Orthovoltage radiotherapy

• US 7,693,258 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec Incorporated (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Oraya Therapeutics, Inc.
• Inventors: Gertner, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): KAO, CHIH CHENG G
• Application Number:
  US12/023,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20080187099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 378/65, 606/4
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/506 for diagnosis of nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/009 Auxiliary devices making contact with the eyeball and coupling in laser light, e.g. goniolenses apparatus for eye examination A61B3/0008
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/105 using a laser alignment system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1056 by projecting a visible image of the treatment field
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1091 Kilovoltage or orthovoltage range photons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1017 Treatment of the eye, e.g. for "macular degeneration"
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/103 Treatment planning systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam

Abstract

A radiosurgery system is described that delivers a therapeutic dose of radiation to a target structure in a patient. In some embodiments, inflammatory ocular disorders are treated, specifically macular degeneration. In some embodiments, ocular structures are placed in a global coordinate system, based on ocular imaging, which leads to direction of an automated positioning system. In some embodiments, the position of an ocular structure is tracked and related to a radiosurgery system. In some embodiments, a treatment plan is utilized for a specific disease to be treated and/or structures to be avoided. In some embodiments, a fiducial aids in positioning the system. In some embodiments, a reflection off the eye is used to aid in positioning. In some embodiments, radiodynamic therapy is described in which radiosurgery is used in combination with other treatments and can be delivered concomitant with, prior to, or following other treatments.

Claims

1. A system, for treating an eye with radiation, comprising:

a radiation emitter that emits x-ray radiation toward the eye during a treatment session;

a collimator that collimates the emitted radiation into a collimated x-ray radiation beam having a cross-section dimension of less than about 6 mm; and

an eye mapping module that repeatedly maps locations of retinal structures of the eye to a coordinate system during the treatment session.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the eye mapping module comprises a sensor that detects locations of the eye structures.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising, a sensor that detects movement of the eye during the treatment session.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a system shut-off that reduces or ceases emission of radiation when the sensor detects that eye movement is beyond a movement threshold.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radiation emitter mover that moves the radiation emitter to direct the emitted radiation toward the eye.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the radiation emitter mover is coupled to the eye mapping module and moves the radiation emitter based on mapped locations of eye structures during the treatment session.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an eye-contact member that engages a surface of the eye during the treatment session and provides to the eye mapping module an indication of movement of the eye.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the eye-contact member creates a suction between the eye-contact member and the surface of the eye to maintain the eye in substantially a fixed position.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the eye-contact member is coupled to the eye mapping module.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the eye-contact member comprises a material that is at least partially transmissive of the radiation beam.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the eye mapping module comprises an image detection system that detects at least one of a fundus, a limbus, a cornea, and a reflection off a surface of the eye.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the radiation emitter comprises an x-ray emitter.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the radiation emitter is configured to be stationary relative to a position of the eye during the treatment session.

14. A planning system, for delivery of radiation to an eye, comprising:

a processing module that receives an input comprising a biometric parameter of the eye, the biometric parameter comprising an axial length of the eye; and

wherein, based on the biometric parameter, the processing module outputs to an electromotive system a direction for an x-ray beam to be emitted onto the sclera of the eye and to a retinal target.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the biometric parameter comprises at least one of an anterior chamber depth, a corneal thickness, and a corneal diameter.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising an image detection system that detects at least one of a fundus, a limbus, a cornea, and a reflection off a surface of the eye.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the image detection system is coupled to the processing module and provides to the processing module the input comprising the biometric parameter of the eye.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising a radiation emitter that emits x-ray radiation, during a treatment session, having an energy of from about 10 keV to about 500 keV.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a collimator that collimates the emitted x-ray radiation into an x-ray beam having a cross-sectional dimension of less than about 6 mm.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising the electromotive system that directs the x-ray beam to be emitted onto the sclera of the eye.

21. A planning system, for delivery of radiation to an eye, comprising:

means for processing an input comprising a biometric parameter of the eye, the biometric parameter comprising an axial length of the eye; and

means for directing an x-ray beam to be emitted onto the sclera of the eye and to a retinal target;

wherein, based on the biometric parameter, the means for processing outputs to the means for directing a direction for the x-ray beam to be emitted onto the sclera of the eye.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the biometric parameter comprises at least one of an ocular axial length, an anterior chamber depth, a corneal thickness, and a corneal diameter.