Single-use external dosimeters for use in radiation therapies and related devices and computer program products

• US 8,148,696 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SNC Holdings Corp.
• Original Assignee: SNC Holdings Corp.
• Inventors: Widener, Steven R., Carroll, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taningco, Marcus
• Application Number:
  US12/359,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20090127469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 250/370, 250/336.1, 702/116
• US Class Current: 250/370.07
• 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 disposable single-use radiation sensor patches that have adhesive means onto the skin of a patient to evaluate the radiation dose delivered during a treatment session. The sensor patches are configured to be minimally obtrusive and operate without the use of externally extending power chords or lead wires.

Claims

1. A computer program product held in a reader for evaluating a radiation dose delivered to a patient during a therapy session, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to communicate with an electronic memory of at least one single use dosimeter patch to obtain threshold data corresponding to a dose amount of radiation exposure that the at least one sensor patch is exposed to in use;

computer readable program code configured to prompt a user to provide predetermined data associate with the dose amount, patient data and/or clinic data; and

computer readable program code configured to measure a zero temperature coefficient of a MOSFET prior to administration of radiation during a therapeutic procedure.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising:

computer readable program code An ex threshold voltage value of the MOSFET;

computer readable program code configured to bias the MOSFET using the stored zero temperature coefficient after the therapeutic procedure;

computer readable program code configured to measure the post-radiation threshold voltage value of the MOSFET device; and

computer readable program code configured to automatically calculate the radiation dose based on the pre-radiation voltage value and the post-radiation voltage value of the MOSFET.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 further comprising computer readable program code configured to automatically reduce the value of the post-radiation threshold voltage by the pre-radiation threshold voltage value and automatically compare a result to a dose curve to automatically determine the radiation dose.

4. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the computer readable program code configured to prompt a user further comprises computer readable program code configured to automatically prompt a user for predetermined data to automatically determine the radiation dose using the predetermined data.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 wherein the predetermined data comprises a correction factor related to the at least one sensor patch.

6. A portable medical dose reader device comprising:

a portable housing; and

a circuit integrated with the portable housing, the circuit being configured to communicate with an electronic memory of at least one single use dosimeter patch that can be releasably secured to be in intimate contact with skin of the patient to obtain voltage threshold data corresponding to a dose amount of radiation exposure that the at least one sensor patch is exposed to in use and to prompt a user to input predetermined data associated with the dose amount, patient data and/or clinic data;

wherein the circuit is further configured to measure a zero temperature coefficient of the MOSFET prior to administration of radiation during a therapeutic procedure.

7. The reader of claim 6 wherein the reader is configured to make electrical contact with the at least one single use dosimeter patch to communicate with the electronic memory to obtain the threshold data corresponding to the dose amount of radiation exposure the at least one sensor patch is exposed to during the administering of therapeutic radiation.

8. The reader of claim 7 wherein the circuit is further configured to wirelessly communicate with the electronic memory of the at least one patch to obtain the threshold data corresponding to the dose amount of radiation exposure the at least one sensor patch is exposed to during the administering of therapeutic radiation.

9. The reader of claim 6 wherein the reader is further configured to automatically prompt the user of the reader for predetermined data before determining the radiation dose;

then automatically determine the radiation dose using the predetermined data.

10. The reader of claim 9 wherein the predetermined data comprises a correction factor related to the at least one sensor patch.

11. The reader of claim 6 wherein the electronic memory further comprises detected and/or calculated radiation doses, date and/or time stamps, and/or a clinician entered patient identifier and/or record number.

12. The reader of claim 6, wherein the at least one single-use dosimeter sensor patch is self-contained during irradiation.