Apparatus for positioning a breast for radiation treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11364087-B2
Application number	US-201816487694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2018
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus to decrease acute and late skin toxicity for breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. This invention will enable better breast positioning during therapy, eliminating skin folds and reducing the skin dose below that required for development of moist desquamation. The present invention has the potential to reduce the volume of normal tissue and organs at risk of being irradiated during a course of whole breast radiation therapy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for supporting a breast for radiation treatment, the apparatus comprising:
a paddle comprising first and second generally planar faces oriented at a right angle to one another; and
a support structure connected to hold the paddle at a desired position and orientation, the support structure adjustable to bring the first face against and supporting an inferior side of a patient's breast while the second face is against and supporting a lateral side of the patient's breast.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the paddle comprises a curved central section connecting the first and second faces.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the central section has a radius of curvature about an axis in the range of 30 mm to 70 mm.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first and second faces have top and bottom edges separated by distances of 5 cm to 15 cm.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second face has a length in a direction parallel to a top edge of the second face that exceeds a distance between the top edge of the second face and a bottom edge of the second face.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the paddle is detachably coupled to the support structure.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the paddle is one of a pair of paddles made up of first and second paddles wherein the first and second paddles are mirror images of one another.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the paddle is made of a carbon fibre composite material.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the paddle is made of a material that is free of elements having atomic number higher than 14.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the support structure comprises a support bar mountable to a table, the support bar including a portion that extends transversely to the table at an elevation above a top surface of the table.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the support structure comprises a hoop having opposed ends mountable to the table and the transversely-extending portion of the support bar is provided by a mid-portion of the hoop.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the apparatus comprises a first arm extending at right angles to the support bar and coupled to the support bar by one or more first couplings that allow adjustment of a position of the first arm along the support bar.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the one or more first couplings allow longitudinal adjustment of a position of the first arm relative to the support bar.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the support structure comprises a second arm extending at right angles to the first arm and coupled to the first arm by one or more second couplings that allow longitudinal adjustment of a position of the second arm.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 comprising a coupling carried by the second arm, the coupling detachably holding the paddle.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the second arm is supported at an angle of 9 to 16 degrees from vertical.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the first arm is supported at an angle of 9 to 16 degrees from horizontal.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12 comprising an angled support board extending under the support bar.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the first arm extends in a plane that is generally parallel to a top surface of the support board.

20. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the support structure comprises carbon fibre composite.

21. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the support structure is free of metal.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of radiopaque markers at spaced apart locations on the support structure.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1 comprising indicia on the paddle, the indicia marking spots that may be aligned to fiducial markers on the patient.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the indicia comprise first and second holes respectively penetrating the first and second faces of the paddle.

25. A method for preparing a patient to receive radiation treatment, the method comprising:
arranging the patient in a supine position on a support board angled upwardly toward the patient's head;
placing a paddle comprising first and second generally planar faces oriented at a right angle to one another against the patient's breast such that the first face of the paddle supports a lateral side of the patient's breast and the second face of the paddle supports an inferior side of the patient's breast.

26. The method according to claim 25 comprising arranging a radiation source next to the patient's breast and aligning the radiation source such that a direction of radiation emission is perpendicular to the first face of the paddle.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the radiation source comprises a source of MeV photons.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein the radiation source is a source of photons having photon energies of at least 10 MeV.

Assignees

• Provincial Health Services Authority

Inventors

• Moldon Cheryl
• Young Scott
• Coope Robin
• Arora Tania
• Smith Keri
• Cumayas Christina
• Gill Bradford

Classifications

• A61B90/17 Primary

  for soft tissue, e.g. breast-holding devices · CPC title

• A61B2090/3966

  Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image · CPC title

• A61G13/101

  Clamping means for connecting accessories to the operating table (supports as part of surgical instruments A61B90/50) · CPC title

• A61N5/1049

  for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam · CPC title

• A61B6/04

  Positioning of patients; Tiltable beds or the like · CPC title