Patent ID: 8374314

Claim:
An X-ray apparatus as part of a particle beam cancer therapy system, said particle beam cancer therapy system configured to irradiate a tumor of a patient with a charged particle beam, said apparatus comprising: a respiration sensor configured to generate a respiration signal, said respiration signal corresponding to a respiration cycle of the patient; an X-ray generation source located within about forty millimeters of the charged particle beam, wherein said X-ray source maintains a single static position: (1) during use of said X-ray source and (2) during tumor treatment with the charged particle beam, said apparatus controlled to yield X-ray images at a set point of the respiration cycle by said respiration signal, wherein X-rays emitted from said X-ray source run substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam, wherein said X-ray generation source comprises a tungsten anode, wherein said X-ray apparatus further comprises: an electron generating cathode having a first cross-sectional distance, wherein X-rays are generated by electrons from said cathode striking said tungsten anode; a focusing control electrode; accelerating electrodes, said control electrode and said accelerating electrodes located between said cathode and said anode, said focusing control electrode focusing electrons from said first cross-sectional distance to a second cross-sectional distance, wherein said second cross-sectional distance is less than one-half of said first cross-sectional distance; a magnetic lens; and a quadrupole magnet, all of said control electrode, said accelerating electrodes, said magnetic lens, and said quadrupole magnet located between said cathode and said anode, said control electrode, said accelerating electrodes, said magnetic lens, and said quadrupole magnet combining to form a substantially parallel electron beam with an electron beam cross-sectional area, wherein a cross-sectional area of said cathode is greater than about eight times that of the electron beam cross-sectional area, wherein said substantially parallel electron beam comprises an oblong cross-sectional shape, wherein geometry of said X-ray generation source yields an X-ray beam comprising a nearly circular cross sectional shape when struck by the electron beam having said oblong cross-sectional shape, the X-ray beam running substantially in parallel with the charged particle beam, wherein said tungsten anode further comprises a liquid cooling element connected to a backside of said tungsten anode, and wherein said X-ray generation source is configured as usable within thirty seconds of subsequent use of the charged particle beam for tumor therapy.