' DESCRIPTION
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
A COMPUTER TREATMENT APPARATUS WITH MALIGNANT CE T. POSITION TRACING FUNCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to malignant cell treatment apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus for killing the malign¬ ant cells by focusing simultaneously multidirectional radiation of X-rays or gamma rays followed by the tracing of the cells.
As it is universally known, the malignant melanoma is killed by the LASER effectively because of the black pigment of the malignant melanoma cells. X-rays and gamma rays are effective for some mali¬ gnant cells also. The principle of the treatment for the malignancy γ the high energy electromagnetic waves is the utilization of the weakness of malignant cells in the ccndition of high energy. However, normal cells are also damaged in the high energy condition. The high energy electromagnetic waves may cause -uπ unosuppression and oncogen- esis. Futhermore, sane malignant cells have a resistence to the high energy electromagnetic waves.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for an apparatus which can kill the malignant cells effectively m-Lnimizirig the risk of damaging normal cells. This need is fulfilled by the present in¬ vention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, a medical treatment apparatus is provided which can make the maligrant cells exposed to higher energy than normal cells by the quantitative energy joining in the malignant cells by focusing simultaneously multidirectional radiation of LASER, X-ray or gamma rays. Specifically, according to the invention, gamma rays or X-rays converge into the malignant cells so that the biological effects for malignant cells are increased without the risk of more damage to normal cells than to malignant cells because of the increased absorbed dose rate with the total absorbed dose being decreased. For this purpose, the energy and space resolving power for tracing the malignant cells must be increased first of all. Therefore, the apparatus of the invention uses the trace of gamma rays followed by an isotope injection, the absorbed rate of the X-rays, the gamma rays or the LASERS, and uses the measurement of the nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon by the comparison to the absorbed rate of high frequency electromagnetic waves or of MASERs. The informations from other diagnostic methods or from other apparatus for diagnosis are used as input data to a main computer for use in the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:
FIGURE 1-a is a cross section of the curved surface on which the detectors are arranged vertically for the purpose of diversifying the directional selectivity, the detectors being scintillation detectors, the detectors for LASER beams and the detectors for high frequency microwaves packed in the metal boxes which are the elongated cylind- _ _
rical oollimators of metal, and the detectors are movable by computer controls.
FIGURE 1-b is a front view of the curved surface on which the detectors are arranged vertically wherein the distance between the surface and the patient is constant.
FIGURE 2 is an example of the arrangement in cross section of LASER guns, gamma ray generating boxes, and high frequency microwave or MASER generating apparatus wherein the surface for the FIG. 2 is identical with the surface for the FIG. 1 or the surface for the FIG. 2 is utilized with being separated from the surface for the FIG. 1.
FIGURE 3 is a block diagram of the invention.
FIGURE 4 is an example of the foσαs type radiation with X-rays or with gamma rays.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in FIG. 1 the detectors are arranged on the curved sur¬ face vertically. A plurality of detectors packed in the elongated cylindrical oollimators are movably mounted on the curved surface. The elongated cylindrical shape provides the detectors with directional selectivity and the detectors are provided plurally for the cαπpensation for decreasing of the sensitivity of detector within the elongated collimator. The detectors are movable for increasing the pliability of detecting the focuses by use of computer which calculates the degree and direction of the movements. The detectors are arranged vertically on the curved .surface for the sufficient increasing effect of space resolving power by little movement because of the limits of detectors irovability. The surface is curved for the directional selectivity and for the increasing effect of the external surface area by the detectors arranged vertically on this surface.
FIG. 2 is an example of the arrangement in cross section of LASER guns, gamma ray generating boxes, and high frequency microwave or MASER genterating apparatus. They are used for generating a simultaneous multidirectional radiation as FIG. 4. Alternatively, they are used for the purpose of measurement of the absorption rate of the body of patient. They may be mounted for separate use. Furthermore, this high, energy electrαπagnetic wave generators may be adhered or compre¬ ssed to the skin of patient by use of driving means, such as motors, causing the incidence angle to be vertical for minimizing the reflec- tiαns and the refractions. Oil having the same electrcmagne ic wave propagation velocity as human body can be used.
FIG. 3 is the entire block diagram of the invention. The detectors as in FIG. 1, the high energy electrcmagnetic wave generators, and a magnet producing nuclear magnetic resonance phenσmencn are.on or near the surface of a cylinder with a constant distance frcm the body of patient, and the main part of them is shown in 600. The detecting methods of FIG. 1 are arranged all being mixed or they are arranged so that each of the detecting methods may be used separately. The high energy electromagnetic wave generators are arranged all being mixed or they are arranged so that each of them may be used separately.
601 is the scintillation detectors that can be moved by driving means and they are arranged on the curved .surface of FIG. 1 in plurality regardless of efficiency. As scintillation detectors, the detectors from Nal crystals or semiconductors, and the signals detected by each — D— of the detectors are amplified by proportional amplifiers 201, and are filtered by the wave height analyzer 202, and the analogue signals are changed to digital signals in A/D converter 203, and the signals are inputted to microcomputer C.P.U. 110. Positions, directions and internal resistances of the detectors 601 and the driving means 602 are inputted to 111. The directions and degrees are stored in RAM 112. 603 is the LASER detectors such as photodiodes or phototransistor. A plurality of LASER detectors are arranged regardless of efficiency and are movable by each driving means 604. The signals received by each of LASER detectors 603 are amplified in the proportional amplifiers 301, are filtered in the wave height analyzer 302, the analogue signals are converted into digital signals in A/D converters 303 and they are inputted to the microcomputer CPU 120. Positions, directions and internal resistances of the detectors 603 and the driving means 604 are stored in a ROM 121. The directions and degrees of the detectors are stored in a RAM 122. The high frequency microwave detectors such as syntony circuits or super conductive tunnelling detectors such as syntony circuits or super conductive tunnelling detectors are in 605. The detectors are arranged regardless of efficiency and are movable by each of the driving means. The cooling devices 410 are used for the super conductive tunnelling detectors. In this case, the cooling devices can be modified for using in groups to facilitate the cooling.
If the super conductive tunnelling detectors are used, the signals received in the detectors are amplified by the proportional amplifiers 401 and then filtered by a wave height analyzer 402, and the analogue signals are converted into digital signals in A D con¬ verters 403 to be inputted to a microcomputer CPU 130.
If the syntony circuits are used, the signals received in the high frequency microwave detectors 605 are amplified in the proportional amplifiers 401, and the amplitude differences between the signals received in the detectors and a reference signal are converted to digital signals in A/D converters 405 to be inputted to microcomputer CPU 130. The reference signal is generated by crystal oscillators 407 and are amplified by the power amplifiers 406, and the high fre¬ quency microwaves or MASERs are generated by the high frequency micro¬ wave or MASER generators 607. The magnet 610 and the subsidiary coils 609 make a fixed field which causes gyroscopic movements of the nucleus of the atom in the patient, which may be subjected to fine regular changes by the signal generators 408 when a high performance permanent magnet is developed, or can be operated to calibrate the errors to keep away from danger of explosion. Positions, directions and the internal resistance of the detectors 605 and the driving means 608 are stored in a DM 131. Directions and degree of the movement of the detectors 605, the driving means 606, the high frequency micro¬ wave or MASER generators 607, and the driving means 608 are stored in a RAM 132.
The LASER guns 611 and their driving means 612 are controlled by a ir crocomputer CPU 140, positions and directions and internal resis- tance are stored in a ROM 141, directions and degrees of movement of the LASER guns 611 and the driving means 612 are stored in a RAM 142. The X-ray generators 613 and their driving means 614 are controlled by a irdcrocomputer CPU 150, and their positions, directions and inter¬ nal resistances are stored in a RCM 151, their directions and degree are stored in a RAM 152. The gamma ray generating tubes 615 and their driving means 616 are controlled by a microcomputer CPU 160. Their positions, directions and internal resistances are stored in a RCM 161, their directions and degrees are stored in a RAM 162.
Erαα the LASER guns, the X-ray generators and the gamma ray gen- erating tubes, the beams or the rays are produced through elongated metal pipes to inhibit the high energy electrcmagnetic waves radiated to unwanted directions.' The example of the X-rays or the gamma rays using this method are shown in FIG. 4. A main cαnputer 100, which controls the microcomputer CPUs 110,
120, 130, 140, 150 and 160, executes the programs of tracing the malig¬ nant cells and of killing the malignant cells with one or several of X-rays, gamma rays or LASERS by focus type multidirectional radiation. For the programs of the invention, the information from the existing C.T. (X-ray C.T., gamma ray C.T., N.M.R. C.T) can be used.
The energy resolving power can be increased by the method of in¬ creasing the efficiency of antibodies labeled isotopes, or by the method of finding out the remaining or delayed excreting substances in the malignant cells. The super conductive tunnelling detectors for detecting the N.M.R. phenomenon in the invention is for increasing the space resolving power. Confirmed discharges of high energy electrcmagnetic waves can give information for confirming the signals loaded on the detectors. For the efficiency in utilization, the cylinder having the detectors and mounted thereon, or the fixed field or high energy electrcmagnetic wave generators can be made rotated. The arrangement of the gamma ray generators may be facilitated when the method of exciting nucleus by LASERS or etc. are developed.
The well developed space resolving power of the invention will be used when the thereapy of an accelerator for nuclear particles are essential for a patient.