation with said laser pulses (12) propagating into the medium volume (22). The light paths (52, 56,58) of at least some of the laser pulses (12) are adjustable in such a way that high-energy electron pulses (20) are emitted from the irradiated at least one electron source on different trajectories (20,28,60,62) through the medium volume (22) thereby depositing their dose in the medium volume (22) according to a provided pattern.