Abstract:
Provided herein are approaches for improving ion beam extraction stability and ion beam current for an ion extraction system. In one approach, a source housing assembly may include a source housing surrounding an ion source including an arc chamber, the source housing having an extraction aperture plate mounted at a proximal end thereof. The source housing assembly further includes a vacuum liner disposed within an interior of the source housing to form a barrier around a set of vacuum pumping apertures. As configured, openings in the source housing assembly, other than an opening in the extraction aperture plate, are enclosed by the extraction aperture plate and the vacuum liner, thus ensuring appendix arcs or extraneous ions produced outside the arc chamber remain within the source housing. Just those ions produced within the arc chamber exit the source housing through the opening of the extraction aperture plate.
Abstract:
The invention comprises a patient positioning method and apparatus used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle or proton beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The patient positioning system is used to translate the patient and/or rotate the patient into a zone where the proton beam can scan the tumor using a targeting system. The patient positioning system is optionally used in conjunction with systems used to constrain movement of the patient, such as semi-vertical, sitting, or laying positioning systems.
Abstract:
An integrated field emission array for ion desorption includes an electrically conductive substrate; a dielectric layer lying over the electrically conductive substrate comprising a plurality of laterally separated cavities extending through the dielectric layer; a like plurality of conically-shaped emitter tips on posts, each emitter tip/post disposed concentrically within a laterally separated cavity and electrically contacting the substrate; and a gate electrode structure lying over the dielectric layer, including a like plurality of circular gate apertures, each gate aperture disposed concentrically above an emitter tip/post to provide a like plurality of annular gate electrodes and wherein the lower edge of each annular gate electrode proximate the like emitter tip/post is rounded. Also disclosed herein are methods for fabricating an integrated field emission array.
Abstract:
The invention comprises a tandem accelerator method and apparatus, which is part of an ion beam injection system used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The negative ion beam source includes an injection system vacuum system and a synchrotron vacuum system separated by a foil, where negative ions are converted to positive ions. The foil is sealed to the edges of the vacuum tube providing for a higher partial pressure in the injection system vacuum chamber and a lower pressure in the synchrotron vacuum system. Having the foil physically separating the vacuum chamber into two pressure regions allows for fewer and/or smaller pumps to maintain the lower pressure system in the synchrotron as the inlet hydrogen gas is extracted in a separate contained and isolated space by the injection partial vacuum system.
Abstract:
The invention comprises a negative ion beam source vacuum method and apparatus used as part of an ion beam injection system, which is used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle or proton beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The negative ion beam source contains a vacuum chamber isolated by a vacuum barrier from the vacuum tube of the synchrotron. The negative ion beam source vacuum system preferably includes: a first pump turbo molecular pump, a large holding volume, and a semi-continuously operating pump. By only pumping ion beam source vacuum chamber and by only semi-continuously operating the ion beam source vacuum based on sensor readings about the holding volume, the lifetime of the semi-continuously operating pump is extended.
Abstract:
An ion wind fan can be manufactured efficiently using insert molding. In one embodiment, the present invention includes an ion wind fan having an isolator with an emitter bus plate and an emitter attachment plate insert molded into isolator. A collector electrode is further insert molded into the isolator. The collector electrode is supported in part by two collector supports. One or more wire emitter electrodes are welded to the emitter bus plate at a first end of the emitter wires and to the emitter attachment plate at a second end of the emitter wires.
Abstract:
A particle source in which energy selection occurs by sending a beam of electrically charged particles eccentrically through a lens so that energy dispersion will occur in an image formed by the lens. By projecting this image onto a slit in an energy selecting diaphragm, it is possible to allow only particles in a limited portion of the energy spectrum to pass. Consequently, the passed beam will have a reduced energy spread. The energy dispersed spot is imaged on the slit by a deflector. When positioning the energy dispersed spot on the slit, central beam is deflected from the axis to such an extent that it is stopped by the energy selecting diaphragm. Hereby reflections and contamination resulting from this beam in the region after the diaphragm are avoided. Also electron-electron interaction resulting from the electrons from the central beam interacting with the energy filtered beam in the area of deflector is avoided.
Abstract:
An apparatus for producing ions can include an emitter having a first end and a second end. The emitter can be coated with an ionic liquid room-temperature molten salt. The apparatus can also include a power supply and a first electrode disposed downstream relative to the first end of the emitter and electrically connected to a first lead of the power supply. The apparatus can also include a second electrode disposed downstream relative to the second end of the emitter and electrically connected to a second lead of the power supply.