# US 8,788,017 B2 · Method and equipment for image-guided stereotactic radiosurgery of breast cancer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,017 B2 - Document ID: US8788017B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/449,827 - Filed: 2008-02-26 - Published: 2010-04-15 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-28 - Assignees: University of Maryland, Baltimore; Xcision Medical Systems LLC - Applicants: Xinsheng Cedric Yu; Ying Su Yu; William Regine - Inventors: Xinsheng Cedric Yu; Ying Su Yu; William Regine - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788017B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/05: Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves (measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24) - A61B 5/055: involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging - A61B 5/708: {Breast positioning means} - A61B 6/00: Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment (instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161) - A61B 6/022: {Stereoscopic imaging} - A61B 6/027: {characterised by the use of a particular data acquisition trajectory, e.g. helical or spiral} - A61B 6/0435: {with means for imaging suspended breasts} - A61B 90/17: for soft tissue, e.g. breast-holding devices - A61N 5/1084: {for delivering multiple intersecting beams at the same time, e.g. gamma knives} - G01R 33/4808: {Multimodal MR, e.g. MR combined with positron emission tomography [PET], MR combined with ultrasound or MR combined with computed tomography [CT]} - G01R 33/58: Calibration of imaging systems, e.g. using test probes {, Phantoms; Calibration objects or fiducial markers such as active or passive RF coils surrounding an MR active material} - A61B 2090/101: {for stereotaxic radiosurgery} - A61N 2005/1055: {using magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract A method of treating a cancerous region in a breast of a patient comprising (i) imaging the breast in a three-dimensional coordinate system, (ii) stereotactically determining the location of the cancerous region in the breast, (iii) optionally determining the volume of the entire cancerous region to be treated, and (iv) while maintaining the breast in a three-dimensional coordinate system that is identical to or corresponds with the three-dimensional coordinate system used in (i), noninvasively exposing the cancerous region of the breast of the patient to a cancer-treatment effective dose of radiation; and equipment for use in such a method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An equipment for image-guided stereotactic radiosurgery of a cancerous region in a breast, which equipment comprises: (i) means for immobilizing the breast containing the cancerous region, the means including a breast cup; (ii) a couch comprising a channel or right and left openings, wherein the right breast or the left breast of a patient is placed in the channel or the right or left opening, respectively, for treatment when the patient is lying prone on the couch, which comprises a top layer of a self-molding medium; (iii) a stereotactic localization frame beneath the couch for placement of the breast in a coordinate system; (iv) one or two breast shields, which are removably attached to the couch, slidably mounted to the channel, or removably attached to the means for immobilizing the breast; (v) an irradiation unit comprising (i′) a source holder, which comprises a wall having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and channels, which communicate with the interior surface and the exterior surface, and each of which comprises at least one of x-ray radiation sources or gamma radiation sources, (ii′) a collimator holder, which is adjacent to the interior surface of the source holder and comprises collimators of different sizes in the same arrangement as the channels in the source holder such that relative rotation between the source holder and collimator holder allows selection of radiation beams of different sizes, resulting in shots of radiation of different sizes, and (iii′) a base housing, which is beneath the exterior surface of the source holder, supports the source holder and the collimator holder, and houses a motor, which rotates the collimator holder and the source holder relative to each other, and another motor, which rotates the collimator holder and the source holder together, when locked; (vi) a curved base support, wherein the curved base support is configured with a center of curvature which coincides with the focus of the radiation beams and wherein the curved based support is configured to translate motion of an axis of rotation of the base housing, the source holder, and the collimator holder; (vii) three motors, which are operably connected to the couch and each of which moves the couch in a different axis of motion; and (viii) a computerized control system, which controls the movement of the couch and the irradiation unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The equipment of claim 1, wherein each channel has a unique latitude and, when the source holder is rotated, the beams from all of the radiation sources that are present are non-coplanar and focused on an isocenter at all times. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The equipment of claim 1, wherein the source holder comprises more than 100 channels, each of which comprises a radiation source and has a unique combination of latitude and longitude, and the beams from all of the radiation sources are focused on an isocenter at all times. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The equipment of claim 1, wherein the collimator holder further comprises solid shielding blocks for alignment with the channels to shield the release of radiation from the channels when the equipment is not in use. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The equipment of claim 1, wherein the couch in (ii) is identical to that which is used in imaging. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The equipment of claim 1, which further comprises a treatment planning system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The equipment of claim 6, wherein a least-square regression algorithm is used to maximize the consistency between the images of the stereotactic frame and the known geometry of the stereotactic frame. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The equipment of claim 6, wherein the treatment planning system places the images of the breast in the coordinate system, thereby allowing the localization of the cancerous regions of the breast. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The equipment of claim 6, wherein the computer automatically places shots of radiation of appropriate size and strength at optimal locations in the cancerous region of the breast. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The equipment of claim 6, wherein an operator of the equipment places shots of radiation of appropriate size and strength at optimal locations in the cancerous region of the breast. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The equipment of claim 6, which the treatment planning system displays the dose(s) of radiation on an MRI image and analyzes the treatment plan. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The equipment of claim 11, which prints the dose displays and a treatment plan summary.