Apparatus and method for the treatment of breast cancer with particle beams
AssigneeTherapy Positioning Technologies, LLC
InventorsJerry M. Jesseph, Frederick B. Jesseph
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for treating a tumor mass location in a breast of a patient. The breast is stabilized in space, preferably by creating a reduced pressure environment around the breast. Particle beams are applied to a tumor mass location positioned at the center of a substantially spherical (or cylindrical) portion of a chamber filled with a fluid having an electron density substantially similar to the breast. The patient treatment platform is translated to aim the particle beam at the tumor mass location while traversing and beaming perpendicular to the portion of the chamber.
Claims50
A method of treating a tumor mass location in a breast of a patient, comprising:
- directing an isocenter of a particle beam at a center of a spherical portion of an outer chamber that overlaps the tumor mass location after passing the particle beam through a first fluid at least partially filling the outer chamber and next passing the beam through a second fluid at least partially filling an inner chamber having a reduced pressure environment that encompasses at least a portion of the breast.
A method of treating a tumor mass location of a breast, comprising:
- directing an isocenter of a particle beam toward a center of a spherical portion of a chamber enclosing the breast and through a fluid having an electron density substantially similar to the breast, wherein the center of the spherical portion of the chamber overlaps the tumor mass location, and wherein the particle beam is substantially normal to the spherical portion of the chamber.
A method of treating a tumor mass location of a breast of a patient, comprising:
- reducing pressure within an inner chamber that encloses at least a portion of the breast after creating a fluid tight seal between the inner chamber and the patient;
- at least partially filling the inner chamber with a fluid having an electron density substantially similar to the breast;
- positioning an outer chamber at least partially filled with the fluid so that a center of a portion of the outer chamber overlaps the tumor mass location;
- scanning a particle beam across an arc of the portion of the outer chamber while directing an isocenter of a particle beam at the center of the portion
A method of treating a breast cancer tumor mass location, comprising:
- stabilizing the breast;
- applying an isocenter of a particle beam to a center of spherical portion of an at least partially fluid filled chamber that encloses at least a portion of the breast, wherein the fluid has an electron density substantially similar to the breast, and wherein the center overlaps the tumor mass location.
A method of treating a tumor mass location in a breast of a patient, comprising:
- stabilizing the breast within a reduced pressure environment enclosed by a chamber having a wall at least a portion of which is spherically shaped;
- imaging the breast to determine the location of the tumor;
- beaming the tumor with particles through the spherically shaped portion of the chamber;
- and
- rotating the beam relative to the tumor mass location around a center of the spherically shaped portion of the chamber, wherein the center overlaps the tumor mass location.
An apparatus for treating a tumor location in a breast, comprising:
- a first wall having an interior surface defining a first chamber sized to encompass at least a portion of the breast;
- means for stabilizing the breast within the first chamber;
- a second wall having an internal surface defining a second chamber, the second wall including a spherical portion around a center;
- wherein the first chamber is smaller than and positioned substantially within the second chamber, and wherein the second chamber is movable with respect to the first chamber to position the center of the spherical portion to overlap the tumor location.
An apparatus for treating a tumor location in a breast, comprising:
- a first shell having an interior surface defining a first chamber sized to encompass at least a portion of the breast, wherein at least a portion of the shell defines a spherical portion having a center, and wherein at least a portion of the first chamber is filled with a fluid having an electron density substantially similar to breast tissue;
- and,
- means for stabilizing the breast within the first shell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.