JP5452262B2 - Radiation therapy cage - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a radiotherapy cage having a structure capable of rotating a radiation irradiation nozzle to an optimal irradiation position of a patient, and particularly suitable for a radiotherapy apparatus having a rotating gantry that uses a particle beam for medical use such as cancer treatment. Related to a radiotherapy cage.

  As medical use of radiation, conventionally, X-rays, gamma rays, electron beams, etc. have been used for cancer treatment, but these radiations have a maximum radiation dose on the body surface before reaching the affected area, When treating cancer in the deep part of the body, there were harmful effects such as damaging normal tissue near the body surface.

  On the other hand, cancer treatment with particle beams can form the peak of absorbed dose by targeting the cancer existing deep in the body due to the nature of the particle beam accelerated to high energy. , Not easily scratched.

  In order to perform this particle beam therapy efficiently, it is necessary to irradiate the patient's affected area with a particle beam accurately, and the development of a radiation therapy apparatus having a structure that can set the radiation irradiation nozzle at the optimal irradiation position of the patient has been developed. It has been.

  In the radiotherapy apparatus, in order to perform radiotherapy from any direction around the patient, a rotating gantry apparatus capable of rotating 360 degrees around the patient and a radiotherapy cage synchronized therewith are required.

  Patent Document 1 describes a rotating gantry device capable of rotating 360 degrees and a radiation therapy cage synchronized therewith. This radiotherapy cage has a caterpillar structure in which the rotation path of the radiation irradiation apparatus is sandwiched between the fixed side and moving side ring rails.

  In the radiotherapy cage having such a caterpillar integrated structure, a gap is generated in a part of the work space depending on the rotation angle of the radiation irradiation apparatus. This is because the treatment cage has a kamaboko-shaped cross-sectional shape, so that under the condition that the length of the caterpillar (referred to as a moving bed group as appropriate) is constant, an insufficient length portion is generated depending on the rotation angle. In particular, if a gap (opening) occurs between a medical technician and a patient, a comfortable treatment cannot be performed from the viewpoint of safety and workability. Furthermore, since the outside of the radiation treatment cage enters the patient's field of view through the opening, there is a problem that fear of treatment may be given to the patient due to fear of high altitude.

  Patent Document 2 describes a radiotherapy cage that solves the above problems. The radiation treatment cage is sandwiched between a radiation irradiation nozzle mounted on a horizontal cylindrical rotating gantry, a pair of ring rails forming a kamaboko-shaped track inside the rotating gantry, and the pair of ring rails. At least two or more moving bed groups each composed of a plurality of moving beds that are flexibly connected to each other by a link, a driving device that draws and sends out the moving bed groups, and a control device that controls the operation of the driving device It has.

  In this radiation therapy cage, the movement of the cylinder of the drive device is controlled by the rotation angle of the radiation irradiation device, and the moving bed connected to the cylinder arm is moved so that the inside of the radiation therapy cage is always a closed surface, near the treatment bed. Form a horizontal floor up to. As a result, a medical technician can approach the patient and a sufficient treatment can be performed. That is, the radiation therapy cage described in Patent Document 2 can solve the problems related to the safety and workability of the radiation therapy cage described in Patent Document 1.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-47287 JP 2001-353228 A

  However, since the prior art described in Patent Document 2 includes a drive device, a control device, and these power sources, the number of parts is increased and the system is complicated. Complex systems are costly and increase the possibility of failure. As described above, the prior art has room for improvement in terms of economy and maintainability.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a radiation treatment cage that ensures safety at all rotation angles and is highly economical and maintainable.

(1) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a radiation irradiation nozzle mounted on a horizontal cylindrical rotating gantry, a pair of ring rails forming a kamaboko-shaped track inside the rotating gantry, A radiation treatment cage comprising at least two or more moving bed groups sandwiched between a pair of ring rails and flexibly connected to each other by a link, and further comprising the radiation irradiation nozzle, A pair of slide members arranged on the radiation irradiation nozzle are slidably connected to the end of the moving bed group in the radial direction of the rotating gantry.

  In the present invention configured as described above, the slide member automatically operates in conjunction with the rotation angle of the radiation irradiation nozzle, and safety is a problem due to the opening between the moving bed groups at all rotation angles. Absent. This allows the medical technician to approach the patient with peace of mind. At this time, since the drive device and the control device are not essential, the number of parts is reduced and the system is simplified. Simplifying the system reduces production costs, reduces the possibility of failure, and reduces maintenance work. Thus, the radiotherapy cage according to the present embodiment can improve economy, reliability, and maintainability.

  (2) In the above (1), preferably, the slide member is disposed on a side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle.

  Thereby, the slide member can slide smoothly on the side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle. Moreover, an opening does not occur between the radiation irradiation nozzle and the end of the moving bed group, and safety is improved.

  (3) In the above (1) or (2), preferably, the radiation irradiation nozzle is tapered toward the rotation center of the rotating gantry and has an inclined side surface.

  When the radiation irradiation nozzle has a box shape having no inclined side surface, a large opening is generated on the horizontal floor due to the kamaboko type track. When the radiation irradiation nozzle has a tapered shape having an inclined side surface, the length of the opening is maintained at a minute length, thereby further improving the safety.

  (4) In any one of the above (1) to (3), preferably, the moving bed group is composed of two moving bed groups, a first moving bed group and a second moving bed group.

  In the case of three moving bed groups, a latch structure that meshes the intermediate moving bed group with the rotating gantry 1 in the rotating circumferential direction is required. By being composed of two moving floor groups, a latch structure is unnecessary, the number of parts is reduced, and the system can be simplified.

  (5) In any of the above (1) to (4), preferably, a cover that covers an opening generated between the moving bed groups, and a cover winder that winds the cover as the opening closes And comprising.

  As a result, the cover does not block the opening and anxiety is not given to the operator or the patient.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to ensure safety at all rotation angles and improve economy, reliability, and maintainability as compared with the conventional art.

It is a perspective view of the radiotherapy cage concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a radiotherapy cage and a building. It is sectional drawing of the radiotherapy cage which shows an example of operation | movement (rotation angle 0 degree). It is sectional drawing of the radiotherapy cage which shows an example of operation | movement (rotation angle 135 degree | times). It is sectional drawing of the radiotherapy cage which shows an example of operation | movement (rotation angle 180 degree | times). It is sectional drawing of the radiotherapy cage based on the prior art shown for a comparison. It is sectional drawing of the radiation treatment cage which shows the effect of 1st Embodiment by comparison with a prior art. It is sectional drawing of the radiotherapy cage which shows an example (operation | movement angle of 135 degree | times) of the operation | movement of the radiotherapy cage concerning 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the radiotherapy cage which shows an example (operation | movement angle of 0 degree) of operation | movement of the radiotherapy cage which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. 1 shows a basic configuration of a particle beam therapy system that is an example of a radiotherapy system to which a radiotherapy cage of the present embodiment is applied.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

~Constitution~
FIG. 10 shows a basic configuration of a particle beam therapy system which is an example of a radiotherapy apparatus to which the radiotherapy cage of this embodiment is applied. The particle beam therapy system includes a beam generator having an injector 41, a low energy beam transport device 42, a synchrotron 43, and a high energy beam transport device 44, a rotating gantry 1 having a beam transport device 11 and a radiation irradiation nozzle 5. It has.

  The particle beam generated by the injector 41 passes through the low energy beam transport device 42 and is incident on the synchrotron 43 which is the main accelerator. The synchrotron 43 accelerates the particle beam to the energy required for treatment (usually 100 to 200 MeV for protons). The particle beam emitted from the synchrotron 43 passes through the high energy beam transport device 44 and is transported to the gantry chamber where the rotating gantry 1 is located.

  Further, the particle beam passes through the beam transport device 11 on the rotating gantry 1 and is irradiated to the patient on the treatment table 22 through the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 that processes the particle beam into a dose distribution optimal for radiation therapy.

  The treatment room 45 forms a room with a partition wall separated from the gantry room. And since the treatment room 45 is set to the floor level near the rotation center which secured the rotation radius of the rotating gantry 1, it is usually 6 to 8 m high with respect to the floor level of the rotating gantry room. Therefore, the patient on the treatment table 22 exists in the space at the height, and the treatment cage that creates the space surrounding the patient must be a safe place for the patient and the medical technician.

  The horizontal cylindrical rotating gantry 1 includes a structure including a front ring 8, a rear ring 9, and a gantry body 10, and a drive unit including a support roll 6 and a gantry rotating motor 7. The front ring 8 and the rear ring 9 are mounted on a plurality of support rolls 6 and rotated as a whole by using a gantry rotation motor 7 connected to the support rolls.

  On the rotating gantry 1, a beam transport device 11 and a radiation irradiation nozzle 5 are mounted and fixed. On the other hand, a treatment table 22 is mounted on the building, and a drive device is provided on the rotation axis of the rotating gantry 1 so that the patient on the treatment table can move. Therefore, it has a structure that can irradiate the adjusted particle beam from the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 on the rotating gantry 1 from around 360 degrees of the patient.

  Next, the configuration of the radiation treatment cage of the present embodiment and the accompanying configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a radiation treatment cage, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the radiation treatment cage and a building.

  The radiation treatment cage is configured so that the safety of the patient 21 can be protected with respect to the rotation path of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 and a medical technician 31 (see FIGS. 6 and 7 to be described later) can perform a medical action on the patient. . That is, in the radiation therapy cage, it is desirable to keep the scaffold for the medical engineer 31 to work horizontally and to provide a closed space for the other surroundings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the radiation treatment cage includes a stationary ring rail 24 and a moving ring rail 25 installed before and after the rotation path of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5, and a plurality of moving beds sandwiched between the ring rails 24 and 25. Moving floor groups 2A and 2B (two in the present embodiment) configured to be flexibly connected to each other, and a rear panel 29 fixed to the moving side ring rail 25 and closing the depth side of the treatment cage. Yes. The fixed ring rail 24 and the moving ring rail 25 have a semi-cylindrical track, so that the moving bed groups 2A and 2B form an inner wall and a horizontal floor of the radiation therapy cage. In this embodiment, the kamaboko type means a shape that is formed by an upper arc portion and a lower horizontal line portion and that both are smoothly coupled. A portion where the upper arc portion and the lower horizontal line portion are connected is referred to as a connecting portion.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the fixed-side ring rail 24 is supported by a fixed support on the ceiling and floor of the building 23, and the moving-side ring rail 25 is supported by a plurality of support rollers 27 disposed on the support ring 28. . A ring rail driving device 26 that rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation of the rotating gantry 1 is connected to the support roller 27. As the rotating gantry 1 rotates in the forward direction, the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 rotates in the forward direction, but the support roller 27 rotates the moving-side ring rail 25 in the reverse direction by driving the ring rail driving device 26. As the moving ring rail 25 rotates relative to the rotating gantry 1, the moving ring rail 25 appears to be stationary when viewed from the treatment room 45. As a result, even if the rotating gantry 1 rotates, the radiation therapy cage maintains a kamaboko type (upper arc portion and lower horizontal line portion) orbit. That is, the radiation treatment cage forms a horizontal floor regardless of the rotation angle of the rotating gantry 1.

  The movable floor 2 has sufficient rigidity and does not deform even when a person rides on it, and forms a work space around the treatment table 22. Further, the end portions of the moving floor groups 2 </ b> A and 2 </ b> B and the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 are connected via a slider (sliding member) 4.

  A cover take-up device 36 is installed between the moving floor groups 2A and 2B. In conjunction with the generation of the opening between the moving floor groups 2A and 2B, the cover winding device 36 pulls out the cover 35 and covers the opening 3 (see FIG. 3 described later). For the structure of the cover winding device 36, a known technique such as a roll screen or a roll curtain having a structure for maintaining the tension in the winding pipe may be applied.

  The slider 4 includes a slide rail member 4a installed on each side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 and a slide moving member 4b that moves on the slide rail member 4a. The slide moving member 4b is provided at the end of each of the moving bed groups 2A and 2B. When the slide moving member 4b moves on the slide rail member 4a, the slider 4 moves between the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 and the moving bed groups 2A and 2B. The end portion is slidably connected in the radial direction of the rotating gantry.

  The radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is tapered toward the rotation center of the rotating gantry. As a result, the side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is inclined with respect to the rotation surface normal of the rotating gantry.

~ Operation ~
The operation of the radiation therapy cage of this embodiment will be described. The rotating gantry 1 can rotate 360 degrees around the patient, and the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 that rotates together with the rotating gantry 1 can irradiate from any direction around the patient. The gantry rotation motor 7 is operated based on the rotation command so that the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 irradiates from an arbitrary direction, and the entire rotation gantry 1 is rotated at a speed of about 1 min ⁻¹ . After reaching the set rotation angle, the rotation is stopped and the rotation is fixed by the brake of the gantry drive system.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the radiation treatment cage when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is directly above the treatment table 22 (see FIG. 2). Based on this state, the rotation angle is 0 degree. The slide moving members 4b of the slider 4 installed on both side surfaces of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 are both at the farthest position in the radial direction of the rotating gantry. An opening 3 is generated between the moving bed groups 2A and 2B. The opening 3 is directly below the treatment table 22 (a position corresponding to a rotation angle of 180 degrees). Although the opening 3 is covered with a cover 35, illustration is omitted for convenience of explanation.

  Here, the concept of the inner wall length defined in the present embodiment will be described. As the rotating gantry 1 rotates, the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 rotates. On the other hand, the kamaboko type trajectory of the radiotherapy cage is stationary. Naturally, the total length of the kamaboko type trajectory of the radiation therapy cage is constant (invariable). The inner wall and the horizontal floor are formed in a range excluding the range corresponding to the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 in the total range of the kamaboko type track. The length of the range corresponding to the inner wall and the horizontal floor is defined as the inner wall length. That is, the inner wall length is the difference between the total length of the kamaboko type track and the range length corresponding to the radiation irradiation nozzle 5. On the other hand, the inner wall length corresponds to the total length of the lengths of the moving floor groups 2A and 2B and the length of the opening 3. The lengths of the moving floor groups 2A and 2B are constant.

  If the trajectory of the radiation therapy cage is a circular trajectory, the inner wall length is constant regardless of the rotation angle. However, since the trajectory of the radiation therapy cage is a kamaboko type, the inner wall length varies depending on the rotation angle. That is, since the range length corresponding to the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 varies depending on the rotation angle, the inner wall length varies depending on the rotation angle.

  When the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is in the upper part (arc portion) of the kamaboko type track (rotation angle of about 0 to 90 degrees), the range length corresponding to the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is constant and the inner wall length is constant. When a part of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 moves to the lower part (horizontal line part) (rotation angle of about 120 degrees to 180 degrees) via the coupling part of the kamaboko type track (rotation angle of about 90 degrees to 120 degrees), radiation irradiation The range length corresponding to the nozzle 5 changes, and the inner wall length changes.

  Also, the slide moving member 4b of the slider 4 moves on the slide rail member 4a so as to follow the kamaboko type track according to the rotation angle. When the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is in the upper part (arc portion) of the kamaboko type track (for example, a rotation angle of about 0 to 90 degrees), the slide moving member 4b of the pair of sliders 4 is at the farthest position in the rotating gantry radial direction. When a part of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 moves to the lower part (horizontal line part) (rotation angle of about 120 degrees to 180 degrees) via the coupling part of the kamaboko type track (rotation angle of about 90 degrees to 120 degrees), The slide moving member 4b of the slider 4 follows the kamaboko type track and moves on the slide rail member 4a in a direction approaching the center of the rotating gantry diameter. When all of the radiation irradiation nozzles 5 move to the lower part (horizon line part) of the kamaboko type track (rotation angle of about 150 to 180 degrees), the slide moving member 4b of the other slider 4 also follows the kamaboko type track. It moves on the slide rail member 4a in a direction approaching the center of the rotating gantry diameter. When the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 approaches directly below the treatment table 22 (rotation angle 180 degrees), the slide moving members 4b of the two sliders 4 move to the vicinity of the center on the slide rail member 4a so as to follow the kamaboko type track. .

  That is, the change in the inner wall length depending on the rotation angle is linked to the operation of the slider 4 and the change in the length of the opening 3. Specific examples other than FIG. 3 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the radiation treatment cage when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 135 degrees. A part of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at the lower part (horizontal line part) of the kamaboko type track, the slide moving member 4b of one slider 4 moves so as to approach the center of the rotating gantry diameter, and the slide moving member of the other slider 4 4b is at the farthest position in the radial direction of the rotating gantry. At this time, the inner wall length is the shortest, and the length of the opening 3 is also the shortest. Note that the lengths of the moving floor groups 2A and 2B are set so that the moving floor groups 2A and 2B do not interfere with each other, that is, the length of the opening 3 is 0 or more in the shortest inner wall length state.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the radiation treatment cage when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 180 degrees (just below the treatment table 22). All of the radiation irradiation nozzles 5 are in the lower part (horizontal line part) of the kamaboko type track, and the slide moving members 4b of both sliders 4 are moved near the center on the slide rail member 4a so as to follow the kamaboko type track. . At this time, the length of the opening 3 is maximized. Further, the opening 3 is directly above the treatment table 22 (a position corresponding to a rotation angle of 0 degree).

  Next, paying attention to changes in the position and length of the opening 3 depending on the rotation angle, it will be described that the medical technician 31 approaches the patient 21 safely at all rotation angles. When the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 0 degrees, the opening 3 is at a position corresponding to the rotation angle of 180 degrees, that is, directly below the treatment table 22 (see FIG. 3). For this reason, the opening 3 does not cause a safety problem. When the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of about 0 to 60 degrees, the opening 3 is generated on the horizontal floor. However, due to the effect of the configuration related to the inclination (tapered shape) of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 to be described later, the length of the opening 3 can be maintained at a very small length, and the opening 3 does not cause a safety problem. Furthermore, the opening 3 is covered with a cover 35, so that the operator and the patient are not worried.

  When the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 60 to 180 degrees, the opening 3 does not occur on the horizontal floor. In particular, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 135 degrees, the length of the opening 3 is the shortest (substantially 0 in the present embodiment) (see FIG. 4). When the irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 180 degrees, the length of the opening 3 is maximum, but the opening 3 is at a position corresponding to a rotation angle of 0 degree, that is, directly above the treatment table 22 (see FIG. 5). Safety is never a problem. Furthermore, the opening 3 is covered with the cover 35, so that there is no concern.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the medical technician 31 can approach the patient 21 safely regardless of the rotation angle.

  In addition, in order to assist the understanding of the operation, the numerical values of the respective rotation angles are exemplarily described, and the numerical values are different if the size of the kamaboko type track and the size of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 are different. Moreover, although the operation when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 0 to 180 degrees has been described, the radiation treatment cage is symmetrical, and the operation when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 180 to 360 degrees, Description is omitted.

~effect~
As the first effect of the present embodiment, the main effect of the configuration related to the slider 4 will be described in comparison with the radiation therapy cage according to the prior art. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a radiation therapy cage according to the prior art. The same components as those in the present embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a radiation treatment cage showing the effect of the present embodiment by comparison with the prior art shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, a configuration of a driving device 106 that draws and sends out the moving bed groups 102A and 102B and a control device 107 (not shown) that controls the operation of the driving device of the radiation therapy cage according to the related art. This is different from the prior art in that it is not provided and a configuration related to the slider 4 of the present embodiment is added.

  The radiation therapy cage according to the prior art also has a kamaboko-type track. This embodiment and the prior art are common in that the inner wall length varies depending on the rotation angle due to the kamaboko type track.

  Also in the prior art, the opening 103 is generated by the change of the inner wall length. In particular, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 105 is at a rotation angle of 150 degrees, an opening 103 is formed in the vicinity of the treatment table 22. That is, the opening 103 is generated between the medical technician 31 and the patient 22, and there is a problem related to safety and workability. In order to solve this problem, the control device 107 (not shown) controls the drive device 106 based on the rotation angle, and the drive device 106 draws the moving bed group 102A toward the radiation irradiation nozzle 105 side. Thereby, the opening 103 can be eliminated and a horizontal floor can be formed. The medical technician 31 can approach the patient 21 with peace of mind. The problems related to safety and workability can be solved.

  However, the radiation therapy cage according to the prior art has the drive device 106, the control device 107, and these power sources as essential components, and the number of parts increases and the system is complicated. System complexity increases production costs. Furthermore, in a complex system, the possibility of failure increases and careful maintenance work is required. Thus, the radiation therapy cage according to the prior art has room for improvement in terms of economy and maintainability.

  Although the radiation therapy cage according to the present embodiment does not include the drive device 106 or the control device 107, the medical technician 31 can approach the patient 21 safely by the operation of the slider 4 described above. Since the drive device 106 and the control device 107 are not essential components, the number of parts is reduced and the system is simplified. Simplification of the system is a factor in reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, in a simple system, the possibility of failure is reduced and the amount of maintenance work is also reduced. Thus, the radiotherapy cage according to the present embodiment can improve economy, reliability, and maintainability.

  As a second effect, another effect by the configuration related to the slider 4 will be described.

  In the radiotherapy cage according to the prior art, when a target rotation angle is reached, a series of operations of drawing and moving the moving bed groups 102A and 102B so as to close the opening 103 on the horizontal floor is required.

  In the radiotherapy cage according to the present embodiment, the slider 4 automatically operates in conjunction with the rotation angle, and the medical technician 31 can safely approach the patient 21 regardless of the rotation angle. That is, unlike the conventional radiotherapy cage, there is no need to control the driving device 106 to draw or send out the moving bed groups 102A and 102B. Thereby, the time required for one treatment can be shortened and workability can be improved.

  In the radiation therapy cage according to the related art, the driving device 106 is provided on the front and back surfaces of the radiation irradiation nozzle 105, and the work space is limited by the installation space of the driving device 106. In the radiation therapy cage according to the present embodiment, the slider 4 having a simple configuration is provided on the side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle, so that a sufficient working space can be secured as compared with the prior art. Thereby, workability | operativity can be improved.

  Further, in the radiotherapy cage according to the prior art, the operation sound accompanying the driving and the collision sound between the moving floor groups may give the patient 21 anxiety. In the radiation therapy cage according to the present embodiment, the slider 4 automatically operates in conjunction with the rotation angle, and no drive sound or collision sound is generated. Therefore, the patient 21 is not given unnecessary sense of anxiety.

  Further, in the radiation therapy cage according to the conventional technique, particularly when the radiation irradiation nozzle 105 is at a rotation angle of 150 degrees (see FIG. 6), an opening 103 is formed in the vicinity of the treatment table 22. On the other hand, as described above, the drive device 106 is controlled to close the opening 103 on the horizontal floor. Normally, before the opening 103 is blocked, the interlock functions, prohibiting the medical technician 31 from entering the radiation treatment cage, and ensuring the safety of the medical technician 31. However, there is a possibility that the medical technician 31 enters the radiation treatment cage for some reason, and further improvement in safety has been demanded. Further, since the outside of the radiation treatment cage enters the field of view of the patient 21 from the opening 103 until the opening 103 is closed, there is a possibility that the patient 21 may be anxious about the treatment action from fear of high altitude.

  In the radiation treatment cage according to the present embodiment, the slider 4 connects the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 and the ends of the moving bed groups 2A and 2B. For example, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 150 degrees, the treatment is performed. There is no opening in the vicinity of the table 22 (see FIG. 7). Thereby, the further improvement of safety can be aimed at.

  As a third effect, the effect of the configuration relating to the inclination (tapered shape) of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 will be described in comparison with a radiation treatment cage (see FIGS. 8 and 9) according to a second embodiment to be described later.

  The side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 of the radiation therapy cage according to the second embodiment to be described later is parallel to the rotation surface normal of the rotation gantry. That is, the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 of the radiation therapy cage according to the second embodiment has a box shape, similar to the radiation irradiation nozzle 105 of the radiation therapy cage according to the related art.

  When the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 of the second embodiment is at a rotation angle of about 135 degrees, the length of the opening 203 is the shortest (see FIG. 8), and the length of the moving bed groups 202A and 202B is the shortest inner wall length state. It is set so that the moving floor groups 202A and 202B do not interfere, that is, the length of the opening 203 is 0 or more.

  FIG. 7 is also a diagram showing a comparison between the present embodiment and the second embodiment. A solid line indicates a configuration according to the present embodiment, and a dotted line indicates a configuration according to the second embodiment. Since the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 and the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 have different shapes, the total length of the moving bed groups 2A and 2B is longer than the total length of the moving bed groups 202A and 202B by the length d.

  On the other hand, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 of the second embodiment is at a rotation angle of 0 degree, a large opening 203 is formed immediately below the treatment table 22 as compared with the opening 3 (see FIG. 3) (see FIG. 9). The fact that the opening 203 is larger than the opening 3 is due to the difference d in the length of the moving bed group. In other words, this is due to the difference in shape between the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 and the radiation irradiation nozzle 205. When the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 is at a rotation angle of about 0 to 60 degrees, a relatively large opening 203 is generated on the horizontal floor, and there is room for improvement related to safety.

  In the radiotherapy cage according to the present embodiment, the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 has an inclination, and the slider 4 operates on the inclination of the side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5, so that the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 out of the total range of the kamaboko type trajectory. As a result, the length of the opening 3 is maintained at a very small length, thereby further improving the safety.

  The radiation irradiation nozzle 205 of the radiotherapy cage according to the second embodiment has a box shape. In particular, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 is at a rotation angle of 150 degrees, the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 becomes an obstacle, and a medical technician. 31 was not close enough to the patient 21, and there was a problem related to workability.

  The radiation irradiation nozzle 5 of the radiation treatment cage according to the present embodiment has a tapered shape. In particular, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 150 degrees, the medical technician 31 is a patient compared to the second embodiment. 21 can be approached by the length d (see FIG. 7), and workability can be improved.

  As the fourth effect, effects of other configurations will be described.

  The moving bed group of this embodiment is composed of two moving bed groups 2A and 2B. On the other hand, as will be described later, the moving bed group may be composed of three or more moving bed groups. However, for example, when it is composed of three moving bed groups 2A, 2B, and 2C, the moving bed groups 2A and 2B at both ends are connected to the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 by the slider 4 as in the present embodiment. In order to fix the moving bed group 2C to the rotating gantry 1 in the rotating circumferential direction, a latch structure 34 is necessary.

  The moving bed group of the present embodiment is composed of two moving bed groups 2A and 2B. Since the moving bed groups 2A and 2B are connected to the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 by the slider 4, the latch structure 34 is not necessary. As a result, the number of parts is reduced, and the system can be simplified.

  The radiation therapy cage according to the present embodiment includes a cover 35 and a cover winding device 36. As described above, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of about 0 to 60 degrees, a minute opening 3 is generated on the horizontal floor (see FIG. 3). Although the length of the opening 3 is maintained at a very small length and safety does not become a problem, the safety can be further improved by the cover 35 closing the opening 3 just in case. In addition, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 60 to 180 degrees, the opening 3 does not occur on the horizontal floor (see FIG. 5), so the safety does not become a problem due to the opening 3, By covering the opening 3 with the cover 35, the operator and the patient are not worried.

Second Embodiment
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The radiation irradiation nozzle 5 of the radiation treatment cage according to the first embodiment has a tapered shape, whereas the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 of the radiation treatment cage according to the second embodiment has a box shape. To do. In other words, the side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is inclined with respect to the rotation surface normal of the rotating gantry, but the side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 is parallel to the rotation surface normal of the rotation gantry (radiation irradiation nozzle 205 Has no slope). Other configurations are common.

  Since the radiation treatment cage according to the second embodiment does not have the configuration related to the inclination (tapered shape) of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5, the configuration related to the slider 4 is achieved although the third effect of the first embodiment is not achieved. Therefore, the first and second effects of the first embodiment are achieved. That is, it is possible to improve economy, reliability, maintainability, workability, and safety as compared with the conventional technology.

  However, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 is at a rotation angle of 0 degree, the opening 203 of the second embodiment is larger than the opening 3 of the first embodiment (see FIGS. 3 and 9), and the second embodiment It is inferior in terms of safety compared to the first embodiment.

  In order to solve this problem and further improve the safety, the configuration of the second embodiment may be slightly changed as follows.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the moving bed group is composed of two moving bed groups 2A and 2B, but in the modification of the second embodiment, the moving bed group has three or more moving beds. You may comprise a floor group. For example, in the case of three moving bed groups 2A, 2B, 2C (not shown), a latch structure 34 (not shown) for fixing the intermediate moving bed group 2C to the rotating gantry 1 in the rotating circumferential direction is provided. Prepare. A cover winder 36 is installed between the moving floor groups 2A and 2C and between the moving floor groups 2B and 2C. Other configurations are common.

The moving bed group is composed of three moving bed groups 2A, 2B, 2C (not shown),
When the radiation irradiation nozzle 205 is at a rotation angle of 0 degree, the opening 203 of the second embodiment does not occur on the horizontal floor, so that the opening 203 does not cause a safety problem. Also, just in case, the cover 35 closes the opening 203, so that the operator and the patient are not worried.

<Other embodiments>
Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the spirit of the present invention.

  The radiotherapy cage according to the first embodiment includes the cover 35 and the cover take-up device 36, but these configurations may be omitted. As described in the first embodiment, since the cover 35 closes the opening 3 so as not to cause anxiety to the operator or the patient, it is preferable that the cover 35 and the cover take-up device 36 are provided. However, as described below, since the safety does not become a problem due to the opening 3, the cover 35 and the cover winding device 36 may not be provided. For example, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of about 0 to 60 degrees, the opening 3 is generated on the horizontal floor (see FIG. 3). However, due to the effect of the configuration relating to the inclination (tapered shape) of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5, the length of the opening 3 can be maintained at a very small length, and the opening 3 does not cause a safety problem. Further, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 60 to 180 degrees, the opening 3 does not occur on the horizontal floor (see FIG. 5), so that the opening 3 does not cause a safety problem.

  Thereby, compared with 1st Embodiment, a number of parts can reduce and simplification of a system can be aimed at. As a result, the economic efficiency can be further improved.

  The slide rail member 4a of the first embodiment is installed on the side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5, but may be installed on the front and back surfaces of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5. That is, if the slide rail member 4a is installed on the front surface and the back surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 so as to be parallel to the side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5, the slider 4 operates in the same manner as in the first embodiment. For example, when the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is at a rotation angle of 150 degrees, the slider 4 connects the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 and the end portions of the moving bed groups 2A and 2B, and no opening is generated in the vicinity of the treatment table 22. Thereby, the improvement of safety can be aimed at similarly to 1st Embodiment (refer FIG. 7). The front, side, and back of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 refer to the front, side, and back of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 when viewed from the opening direction of the rotating gantry 1.

  The inclination of the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 of the first embodiment is linear, but may be curved. That is, as long as the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 moves to the lower part (horizontal line portion) of the kamaboko type trajectory, the range length corresponding to the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is any shape as long as the change is suppressed. Shape may be sufficient. As a result, the range length corresponding to the radiation irradiation nozzle 5 is suppressed from changing, and as a result, the length of the opening 3 is maintained at a very small length, and safety can be improved.

  The moving bed group of the first embodiment is composed of two moving bed groups 2A and 2B, but the moving bed group is composed of three or more moving bed groups as in the modification of the second embodiment. Also good.

1 Rotating Gantry 2 Moving Floor 2A, 2B, 2C, 102A, 102B, 202A, 202B Moving Floor Group 3, 103, 203 Opening (Gap)
4 Slider member 4a Slide rail member 4b Slide moving member 5, 105, 205 Radiation irradiation nozzle 6 Support roll 7 Gantry rotation motor 8 Front ring 9 Rear ring 10 Gantry body 11 Beam transport device 21 Patient 22 Treatment table 23 Building 24 Fixed side ring rail 25 Moving-side ring rail 26 Ring rail driving device 27 Support roller 28 Support ring 29 Rear panel 31 Medical technician 34 Latch structure 35 Cover 36 Cover take-up device 41 Injector 42 Low energy beam transport device 43 Synchrotron 44 High energy beam transport device 45 treatment room 106 drive unit 107 control unit

Claims (5)

A radiation irradiation nozzle mounted on a horizontal cylindrical rotating gantry;
A pair of ring rails forming a kamaboko-shaped track inside the rotating gantry;
A group of at least two or more moving floors composed of a plurality of moving floors sandwiched between the pair of ring rails and flexibly connected to each other by links;
In a radiotherapy cage with
Furthermore, the radiation treatment is characterized by comprising a pair of slide members arranged on the radiation irradiation nozzle for slidably connecting the radiation irradiation nozzle and the end of the moving bed group in the radial direction of the rotating gantry. cage. The radiation therapy cage of claim 1,
The slide member is disposed on a side surface of the radiation irradiation nozzle. The radiotherapy cage according to claim 1 or 2,
The radiation irradiation cage is characterized in that the radiation irradiation nozzle is tapered toward the rotation center of the rotating gantry and has an inclined side surface. The radiotherapy cage according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The moving bed group is composed of two moving bed groups, a first moving bed group and a second moving bed group. The radiotherapy cage according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A cover covering an opening generated between the moving floor groups;
A cover winder that winds the cover as the opening closes;
A radiation therapy cage comprising:

Images