CN120132247B - Dual-mode accurate regulation and control method and device for proton treatment system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a dual-mode accurate regulation and control method and device of a proton treatment system, which relate to the technical field of proton treatment, wherein the device comprises a superconducting cyclotron, a beam transmission module, a treatment head module comprising a first ionization chamber, a second ionization chamber, a range regulator, a multi-leaf grating and scanning iron, a treatment chair and a control module, wherein the control module is used for receiving and analyzing a treatment plan and controlling working states of the superconducting cyclotron, the beam transmission module, the treatment head module and the treatment chair in different working modes according to the treatment plan, the working modes comprise a first working mode and a second working mode, and the radiation dose of a proton beam required by the second working mode is far greater than that of the proton beam required by the first working mode. The dual-mode accurate regulation and control device can support both a conventional working mode and a flash therapy working mode, and can be switched between different working modes so as to realize treatment planning.

Description

Dual-mode accurate regulation and control method and device for proton treatment system

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of proton treatment, in particular to a dual-mode accurate regulation and control method and device of a proton treatment system.

Background

In proton therapy, conventional proton therapy and flash therapy techniques are classified, but in the related art, although high-efficiency proton therapy has been achieved, proton therapy systems combined with flash therapy techniques are not yet widespread, and it is difficult to rapidly and efficiently switch different therapy modes during the treatment of the proton therapy systems.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a dual-mode accurate control method and apparatus for a proton therapy system capable of supporting switching between different therapy modes.

A dual mode precision control device for a proton therapy system, comprising:

a superconducting cyclotron for generating a stable proton beam;

A beam current transmission module for transmitting the proton beam and adjusting the energy of the proton beam;

The therapeutic head module comprises a first ionization chamber, a second ionization chamber, a range regulator, a multi-leaf grating and a scanning iron, wherein the first ionization chamber and the second ionization chamber are used for monitoring the proton beam in different working modes;

A treatment chair for adjusting an irradiation area of a patient receiving the proton beam;

The control module is used for receiving and analyzing the treatment plan, controlling the working states of the superconducting cyclotron, the beam transmission module, the treatment head module and the treatment chair in different working modes according to the treatment plan, wherein the working modes comprise a first working mode and a second working mode, and the radiation dose of the proton beam required by the second working mode is far greater than that of the proton beam required by the first working mode.

A dual-mode precise control method of a proton therapy system, the dual-mode precise control device of the proton therapy system applying any of the above schemes, the method comprising:

performing self-checking on the dual-mode accurate regulation device, and under the condition that the self-checking is normal, acquiring and analyzing a treatment plan to determine a target working mode;

and controlling the working state of the dual-mode precise regulating device in the target working mode to execute the treatment plan, wherein the target working mode is a first working mode or a second working mode, and the radiation dose of the proton beam required by the second working mode is far greater than that of the proton beam required by the first working mode.

According to the dual-mode accurate regulation and control method and device for the proton treatment system, the treatment head module in the dual-mode accurate regulation and control device for the proton treatment system integrates components required under different working modes, so that the dual-mode accurate regulation and control device can support both a conventional working mode and a flash treatment working mode, a control module in the dual-mode accurate regulation and control device can control each component in the dual-mode accurate regulation and control device to work under different working modes according to a treatment plan, and simultaneously regulate and control the working states of the components under different working modes, so that the dual-mode accurate regulation and control device can be switched in different working modes to realize the treatment plan.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a dual-mode precision control device of a proton therapy system according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the basic structure of a multi-leaf collimator according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the operation of a multileaf collimator in one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the operation of the treatment chair in one embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the treatment head module in the first operation mode according to one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the therapy head module in a second mode of operation according to one embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a dual mode precision control method of a proton therapy system according to one embodiment.

Detailed Description

The present application will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings and examples, in order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the application.

Proton treatment system based on superconducting cyclotron is applied to tumor treatment, and can carry out high-precision and high-efficiency radiotherapy through proton beams. Proton therapy, which is an advanced radiation therapy method, uses proton beams instead of conventional X-ray beams to perform therapy, can provide a more accurate radiation dose distribution. The proton beam has strong penetrating power, releases high energy when reaching the tumor site, and does not cause excessive damage when passing through normal tissues. Proton therapy is therefore particularly suitable for deep tumors or tumors located in the vicinity of vital organs, enabling reduced side effects and improved therapeutic effects.

Proton therapy is classified into conventional therapy and flash therapy techniques. Conventional treatments rely on more traditional dose distribution patterns and may not fully optimize the efficiency of the treatment. Based on the above, a flash therapy technology is generated, and the flash therapy technology can generate a strong killing effect on tumors in a moment through high-dose radiation in a short time, and meanwhile, the damage to normal tissues is avoided. Compared with the conventional treatment, the flash treatment technology can remarkably shorten the treatment time, reduce the dosage required by the treatment and enhance the treatment effect.

Based on this, a dual-mode accurate regulation device of a proton treatment system integrating conventional treatment and flash treatment technologies is developed, and the treatment requirements of different treatment schemes are met by supporting the rapid switching of the flash treatment mode and the conventional mode.

Implementation details of the technical scheme of the embodiment of the present application are described in detail below.

As shown in fig. 1, fig. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a dual-mode precision control device of a proton therapy system. The dual-mode precise regulation device at least comprises a superconducting cyclotron, a beam transmission module, a treatment head module, a treatment chair and a control module. The various components of the dual mode fine tuning device are described in detail below in conjunction with FIG. 1.

A superconducting cyclotron is a highly efficient particle accelerator that is capable of producing a stable proton beam. The basic principle of operation of a superconducting cyclotron is to accelerate charged particles (e.g., protons) along a helical orbit using an electromagnetic field, thereby forming a proton beam.

In practice, a superconducting cyclotron is generally composed of an annular acceleration chamber and a plurality of superconducting magnets, which can generate a strong magnetic field to maintain the trajectory of protons within the acceleration chamber. Among these, the first step of a superconducting cyclotron is to generate protons, which are generated by ionizing hydrogen atoms, typically using hydrogen gas as a proton source. The generated protons are accelerated and injected into the acceleration chamber of the superconducting cyclotron. The accelerating cavity of the superconducting cyclotron is of an annular structure, a plurality of electrodes are arranged in the accelerating cavity, protons can be accelerated through an alternating electric field, the protons move along a spiral track in the accelerating cavity, and energy is obtained under the action of the electric field.

The use of superconducting magnets in a superconducting cyclotron enables the accelerator to produce a high strength magnetic field with low power consumption. Under the action of the magnetic field, the protons move along the spiral orbit, and each cycle of the protons in the accelerating cavity is kept on the orbit under the action of the magnetic field, and meanwhile, energy is obtained. As the number of cycles of protons in the acceleration chamber increases, the protons gain progressively higher energy. After the protons reach the desired energy, a stable proton beam is formed.

After the proton beam is generated from the superconducting cyclotron, it is transferred to the treatment head module by a beam transport module, which typically includes a series of magnets, vacuum tubing and monitoring equipment. The beam transmission system is designed to reduce the loss of proton beam in the transmission process as much as possible and ensure efficient transmission.

During the process of transmitting the proton beam by the beam transmission module, the proton beam can be subjected to energy reduction treatment, so as to ensure that the energy of the proton beam is suitable for specific treatment requirements. The main purpose of the energy reduction process is to adjust the energy of the proton beam, wherein the energy of the proton beam represents the number of protons passing through a certain section in unit time, so that the beam current transmission module can accurately control the penetration depth of the proton beam, and ensure that the proton beam has proper energy when reaching a target position.

The treatment head module consists of a plurality of parts, including a first ionization chamber, a second ionization chamber, a range regulator, a multi-leaf grating and a scanning head, and through the configuration work among the parts, the accurate control of the proton beam in the treatment process is ensured.

The first ionization chamber and the second ionization chamber are used for monitoring the proton beam in real time, including the intensity and the stability of the proton beam, so that the beam current output in the treatment process is ensured to meet the preset dosage requirement.

It should be noted that the first ionization chamber and the second ionization chamber operate in different operation modes. The modes of operation herein are divided into a first mode of operation (i.e. normal mode) in which the treatment head module generally uses a lower radiation dose and a second mode of operation (i.e. flash mode) in which the treatment head module needs to use a higher radiation dose in a very short period of time, which differences require different designs and performances of the ionization chamber to accommodate the respective monitoring requirements, due to the significant differences in radiation doses of the two modes of operation. In the first working mode, the first ionization chamber can be used for monitoring the proton beam in the first working mode in real time. The first ionization chamber is adapted for a first mode of operation and is capable of monitoring a lower dose rate proton beam. As the proton beam passes through the first ionization chamber, the protons collide with gas molecules (e.g., air or inert gas) to generate electrons and positive ions. An electric field is applied inside the ionization chamber, electrons are attracted to the anode, positive ions are attracted to the cathode, a current is formed, and the intensity and the dose rate of the proton beam can be monitored in real time by measuring the magnitude of the current.

In the second working mode, a second ionization chamber can be used, and the design and the function of the second ionization chamber are specially aimed at the characteristics of high radiation dosage and rapid irradiation of the second working mode, so that the proton beam in the second working mode can be monitored in real time. The basic principle of the second ionization chamber is the same as that of the first ionization chamber, and current is generated through ionization effect, but the design of the second ionization chamber is optimized to enable the second ionization chamber to process radiation with extremely high dosage rate, and the second ionization chamber is applicable to the second operation mode and can monitor proton beams with extremely high dosage rate in extremely short time (millisecond level).

The primary function of the range regulator is to control the range of the proton beam by regulating its energy. The range of the proton beam is closely related to the energy, and the higher the energy is, the greater the penetration depth of the proton beam is, whereas the lower the energy is, the smaller the penetration depth is. The range regulator can adapt to treatment requirements of different depths by changing the energy of the proton beam, ensures that the proton beam releases the maximum dose in the tumor area, and simultaneously reduces radiation to surrounding normal tissues.

Multi-leaf gratings are used to precisely control the shape and distribution of the proton beam. Its main function is to optimize the dose distribution by adjusting the shape of the beam, thereby improving the accuracy and safety of the treatment. As shown in fig. 2, fig. 2 shows a basic structure schematic diagram of a multi-leaf collimator, which is composed of a plurality of leaves made of metal or lead, and the arrangement and number of the leaves can be adjusted according to the requirements of a treatment plan so as to adapt to tumors of different shapes. The blades can move independently to form different beam shapes, and the blades of the multi-blade grating can be moved according to the requirement, so that the shape of the proton beam can be accurately adjusted. As shown in fig. 3, fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the operation of a multileaf collimator, by moving the different leaves, a beam spot matching the shape of the tumor can be formed. Therefore, the multi-leaf grating can be adjusted according to the shapes and sizes of different tumors, the maximum dose of the proton beam released in the tumor area can be ensured by controlling the shape of the beam current, and meanwhile, the radiation to surrounding normal tissues is reduced, so that a personalized treatment scheme is provided.

The scanning iron is used for realizing pencil beam scanning in proton treatment, and the pencil beam scanning realizes high-precision irradiation on tumors by precisely controlling the movement of a proton beam. The pen-shaped beam is a tiny proton beam, can precisely move in a tumor area to form a small irradiation point, and can scan the tumor layer by rapidly moving the proton beam, so that each point can obtain the required dose, and high-precision dose distribution can be realized.

In practical application, the scanning iron can change the deflection angle of the proton beam by adjusting the magnetic field generated by the current, thereby realizing the transverse and longitudinal movement of the beam. By rapidly changing the magnetic field, the proton beam can be moved rapidly within the tumor region, allowing accurate movement of the proton beam to each point of the tumor, ensuring that each point can achieve the desired dose.

The treatment chair has 360-degree rotation, tilting and lifting functions, as shown in fig. 4, fig. 4 shows a working schematic diagram of the treatment chair, and the irradiation area of the patient receiving the proton beam is adjusted by means of 360-degree rotation of the treatment chair on a horizontal plane, forward or backward tilting of the treatment chair, and lifting of the treatment chair, so as to ensure that the proton beam or the radioactive rays can be accurately irradiated to the tumor area.

The control module receives the treatment plan, analyzes the treatment plan, and converts data in the treatment plan into specific control instructions for scheduling and controlling the working states of the modules. The data in the treatment plan comprises information such as tumor positions, dose distribution, beam parameters, working modes and the like.

The dual-mode precise regulating device supports two working modes, the control module can decide to use the first working mode or the second working mode according to the indication of a treatment plan, so that the superconducting cyclotron, the beam transmission module, the treatment head module and the treatment chair can be accurately switched between the first working mode and the second working mode, and the working states of the superconducting cyclotron, the beam transmission module, the treatment head module and the treatment chair in the working modes can be controlled and scheduled, so that the dual-mode precise regulating device irradiates proton beams at a lower dosage rate and stable intensity in the first working mode, and releases high-dosage radiation at an extremely high dosage rate in an extremely short time in the second working mode. Wherein, the scheduling and controlling of the equipment by the control module comprises:

The control module starts and adjusts the working state of the superconducting cyclotron, ensures the generation and acceleration of proton beams to required energy, schedules the beam transmission module to ensure the accurate transmission of the proton beams to the treatment head module, controls the beam transmission module to adjust the energy of the proton beams, controls the switch, the beam shape, the energy adjustment and the dose release of the treatment head module to ensure the accurate irradiation of the proton beams to a tumor area according to a treatment plan, and adjusts the rotation, the inclination and the lifting functions of the treatment chair to ensure that a patient is in an optimal treatment position.

Here, the control module can control the working state of the dual-mode accurate regulation and control device under different working modes, can effectively manage the difference between the first working mode and the second working mode, ensures that the dual-mode accurate regulation and control device can accurately switch between the different working modes, provides individualized treatment schemes for patients, and improves the accuracy and the safety of proton treatment.

In practical application, because the requirements of the first working mode and the second working mode on energy adjustment and dose distribution are different, the equipment to be scheduled in different working modes is different, and the working states of the same equipment in different working modes are also different.

The treatment time required by the first working mode is longer, the proton beam is at a relatively low dosage rate, the energy of the proton beam needs to be highly accurately regulated, and multi-level Bragg peak superposition is realized, so that the uniform dosage coverage of a complex target area is realized. In the dual-mode precise regulation device, both the beam transmission module and the range regulator can be used for regulating the energy of the proton beam. The beam transmission module is realized by changing the momentum of the beam, and the mode can output accurate proton energy, so that the Bragg peak is accurately positioned, the requirement of the conventional mode on the dose distribution is met, and the requirements of the first working mode on the low dose rate and the long treatment time are adapted. The range regulator reduces the energy of the proton beam by inserting substances with different thicknesses, is easy to influence the position and the shape of the Bragg peak, and is more suitable for high-dose-rate treatment. Based on this, referring to fig. 5, fig. 5 shows a schematic main structure of the treatment head module in the first operation mode, in which the control module activates the beam energy adjusting function of the beam transmission module and deactivates the range adjuster, so as to adjust the energy of the proton beam by the beam transmission module, and ensure that the energy of the proton beam meets the requirements of the treatment plan.

The first mode of operation often employs scanning beam technology, where the proton beam scans the tumor area point by point in a very narrow pencil beam pattern (typically in the range of a few millimeters in diameter), dynamically directs the narrow beam proton stream through a magnet, precisely scans the tumor area for a few points, and thus naturally adapts to the shape and size of the tumor. Thus, in the first mode of operation, the control module deactivates the multileaf collimator without using the multileaf collimator to change the beam shape.

It should be noted that, the position ionization chamber in fig. 2 can accurately measure the two-dimensional position of the proton beam at the outlet of the therapeutic head module, so as to ensure that the proton beam is accurately aligned with the tumor region.

The second mode of operation pursues extremely high dose rates and extremely short treatment times (typically accomplished in less than 1 second), and does not employ a point-by-point scanning approach, but instead rapidly irradiates large areas at a time. To achieve treatment in a short period of time, the dual mode precision control device requires energy modulation to be accomplished in milliseconds.

The range adjuster adjusts the proton range by inserting substances of different thickness (e.g., rotating wheels, solid or gas reducers) into the beam path to change the proton beam energy. The mode is mechanical adjustment, the switching thickness is very fast (millisecond level), the ultrahigh efficiency requirement of the second working mode can be quickly adapted, meanwhile, the strength of the proton beam can not be obviously reduced, and the method is suitable for large-range energy quick switching. The adjustment speed of the beam transmission module is slower, even the beam intensity is reduced, which does not meet the requirement of the second working mode. Thus, in the second mode of operation, the control module enables the range adjuster to adjust the intensity of the proton beam and disables the beam energy adjustment function of the beam transport module so that the beam transport module is responsible for the transport of only the proton beam.

The second mode of operation uses a large area extended proton beam (broad beam) that directly covers the entire tumor area, rather than scanning point-by-point as in the first mode of operation. To reduce the irradiation of surrounding healthy tissue by high doses, the proton beam shape needs to be adjusted to match the contour of the tumor. Based on this, in the second working mode, the control module also needs to activate the multi-leaf collimator, and the shape of the proton beam is changed through the multi-leaf collimator, so that the dose distribution of the proton beam is precisely matched with the tumor contour, and surrounding healthy tissues are protected. As shown in fig. 6, fig. 6 shows a main structural schematic diagram of the treatment head module in the second working mode, and in the second working mode, the control module can adjust the setting of the range regulator in real time according to the requirement of the treatment plan, so as to adjust the beam energy, so as to adapt to the tumor positions of different layers.

In particular, in a second mode of operation, conformal and penetrating treatments are provided, wherein the conformal treatment aims to accurately focus the radiation dose to the tumor region while minimizing radiation to surrounding normal tissue, and a control module is required to control the multilobe grating to adjust the beam spot shape according to the contour of the tumor, thereby achieving a better dose distribution. Whereas penetration therapy focuses on ensuring that radiation can penetrate tumor tissue effectively, especially for deeper tumors, ensuring that the radiation reaches the center of the tumor, the control module controls the range modulator to adjust the energy of the proton beam so that it can penetrate tissue of different depths.

In one embodiment, the control module is capable of obtaining three-dimensional coordinates and related parameters of the tumor region from the treatment plan, such information generally including the depth, lateral position, and relationship to surrounding tissue of the tumor. To ensure that the proton beam is accurately directed to the tumor area, the control module must make accurate adjustments to the position of the treatment couch, including the height, tilt angle, and rotation angle of the couch, depending on the particular location of the tumor. The control module calculates the target position of the treatment chair through the analyzed tumor area information, specifically, adjusts the height of the treatment chair according to the height of a patient and the depth of a tumor, adjusts the inclination angle of the chair according to the azimuth of the tumor so as to ensure the optimal irradiation angle, and adjusts the rotation angle of the chair according to the specific position of the tumor so that proton beams can accurately irradiate the tumor area.

Here, the therapeutic effect of the proton beam is highly dependent on the accuracy of irradiation, and by precisely adjusting the position of the therapeutic chair, it is possible to ensure that the proton beam is accurately irradiated to the tumor region, thereby maximally improving the therapeutic effect.

In one embodiment, the dual mode precision control device further comprises a cone beam CT module capable of imaging a tumor region of a patient in real time before, during, or after treatment, providing a high resolution three-dimensional image. By the acquired images, whether the irradiation area of the proton beam received by the patient (namely the actual position of the tumor) is consistent with the tumor area in the treatment plan or not can be determined, and the accurate irradiation of the proton beam to the tumor area can be ensured.

In one embodiment, after the control module completes the adjustment of the treatment couch, the control module again confirms whether the position of the treatment couch meets the requirements of the treatment plan to ensure that the irradiation region coincides with the tumor region so that the proton beam irradiates the tumor region accurately. The method is completed by matching a control module and a cone beam CT module, and the specific adjustment process is as follows:

the tumor region is a tumor location set according to the treatment plan, and is typically determined by analyzing the treatment plan by a control module before the treatment is started, and the actual location of the patient tumor is acquired in real time by cone beam CT imaging of the irradiated region.

The cone beam CT module calculates the deviation between the tumor area and the irradiation area by comparing the two areas. Such deviations may be positional (e.g., differences in X, Y, Z coordinates) or angular (e.g., differences in tilt and rotation angles of the treatment chair). The cone beam CT module transmits the calculated deviation information to the control module in real time. This process is typically implemented through a communication protocol within the system that ensures fast and accurate transfer of data.

After receiving deviation information fed back by the cone beam CT module, the control module firstly analyzes the data to know the specific difference between the target position and the irradiation position. In order to ensure that the proton beam can accurately irradiate the tumor area, the control module needs to adjust the position of the treatment chair according to the deviation information, wherein the control module comprises adjusting the height of the treatment chair according to the depth of the tumor, adjusting the inclination angle of the treatment chair according to the azimuth of the tumor, and adjusting the rotation angle of the treatment chair according to the specific position of the tumor.

In one embodiment, a scanning iron is used to achieve a pencil beam scan technique by scanning a proton beam spot-by-spot across a tumor area with a very small beam spot, the irradiation time and dose at each spot being determined according to the dose distribution requirements in the treatment plan.

The action positions refer to specific points to be irradiated by the proton beam, usually the center point of a certain voxel in a tumor area, and during the scanning process of the pencil beam, the proton beam moves point by point according to the sequence of the action positions, and each action position is allocated a dose value to indicate the radiation dose to be released by the proton beam at the point. This scanning ensures that the proton beam covers the whole tumor while avoiding radiation to surrounding normal tissue.

The control module calculates the working current parameter of the scanning iron according to the action position, and changes the magnetic field intensity generated by the electromagnet to control the deflection of the proton beam in the transverse direction (X, Y direction), ensure the movement of the proton beam in the tumor area and realize the scanning of the pencil beam.

In one embodiment, the first ionization chamber and the second ionization chamber monitor the intensity of the proton beam in real time and transmit data to the control module. The monitoring results generally include the intensity, stability and fluctuation of the beam. In the second working mode, the second point historical work is carried out, the second ionization chamber is responsible for monitoring the intensity of the proton beam, and the control module receives the proton beam monitoring result fed back by the second ionization chamber.

After the control module receives the proton beam monitoring result from the first ionization chamber or the second ionization chamber, the data are analyzed first to know the current beam state. According to proton beam monitoring results, the control module needs to adjust the following key components:

superconducting cyclotron, the output of the accelerator is adjusted to ensure that a proton beam of the desired intensity is produced.

And the beam transmission module optimizes the transmission path of the beam and ensures that the proton beam is not lost or deviated in the transmission process. And in a first mode of operation, the beam transport module is adjusted to adjust the energy of the proton beam.

And the treatment head module is used for adjusting the setting of the treatment head module according to the treatment plan and the real-time monitoring result, and comprises the steps of adjusting scanning iron, adjusting a range regulator to regulate the energy of the proton beam in a second working mode and adjusting a multi-blade grating to regulate the shape of the proton beam in the second working mode, so that the accurate irradiation of the proton beam to a target area can be ensured.

In one embodiment, the superconducting cyclotron is also configured with a fast beam-on/off interface that allows the control module to rapidly turn the proton beam on or off in an extremely short time. The fast beam-on/off interface is usually composed of electromagnetic valves or mechanical switches, and these components can change state rapidly after receiving the control signal sent by the control module, so as to control the on/off of the proton beam. This fast response capability is critical for pencil beam scanning, where the control module can rapidly turn the proton beam on or off to achieve precise illumination of each scan point, depending on the location and shape of the tumor.

In the above embodiment, the dual-mode accurate regulation and control device of the proton treatment system integrates two different working modes, so that the dual-mode accurate regulation and control device can support working in the two working modes, and accordingly, according to a treatment plan, the working states of the dual-mode accurate regulation and control device in the different working modes are scheduled and controlled, accurate switching between the different working modes is achieved, and the safety and the effectiveness of radiotherapy are ensured.

In one embodiment, a control method is proposed by a dual-mode precise control device of a proton treatment system, as shown in fig. 7, fig. 7 shows a flow diagram of the control method, which may include:

Step S101, performing self-checking on the dual-mode accurate regulation and control device system, and under the condition that the self-checking is normal, acquiring and analyzing a treatment plan to determine a target working mode.

The main purpose of self-checking is to confirm that the relevant components of the dual-mode precise control device (such as the beam transmission module, the treatment head module, the control module and the like) are in a normal working state before treatment so as to avoid potential faults and potential safety hazards.

After the self-checking is finished, if all the checking items are normal, the system enters into a working state. The control module obtains a treatment plan for the patient. Treatment plans typically include information about the location, shape, size, dose distribution, and irradiation plan of the tumor.

In practical application, the dual-mode precise regulation device can support two working modes, namely a first working mode and a second working mode, wherein the radiation dose of the proton beam required by the second working mode is far greater than that of the proton beam required by the first working mode. The dual mode precision control device is capable of uniformly distributing a predetermined dose of radiation to a tumor region in a first mode of operation and is capable of concentrated irradiation of high doses of radiation to the tumor region at an extremely high rate (typically within a few seconds) in a second mode of operation. The two working modes are different in adaptive scene, and the working mode (i.e. the target working mode) of the dual-mode accurate regulation device in the current treatment needs to be determined from the treatment plan.

In practical application, if the target working mode is the first working mode, the beam energy adjusting function of the beam transmission module in the dual-mode precise adjusting device is started, the range regulator and the multi-blade grating are stopped, and if the target working mode is the second working mode, the beam energy adjusting function of the beam transmission module in the dual-mode precise adjusting device is stopped, the range regulator and the multi-blade grating are started, so that the beam energy is adjusted, and the beam shape and the beam size are optimized.

Step S102, the working state of the dual-mode precise regulation device in the target working mode is controlled to execute the treatment plan.

Here, after the target operation mode is determined, the operation states of the respective components in the dual-mode precise control device in the target operation mode are controlled, including adjusting the irradiation area of the received proton beam, adjusting the output intensity of the proton beam, adjusting the shape of the proton beam, and the like, so as to perform the operation according to the treatment plan.

An example of an application of the dual mode precision control device with respect to a proton therapy system is provided below. The workflow of the dual-mode precise regulation device can be divided into system preparation, patient positioning and treatment plan preparation, work mode selection, work execution, real-time monitoring and self-adaptive adjustment in the working process, work ending, data recording and archiving. Here, each workflow will be described in detail:

(1) System preparation, comprising:

a. starting the superconducting cyclotron, so that all self-tests of the superconducting cyclotron are finished when the superconducting cyclotron is started, and the normal operation of the superconducting cyclotron is ensured;

b. checking a beam transmission module, including the stability of the proton beam, the accuracy of energy adjustment, and whether a transmission channel of the beam is clean;

c. Starting the treatment head module, and performing routine inspection to confirm that the states of the components such as the first ionization chamber, the second ionization chamber, the range regulator, the multi-leaf grating, the scanning iron and the like are good;

d. Starting the treatment chair to check whether the electric driving function of the treatment chair is normal or not, so that the treatment chair can accurately adjust the treatment posture of a patient;

e. Starting a cone beam CT module to scan and calibrate the position of a patient;

f. The system self-test is performed to ensure that the control module can perform normal data exchange with each component (superconducting cyclotron, beam transport module, treatment head module, treatment chair, cone beam CT module, etc.).

(2) Patient positioning and treatment plan preparation, comprising:

a. scanning a patient through a cone beam CT module to acquire accurate position information of the tumor of the patient;

b. Generating a personalized treatment plan according to the tumor type, the position and the treatment scheme of a patient, and determining parameters such as the treatment dosage, the beam energy, the beam form, the range adjustment and the like;

c. according to the treatment plan, the position of the treatment chair is adjusted to ensure that the patient is in a posture required by treatment;

d. the cone beam CT module is used for verifying the current irradiation area of the patient, and the control module is coordinated with the treatment chair, so that the irradiation area of the patient is a tumor area.

(3) Selecting an operating mode, comprising:

a. selecting a first working mode or a second working mode in the control module according to the requirements of the treatment plan;

b. In a first operating mode, adjusting energy parameters of the beam current transmission system to ensure that the proton beam has an appropriate energy range;

c. in a second mode of operation, the energy conditioning function of the beam delivery module is turned off and the range adjuster and multileaf grating are turned on.

(4) Work execution, comprising:

a. the control module verifies whether the patient is accurately positioned or not, and ensures that the treatment posture and the tumor position are correct;

b. starting a superconducting cyclotron, generating a proton beam and transmitting the proton beam to a treatment head module through a beam current transmission module;

c. The treatment head module starts to accurately emit proton beams, and the control module controls the scanning iron to perform pen-shaped scanning within a specified range so as to ensure that the proton beams accurately cover a tumor area;

d. In the working process, the first ionization chamber or the second ionization chamber detects the state of the proton beam in real time and feeds data back to the control module 105, and the control module adjusts the output and scanning track of the proton beam according to the fed data so as to ensure the treatment effect.

(5) Real-time monitoring and self-adaptive adjustment in the working process comprise:

a. The control module continuously monitors the treatment progress and the state of the proton beam, so that the proton beam irradiates the tumor in the correct direction and intensity;

b. in the second mode of operation, the control module continuously controls the range adjuster and the multi-leaf collimator to optimize the beam spot shape to ensure the flash effect of the tumor area, depending on whether the patient is in need of conformal treatment or penetrating treatment.

(6) The work is finished, including:

a. when the treatment plan is completed, the proton beam stops emitting;

b. Controlling the treatment chair to adjust the position of the patient so that the patient can safely and comfortably withdraw from the treatment position;

c. after the treatment is finished, the control module executes a shutdown program of the equipment to ensure that the treatment equipment is in a standby state;

d. After the treatment is carried out, the treatment equipment is checked to confirm whether the treatment equipment is in a normal working state or not, and preparation is carried out for the next treatment.

(7) Work data recording and archiving, specifically including:

a. the data in all treatment processes (including patient position information, beam parameters, treatment plan, treatment mode, real-time monitoring data, etc.) are automatically saved in the database of the control module;

b. The therapy records include the course and outcome of treatment for each patient and generate reports for reference by medical personnel as needed.

In the above embodiment, by the dual-mode precise control method, the dual-mode precise control device can be efficiently switched in different working modes, and a high-precision proton treatment scheme is provided.

It should be noted that the logic and/or steps represented in the flowcharts or otherwise described herein, for example, may be considered as a ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and may be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. For the purposes of this description, a "computer-readable medium" can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium would include an electrical connection (an electronic device) having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette (a magnetic device), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber device, and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM). In addition, the computer readable medium may even be paper or other suitable medium on which the program is printed, as the program may be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

It is to be understood that portions of the present invention may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above-described embodiments, the various steps or methods may be implemented in software or firmware stored in a memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, may be implemented using any one or combination of techniques known in the art, discrete logic circuits with logic gates for implementing logic functions on data signals, application specific integrated circuits with appropriate combinational logic gates, programmable Gate Arrays (PGAs), field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and the like.

In the description of the present specification, a description referring to terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples," etc., means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and the like, are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first" or "a second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless specifically defined otherwise.

While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative and not to be construed as limiting the invention, and that variations, modifications, alternatives and variations may be made to the above embodiments by one of ordinary skill in the art within the scope of the invention.

Claims (7)

1. A dual-mode precision control device for a proton therapy system, comprising:

a superconducting cyclotron for generating a stable proton beam;

A beam current transmission module for transmitting the proton beam and adjusting the energy of the proton beam;

The therapeutic head module comprises a first ionization chamber, a second ionization chamber, a range regulator, a multi-leaf grating and a scanning iron, wherein the first ionization chamber and the second ionization chamber are two ionization chambers which are mutually independent in space position and are respectively arranged and are used for monitoring the proton beam in different working modes;

A treatment chair for adjusting an irradiation area of a patient receiving the proton beam;

The control module is used for receiving and analyzing a treatment plan, and controlling the working states of the superconducting cyclotron, the beam transmission module, the treatment head module and the treatment chair in different working modes according to the treatment plan, wherein the working modes comprise a first working mode and a second working mode, and the radiation dose of a proton beam required by the second working mode is far greater than that of the proton beam required by the first working mode;

And when the dual-mode precise regulation and control device is in the second working mode, the control module starts the range regulator and the multi-leaf grating and closes the beam energy regulation function of the beam transmission module.

2. The dual mode precision control device of a proton therapy system according to claim 1, wherein the control module obtains a tumor region of a patient from the treatment plan and adjusts the position of the treatment couch according to the tumor region.

3. The dual mode precision control device of a proton therapy system according to claim 2, further comprising a cone beam CT module for validating the irradiation region.

4. The dual-mode precision control device of a proton therapy system according to claim 3, wherein the cone-beam CT module feeds back deviation information of the tumor region and the irradiation region to the control module, and wherein the control module adjusts the position of the therapy chair based on the deviation information feedback.

5. The dual mode precision control device of claim 1, wherein the control module obtains an active position of the proton beam from the treatment plan and converts the active position to an operating current parameter of the scan iron to cause the scan iron to perform a pencil beam scan at the active position.

6. The dual mode precision control device of claim 1, wherein the control module receives proton beam monitoring results of the first ionization chamber or the second ionization chamber and adjusts superconducting cyclotron, beam transport module, therapy head module based on the proton beam monitoring results feedback.

7. The dual mode precision control device of a proton therapy system according to claim 1, wherein the superconducting cyclotron is further configured with a fast beam-on/off interface, the control module controlling the fast beam-on/off interface to turn on or off the proton beam.