External beam radiotherapy and imaging with radioactive isotope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9387342-B2
Application number	US-17697408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2008
Priority date	Jul 21, 2008
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

A method of delivering external radiation beams to a target volume in a body portion includes positioning a radioactive isotope source at a plurality of locations spaced apart around the body portion, and collimating radiation beams of the radioactive isotope source from the plurality of locations, whereby the target volume in the body portion is deposited with a predetermined dose distribution. A radiation device employs a member having a configuration adapted to surround a body portion to be irradiated. The member has a channel and a plurality of collimators spaced apart along and coupled to the channel. The plurality of collimators define a plurality of dwelling locations for a radioactive isotope source in the channel and are configured to collimate radiation beams of the radioactive isotope source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of delivering external radiation beams to a target volume in a body portion, comprising the steps of:
positioning one or more radioactive isotope source(s) at a plurality of locations around the body portion; and
collimating radiation beams of the one or more radioactive isotope source(s) from the plurality of locations, whereby the target volume in the body portion is deposited with a predetermined dose distribution;
wherein the plurality of locations are coplanar and spaced apart substantially evenly along a generally circular orbit surrounding the body portion such that the collimated radiation beams are directed to the target volume from the plurality of the coplanar locations surrounding the body portion along the generally circular orbit and a combined dose deposited to the body portion has a dose distribution with a substantially lower dose at a skin surface of the body portion than in the target volume.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of controlling dwell time of the one or more radioactive isotope source(s) at the plurality of locations for a predetermined period.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more radioactive isotope source(s) are positioned at approximately 2-360 locations spaced apart approximately evenly around an approximate circle surrounding the body portion.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the one or more radioactive isotope sources is positioned at the plurality of locations by moving the source sequentially to each of the plurality of locations.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of the one or more radioactive isotope sources are positioned at at least some of the plurality of locations at an approximately same time.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation beams of the one or more radioactive isotope source(s) are collimated by using a plurality of collimation cones having a collimation angle ranging from 1 to 90 degrees.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation beams of the one or more radioactive isotope source(s) are collimated by using a multileaf collimator.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the dose distribution includes a maximal dose deposited in the target volume of the body portion.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the dose distribution has a maximal dose deposited along a periphery of the target volume.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the dose distribution is substantially uniform in the target volume.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation beams of the one or more radioactive isotope source(s) are collimated in a divergent shape from at least one of the plurality of locations to the body portion.

12. A radiation device comprising a member having a configuration adapted to surround a body portion to be irradiated, said member being provided with a channel and a plurality of collimators spaced apart along and directly coupled to the channel, said plurality of collimators defining a plurality of dwelling locations for one or more radioactive isotope sources in the channel and being configured to collimate radiation beams of the one or more radioactive isotope sources passing therethrough,
wherein the member is made of a radiation absorbing material and has an opening generally in a circular shape to allow the body portion to extend to, and the channel is generally in a circular shape surrounding the opening of the member such that the body portion extended to the opening is surrounded by the plurality of the collimators coupled to the channel.

13. The radiation device of claim 12 wherein said plurality of collimators are spaced apart approximately evenly along the channel.

14. The radiation device of claim 12 wherein said member has a generally annular configuration, with the opening adapted to surround the body portion wherein the body portion is an uncompressed breast of a patient.

15. The radiation device of claim 12 wherein said member has a generally elliptical ring configuration, with the opening adapted to surround the body portion wherein the body portion is an uncompressed breast of a patient.

16. The radiation device of claim 12 wherein said channel is generally circular.

17. The radiation device of claim 12 wherein said collimators are generally in the form of a truncated cone configured to collimate the radiation beams in a divergent shape from the dwelling locations to the body portion.

18. The radiation device of claim 17 wherein the member comprises about 2 to 90 collimators in the form of a truncated cone.

19. The radiation device of claim 17 wherein said collimators define a collimation angle ranging from 1 to 90 degrees.

20. The radiation device of claim 12 wherein said collimators define a collimation angle that is adjustable.

21. The radiation device of claim 12 wherein said member is constructed as a unitary body.

22. A radiation apparatus comprising:
a structure adapted to support a body, said structure being provided with a first opening to allow a body portion to be irradiated passing through;
a member having a configuration adapted to surround the body portion, said member being provided with a channel and a plurality of collimators spaced apart along and directly coupled to the channel, said plurality of collimators defining a plurality of dwelling locations for one or more radioactive isotope sources in the channel and being configured to collimate radiation beams of the one or more radioactive isotope source passing therethrough,
wherein the member is made of a radiation absorbing material and has a second opening generally in a circular shape to allow the body portion to extend to, and the channel is generally in a circular shape surrounding the second opening of the member such that the body portion extended to the second opening is surrounded by the plurality of the collimators coupled to the channel.

23. The radiation apparatus of 22 wherein said member is movable relative to the body portion.

24. The radiation apparatus of claim 22 wherein said member is rotatable about an axis of the body portion.

25. The radiation apparatus of claim 22 wherein said structure is adapted to support a patient in a prone position.

26. The radiation apparatus of claim 22 wherein said member has a generally annular configuration, with the second opening configured to allow the body portion to pass through, wherein the body portion is an uncompressed breast of a patient.

27. The radiation apparatus of claim 22 wherein said member comprises the plurality of collimators in the form of a truncated cone spaced apart approximately evenly along the channel, said truncated cone being configured to collimate the radiation beams in a divergent shape from the dwelling locations to the body portion.

28. The radiation apparatus of claim 27 wherein said member comprises about 2 to 90 collimators in the form of a truncated cone.

29. The radiation apparatus of claim 27 wherein said collimators define a collimation angle ranging from 1 to 90 degrees.

30. The radiation apparatus of claim 22 wherein said collimators define a collimation angle that is adjustable.

31. A method of delivering external radiation beams to a target volume in a body portion, comprising the steps of:
positioning a radiation device relative to the body portion at a first posi

Assignees

• Prionas Stavros
• Green Michael C
• Seppi Edward
• Partain Larry D
• Clayton James
• Mansfield Stanley
• Boone John
• Varian Med Sys Inc

Inventors

• Prionas Stavros
• Green Michael C
• Seppi Edward
• Partain Larry D
• Clayton James
• Mansfield Stanley
• Boone John

Classifications

• A61N5/1081

  Rotating beam systems with a specific mechanical construction, e.g. gantries · CPC title

• A61N5/1084 Primary

  for delivering multiple intersecting beams at the same time, e.g. gamma knives · CPC title

• A61N5/10 Primary

  X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy (A61N5/01 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61N5/1048

  Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods · CPC title

• A61N2005/1095

  Elements inserted into the radiation path within the system, e.g. filters or wedges · CPC title