US Patent 8217366 - Carbon ion generator for tumor treatment

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8217366.html

It has been reported that carbon ions are 2.8 times higher in cancer cell kill rate than protons and are 2.5 times lower in cancer recurrence rate than X-rays or protons. This patent from the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute teaches a nanotechnology approach to generating high purity carbon ions which may my enable the use of carbon ion sources in cancer therapy. Claim 1 reads:

1. A carbon ion generating device comprising:

a carbon nanostructure;

a carbon emitting structure configured to induce an emission of carbon atoms from one end of the carbon nanostructure; and

an ionizing structure configured to ionize the emitted carbon atoms;

a top electrode disposed adjacent to the one end of the carbon nanostructure;

a bottom electrode connected to the other end of the carbon nanostructure; and

a power supply unit configured to create a first potential difference between the top electrode and the bottom electrode.