Controlling intensity of a particle beam

US9723705B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Mevion Medical Systems, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Kenneth P. Gall · Harvard, US
• Gerrit Townsend Zwart · Durham, US
• Jan Van der Laan · Danvers, US
• Adam C. Molzahn · Leominster, US
• Charles D. O'Neal, III · Bolton, US
• Thomas C. Sobczynski · Arlington, US
• James Cooley · Andover, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 27, 2013
• Grant date: Aug 1, 2017
• Expiry date: Feb 25, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H05H2007/122
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

In an example, a synchrocyclotron includes a particle source to provide pulses of ionized plasma to a cavity; a voltage source to provide a radio frequency (RF) voltage to the cavity to accelerate particles from the plasma column outwardly; and an extraction channel to receive a beam of particles from the cavity for output from the particle accelerator. The particle source is configured to control pulse widths of the ionized plasma in order to control an intensity of the beam of particles. This example synchrocyclotron may include one or more of the following features, either alone or in combination.