Methods, systems, and associated implantable devices for detecting radiation in patients undergoing treatment for cancer

• US 7,769,431 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SNC Holdings Corp.
• Original Assignee: Sicel Technologies, Inc., North Carolina State University (University of North Carolina System)
• Inventors: Mueller, Jeffrey, Nagle, H. Troy, Scarantino, Charles W., Hall, Lester C., Kermani, Bahram G.
• Primary Examiner(s): WINAKUR, ERIC FRANK
• Application Number:
  US11/381,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 600/436, 600/361, 600/355, 600/364, 600/549, 600/302, 128/903
• US Class Current: 600/436
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/028 Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/085 combined with means for recording calibration data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1473 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1486 using enzyme electrodes, e.g. with immobilised oxidase
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14865 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1495 Calibrating or testing of in-vivo probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/507 for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1048 Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1071 for verifying the dose delivered by the treatment plan
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

Methods and systems for evaluating external beam radiation therapy delivered to a subject include: (a) placing at least one wireless implantable sensor in a first subject at a target location; (b) administering a first dose of radiation therapy into tile first subject; (c) obtaining radiation data from the at least one wireless implantable sensor; and (d) calculating a radiation dose amount received by the first subject at the target location based on the radiation data obtained from the at least one wireless sensor during and/or after exposure to the first administered dose of radiation to determine and/or verify a dose amount of radiation delivered to the target location.

Claims

1. A system for providing oncology patient radiation data, comprising:

at least one external reader configured to telemetrically communicate with at least one chronically implantable self-contained radiation sensor in a respective oncology patient to obtain radiation data associated with a MOSFET in the at least one radiation sensor while the at least one implantable sensor remains in the patient, and wherein the reader is configured to inductively power the at least one sensor to obtain the radiation data, the at least one reader having a computer interface that allows the reader to transmit data to a clinician computer; and

at least one clinician computer in communication with the reader via the computer interface, wherein the reader and/or the clinician computer calculates a radiation dose received by respective patients based on the obtained radiation data associated with a respective MOSFET for each of a plurality of different radiation sessions for verification of radiation doses delivered to a target tumor treatment site.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the reader and/or clinician computer is configured to provide the calculated radiation dose proximate in time to a radiation treatment session.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the clinician computer comprises a clinician interface module configured to process the radiation data to generate the calculated radiation dose and display the calculated radiation dose.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the clinician computer displays the calculated radiation doses for different radiation treatment sessions for a respective patient and a planned radiation treatment for respective patients.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a computer network with a remote interface and memory that communicates with the reader and/or clinician computer to electronically collect the calculated radiation doses of patients.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reader comprises a bedside unit or portable reader , and is configured to provide substantially real-time patient radiation data to the clinician computer.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the reader is configured to obtain at least one further patient-specific parameter from the at least one implantable sensor including at least one of the following:

pH data, oxygenation data, temperature or cell proliferation data of the target tumor site, and wherein the reader is configured to transmit the further data to the clinician data.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the calculated radiation dose is provided to the reader and/or clinician computer in substantially real time during a radiation treatment session.

9. A method of obtaining and providing oncology patient radiation data, comprising:

inductively powering at least one chronically implantable sensor in an oncology patient using an external reader;

electronically collecting radiation data from a MOSFET based radiation sensor in the at least one implantable wireless sensor that is unpowered during exposure to radiation associated with a radiation therapy session in response to the inductively powering step using the external reader;

electronically providing the collected patient radiation data and/or a calculated patient radiation dose using the collected radiation data to a clinician computer via a computer network; and

displaying the collected patient radiation data and/or the calculated radiation dose on the clinician computer for comparison to a planned treatment for a target tumor treatment site in the patient.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the powering, collecting and providing steps are repeated for a respective patient over a plurality of different radiation treatment sessions.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one chronically implantable sensor is a plurality of chronically implantable sensors, and wherein the powering and collecting steps are carried out to collect data from the plurality of sensors for at least one radiation session.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the powering and collecting steps are carried out to further obtain at least one of oxygenation data, cell proliferation data, temperature data and/or pH data of the target tumor treatment site from one or more of the sensors, the method further comprising providing the further obtained data to the clinician computer.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein the providing step comprises providing the calculated radiation dose proximate the target tumor treatment site associated with a high dose conformal radiation therapy based on the collected radiation data.

14. A method according to claim 9, further comprising repeating the method steps for each of a plurality of oncology patients over a plurality of respective different radiation treatment sessions.