Enabling remote medical physics services for medical accelerator quality assurance through a novel, table-top imaging device

项目概要/摘要 放射治疗是吸烟患者治疗策略的有效组成部分- 相关癌症先进的技术，如调强放射治疗（IMRT），改善结果 相对于传统的方法。在东肯塔基州，获得这种现代治疗方式是有限的， 阿巴拉契亚和其他地理上孤立的低收入和中等收入国家的人口。的 这项研究的一个广泛的、长期的目标是提高先进辐射的可及性和安全性 为全球低资源环境的患者提供技术。质量保证（QA）计划必须确保 安全、准确的治疗。QA设备的复杂性使得它们的使用需要高度专业化 人力资源（即，医学物理学家），他们必须亲自在场以收集和分析数据。提供商 在这些资源匮乏的环境中，很难招聘到必要的工作人员。这可以防止这些诊所提供 即使他们拥有能够进行IMRT的加速器。 医学物理创新（MPI）建议设计和构建一个用户友好的，负担得起的QA 一种设备，将使这些低资源环境中的高质量QA和精确RT治疗更容易获得 和安全.该提案将通过两个具体目标建立可行性：1）构建和测试3个主要 集成设备的子组件和2）构建和测试临床原型。巩固 多种设备功能与易用性和测量精度相结合， 如何提供医学物理服务和质量保证。稀疏但有效的日常QA协议将 用全面的数据收集和自动化分析取代，无需额外的时间成本， 人员配置。高精度放射治疗可以安全地带到农村和服务不足的地区， 使用该创新技术的任何中心都能提高效率和精度。

Project Summary / Abstract Radiation therapy is an effective component of the treatment strategy for patients suffering from smoking- related cancers. Advanced techniques such as intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) improve outcomes relative to conventional approaches. Access to this modern treatment modality is limited in Eastern Kentucky, Appalachia and other geographically isolated populations throughout low- and middle-income countries. The broad, long-term objective of this research is improving the accessibility and safety of advanced radiation techniques for patients low-resource settings globally. Quality assurance (QA) programs are required to ensure safe and accurate treatment. The complexity of QA devices is such that their use requires highly specialized human resources (i.e., medical physicists) who must be physically present to collect and analyze data. Providers in these low-resource settings struggle to recruit the necessary staff. This can prevent such clinics from providing IMRT to their patients, even when they own accelerators that are IMRT-capable. Medical Physics Innovations (MPI) proposes to design and construct a user-friendly, affordable QA device that will make high quality QA and precision RT treatments in these low-resource settings more accessible and safe. This proposal will establish feasibility via two specific aims: 1) Build and test the 3 primary subcomponents of an integrated device and 2) Construct and test a clinical prototype. The consolidation of multiple device functions combined with the ease of use and measurement precision enable a paradigm shift if how medical physics services and quality assurance are rendered. Sparse but efficient daily QA protocols will be replaced with comprehensive data collection and automated analysis, at no additional cost in time or staffing. High precision radiation treatments can be safely brought to rural and underserved areas, with safety, efficiency and precision improved in any center using the innovation.