SBIR Phase I: Dose Sensor for Proton Beam Cancer Therapy

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段研究项目将开发用于离子束和质子束癌症治疗的剂量传感器。所提出的技术方法将产生具有高灵敏度、高精度和良好的长期稳定性的紧凑、低成本剂量传感器。传感器可用于两种离体应用（如光束监测、校准和控制）以及体内应用（植入患者体内），可以非常精确地治疗小肿瘤和晚期肿瘤。质子束癌症治疗正在迅速成为美国的主流技术，为成功的癌症治疗提供了潜力，副作用最小，对邻近健康组织的损伤最小。为了成功治疗，关键是要达到适当的剂量，并将剂量靶向患者体内的特定体积。开发准确、可靠的剂量传感器对于实现癌组织的适当剂量和最小化健康组织的剂量至关重要。体内剂量传感器的使用将使射束位置精度在毫米的小部分内，即使由于患者呼吸和心血管作用而不可避免地发生器官运动。这种提高的射束位置精度水平将能够成功治疗晚期肿瘤、小肿瘤和与健康器官密切相邻的肿瘤。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research project will develop dose sensors for use in ion beam and proton beam cancer therapy. The proposed technical approach will result in compact, low-cost dose sensors with high sensitivity, high accuracy and good long term stability. The sensors can be used for both ex-vivo applications (such as beam monitoring, calibration and control), as well as for in-vivo applications (implanted within the patient's body), to allow very precise treatment of small tumors and advanced tumors.Proton beam cancer therapy is fast becoming a mainstream technology in the US, offering the potential for successful cancer treatment, with minimal side effects and minimum damage to adjacent healthy tissue. For successful treatment, it is critical to achieve the proper dose, and to target the dose to a specific volume within the patient. The development of accurate, reliable dose sensors is critical to achieving the proper dose to cancerous tissue and minimizing the dose to healthy tissue. The use of in-vivo dose sensors will enable beam position accuracy to within small fractions of a millimeter, even with the inevitable organ movement due to patient respiration and cardiovascular action. This increased level of beam position accuracy will enable successful treatment of advanced tumors, small tumors and tumors intimately adjacent to healthy organs.