Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of generating a positive ion beam sequence for providing a prescriptive dose of high energy polyenergetic positive ions to a target volume, comprising the steps of:a) providing a plurality of beam angles, plan prescription, and dose constraints;b) providing a plan optimization process based on a beam scanning sequence;c) applying said beam scanning sequence to said beam angles, plan prescription and dose constraints to generate plan optimization results;d) comparing the plan optimization results to the plan prescription; ande) modulating the beam scanning sequence and iteratively repeating steps b), c) and d) until the plan optimization results are acceptable. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the beam scanning sequence comprises, lateral scanning of beamlets, depth scanning or beamlets, 3D scanning of beamlets, or any combination thereof. 3. A method of providing a prescriptive dose of high energy polyenergetic positive ions to a target volume, comprising the steps of:a) providing a plurality of beam angles, plan prescription, and dose constraints;b) providing a plan optimization process based on a beam scanning sequence;c) applying said beam scanning sequence to said beam angles, plan prescription and dose constraints to generate plan optimization results;d) comparing the plan optimization results to the plan prescription;e) modulating the beam scanning sequence and iteratively repeating steps b), c) and d) until the plan optimization results are acceptable; andf) irradiating the target volume with a plurality of beamlets according to the plan optimization results. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the beam scanning sequence comprises, lateral scanning of beamlets, depth scanning or beamlets, 3D scanning of beamlets, or any combination thereof. 5. A method of providing a proton radiation dose to a targeted region, comprising:providing a plurality of modulated polyenergetic proton beamlets; andirradiating said targeted region with said plurality of modulated polyenergetic proton beamlets. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of said polyenergetic beamlets is modulated, individually, according to at least one of: beamlet energy distribution, beamlet intensity, beamlet direction, beamlet area, or beamlet shape. 7. The method of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of modulated polyenergetic beamlets is modulated in three dimensions. 8. The method of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of modulated polyenergetic beamlets is modulated in intensity. 9. The method of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of modulated polyenergetic beamlets is modulated in energy distribution. 10. The method of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of modulated polyenergetic beamlets is modulated to irradiate the targeted region in the depth direction. 11. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of modulated polyenergetic beamlets are modulated to optimize the dose to minimize irradiation of organs external to said targeted region. 12. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of modulated polyenergetic beamlets are modulated to minimize irradiation of areas external to said targeted region. 13. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of modulated polyenergetic beamlets are modulated to maximize a prescriptive dose to said targeted region. 14. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of modulated polyenergetic beamlets are modulated to optimize the dose to minimize irradiation of critical structures and maximize a prescriptive dose to said targeted region. 15. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of modulated polyenergetic proton beamlets are provided byforming a laser-accelerated high energy polyenergetic ion beam comprising a plurality of high energy polyenergetic protons, said high energy polyenergetic protons characterized as having a distribution of energy levels;collimating said laser-accelerated ion beam using a collimation device;spatially separating said high energy polyenergetic protons according to their energy levels using a first magnetic field;modulating the spatially separated high energy polyenergetic protons using an aperture; andrecombining the modulated high energy polyenergetic protons using a second magnetic field. 16. The method of claim 5, wherein each of said modulated polyenergetic proton beamlets is modulated, individually, in energy and intensity. 17. The method of claim 5, wherein said irradiating gives rise to a desired prescriptive dose to the targeted region in both longitudinal and lateral directions relative to said polyenergetic beamlets. 18. A method of providing a positive ion radiation dose to a targeted region, comprising:providing a plurality of modulated polyenergetic positive ion beamlets; andirradiating said targeted region with said plurality of modulated polyenergetic positive ion beamlets, wherein each of said polyenergetic beamlets is modulated, individually, according to at least one of: beamlet energy distribution, beamlet intensity, beamlet direction, beamlet area, or beamlet shape. 19. A method of providing a proton radiation dose to a targeted region, comprising:providing a plurality of modulated polyenergetic proton beamlets, wherein each of said polyenergetic beamlets is modulated, individually, according to at least one of: beamlet energy distribution, beamlet intensity, beamlet direction, beamlet area, or beamlet shape; andirradiating said targeted region with said plurality of modulated polyenergetic proton beamlets, wherein said plurality of modulated polyenergetic proton beamlets maximizes said proton radiation dose to the targeted region and minimizes said proton radiation dose to areas external to the targeted region. 20. A method of providing a prescriptive dose to a targeted region in a patient, comprising:a) providing a plurality of polyenergetic proton beamlets; andb) modulating said polyenergetic proton beamlets, wherein said modulating gives rise to an acceptable dose distribution to the targeted region according to the prescriptive dose in both longitudinal and lateral directions relative to said beamlets. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein said modulating step is carried out in three dimensions. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the intensities of said polyenergetic proton beamlets are modulated. 23. The method of claim 20, wherein the energies of said polyenergetic proton beamlets are modulated. 24. The method of claim 20, wherein said polyenergetic proton beamlets are modulated to irradiate the target in the depth direction. 25. The method of claim 20, wherein said modulating step comprises optimizing the dose to minimize irradiation of organs external to said target. 26. The method of claim 20, wherein said modulating step comprises optimizing the dose to minimize irradiation of critical structures. 27. The method of claim 20, wherein said modulating step comprises optimizing the dose distribution based on a prescribed physical or biologically equivalent dose to said target. 28. The method of claim 20, wherein said modulating step comprises optimizing the dose to minimize irradiation of critical structures and optimizing the dose distribution based on a prescribed physical or biologically equivalent dose to said target. 29. The method of claim 20, wherein said polyenergetic proton beamlets are provided byforming a laser-accelerated high energy polyenergetic ion beam comprising a plurality of high energy polyenergetic protons, said high energy polyenergetic protons characterized as having a distribution of energy levels;collimating said laser-accelerated ion beam using a collimation device;spatially separating said high energy protons according to their energy levels using a first magnetic field;modulating the spatially separated high energy polyenergetic protons using an aperture; andrecombining the modulated high energy polyenergetic protons using a second magnetic field. 30. The method of claim 20, wherein the energies and intensities of said polyenergetic proton beamlets are modulated. 31. A method of providing a positive ion radiation dose, comprising:a) providing a plurality of polyenergetic positive ion beamlets; andb) modulating said polyenergetic positive ion beamlets, wherein said modulating gives rise to a desired dose distribution based on a prescribed dose to a target in both longitudinal and lateral directions relative to said beamlets. 32. A method of providing intensity modulated proton therapy to a targeted region in a patient, comprising:providing a plurality of high energy positive ion beamlets;modulating at least one of the high energy positive ion beamlets in depth relative to the patient to provide a depth-modulated beamlet;modulating at least one of the depth-modulated beamlets in a lateral direction relative to the patient to provide a lateral-modulated beamlet; andirradiating said targeted region with at least one of the lateral-modulated beamlets to the patient. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein said plurality of high energy positive ion beamlets comprise high energy polyenergetic positive ions. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein said plurality of high energy positive ion beamlets comprise high energy polyenergetic protons. 35. The method of claim 32, wherein said plurality of high energy positive ion beamlets comprise high energy monoenergetic positive ions. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein said plurality of high energy positive ion beamlets comprise high energy monoenergetic protons. 37. The method of claim 18, wherein said polyenergetic positive ion beamlets are provided byforming a laser-accelerated high energy polyenergetic ion beam comprising a plurality of high energy polyenergetic positive ions, said high energy polyenergetic positive ions characterized as having a distribution of energy levels;collimating said laser-accelerated ion beam using a collimation device;spatially separating said high energy polyenergetic positive ions according to their energy levels using a first magnetic field;modulating the spatially separated high energy polyenergetic positive ions using an aperture; andrecombining the modulated high energy polyenergetic positive ions using a second magnetic field. 38. The method of claim 32, wherein said polyenergetic proton beamlets are provided byforming a laser-accelerated high energy polyenergetic ion beam comprising a plurality of high energy polyenergetic protons, said high energy polyenergetic protons characterized as having a distribution of energy levels;collimating said laser-accelerated ion beam using a collimation device;spatially separating said high energy polyenergetic protons according to their energy levels using a first magnetic field;modulating the spatially separated high energy polyenergetic protons using an aperture; andrecombining the modulated high energy polyenergetic protons using a second magnetic field.