ULTRA-FAST MAGNETIC FIELD FOR ELECTRON PARAMAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING USED IN MONITORING DOSE FROM PROTON OR HADRON THERAPY

• US 20120326722A1
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weinberg Medical Physics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Weinberg Medical Physics, LLC
• Inventors: WEINBERG, Irving N., FRICKE, Stanley Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,612,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/316
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1055 using magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1071 for verifying the dose delivered by the treatment plan
• CPC Class Codes: 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/60 using electron paramagnetic resonance G01R33/24, G01R33/62 take precedence

Abstract

Instrumentation and methodologies are provided that enable the direct measurement of free radicals generated in patients as a result of radiation therapy through the use of proton beams and other forms of ionizing radiation. As a result, in accordance with at least one disclosed embodiment, the instrumentation and methodologies may be used in conjunction with radiation therapy to detect, monitor and/or control generation of free radicals in cancerous tissue during such radiation therapy.

Claims

1. A method for applying electron paramagnetic resonance imaging to a body exposed to ionizing radiation, the method comprising:

imposing a magnetic field on biological tissue while imposing gradient pulses on the biological tissue; and

obtaining data indicating an amount of free radicals in the biological tissue,

wherein one or more magnetic fields are applied in at least one pulse, and with the ramp of the at least one pulse lasting less than 10 microseconds.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the imposed magnetic field is a static magnetic field.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the imposed magnetic field is a quasi-static magnetic field.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the imposed magnetic field is a dynamic magnetic field.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring distribution of dose or exposure in the biological tissue.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring effect of exposure to ionizing radiation in the biological tissue.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein magnetic field parameters have sufficiently small transition times less than 10 microseconds.

8. The method of claim 1, with a duration of the at least one pulse being less than 10 microseconds.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the ionizing radiation is in the form of proton therapy.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the ionizing radiation is in the form of hadron therapy.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetic fields are in the form of magnetic gradients in space.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a sub-second duration of the entire pulse sequence is required to form an image.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the data obtained from monitoring dose to adjust a next administered ionizing radiation dose.

14. A method for applying electron paramagnetic resonance imaging to a body exposed to ionizing radiation, the method comprising:

imposing a magnetic field on biological tissue while imposing gradient pulses on the biological tissue;

wherein one or more magnetic fields are applied in at least one pulse, and with the ramp of the at least one pulse lasting less than 10 microseconds.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the imposed magnetic field is a static magnetic field.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the imposed magnetic field is a quasi-static magnetic field.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the imposed magnetic field is a dynamic magnetic field.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising monitoring distribution of dose or exposure in the biological tissue.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising monitoring effect of exposure to ionizing radiation in the biological tissue.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein magnetic field parameters have sufficiently small transition times less than 10 microseconds.

21. The method of claim 14, with a duration of the at least one pulse being less than 10 microseconds.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the ionizing radiation is in the form of proton therapy.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the ionizing radiation is in the form of hadron therapy.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the magnetic fields are in the form of magnetic gradients in space.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein a sub-second duration of the entire pulse sequence is required to form an image.

26. The method of claim 14, further comprising using the data obtained from monitoring dose to adjust a next administered ionizing radiation dose.