Patent ID: 8169167

Claim:
A method of controlling the operation of a particle accelerator, comprising: a) injecting a particle beam into the accelerator; b) performing at least one injection phase diagnostic measurement; c) based upon the at least one injection phase diagnostic measurement, determining if the particle beam has been successfully injected; d) upon the particle beam not having been successfully injected, varying at least one injection phase control action, and repeating steps a) to c); e) upon the particle beam having been successfully injected, performing at least one acceleration phase diagnostic measurement; f) based upon the at least one acceleration phase diagnostic measurement, determining if the particle beam has been successfully accelerated; g) upon the particle beam not having been successfully accelerated, varying at least one acceleration phase control action, and repeating steps a) and e) to f); h) upon the particle beam having been successfully accelerated, performing at least one use phase diagnostic measurement; i) based upon the at least one use phase diagnostic measurement, determining if the particle beam has been successfully used; j) upon the particle beam not having been successfully used, varying at least one use phase control action, and repeating steps a) and h) to i); and k) upon the particle beam having been successfully used, further operating the accelerator.