WO2019057159A1

WO2019057159A1 - High-energy particle injection system and high-energy particle injection control method

Info

Publication number: WO2019057159A1
Application number: PCT/CN2018/106988
Authority: WO
Inventors: 许剑锋; 翁凤花; 侍大为; 谢思维; 赵指向; 黄秋; 龚政; 苏志宏
Original assignee: 中派科技（深圳）有限责任公司; 广东影诺数字医学科技有限公司; 华中科技大学
Priority date: 2017-09-25
Filing date: 2018-09-21
Publication date: 2019-03-28
Also published as: CN107744399A

Abstract

A high-energy particle injection system and a high-energy particle injection control method. The high-energy particle injection system comprises a high-energy particle emitter header (100), a PET system (200), and a control system (300). The high-energy particle emitter header (100) emits high-energy particle beams (A). The PET system (200) comprises multiple detectors (210) and a rotatable support unit (230). The multiple detectors (210) are annularly distributed on the support unit (230) to form a detector ring. A position adjusting device for the support unit (230) enables some or all of the detectors (210) in the detector ring to move between a contracted position and an extended position. Each detector (210) counts light from radiation, and a gap portion (220) allowing a high-energy particle beam (A) emitted by the high-energy particle emitter head (100) to pass through is provided between every two adjacent detectors (210) and on a rotary surface rotating about a body axis of a subject. The control system (300) controls the high-energy particle emitter head (100) to emit high-energy particle beams (A) to the gap portions (220). By means of the high-energy particle injection system and the high-energy particle injection control method, high-energy particle beams (A) can be emitted to a subject in any direction of 360 degrees, so as to precisely strike bioactive molecules (B) with the best path.

Description

High energy particle injection system and high energy particle injection control method

Technical field

The invention belongs to a high energy particle injection technology in positron emission imaging, and particularly relates to a high energy particle injection system and a high energy particle injection control method.

Background technique

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine imaging technique that produces images or images of functional processes in the body. The system detects a gamma-ray couple indirectly emitted by a positron-emitting radionuclide (tracer, radiotracer, radiopharmaceutical, etc.), wherein a positron-emitting radionuclide (ie, high-energy particles) is injected into the body of the subject. On the bioactive molecule.

Since high-energy particles are destructive to the normal tissues of bioactive molecules, it is necessary to monitor the high-energy particle beam in real time to ensure accurate emission of high-energy particle beams and minimize killing of normal tissues. Thus, PET imaging techniques can be used to monitor the effects of high energy particle beams on biologically active molecules in real time or in non-real time.

However, the detector loop of the PET system occupies a certain physical space and has the function of shielding and blocking the high-energy particle beam. Therefore, high-energy particle beams are often unable to accurately strike bioactive molecules with optimal paths.

In order to enable high-energy particle beams to accurately strike bioactive molecules with an optimal path, the following solutions exist in the prior art:

1. The PET detector is suspended by a C-arm. As shown in FIG. 1A, the PET system 200 is disposed on the C-arm 10'. The PET system 200 is composed of a plurality of detectors 210. The plurality of detectors 210 have no gap therebetween. , closely arranged into a ring. The PET system 200 and the high energy particle transmitter head 100 are independent of each other, except that in operation, the emitter of the high energy particle transmitter head 100 needs to be placed in the opening 11' of the C-arm 10', and the high energy particle beam A passes through the C-arm. The opening 11' of 10' reaches the biologically active molecule B. The disadvantage of this solution is that the entire C-arm (large weight) of the suspended PET detector needs to be rotated, the mechanical system design is difficult to implement, and the system reliability is not high.

Two: open ring program. As shown in FIG. 1B, the PET system 200 includes a plurality of detector rings 21', 22' that maintain a certain distance between the detector rings 21', 22' to provide high energy particle beam A emitted by the high energy particle transmitter head 100. A 360 degree incident path to reach the biologically active molecule B. The disadvantages of this solution are: (1) the tissue that is not coplanar with the detector ring provides a 360 degree angle-free incident path; (2) the PET detector ring and the high energy particle beam incident path are not coplanar. This results in the imaging surface of the PET in the bioactive molecule, and the high-energy particle beam is not in the same plane to be injected, and the PET image cannot reflect the actual situation in real time, accurately and efficiently.

Summary of the invention

In order to at least partially solve the problem that existing high energy particle beams cannot accurately strike bioactive molecules with an optimal path, the present invention provides a high energy particle injection system including a high energy particle transmitter head, a PET system, and a control system. The high energy particle transmitter head emits a beam of energetic particles along a beam path. The PET system includes a plurality of detectors and a rotatable support unit, the plurality of detectors being annularly distributed on the support unit to form a detector ring, the support unit having position adjustment means for the detector ring All or part of the detectors are movable between a retracted position and an extended position, each of the detectors counting light from the radiation, and each adjacent detector is in the body axis of the subject A rotating portion of the shaft is provided with a gap portion through which the beam of energetic particles emitted by the high energy particle transmitter head passes. A control system is coupled to the high energy particle transmitter head to control the high energy particle transmitter head to emit a beam of energetic particles toward the gap portion.

Preferably, a bracket is provided that is rotatable and elevating, and the high energy particle transmitter head is disposed on the bracket.

Preferably, the present invention includes a placement bed on which the subject is placed, and the placement bed is axially movable in a direction parallel to the body axis of the subject.

Preferably, the control system includes a console, the bracket, the load bed, and the PET system are respectively coupled to the console.

Preferably, the high energy particle transmitter head comprises:

a magnetron scanning system that focuses a dispersed primary electron beam to a point to target the high energy particle beam;

Deflecting the magnet to change the direction of the high energy particle beam emerging from the magnetron scanning system;

a primary collimator that collimates a beam of high energy particles incident from the deflection magnet;

a double scattering system disposed on the beam path in front of the primary collimator;

a beam monitoring system disposed on the beam path in front of the dual scattering system;

a range adjustment system located in front of the beam monitoring system for adjusting a range of the high energy particle beam;

a multi-leaf collimator for adjusting the shape and position of the high energy particle beam field;

A compensator is located between the multi-leaf collimator and the detector ring.

Preferably, the PET system comprises a plurality of detector loops, at least three of the plurality of detectors forming a detector group, each of the detector groups constituting a detector loop, the plurality of detections The rings are spaced apart along the body axis of the subject, and the spacing between adjacent two of the detector rings is arranged to enable passage of a beam of energetic particles emitted by the head of the high energy particle transmitter.

Preferably, the high energy particle transmitter head has a plurality of particle beam exits, and the plurality of particle beam exits are circumferentially distributed around the periphery of the detector ring.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a high energy particle injection control method for injecting high energy particles into a subject through the high energy particle injection system described above, including the steps of:

Adjusting the aperture of the detector ring according to the size of the object to determine the position of the gap portion;

Having the detector ring and the incident path of the high energy particle beam coplanar;

The high energy particle transmitter head is caused to emit a beam of energetic particles toward the gap portion.

Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of:

Adjusting the spacing between adjacent detector rings;

The load bed is moved axially such that the high energy particle transmitter head emits a beam of energetic particles toward the spacing.

Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of: rotating the high energy particle transmitter head or/and the supporting unit on a rotating surface that is oriented on the body axis of the subject, and causing the high energy particle transmitter head to emit high energy particles toward the gap portion on the detector ring. bundle.

Preferably, the high energy particle transmitter head is rotated by rotating the bracket.

Preferably, the method further comprises the step of emitting a beam of high energy particles to the same position of the subject by a plurality of particle beam exit portions circumferentially distributed around the periphery of the detector ring.

Preferably, the method further comprises the step of respectively emitting a beam of high energy particles to different positions of the object by a plurality of particle beam exit portions circumferentially distributed around the periphery of the detector ring.

The high energy particle injection system provided by the present invention, because the detector ring is provided with a gap portion for passing the high energy particle beam emitted by the high energy particle transmitter head, the high energy particle transmitter head emits a high energy particle beam toward the gap portion, the detector ring and the high energy The incident path of the particle beam is completely coplanar, so that the object can emit high-energy particle beams from any direction of 360 degrees, so as to accurately strike the biologically active molecules with an optimal path.

A series of simplified forms of concepts are introduced in the Summary of the Invention, which will be described in further detail in the Detailed Description section. The summary is not intended to limit the key features and essential technical features of the claimed invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the claimed embodiments.

Advantages and features of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DRAWINGS

The following drawings of the invention are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety in their entirety. The embodiments of the invention and the description thereof are shown in the drawings In the drawing,

1A and 1B are schematic views of a prior art high energy particle beam striking a bioactive molecule;

2 is a schematic structural view of a high energy particle injection system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a schematic structural view of a high energy particle transmitter head docked with a PET system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the structure of a PET system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

5A is a schematic diagram of a high energy particle implantation process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

5B is a schematic diagram of a high energy particle implantation process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a schematic diagram of a high energy particle implantation process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a schematic diagram of a high energy particle implantation process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of a high energy particle implantation process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 9 is a schematic illustration of a high energy particle implantation process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Where the reference is

100-high energy particle transmitter head

101-particle beam exit

110-magnetron scanning system

120-deflection magnet

130-primary collimator

140-double scattering system

150-beam monitoring system

160-range adjustment system

170-multi-leaf collimator

180-compensator

200-PET system

210-detector

220-gap section

230-support unit

300-control system

310-console

320-computer

330-display

400-bracket

410-rotary frame

420-lift frame

500-rack

600-load bed

10'-C arm

11'-opening

21', 22'-detector ring

A-high energy particle beam

B-bioactive molecule

Detailed ways

In the following description, numerous details are provided in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, those skilled in the art can understand that the following description is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which may be practiced without one or more such details. Moreover, in order to avoid confusion with the present invention, some of the technical features well known in the art are not described in detail.

According to one aspect of the invention, a high energy particle injection system is provided. Figures 2-9 illustrate, from various angles, the entirety of the high energy particle injection system and the various components or portions of the high energy particle injection system, such as high energy particle transmitter heads and PET systems. In order to understand the location and function of these components or portions in a high energy particle injection system, the high energy particle injection system is first described in its entirety to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the high energy particle injection system includes a high energy particle transmitter head 100, a PET system 200, and a control system 300.

The high energy particle transmitter head 100 is used to inject high energy particles (i.e., protons and heavy ions) into the subject along a beam path to kill the tissue. When a high-energy particle beam kills a tissue, an isotope capable of emitting a positron (for example, 150, 11C, etc.) is generated. The more severely killed a tissue, the more isotopes it produces. When the positron and negative electrons of the isotope emission are quenched, a pair of 511 keV gamma photons in opposite directions are generated.

Referring to FIG. 3, the high energy particle transmitter head 100 includes a magnetron scanning system 110, a deflection magnet 120, a primary collimator 130, a dual scattering system 140, a beam monitoring system 150, a range adjustment system 160, and a multi-leaf collimator 170. And compensator 180. The magnetron scanning system 110 is used to focus the dispersed primary electron beam to a point that is targeted to produce a beam of energetic particles. The deflection magnet 120 is used to change the direction of the beam of energetic particles emerging from the magnetron scanning system 110. The primary collimator 130 is used to collimate a beam of energetic particles incident from the deflection magnet 120. The double scattering system 140 is in front of the primary collimator 130 for obtaining a uniform area of illumination over a large area. The beam monitoring system 150 is located in front of the dual scattering system 140 for real-time monitoring of the intensity and dose of the beam. The range adjustment system 160 is located in front of the beam monitoring system 150 for adjusting the range of the high energy particle beam. The multi-leaf collimator 170 is used to adjust the shape and position of the high energy particle beam field. A compensator 180 is located between the multi-leaf collimator 170 and the detector ring for the purpose of conformal implantation due to the change in the longitudinal thickness of the bioactive molecule to be injected as the lateral coordinate of the position to be injected changes. Since the high energy particle transmitter head 100 belongs to the prior art, it will not be repeated here.

As shown in FIG. 4, in a preferred embodiment, the PET system 200 includes a plurality of detectors 210 and a rotatable support unit 230. The plurality of detectors 210 are annularly distributed on the support unit 230 to form a detector ring. The support unit 230 has position adjusting means for moving all or part of the detectors in the detector ring between the retracted position and the extended position (the position adjusting device is not shown in FIG. 3, and the specific structure of the position adjusting device can be referred to the announcement) Chinese patent application No. CN105342632A). The detailed structure of the support unit 230 is disclosed in the patent application entitled "201410631706.8", entitled "Support Unit, Supporting Device, and Emission Imaging Device Using the Supporting Device", and will not be described herein. . Each of the detectors 210 counts light from the radiation, and each adjacent two detectors 210 is provided with a high-energy particle beam emitted by the high-energy particle transmitter head on a rotating surface that is oriented on the body axis of the object. The gap portion 220.

In order for the high energy particle beam emitted by the high energy particle transmitter head 100 to accurately pass through the gap portion 220, the high energy particle injection system of the present invention further includes a bracket 400 that is rotatable and movable, and the high energy particle transmitter head 100 is disposed on the bracket 400. In a preferred embodiment, the bracket 400 is disposed on the frame 500. The bracket 400 includes a rotating frame 410 and a lifting frame 420. The rotating frame 410 can be driven to rotate by a rotary motor, and the lifting frame 420 can be driven by a linear motor to be raised and lowered. Since the rotary motor drive rotation and the linear motor drive lift are both prior art, no further description is given here.

In a preferred embodiment, the high-energy particle injection system of the present invention further includes a placement bed 600 on which the subject is placed, and the placement bed 600 is axially movable in a direction parallel to the body axis of the subject.

The control system 300 is coupled to the high energy particle transmitter head 100 and is primarily used to control the high energy particle transmitter head 100 to emit high energy particle beams toward the gap portion 220. In order for the high energy particle transmitter head 100 to emit a beam of energetic particles toward the gap portion 220, the incident paths of the detector ring and the beam of energetic particles are preferably coplanar. The control system 300 includes a console 310. The bracket 400, the loading bed 600, the high energy particle transmitter head 100, and the PET system 200 are respectively connected to the console 310. The console 310 can be provided with corresponding control buttons, such as a "bracket rotation" button. , "bracket lift" button, "placement bed adjustment" button, "detector adjustment" button and so on.

To facilitate automatic control, console 310 can also be coupled to computer 320, which is coupled to display 330 for online monitoring.

Referring to FIG. 2, in order to accurately strike the bioactive molecule B with an optimal path, the high energy particle transmitter head 100 is disposed on the bracket 400, a driving member that drives the bracket 400 to rotate (such as a rotary motor), and a driving member that drives the 400 lifting device. (such as a linear motor) is connected to the console 310.

Referring to FIG. 5A, when high energy particle implantation is performed using the high energy particle injection system of FIG. 2, the method includes the steps of: adjusting the aperture of the detector ring according to the size of the object, determining the position of the gap portion 220; and making the detector ring and the high energy particle The incident path of the beam is coplanar; the high energy particle transmitter head is adjusted such that the high energy particle transmitter head emits a beam of high energy particles toward the gap portion 220. In order to achieve a 360-degree angle-free injection, the method further includes the steps of: rotating the particle beam emission source on a rotating surface that is oriented on the body axis of the object, and emitting the high-energy particle transmitter head toward the gap portion on the detector ring to emit high-energy particles. bundle. Further, the high energy particle transmitter head 100 can also be finely tuned by adjusting the bracket 400 (see FIG. 5A).

In the above, only the embodiment of the rotating high-energy particle transmitter head 100 is given. In practical applications, since the supporting unit 230 is rotatable, in order to realize 360-degree dead angle injection, the method may further include the steps of: The body axis is the rotating support unit 230 on the rotating surface of the shaft, and the high energy particle transmitter head emits a beam of high energy particles toward the gap portion on the detector ring (see Fig. 5B).

The PET system 200 can include only a single detector loop (as in Figures 5A and 5B). A plurality of detector rings may also be included (see FIG. 1B for the arrangement of the rings). Here, a PET system including a plurality of detector rings is described. The plurality of detector rings are configured to: at least one of the plurality of detectors The three detectors constitute a detector group, each detector group forming a detector ring, the plurality of detector rings are spaced along the body axis of the object, and the interval between two adjacent detector rings is set to The high energy particle beam emitted by the high energy particle transmitter head can be passed.

For a PET system comprising a plurality of detector rings, the arrangement of the high energy particle transmitter head 100 relative to the PET system 200 in the circumferential direction is the same as that of the embodiment shown in Figures 5A and 5B, and the manner in which the high energy particles are injected may be the same as the figure. 5A and FIG. 5B, except that a beam of high energy particles can also be injected between the detector rings. When injecting a high-energy particle beam from between the detector rings, it is necessary to use the loading bed 600. When performing high-energy particle injection, the method further includes the steps of: adjusting the interval between two adjacent detector rings; and axially moving the loading bed 600 to enable high energy. The particle transmitter head 100 emits a beam of energetic particles toward the spacing.

The invention is based on the arrangement of the position adjustment device, so that the high energy particle injection process can adjust the aperture size of the detector ring according to the position and size to be injected. As shown in Figure 6, it is the injection of high energy particles through a detector ring of large aperture; as shown in Figure 7, it is the injection of energetic particles through a small aperture detector ring. Overall, the smaller the aperture of the detector ring, the better the imaging quality, so try to keep the detector close to the edge of the object during the injection process.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5A, 5B, 6 and 7, above, the high energy particle transmitter head 100 has only one particle beam exit portion 101, that is, a high energy particle beam is extracted from the high energy particle transmitter head 100. .

Referring to Figures 8 and 9, in a preferred embodiment, the high energy particle transmitter head 100 can have a plurality of particle beam exits 101, that is, a plurality of high energy particle beams can be extracted from the high energy particle transmitter head 100, The plurality of particle beam exit portions 101 are circumferentially distributed around the periphery of the detector ring. The number of particle beam exit portions 101 of the high-energy particle transmitter head 100 can be determined according to the number of injection positions required for the subject and the injection angle. When the high energy particle transmitter head 100 of the multi-particle beam exit portion 101 is used for injection, the plurality of particle beam emitting portions 101 circumferentially distributed around the periphery of the detector ring can emit high-energy particle beams to the same position of the object (see FIG. 8); the plurality of particle beam emitting portions 101 circumferentially distributed around the periphery of the detector ring may also respectively emit high-energy particle beams to different positions of the subject (Fig. 9).

It should be noted that the orientation terms related to the high energy particle injection system, such as "front", "back", "axial" and "circumferential", are in the form of Figure 2 with respect to the high energy particle injection system. In the first direction shown. As shown in FIG. 3, the first direction is the direction in which the particle beam is emitted, that is, the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. The axial direction refers to the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2.

The present invention has been described by the above-described embodiments, but it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are only for the purpose of illustration and description. Further, those skilled in the art can understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made according to the teachings of the present invention. These modifications and modifications are all claimed in the present invention. Within the scope. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

A high energy particle injection system, comprising:

a high energy particle transmitter head that emits a beam of energetic particles along a beam path;

a PET system, the PET system comprising a plurality of detectors and a rotatable support unit, the plurality of detectors being annularly distributed on the support unit to form a detector ring, the support unit having position adjustment means All or part of the detectors in the detector ring are movable between a retracted position and an extended position, each of the detectors counting light from the radiation, and each adjacent detector is inspected The body axis of the body is provided with a gap portion on the rotating surface of the shaft through which the beam of high energy particles emitted by the high energy particle transmitter head passes;

A control system coupled to the high energy particle transmitter head to control the high energy particle transmitter head to emit a beam of energetic particles toward the gap portion.
The high energy particle injection system of claim 1 including a bracket that is rotatable and elevating, said high energy particle transmitter head being disposed on said bracket.
The high-energy particle injection system according to claim 2, further comprising a placement bed on which the subject is placed, wherein the placement bed is axially movable in a direction parallel to a body axis of the subject.
The high energy particle injection system according to claim 3, wherein said control system comprises a console, said bracket, said placed bed, said high energy particle transmitter head and said PET system are respectively associated with said control Station connection.
The high energy particle injection system of claim 4 wherein said high energy particle transmitter head comprises:

a magnetron scanning system that focuses a dispersed primary electron beam to a point to target the high energy particle beam;

Deflecting the magnet to change the direction of the high energy particle beam emerging from the magnetron scanning system;

a primary collimator that collimates a beam of high energy particles incident from the deflection magnet;

a double scattering system located in front of the primary collimator;

a beam monitoring system located in front of the dual scattering system;

a range adjustment system located in front of the beam monitoring system for adjusting a range of the high energy particle beam;

a multi-leaf collimator for adjusting the shape and position of the high energy particle beam field;

A compensator is located between the multi-leaf collimator and the detector ring.
A high energy particle injection system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein said PET system comprises a plurality of detector rings, at least three of said plurality of detectors forming a detector group Each of the detector groups constitutes a detector ring, and the plurality of detector rings are spaced apart along a body axis of the object, and an interval between two adjacent detector rings is set to enable The high energy particle beam emitted by the high energy particle transmitter head passes.
The high energy particle injection system according to claim 6, wherein said high energy particle transmitter head has a plurality of particle beam exit portions, and a plurality of particle beam exit portions are circumferentially distributed around a periphery of said detector ring.
A high-energy particle injection control method, comprising: injecting high-energy particles into a subject by the high-energy particle injection system according to any one of claims 1-7, comprising the steps of:

Adjusting the aperture of the detector ring according to the size of the object to determine the position of the gap portion;

Having the detector ring and the incident path of the high energy particle beam coplanar;

The high energy particle transmitter head is caused to emit a beam of energetic particles toward the gap portion.
The high energy particle injection control method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

Adjusting the spacing between adjacent detector rings;

The load bed is moved axially such that the high energy particle transmitter head emits a beam of energetic particles toward the spacing.
The high-energy particle injection control method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of rotating the high-energy particle transmitter head or/and the supporting unit on the rotating surface centered on the body axis of the subject to enable the high-energy particle The transmitter head emits a beam of energetic particles toward a portion of the gap on the detector ring.
The high energy particle injection control method according to claim 10, wherein the high energy particle transmitter head is rotated by rotating the holder.
The high energy particle injection control method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of emitting a beam of high energy particles to the same position of the object by a plurality of particle beam exit portions circumferentially distributed around the periphery of the detector ring.
The high-energy particle injection control method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of respectively emitting a high-energy particle beam to different positions of the object by a plurality of particle beam exit portions circumferentially distributed around the periphery of the detector ring.