Gantry charged particle nozzle system - rolling floor interface apparatus and method of use thereof

Abstract

The invention comprises a segmented rolling floor apparatus and method of use thereof, such as for use in a charged particle cancer therapy system. The segmented rolling floor comprises a first spool and a second spool, attached to opposite ends of the rolling floor, which cooperatively wind and unwind the rolling floor. The segmented rolling floor circumferentially surrounds a nozzle system penetrating through an aperture in the segmented rolling floor, where the nozzle system is used to deliver charged particles, from an accelerator, to a tumor of a patient. The rolling floor and nozzle systems move at respective rates maintaining the nozzle system in the aperture allowing for a safe/walkable floor while allowing treatment of the tumor as a gantry rotates the nozzle system and delivers protons to the tumor from positions above and below the floor.

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a first rolling floor spooler system;   a segmented rolling floor comprising a first end attached to said rolling floor spooler system, said rolling floor spooler system configured to wind up a section of said segmented rolling floor during use.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a nozzle system penetrating through an aperture in said segmented rolling floor.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a beam path from an accelerator, along a beam transport line, though a rotatable section of said beam transport line, and through said nozzle system.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a gantry attached to said rotatable section of said beam transport line; and   a mechanical connection forcing movement of said segmented rolling floor with rotation of said gantry.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a second rolling floor spool attached to a second end of said segmented rolling floor.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , said first rolling floor spooler system positioned above a plane of a floor coplanar with a walkable plane surface section of said segmented rolling floor, said second rolling floor spool positioned below the plane of the floor. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , said segmented rolling floor further comprising:
 an upper section directly above a patient position, said patient position in said beam path.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , said segmented rolling floor further comprising:
 a vertical section at least five feet in length.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , said segmented rolling floor further comprising:
 a curved rolling wall section.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 an X-ray imaging system penetrating through said segmented rolling floor.   
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising the steps of:
 providing a segmented rolling floor; and   spooling said segmented rolling floor onto a first rolling floor spool, said first rolling floor spool attached to a first end of said segmented rolling floor.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
 unwinding said segmented rolling floor from a second rolling floor spool, attached to a second end of said segmented rolling floor, during said step of spooling.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of:
 positioning a nozzle end of a nozzle system through an aperture in said segmented rolling floor.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
 co-moving said nozzle system and said segmented rolling floor.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
 sequentially transporting positively charged particles from an accelerator, along a rotatable beam transport line, and through said nozzle system.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
 a gantry rotating said rotatable beam transport line at a rate of said step of spooling said segment rolling floor.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 imaging a tumor of a patient, using a stationary imaging source and an imaging detection panel, simultaneous with said step of said gantry rotating said rotatable beam transport line.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
 horizontally extending at least one proton tomography detection panel to an opposite side of a patient position from said nozzle system.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of:
 maintaining said proton tomography detection panel on the opposite side of the patient position from said nozzle system during movement of said segmented rolling floor.