Development of an efficient scanning and purging magnet system for IMRT with narrow high energy photon beams

Abstract

Due to the clinical advantages of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) high flexibility and accuracy in intensity modulated dose delivery is desirable to really maximize treatment outcome. Although it is possible to deliver IMRT by using broad beams in combination with dynamic multileaf collimation the process is rather time consuming and inefficient. By using narrow scanned high energy photon beams the treatment outcome can be improved, the treatment time reduced and accurate 3D in vivo dose delivery monitoring is possible by PET-CT based dose delivery imaging of photo nuclear reactions in human tissues. Narrow photon beams can be produced by directing a low emittance high energy electron beam on a thin target, and then cleaning the therapeutic photon beam from transmitted high energy electrons, and photon generated charged leptons, with a dedicated purging magnet placed directly downstream of the target. To have an effective scanning and purging magnet system the purging magnet should be placed immediately after the bremsstrahlung target to deflect the transmitted electrons to an efficient electron stopper. In the static electron stopper the electrons should be safely collected independent of the desired direction of the therapeutic scanned photon beam. The SID (Source to Isocenter Distance) should preferably be short while retaining the ability to scan over a large area on the patient and consequently there are severe requirements both on the strength and the geometry of the scanning and purging magnets. In the present study an efficient magnet configuration with a purging and scanning magnet assembly is developed for electron energies in the 50–75 MeV range and a SID of 75 cm. For a bremsstrahlung target of 3 mm Be these electron energies produce a photon beam of 25–17 mm FWHM (Full Width Half Maximum) at a SID of 75 cm. The magnet system was examined both in terms of the efficiency in scanning the narrow bremsstrahlung beam and the deflection of transmitted and photon generated electrons. The simulations show that its is possible to have a scan area on the patient of up to 43 × 40 cm 2 for an incident electron energy of 50 MeV and 28 × 40 cm 2 at 75 MeV, while at the same time adequately deflecting the transmitted electron beam.