Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of performing microbeam radiation therapy for a subject, comprising:producing a high-energy radiation fan beam, wherein the width of the fan beam in a first direction is greater than the width of the fan beam in a second direction;shaping the fan beam; andproducing a relative movement between the subject and the fan beam to irradiate the subject through a collimator to produce high-dose regions alternating with low-dose regions,wherein the collimator is affixed to the subject. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping the fan beam includes adjusting the width of the fan beam in the first direction while producing a relative movement between the subject and the fan beam in the second direction. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the width of the fan beam is adjusted to correspond to a desired treatment region in the subject. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the width of the fan beam in the first direction includes adjusting the position of a set of adjustable jaws configured to block a portion of the high-energy radiation beam. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the width of the fan beam in the first direction includes placing a filter in the path of the fan beam. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping the fan beam includes adjusting the intensity profile of the fan beam. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein a filter is used to adjust the intensity profile of the fan beam. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the collimator includes a filter that is used to adjust the intensity profile of the fan beam. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a radiation treatment profile and wherein shaping the fan beam includes shaping the fan beam based upon the radiation treatment profile. 10. A microbeam radiation therapy system, comprising:a high-energy beam source configured to produce a high-energy radiation beam;a collimator with slits, wherein the collimator only passes the high-energy radiation beam through the slits, and wherein the collimator is affixed to a subject; anda beam shaper configured to spatially limit and filter the high-energy radiation beam. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the beam shaper adjusts the shape of the high-energy radiation beam. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the shape of the high-energy radiation beam is adjusted to correspond to a desired treatment region. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the high-energy radiation beam is a fan beam and the beam shaper includes a set of adjustable jaws configured to block a portion of the fan beam. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the beam shaper includes a filter in the path of the high-energy radiation beam. 15. The system of claim 11, wherein the beam shaper is configured to adjust the intensity profile of the high-energy radiation beam. 16. The system of claim 10, wherein the beam shaper is part of the collimator. 17. The system of claim 10, wherein the beam shaper includes a plurality of slidable leafs configured to provide an opening in the beam shaper. 18. The system of claim 10, wherein the beam shaper includes a filter having a spatially varying thickness. 19. The system of claim 10, wherein the high-energy radiation beam is a fan beam and wherein the high-energy beam source varies the peak energy of the fan beam based upon a radiation treatment profile. 20. A method of performing microbeam radiation therapy for a subject, comprising:producing a high-energy radiation beam;shaping and attenuating the high-energy radiation beam using a filter;passing the shaped and attenuated beam through a collimator to produce high-dose regions alternating with low-dose regions; andirradiating the subject with the shaped, attenuated, and collimated beam,wherein the collimator is affixed to the subject.