Readers that cooperate with single-use internal dosimeters for detecting radiation in medical procedures/therapies

• US 7,897,927 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VTQ IP Holding Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sicel Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Widener, Steven R., Mann, Gregory Glenwood, Lehman, Phillip M., Black, Robert D., Carroll, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taningco; Marcus H
• Application Number:
  US12/354,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20090121144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 250/370.07, 250/336.1
• US Class Current: 250/370.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1072 taking into account movement of the target
• 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: G01T 1/026 Semiconductor dose-rate meters

Abstract

Methods, systems, devices, and computer program products include positioning single-use radiation internal dosimeters with MOSFETs into a patient to evaluate the radiation dose delivered during a medical procedure or treatment session. The MOSFETs can be unpowered during irradiation.

Claims

1. A portable medical radiation dose reader, comprising;

a portable housing; and

a circuit held in the portable housing, the circuit configured to communicate with an electronic memory of at least one single use internal dosimeter to obtain pre-radiation voltage threshold data stored in the memory, electronically determine a dose amount of radiation exposure that the at least one dosimeter is exposed to in association with a therapeutic radiation treatment and to electronically prompt a user to input predetermined data associated with dose evaluation, patient data, and/or clinic data,

wherein the reader circuit is also configured to communicate with an electronic memory of at least one single use external skin mount radiation dosimeter patch to obtain pre-radiation voltage threshold data stored in the memory, electronically determine a dose amount of radiation exposure that the at least one patch is exposed to in association with a therapeutic radiation treatment and prompt a user to input predetermined data associated with dose evaluation, patient data and/or clinic data.

2. The reader of claim 1, wherein the reader comprises a port that is configured to receive an input portion of the internal and surface mount dosimeter to make electrical contact therewith so that the circuit can communicate with the electronic memory of a dosimeter in communication with the port to obtain the threshold data corresponding to the dose amount of radiation exposure the at least one internal and/or surface mount patch dosimeter was exposed to.

3. The reader of claim 1, wherein the reader circuit is configured to prompt a user to enter data using an on-board keypad, the data being associated with a particular patient and/or medical procedure received by the patient.

4. A portable medical radiation dose reader, comprising:

a portable housing; and

a circuit held in the portable housing, the circuit configured to communicate with an electronic memory of at least one single use internal dosimeter to obtain pre-radiation voltage threshold data stored in the memory, electronically determine a dose amount of radiation exposure that the at least one dosimeter is exposed to in association with a therapeutic radiation treatment and to electronically prompt a user to input predetermined data associated with dose evaluation, patient data, and/or clinic data,

wherein the reader circuit is configured to communicate with a plurality of differently configured internal dosimeters and at least one external skin mount patch dosimeter, wherein the reader circuit is configured to identify what type of dosimeter is undergoing evaluation and/or provide a selectable list of differently configured dosimeters for a user to identify the dosimeter type for dose evaluation, wherein the list includes an external skin mount patch and a plurality of different internal dosimeters, wherein the reader circuit that is configured to serially evaluate the external skin mount patch dosimeter and the internal dosimeters.

5. A portable medical radiation dose reader, comprising:

a portable housing; and

a circuit held in the portable housing, the circuit configured to communicate with an electronic memory of at least one single use internal dosimeter to obtain pre-radiation voltage threshold data stored in the memory, electronically determine a dose amount of radiation exposure that the at least one dosimeter is exposed to in association with a therapeutic radiation treatment and to electronically prompt a user to input predetermined data associated with dose evaluation, patient data, and/or clinic data,

wherein the reader circuit is in communication with a display held by the housing, wherein the reader circuit is configured to electronically prompt a user via the display to identify the dosimeter configuration being evaluated.

6. A portable medical radiation dose reader, comprising:

a portable housing; and

a circuit held in the portable housing, the circuit configured to communicate with an electronic memory of at least one single use internal dosimeter to obtain pre-radiation voltage threshold data stored in the memory, electronically determine a dose amount of radiation exposure that the at least one dosimeter is exposed to in association with a therapeutic radiation treatment and to electronically prompt a user to input predetermined data associated with dose evaluation, patient data, and/or clinic data,

wherein the reader circuit is configured to serially determine radiation doses from a plurality of dosimeters, some of which have different form factors than others, wherein the reader circuit is configured with a processor configured to automatically identify the type of dosimeter being evaluated based on data in the electronic memory of the respective dosimeter.

7. A portable medical radiation dose reader and dosimeter, comprising:

a portable housing;

a circuit held in the portable housing, the circuit configured to communicate with an electronic memory of at least one single use internal dosimeter to obtain voltage threshold data corresponding to a dose amount of radiation exposure that the at least one dosimeter is exposed to during irradiation and to prompt a user to input predetermined data associated with dose evaluation, patient data and/or clinic data; and

at least one internal single-use radiation dosimeter, the dosimeter comprising;

at least one radiation sensor circuit with a MOSFET having an associated threshold voltage that changes when exposed to radiation to provide quantifiable radiation exposure data, wherein the radiation sensor circuit is unpowered during irradiation;

electronic memory having radiation calibration data for the MOSFET; and

a reader contact zone on the dosimeter configured to allow the portable reader to electrically engage the dosimeter to obtain radiation exposure and calibration data, wherein the single-use dosimeter is configured for use during a single medical treatment session.

8. The reader and dosimeter combination of claim 7, wherein the dosimeter includes a tab portion that defines the reader contact zone and is configured to enter a port in the portable reader to electronically engage the reader with the radiation sensor circuit and the electronic memory.

9. The reader and dosimeter combination of claim 7, wherein the dosimeter has a body that is configured as a rectal probe.

10. The reader and dosimeter combination of claim 9, wherein the rectal probe includes an outwardly extending tab portion that defines the reader contact zone and is configured to enter a port in the portable reader to electronically engage the reader with the radiation sensor circuit and the electronic memory.

11. The reader and dosimeter combination of claim 7, wherein the dosimeter is sized and configured to be slidably received in at least one of a plurality of open catheters held in a transcutaneous geometric matrix during HDR (high dose rate) brachytherapy to provide radiation dose estimates of a radioactive source that travels in the open catheters into the patient.

12. The reader and dosimeter combination of claim 7, wherein the dosimeter comprises a plurality of axially spaced apart radiation sensor circuits held on a common flex circuit, each having a respective single operative MOSFET configured to provide dose data at a plurality of internal depth locations.

13. The reader and dosimeter combination of claim 7, wherein the dosimeter is biocompatible and sterilized and held in a sealed package for medical use.

14. A portable medical radiation dose reader, comprising:

a portable housing; and

a circuit held in the portable housing, the circuit configured to communicate with an electronic memory of at least one single use internal dosimeter to obtain pre-radiation voltage threshold data stored in the memory, electronically determine a dose amount of radiation exposure that the at least one dosimeter is exposed to in association with a therapeutic radiation treatment and to electronically prompt a user to input predetermined data associated with dose evaluation, patient data, and/or clinic data,

wherein the circuit is configured to bias a respective dosimeter using bias data electronically obtained from the memory of the respective dosimeter.

15. The reader of claim 14, wherein the circuit is configured to calculate a radiation dose value and electronically transfer the calculated radiation dose value to the electronic memory of the dosimeter.

16. The reader of claim 14, wherein the circuit is configured to communicate with different fields of the memory of the dosimeter to obtain stored data used to calculate radiation dose.

17. A portable medical radiation dose reader, comprising:

a portable housing;

a circuit held in the portable housing, the circuit configured to communicate with an electronic memory of at least one single use internal dosimeter to obtain pre-radiation voltage threshold data stored in the memory, electronically determine a dose amount of radiation exposure that the at least one dosimeter is exposed to in association with a therapeutic radiation treatment and to electronically prompt a user to input predetermined data associated with dose evaluation, patient data, and/or clinic data; and

a display held by the housing, in combination with a test strip comprising electronic memory having memory fields with defined data, wherein the reader electronically communicates with the test strip memory and displays if the reader is in calibration or needs calibration.

18. A medical portable dose reader, comprising:

a portable housing; and

a reader circuit held in the portable housing, the reader circuit configured to serially communicate with an electronic memory of an intrabody dosimeter having a radiation circuit that is unpowered during exposure to radiation, wherein the electronic memory of the intrabody dosimeter has a plurality of different defined memory fields that store data, wherein the reader circuit electronically obtains data from the different defined memory fields and electronically determines a dose amount of radiation exposure that a respective dosimeter was exposed to during a therapeutic radiation session.

19. The reader of claim 18, in combination with at least one intrabody dosimeter, wherein the radiation circuit comprises a MOSFET that is unpowered during exposure to radiation.

20. The combination of claim 19, wherein the intrabody dosimeter comprises a plurality of axially spaced apart MOSFETs that are unpowered during radiation exposure.

21. The reader and dosimeter of claim 19, wherein the intrabody dosimeter is a rectal dosimeter.

22. The reader and dosimeter of claim 19, wherein the intrabody dosimeter is configured to provide radiation dose data for a prostate.

23. The reader and dosimeter of claim 19, wherein the intrabody dosimeter is configured and sized as a genourinary dosimeter.

24. The reader and dosimeter of claim 19, wherein the intrabody dosimeter is configured and sized as a colon dosimeter.

25. The reader of claim 18, wherein the reader circuit is configured to electronically obtain both a pre-radiation voltage threshold value and a post-radiation voltage threshold value of a respective dosimeter to determine the dose amount of radiation.

26. The reader of claim 18, wherein the reader is configured to communicate with a remote computer to download radiation data associated with respective dosimeters.

27. A medical portable dose reader, comprising:

a portable housing; and

a circuit held in the portable housing, the circuit configured to serially communicate with both an intrabody dosimeter and an external dosimeter, each of the dosimeters having an electronic memory with a memory map with a plurality of defined fields, wherein the circuit electronically obtains data from the defined fields and electronically determines a dose amount of radiation exposure that a respective dosimeter was exposed to during a therapeutic radiation session.

28. The reader of claim 27, wherein the dosimeters are unpowered during exposure to radiation and include a MOSFET, and wherein the circuit electronically obtains calibration data from the different fields including a pre-radiation voltage threshold value to electronically determine the dose amount of radiation.

29. A portable medical radiation dose reader, comprising:

a portable housing having a circuit held therein with an on-board display and keypad, the circuit configured to communicate with an electronic memory of at least one single use internal dosimeter that is unpowered during exposure to radiation, wherein the circuit is configured to electronically obtain calibration data stored in at least one defined field of the electronic memory of a respective dosimeter.