US 11,633,627 B2 · Dosimetry systems for radiation treatment using radiation-detector-triggered cameras to image Cherenkov emissions or thin-sheet scintillators

Abstract

A Cherenkov-based or thin-sheet scintillator-based imaging system uses a radio-optical triggering unit (RTU) that detects scattered radiation in a fast-response scintillator to detect pulses of radiation to permit capture of Cherenkov-light or scintillator-light images during pulses of radiation and background images at times when pulses of radiation are not present without need for electrical interface to the accelerator that provides the pulses of radiation. The Cherenkov images are corrected by background subtraction and used for purposes including optimization of treatment, commissioning, routine quality auditing, R&D, and manufacture. The radio-optical triggering unit employs high-speed, highly sensitive radio-optical sensing to generate a digital timing signal which is synchronous with the treatment beam for use in triggering Cherenkov light or scintillator light imaging.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A system for dosimetry, comprising:

a radiation source adapted to provide a pulsed radiation beam to a treatment zone;
a thin sheet of scintillator disposed between the radiation source and skin of a subject, the thin sheet of scintillator being in the treatment zone;
a gated camera configured to image the sheet of scintillator;
an image capture and processing machine coupled to receive images from the gated camera;
and
a first radiation-detecting triggering unit (RTU) configured to detect scattered radiation from the pulsed radiation beam and coupled to trigger the gated camera based upon detecting the scattered radiation;
wherein the gated camera is configured to capture images of light from the thin sheet of scintillator when triggered by the RTU during a plurality of pulses of the pulsed radiation beam while excluding light received from the thin sheet of scintillator between pulses of the plurality of pulses of the pulsed radiation beam to form a scintillation image.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

17/313,838Filed 6 May 2021 · continuation in part

Priority

22 Feb 2018

Published

US 2021/0001153 A19 Sep 2021

Granted

25 Apr 2023

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification25 codes

A61N 5/103
X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy: treatment planning systems
A61N 5/1071
Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods: for verifying the dose delivered by the treatment plan
A61B 5/0071
Using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence: by measuring fluorescence emission
A61B 5/0077
Using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence: devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens

Family

Application62/634,083Us provisional application · filed 22 Feb 2018

PCT/US2019/019135Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Feb 2019

Application16/975,301Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Aug 2020

US 2021/0275833 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Sep 2021

Application16/932,757Parent of this continuation

US 11,000,703 B2Parent of this continuation

Application16/975,301Parent of this continuation

US 2020/0346041 A1Published application

US 2021/0001153 A1Published application

US 11,633,627 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Dosimetry systems for radiation treatment using radiation-detector-triggered cameras to image Cherenkov emissions or thin-sheet scintillators

Life of this patent

Dosimetry systems for radiation treatment using radiation-detector-triggered cameras to image Cherenkov emissions or thin-sheet scintillators

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11