IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,030,398
Granted Patent B2
US 7,030,398 · App. 11/070,074 · Granted Apr 18, 2006

Laser driven ion accelerator

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,030,398
App. No.
11/070,074
Granted
Apr 18, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method of accelerating ions in an accelerator to optimize the energy produced by a light source. Several parameters may be controlled in constructing a target used in the accelerator system to adjust performance of the accelerator system. These parameters include the material, thickness, geometry and surface of the target.

Claims (66)

1. A system comprising:

a light source capable of producing an energy pulse;

a target having a first layer and a second layer;

said first and second layers having a combined thickness in the range of approximately 60 to approximately 2500 nm;

said first layer having a substantially concave shape;

said first layer having a grooved surface;

wherein said first layer is a high Z metal material and said second layer is a lower Z metal material; and

wherein said first layer is capable of absorbing greater than approximately 70% the energy of said energy pulse.

2. A system comprising:

a light source capable of producing an energy pulse;

a target having a first layer and a second layer; and

wherein said first layer is capable of absorbing greater than approximately 70% of the energy of said energy pulse.

3. A system comprising:

a light source capable of producing an energy pulse;

a means for absorbing greater than approximately 70% of the energy of said energy pulse and producing radiation elements; and

a means for discriminating said radiation elements to deliver energy in the range of approximately 10 to approximately 500 MeV to a treatment field.

4. A method comprising:

firing a pulse having an energy range of approximately 1 to approximately 10 Joules from a light source at a target;

guiding radiation elements emitted from said target;

discriminating ions having a predetermined energy range from said radiation elements; and

delivering said ions in an energy range of approximately 10 to approximately 500 MeV to a treatment field.

5. A method comprising:

firing a pulse having an energy range of approximately 1 to approximately 10 Joules from a light source at a target;

guiding radiation elements emitted from said target;

discriminating ions having a predetermined energy range from said radiation elements; and

delivering said ions in an energy range of approximately 100 to approximately 200 MeV to a treatment field.

6. A method of delivering a radiation dose to treat an oncological treatment field comprising:

firing a pulse having an energy range of approximately 1 to approximately 10 Joules from a light source at a target;

guiding radiation elements emitted from said target;

discriminating ions having a predetermined energy range from said radiation elements; and

delivering said ions in an energy range of approximately 100 to approximately 200 MeV to said oncological treatment field.

7. A method comprising:

firing a pulse from a light source at a target having a substantially concave shape;

guiding radiation elements emitted from said target;

discriminating ions having a predetermined energy range from said radiation elements; and

delivering said ions in an energy range of approximately 10 to approximately 500 MeV to a treatment field.

8. A method comprising:

firing a pulse from a light source at a target having a substantially concave shape;

guiding radiation elements emitted from said target;

discriminating ions having a predetermined energy range from said radiation elements; and

delivering said ions in the form of a beam having a spot size of approximately 0.5 to approximately 20 cm 2 on a treatment field.

9. A method comprising:

firing a pulse from a light source at a target having a roughened surface;

guiding radiation elements emitted from said target;

discriminating ions having a predetermined energy range from said radiation elements; and

delivering said ions in an energy range of approximately 10 to 500 MeV to a treatment field.

10. A method comprising:

firing a pulse from a light source at a target having a first layer made from a high Z material and a second layer made from a lower Z material;

guiding radiation elements emitted from said laser pulse striking said target;

discriminating ions having a predetermined energy range from said radiation elements; and

delivering said ions in an energy range of approximately 10 to approximately 500 MeV to a treatment field.

11. A method comprising:

firing a pulse from a light source at a target having a shaped surface;

guiding radiation elements emitted from said target;

discriminating ions having a predetermined energy range from said radiation elements; and

delivering said ions which may penetrate about 10 to about 20 cm beneath the surface of skin tissue in a treatment field.

12. A method comprising:

firing a pulse from a light source at a target having a shaped surface;

guiding radiation elements emitted from said target;

discriminating ions having a predetermined energy range from said radiation elements; and

delivering said ions to produce a dose per shot at a treatment field in the range of about 0.1 to about 10 Gy.

13. A method comprising:

firing a pulse from a light source at a target having a shaped surface;

guiding radiation elements emitted from said target;

discriminating ions having a predetermined energy range from said radiation elements; and

producing a dose per second at a treatment field of approximately 0.1 to approximately 100 Gy/second.