Particle beam irradiation apparatus and particle beam irradiation method

Abstract

To ensure irradiation accuracy and safety, even when an irradiation device employing a different irradiation method is used, disclosed is herein a charged particle beam irradiation apparatus that irradiates an irradiation target with charged particle beams includes: a charged particle beam generator for generating the charged particle beams; a passive scattering irradiation device and a scanning irradiation device, both for irradiating the irradiation target with the charged particle beams; a beam transport system for transporting the charged particles beam extracted from the charged particle beam generator, to selected one of the two irradiation devices; and a central controller that modifies operating parameters on the charged particle beam generator, according to the irradiation method adopted for the selected irradiation device.

1 . A charged particle beam irradiation apparatus that irradiates an irradiation target with a charged particle beam, said apparatus comprising:
 a charged particle beam generator for generating the charged particle beam;   a plurality of irradiation devices each for irradiating the irradiation target with the charged particle beam, wherein at least a part of said irradiation device group applies a different irradiation method;   a beam transport system for transporting the charged particle beam extracted from said charged particle beam generator, to selected one of said irradiation devices; and   a controller that modifies operating parameters of said charged particle beam generator according to the irradiation method adopted for said selected irradiation device.   
   
   
       2 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said controller modifies the operating parameters of said charged particle beam generator such that a beam intensity level or beam size of the charged particle beam is changed according to the irradiation method adopted for said selected irradiation device. 
   
   
       3 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 2 , further including:
 a detector for detecting a beam state of the charged particle beam extracted from said charged particle beam generator; and   a judging device for judging whether the beam state that has been detected is normal;   wherein said controller modifies judgment parameters of said judging device according to the irradiation method adopted for said selected irradiation device.   
   
   
       4 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 said detector detects a beam energy level and beam position of the charged particle beam;   said judging device judges whether detection results by said detector stay within allowable ranges; and   said controller modifies the allowable ranges used as judgment criteria by said judging device, according to the irradiation method adopted for said selected irradiation device.   
   
   
       5 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said plurality of irradiation devices include an irradiation device that employs a scanning irradiation method. 
   
   
       6 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said controller modifies operating parameters of said charged particle beam generator so that the beam intensity and beam size of the charged particle beam that exist when an irradiation device employing the scanning irradiation method is selected will be smaller than the beam intensity and beam size existing when an irradiation device employing an irradiation method other than the scanning irradiation method is selected. 
   
   
       7 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said controller modifies judgment parameters of said judging device so that the allowable beam energy and beam position ranges used as judgment criteria by said judging device when an irradiation device employing the scanning irradiation method is selected will be narrower than the allowable ranges used as judgment criteria when an irradiation device employing an irradiation method other than the scanning irradiation method is selected. 
   
   
       8 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said charged particle beam generator includes a synchrotron. 
   
   
       9 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 said charged particle beam generator includes said synchrotron having a high-frequency beam extraction device for extracting the charged particle beam by applying high-frequency electric power to the beam; and   said controller operates such that the voltage applied to said high-frequency beam extraction device when an irradiation device employing the scanning irradiation method is selected will be lower than the voltage applied when an irradiation device employing an irradiation method other than the scanning irradiation method is selected.   
   
   
       10 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 said charged particle beam generator includes said synchrotron having a beam scraping device which, by inserting a beam scraper, cuts a part of the charged particle beam while the beam is circularly revolving within said synchrotron; and   said controller operates such that a stroke through which the beam scraper is inserted by said beam scraping device when an irradiation device employing the scanning irradiation method is selected will be greater than a stroke through which the beam scraper is inserted when an irradiation device employing an irradiation method other than the scanning irradiation method is selected.   
   
   
       11 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 3 , further including a second controller which, if said judging device judged that the charged particle beam extracted from said charged particle beam generator is abnormal, stops further extraction of charged particle beams from said charged particle beam generator. 
   
   
       12 . A charged particle beam irradiation apparatus that irradiates an irradiation target with a charged particle beam, said apparatus comprising:
 a charged particle beam generator including a cyclotron which accelerates the charged particle beam;   a plurality of irradiation devices each for irradiating the irradiation target with the charged particle beam, wherein at least a part of said irradiation device group applies a different irradiation method;   a beam transport system for transporting the charged particle beam extracted from said charged particle beam generator, to selected one of said irradiation devices; and   a controller that modifies operating parameters of said charged particle beam generator and of said beam transport system according to the irradiation method adopted for said selected irradiation device.   
   
   
       13 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 12 , further including:
 an energy adjusting system that changes energy of the charged particle beam extracted from said cyclotron;   wherein said controller modifies operating parameters of said charged particle beam generator or of said energy adjusting system according to the irradiation method adopted for said selected irradiation device.   
   
   
       14 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said charged particle beam generator includes an ion source for emitting the charged particle beam to said cyclotron; and   said controller modifies data settings of said ion source such that the beam intensity data settings of said ion source that exist when an irradiation device employing the scanning irradiation method is selected will be smaller than the beam intensity data settings existing when an irradiation device employing an irradiation method other than the scanning irradiation method is selected.   
   
   
       15 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 13 , including either;
 said energy adjusting system including an aperture device in which plural kinds of apertures each for cutting part of the charged particle beam extracted from said cyclotron are selectively equipped; or   said beam transport system;   wherein said controller selects each of the apertures such that the amount of beam cut when an irradiation device employing the scanning irradiation method is selected will be greater than the amount of beam cut when an irradiation device employing an irradiation method other than the scanning irradiation method is selected.   
   
   
       16 . A method of charged particle beam irradiation in which the charged particle beam generated by a charged particle beam generator is emitted in transported form to selected one of plural irradiation devices whose irradiation methods include a different irradiation method; wherein operating parameters of the charged particle beam generator are modified according to the irradiation method adopted for the selected irradiation device. 
   
   
       17 . The charged particle beam irradiation method according to  claim 16 , wherein the operating parameters of the charged particle beam generator are modified so that a beam intensity level and beam size of the charged particle beam are modified according to the irradiation method adopted for the selected irradiation device. 
   
   
       18 . The charged particle beam irradiation method according to  claim 17 , wherein judgment parameters for judging whether a beam state of the charged particle beam extracted from the charged particle beam generator is normal are modified according to the irradiation method adopted for the selected irradiation device. 
   
   
       19 . The charged particle beam irradiation method according to  claim 18 , wherein allowable ranges for judging whether a beam energy level and beam position of the charged particle beam are normal are modified according to the irradiation method adopted for the selected irradiation device. 
   
   
       20 . A method of charged particle beam irradiation in which the charged particle beam generated by a charged particle beam generator which includes a cyclotron is emitted in transported form to selected one of plural irradiation devices whose irradiation methods include a different irradiation method;
 wherein operating parameters of the charged particle beam generator and of the beam transport are modified according to the irradiation method adopted for the selected irradiation device.   
   
   
       21 . The charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said controller modifies operating parameters of said charged particle beam generator so that the beam intensity of the charged particle beam that exist when an irradiation device employing the scanning irradiation method is selected will be smaller than the beam intensity existing when an irradiation device employing an irradiation method other than the scanning irradiation method is selected.