Orthovoltage radiotherapy

• US 9,272,161 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US14/337,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20140328461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 378/65
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Radiosurgery systems are described that are configured to deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation to a target structure in a patient. In some embodiments, inflammatory ocular disorders are treated, and in some embodiments, other disorders or tissues of a body are treated with the dose of radiation. In some embodiments, target tissues are placed in a global coordinate system based on ocular imaging. In some embodiments, a fiducial marker is used to identify the location of the target tissues.

Claims

1. A method, of applying x-ray radiation to target tissue, comprising:

obtaining imaging data indicative of a target tissue;

identifying, based on the imaging data, a location of the target tissue;

repeatedly mapping the location of the target tissue in a coordinate system, thereby producing mapped locations of the target tissue in the coordinate system;

positioning, based on the mapped locations of the target tissue in the coordinate system, an x-ray collimator that directs an x-ray beam to the target tissue; and

emitting the x-ray beam from the collimator to the target tissue, wherein the x-ray beam has a dose distribution at a beam spot in a plane at the target tissue, such that a dose of the x-ray beam at a region within the plane and outside the beam spot is less than 20% of a dose at a centroid of the beam spot.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising making an incision in tissue overlying the target tissue, prior to emitting the x-ray beam toward the target tissue.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the x-ray collimator further comprises placing a probe at or adjacent the target tissue.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue is located in the vasculature of a patient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue comprises peripheral vasculature.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue is located in the heart of a patient.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue is located in the gastrointestinal tract of a patient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue comprises the colon or rectum of a patient.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a tumor comprises the target tissue.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue is located in a breast of a patient.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue comprises musculoskeletal tissue.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue comprises at least one of the liver and the spleen of a patient.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the beam spot has a cross-sectional dimension smaller than 1 mm.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue the beam spot has a diameter of between 1 mm and 5 mm.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the x-ray beam comprises alternating regions of higher intensity and lower intensity.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the target tissue in or on a holding module, wherein the holding module holds the target tissue substantially stationary while the location of the target tissue is mapped in the coordinate system.