Method for determining an effect of a particle beam on a material

Abstract

A method for determining an action of a particle beam on a material at least partially irradiated or to be irradiated by the particle beam includes providing at least one particle beam parameter of the particle beam and at least one material property parameter of the material. A microscopic damage correlation is performed and the at least one particle beam parameter of the particle beam and that at least one material property parameter of the material are used so as to determine the action of the particle beam on the material.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A method for determining an action of a particle beam on a material at least partially irradiated or to be irradiated by the particle beam, the method comprising:
 providing at least one particle beam parameter of the particle beam and at least one material property parameter of the material; and   performing a microscopic damage correlation and using the at least one particle beam parameter of the particle beam and that at least one material property parameter of the material so as to determine the action of the particle beam on the material.   
     
     
         28 . The method as recited in  claim 27 , wherein the microscopic damage correlation is in a sub-micrometer range. 
     
     
         29 . The method as recited in  claim 27 , wherein the determining the microscopic damage correlation is performed using a spatial microscopic damage distribution. 
     
     
         30 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein the determining the spatial microscopic damage distribution is performed based on a microscopic dose distribution generated by the particle beam, wherein a probability of local damage being induced is determined based on a first photon dose effect curve. 
     
     
         31 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein the determining the microscopic damage correlation includes determining, using the spatial microscopic damage distribution, an expected value for a number of correlated damage events in a predetermined partial volume of a sensitive volume. 
     
     
         32 . The method as recited in  claim 31 , further comprising determining a photon dose to achieve approximately a same yield of the correlated damage events corresponding to the expected value of the number of correlated damage events for the particle beam. 
     
     
         33 . The method as recited in  claim 32 , further comprising determining an effect associated with the photon dose using a second photon close effect curve. 
     
     
         34 . The method as recited in  claim 33 , wherein the determining the action of the particle beam includes scaling the effect associated with the photon dose corresponding to a ratio of the photon dose and a dose deposited in the sensitive volume by the particle beam, or the number of correlated damage events after photon or particle irradiation. 
     
     
         35 . The method as recited in  claim 27 , further comprising storing the action in a memory unit. 
     
     
         36 . A method for irradiation planning for a target volume in an irradiation volume using a particle beam, the method comprising:
 specifying a target volume in an irradiation volume;   determining at least one of a fluence and an energy distribution within the irradiation volume which includes the target volume;   determining an action of the particle beam in a material of the irradiation volume based on microscopic damage correlation and using at least one particle beam parameter of the particle beam and at least one material property parameter of the material; and   determining, using the determined action of the particle beam in the material of the irradiation volume, an effective dose distrubtion resulting from the at least one of a fluence and an energy distribution.   
     
     
         37 . The method as recited in  claim 36 , wherein the method is performed so as to at least one of produce and validate an irradiation plan for the target volume. 
     
     
         38 . The method as recited in  claim 36 , further comprising determining a microscopic dose distribution based on the fluence distribution. 
     
     
         39 . The method as recited in  claim 38 , further comprising determining an observable effect for the fluence distribution based on a scaling of an observable effect for a photon dose corresponding to a ratio of the photon dose and a dose deposited in a sensitive volume corresponding to the fluence distribution. 
     
     
         40 . The method as recited in  claim 36 , wherein the effective dose distribution is determined based on an action of the photon dose. 
     
     
         41 . A method for irradiating a target volume in an irradiation volume using a particle beam, the method comprising:
 determining at least one of a fluence and energy distribution within the irradiation volume, the irradiation volume including a target volume;   determining an action of the particle beam in a material of the irradiation volume based on microscopic damage correlation and using at least one particle beam parameter of the particle beam and at least one material property parameter of the material; and   determining, using the determined action of the particle beam in the material of the irradiation volume, an effective dose distrubtion resulting from the at least one of a fluence and an energy distribution.   
     
     
         42 . The method as recited in  claim 41 , wherein the method is performed so as to at least one of produce and validate an irradiation plan for the target volume. 
     
     
         43 . The method as recited in  claim 42 , further comprising determining a microscopic dose distribution based on the fluence distribution. 
     
     
         44 . The method as recited in  claim 43 , further comprising determining an observable effect for the fluence distribution using a scaling of an observable effect for a photon dose corresponding to a ratio of the photon dose and a dose deposited in a sensitive volume corresponding to the fluence distribution. 
     
     
         45 . The method as recited in  claim 41 , wherein the effective dose distribution is determined based on an action of the photon dose. 
     
     
         46 . The method as recited in  claim 45 , wherein the material includes a biological material. 
     
     
         47 . An irradiation planning facility comprising a computational unit configured to perform the method as recited in  claim 27 .