Orthovoltage radiotherapy

• US 7,961,845 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec Incorporated (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Oraya Therapeutics, Inc.
• Inventors: Gertner, Michael, Hansen, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Allen C.
• Application Number:
  US12/497,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20100002837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 378/65, 378/205, 378/206
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/506 for diagnosis of nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/508 for non-human patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1019 Sources therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1022 Generators, e.g. X-ray tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/105 using a laser alignment system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1051 using an active marker markers in general A61B90/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1059 using cameras imaging the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1091 Kilovoltage or orthovoltage range photons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1097 Means for immobilizing the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1001 using radiation sources introduced into or applied onto the body; brachytherapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1017 Treatment of the eye, e.g. for "macular degeneration"
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1045 using a multi-leaf collimator, e.g. for intensity modulated radiation therapy or IMRT
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1048 Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1064 for adjusting radiation treatment in response to monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1065 Beam adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1067 in real time, i.e. during treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1077 Beam delivery systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1084 for delivering multiple intersecting beams at the same time, e.g. gamma knives

Abstract

A radiosurgery system is described that is configured to deliver 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, other disorders or tissues of a body are treated with the dose of radiation. In some embodiments, the target tissues are placed in a global coordinate system based on ocular imaging. In some embodiments, the target tissues inside the global coordinate system lead to direction of an automated positioning system that is directed based on the target tissues within the coordinate system. In some embodiments, a treatment plan is utilized in which beam energy and direction and duration of time for treatment is determined for a specific disease to be treated and/or structures to be avoided. In some embodiments, a fiducial marker is used to identify the location of the target tissues. 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 a patient'"'"'s target tissue with radiation, the system comprising:

a radiation source having a collimator that collimates radiation emitted from the radiation source during a treatment period;

a targeting module that emits a target light that corresponds to a beam spot of the emitted radiation;

an imaging system that repeatedly images the target tissue, during the treatment period, with visible or infrared light;

a mapping module that maps a location of the target tissue, based on the images of the imaging system during the treatment period, in a coordinate system; and

a movement module that moves the radiation source, based on the mapped location of the target tissue in the coordinate system, to delivery radiation to the target tissue.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system is configured to image an anatomical feature of the patient, that indicates a location of the target tissue, during the treatment period.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a second imaging system, wherein the anatomical feature is determined by the second imaging system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second imaging system comprises at least one of a CT scan, an MRI, an OCT, and an ultrasound system.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the anatomical feature is a feature of an eye of the patient.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said feature of the eye is a reflection of light off a surface of eye tissue.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fiducial marker, wherein the imaging system is configured to image the fiducial marker, that indicates a location of the target tissue, during the treatment period.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a contact lens, and wherein the contact lens comprises the fiducial marker.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said target light is a laser light.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a treatment module that ceases emission of radiation based on movement of the target tissue, as imaged by the imaging system.

11. A system for treating a patient'"'"'s target tissue with radiation, the system comprising:

a radiation source having a collimator that collimates radiation emitted from the radiation source during a treatment period;

a targeting module that emits a target light that corresponds to a beam spot of the emitted radiation;

an imaging system that repeatedly images the target tissue, during the treatment period;

a mapping module that maps a location of the target tissue, based on the images of the imaging system during the treatment period, in a coordinate system; and

a movement module that moves the radiation source, based on the mapped location of the target tissue in the coordinate system, to delivery radiation to the target tissue;

wherein said imaging system images light in the visible spectrum.

12. A system for treating a patient'"'"'s target tissue with radiation, the system comprising:

a radiation source having a collimator that collimates radiation emitted from the radiation source during a treatment period;

a targeting module that emits a target light that corresponds to a beam spot of the emitted radiation;

an imaging system that repeatedly images the target tissue, during the treatment period;

a mapping module that maps a location of the target tissue, based on the images of the imaging system during the treatment period, in a coordinate system; and

a movement module that moves the radiation source, based on the mapped location of the target tissue in the coordinate system, to delivery radiation to the target tissue;

wherein said imaging system images light in the infrared spectrum.

13. A system for treating a patient'"'"'s target tissue with radiation, the system comprising:

a radiation source and a collimator that collimates the radiation emitted from the radiation source;

a targeting module that emits a laser light that indicates a beam spot of the emitted radiation at the target tissue;

an imaging system that repeatedly images the target tissue with visible or infrared light;

a mapping module that maps a location of the target tissue, based on the images of the imaging system, in a coordinate system; and

a motion module that moves the radiation source to a position, based on data from the mapping module, to deliver radiation to the target tissue.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the imaging system is configured to image an anatomical feature of the patient that indicates a location of the target tissue.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a second imaging system, wherein the anatomical feature is determined by the second imaging system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second imaging system comprises at least one of a CT scan, an MRI, an OCT, and an ultrasound system.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising a fiducial marker, wherein the imaging system is configured to image the fiducial marker, that indicates a location of the target tissue, during a treatment period.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising a treatment module that ceases emission of radiation based on movement of the target tissue, as mapped by the mapping module.

19. A system for treating a patient'"'"'s target tissue with radiation, the system comprising:

a radiation source that emits radiation during a treatment period;

a targeting module that emits a target light that corresponds to a beam spot of the emitted radiation;

an imaging system that images the target tissue, during the treatment period, with visible or infrared light;

a mapping module that maps a location of the target tissue, during the treatment period, in a coordinate system; and

a movement module that moves the radiation source to a position, based on data from the mapping module, to deliver radiation to the target tissue.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the imaging system is configured to image an anatomical feature of the patient, wherein the anatomical feature indicates a location of the target tissue.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising a second imaging system, wherein the anatomical feature is determined by the second imaging system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the second imaging system comprises at least one of a CT scan, an MRI, an OCT, and an ultrasound system.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising a fiducial marker, wherein the imaging system is configured to image the fiducial marker, wherein the fiducial marker indicates a location of the target tissue.

24. The system of claim 19, further comprising a treatment module that reduces or ceases emission of radiation based on movement of the target tissue, as mapped by the mapping module.