Configurations for integrated MRI-linear accelerators

US8331531B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University · US
• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Rebecca Fahrig · Palo Alto, US
• Norbert J. Pelc · Wauwatosa, US
• Kim Butts Pauly · Stanford, US
• Greig Scott · Palo Alto, US
• Amit Sawant · Columbia, US
• Paul J. Keall · Stanford, US
• Lei Xing · Palo Alto, US
• Steven M. Conolly · Walnut Creek, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 15, 2010
• Grant date: Dec 11, 2012
• Expiry date: Aug 1, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61N2005/1087
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present invention provides a radiotherapy treatment apparatus that includes a treatment beam, a magnetic field disposed parallel collinear to the treatment beam, and a target that is disposed along the treatment beam. The treatment beam can be a charged particle beam, a proton beam, an electron beam, or a linear accelerator (Linac) beam. The magnetic field is from a magnetic resonance imager (MRI), a megavolt x-ray imager, or a kilovolt x-ray imager and is disposed to operate in coordination with operation of the treatment beam and to narrow the beam. The tumor is disposed to rotate with respect to the treatment beam and the magnetic field, or the treatment beam and the magnetic field are disposed to rotate up to 360° with respect to the target when mounted to a ring gantry. The apparatus can include a rotation angle dependent shim disposed to account for Earth's magnetic field.