Dedicated breast radiation imaging/therapy system
AssigneeHologic, Inc.
InventorsKenneth BROOKS, Jay A. Stein, Andrew P. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
System, apparatus and methods specialized for breast and related tissue radiation therapy and imaging of a prone patient but also usable for supine patient if desired or needed. A special treatment radiation source such as a LINAC unit generates radiation of types and energy ranges specifically matched to breast tissue. Any one or more of several imaging technologies may be used to localize the tissue to be irradiated and to generate information for therapy planning, adjustment, and verification.
Claims13
1-26. (canceled)
A method of verifying brachytherapy treatment comprising:
- placing a patient in a prone position on a patient table surface having an opening or depression in which a patient's breast for brachytherapy treatment extends downwardly;
- imaging the breast with radiation to verify brachytherapy related parameters using an imaging device located below the patient table surface;
- and
- generating image data for the patent's breast for assessing brachytherpay-related parameters.
A method of breast brachytherapy comprising:
- placing a patient in a prone position on a patient table surface having an opening or depression in which only a first breast of the patient extends downwardly;
- pre-treatment imaging of said first breast with penetrating radiation using an imaging device located below the patient table surface to obtain three-dimensional image data and using said data for at least one of (i) assessing said the first breast for brachytherapy treat suitability and (ii) creating a brachytherapy treatment plan for said first breast;
- carrying out brachytherapy treatment of the first breast using therapy radiation;
- and
- post-treatment imaging of the first breast using said imaging device located below the table surface to assess results of said brachytherapy treatment.
A system for breast brachytherapy treatment comprising:
- a patient table having a surface with an opening or depression forming an imaging space for a downwardly extending single breast of a patient in a prone position on the patient table surface;
- a penetrating radiation source using selectively emitting imaging radiation from below the patient table surface toward said imaging space;
- an imaging receptor generating pre-treatment image information from said imaging radiation after interaction thereof with the imaging space, and a processing unit configured to use said imaging information for at least one of (i) assessing said the first breast for brachytherapy treatment suitability and (ii) creating a brachytherapy treatment plan for said first breast;
- and
- said imaging receptor being further configured to generate post-treatment imaging information from said imaging radiation, and said processing unit being further configured to use said post-treatment imaging information to provide treatment assessment results.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.