Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A system for delivering very high electron energy beam to a targeted tissue in a patient, comprising:an accelerator capable of generating a very high electron energy beam, wherein the very high electron energy beam comprises an electron energy beam between 50 and 250 MeV;a beam steering device capable of receiving the very high electron energy beam from the accelerator and steering the beam to the targeted tissue from multiple directions; anda controller capable of controlling length of time that the very high electron energy beam irradiates the targeted tissue in delivering an entire treatment dose, the length of time of delivering the entire dose being less than 10 seconds, and to control the directions in which the beam steering device steers the beam to the targeted tissue when delivering the dose. 2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to receive information from an imaging or targeting device and use the information from the imaging device to control the directions in which the beam steering device steers the beam to the targeted tissue, wherein the entire is delivered to the targeted tissue by the beam steering device based on position verification data received from the imaging or targeting device. 3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the accelerator is capable of generating a beam of between 75 and 100 MeV. 4. A system according to claim 1 wherein the length of time of delivering the entire dose is less than one second. 5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the beam steering device is selected from the group consisting of electro-magnetic devices and radiofrequency deflector devices. 6. A system according to claim 1 wherein the beam steering device includes a gantry, the gantry including multiple beam ports through which the beam steering device can steer the very high electron beam received from the accelerator. 7. A system according to claim 1 wherein the beam steering device is capable of providing thin pencil beam raster scanning. 8. A system according to claim 1 wherein the beam steering device includes a continuous annular gantry. 9. A system according to claim 1 wherein the beam steering device is capable of providing volume filling scanning. 10. A system according to claim 1 wherein the beam steering device is configured to steer the very high electron energy beam from multiple directions without requiring movement of any mechanical parts. 11. A system for delivering very high electron energy beam to a targeted tissue in a patient, comprising:an accelerator capable of generating a very high electron energy beam;a beam steering device capable of receiving the very high electron energy beam from the accelerator and steering the beam to the targeted tissue from multiple directions;a controller capable of controlling length of time that the very high electron energy beam irradiates the targeted tissue in delivering an entire dose of radiation to the targeted tissue, the length of time of delivering the entire dose being less than 10 seconds, and to control the directions in which the beam steering device steers the beam to the targeted tissue; andan imaging or targeting device capable of locating the targeted tissue and providing location information to the controller configured to control the directions in which the beam steering device steers the beam to the targeted tissue. 12. A system according to claim 11 wherein the imaging or targeting device is capable of providing information to the controller of a location of the targeted tissue so as to trigger when the system delivers the beam to the targeted tissue at the location. 13. A system according to claim 11 wherein, using information from the imaging or targeting device, the system is capable of automatically delivering the beam to the targeted tissue from multiple predetermined directions at multiple predetermined points in time completing delivery of the entire dose from all directions within less than 10 seconds. 14. A system according to claim 11 wherein the accelerator is capable of generating a beam of between 75 and 100 MeV. 15. A system according to claim 11 wherein the length of time of delivery of the entire dose by irradiation of the targeted tissue with the beam is less than one second. 16. A system according to claim 11 wherein the beam steering device is selected from the group consisting of electro-magnetic devices and radiofrequency deflector devices. 17. A system according to claim 11 wherein the beam steering device is configured to steer the very high electron energy beam from multiple directions without requiring movement of any mechanical parts. 18. A method for delivering a beam of very high electron energy to a targeted tissue in a patient, comprising:providing a system for delivering very high electron energy beam to a targeted tissue in a patient, the system comprising:an accelerator capable of generating a very high electron energy beam;a beam steering device capable of receiving the very high electron beam from the accelerator and steering the very high electron beam to the targeted tissue from multiple directions;a controller capable of controlling a length of time that the very high electron beam irradiates the targeted tissue to deliver an entire treatment dose, the length of time being less than 10 seconds, and to control the directions in which the beam steering device steers the beam to the targeted tissue when delivering the dose; andactuating the system to cause it to deliver the beam to the targeted tissue. 19. A method according to claim 18 wherein actuating the system causes a beam of between 75 and 100 MeV to be generated by the accelerator. 20. A method according to claim 18 wherein the length of time of delivery of the entire dose by irradiation of the targeted tissue with the beam is less than one second. 21. A method according to claim 18 wherein providing the system includes providing a beam steering device that is selected from the group consisting of electro-magnetic devices and radiofrequency deflector devices. 22. A method according to claim 18 wherein providing the system includes providing a beam steering device that steers the beam to the targeted tissue from multiple directions without requiring movement of any mechanical parts. 23. A method according to claim 18 further comprising providing a controller that is configured to receive information from an imaging or targeting device as to a position of the targeted tissue and use the information from the imaging or targeting device to control the directions in which the beam steering device steers the beam to the targeted tissue at the determined position and complete delivery of the entire dose before substantial movement of the targeted tissue from the determined position. 24. A method according to claim 18 further comprising providing an imaging device capable of generating images of the targeted tissue and providing information from the imaging device to the controller to control the directions in which the beam steering device steers the beam to the targeted tissue. 25. A method according to claim 24 wherein providing the imaging device includes providing an imaging device that is capable of providing information to the controller to trigger when the system delivers the beam to the targeted tissue. 26. A method according to claim 24 wherein providing the imaging device includes providing an imaging device wherein, using information from the imaging device, the system is capable of automatically delivering the beam to the targeted tissue from multiple predetermined directions concurrently or in rapid succession at multiple predetermined points in time completing delivery of the entire dose from all directions within less than 10 seconds. 27. A system for delivering a transverse-modulated electron beam to a targeted tissue in a patient, comprising:a photoelectron gun configured to generate a transverse-modulated electron beam from an optical image produced by a light source and projected or scanned on a photocathode;an accelerator capable of increasing the energy level of the transverse-modulated electron beam to a predetermined level;a beam steering device capable of receiving the transverse-modulated electron beam from the accelerator and steering the transverse-modulated electron beam to the targeted tissue from multiple directions; anda controller capable of controlling length of time that the transverse-modulated electron beam irradiates the targeted tissue in delivering an entire treatment dose, the length of time being less than 10 seconds, and to control the directions in which the beam steering device steers the transverse-modulated electron beam to the targeted tissue when delivering the dose. 28. A system for delivering a transverse-modulated electron beam to a targeted tissue in a patient according to claim 27 wherein the light source is a laser. 29. A system for delivering a transverse-modulated electron beam to a targeted tissue in a patient according to claim 27, wherein the optical image comprises an intensity pattern corresponding to a dose distribution planned for delivery to the targeted tissue based on a given shape of the targeted tissue and further comprising:an optics system capable of maintaining the intensity pattern with high fidelity during steering of the transverse-modulated beam to the targeted tissue with the beam steering device. 30. A system for delivering a transverse-modulated electron beam to a targeted tissue in a patient according to claim 27, wherein the controller is configured to:produce a first 2-dimensional intensity pattern with the transverse-modulated electron beam with the photo-electron gun and accelerator and to steer the beam to irradiate the targeted tissue with the first 2-dimensional pattern from a first direction, andproduce one or more additional 2-dimensional intensity patterns with the transverse-modulated electron beam with the photo-electron gun and accelerator and to steer the beam to irradiate the targeted tissue with the one or more additional 2-dimensional patterns from one or more additional directions, respectively, such that summing the first 2-dimensional intensity pattern and the one or more additional 2-dimensional patterns across the first direction and the one or more additional directions provides the planned dose distribution, wherein the planned dose distribution is a 3-dimensional dose distribution and the given shape is 3-dimensional.