Optical imaging for radiation therapy dose verification on patients

 描述（由申请人提供）：第一次，可以使用切伦科夫发射成像直接可视化真实的时间内入射到患者组织上的辐射束。这种成像可以改变在放射肿瘤学中验证递送的容易性，并允许即时报告、记录和纠正重新计划需求或递送错误。在一个交付新技术数量多得令人难以置信的领域，交付的验证和不良事件的记录将变得越来越重要，但必须改进实施的便利性。最近发现，门控增强成像允许在放射治疗期间在房间灯打开的情况下对切伦科夫发射进行视频速率被动检测，因此输送过程不受成像系统的影响。这为放射肿瘤学验证开辟了一个新的重要范例。这项工作已在达特茅斯发明并获得专利，DoseOptics LLC是该研究项目的一家公司，其目标是推进视频速率Cerenkov成像作为剂量输送可视化和验证工具。该系统的可行性已通过技术改进和试点临床试验在达特茅斯证明。这项工作的下一阶段涉及DoseOptics原型开发，作为C剂量OnBoard验证工具，用于在治疗期间从LINAC机架的角度对患者进行成像。该系统将采用独特的专有适度成本设计进行开发，然后将在幻影中进行测试，并将患者治疗计划交付给水箱。该系统将具有IMRT/VMAT数据的视频速率捕获能力，真实的时间跟踪MLC运动，并允许在射束到射束的基础上分析治疗计划。使用电离室或二极管阵列的竞争技术是具有限制的低分辨率设备，它们最终不能转化为直接的患者成像。该公司开展的工作得到了达特茅斯临床物理学系统评估计划的补充，并在斯坦福大学和宾夕法尼亚大学进一步评估。该技术专利由该集团开发，对于这个初创公司，开发团队包括大量切伦科夫成像，医学物理和新企业创建方面的专家。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): For the first time, it is possible to directly visualize a radiation beam incident upon a patient's tissue in real time, using Cerenkov emission imaging. This imaging could transform the ease for verifying delivery in radiation oncology, and allow on the fly reporting, recording and correction of replanning needs or delivery errors. In a field wher there is an incredibly high number of new technologies for delivery, the verification of delivery and recording of adverse incidents will become more and more critical and yet the ease of implementation must be improved. A recent discovery that gated intensified imaging allows video-rate passive detection of Cherenkov emission during radiation therapy with the room lights on, and so the delivery process is unaffected by the imaging system. This opens up a new important paradigm in radiation oncology verification. This work has been invented and patented at Dartmouth, and DoseOptics LLC is a company spin-off of this research program, with the goal to advance video-rate Cerenkov imaging as a dose delivery visualization & verification tool. The feasibility of the system has been proven through the technological refinement and pilot clinical trial at Dartmouth. The next phase of this work involves the DoseOptics prototype development as a C-Dose OnBoard verification tool for imaging patients during treatment from the view of the LINAC gantry. The system will be developed with a unique proprietary moderate cost design, which will then be tested in phantoms and with patient treatment plans delivered to water tanks. The system will have capabilities for video-rate capture of IMRT/VMAT data, tracking MLC movements in real time, and allowing analysis of treatment plans on a beam to beam basis. The competing technologies using ionization chambers or diode arrays are low resolution devices with limitations that they cannot eventually translate to direct on-patient imaging. The work carried out in the company is augmented by a plan to evaluate the system in Clinical Physics at Dartmouth, and be further evaluated at Stanford and UPenn. The technology patent protected as developed by this group, and for this start up, the team of developers includes a substantial number of experts in Cerenkov imaging, medical physics and new venture creation.