Bite-Block Immobilization System with Dental Interface and Airway Passage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current patient immobilization systems for radiotherapy, particularly in the head and neck region, face challenges in achieving high accuracy and comfort due to difficulties in stabilizing the mask around facial and head contours while minimizing bulk to avoid radiation beam attenuation and ensuring unobstructed breathing.
Innovation Solution
A bite-block immobilization system with a dental interface and integral airway passage, allowing for precise repositioning and incorporating a tongue diverter to divert the tongue away from the radiation beam, while minimizing bulk and maintaining patient comfort through the use of a thermoplastic retention mask that can be molded to the patient's contours.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a retention mask is molded to the patient's face or head contours to hold the desired body part firmly, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the mask bulk increases causing radiation beam attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The immobilization system is divided into separate functional components: a bite block for jaw stabilization, a headrest for head positioning, and a retention mask for facial contour adaptation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the mask providing necessary coverage without excessive bulk that would attenuate radiation beams.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention mask is designed with varying thickness and density across different regions, providing firm contact and positioning accuracy at critical areas while maintaining minimal bulk in regions where radiation beam passage is important. The mask material properties are locally optimized to balance positioning stability with radiation transmission.
2Ease of manufacture
If the mask is heated to become pliable for molding to patient contours, then ease of manufacture is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates due to heat exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The mask material is selected with specific thermal properties, including a relatively low glass transition temperature, allowing it to become sufficiently pliable at moderate heating temperatures (below patient comfort threshold) while maintaining structural integrity. The heating parameters are optimized to achieve moldability without exposing the patient to harmful heat levels.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the mask is cooled to form a firm structure for stable positioning, then positioning stability is improved, but patient comfort worsens due to cold contact with skin
Solution Approach 1:
A thermal barrier layer or cushioning material is incorporated between the mask and patient skin to prevent direct cold contact. This intermediate layer insulates the patient from the cold mask surface while allowing the mask to achieve its firm, stable structure through cooling, thus maintaining positioning stability without causing patient discomfort.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the tongue is positioned naturally during treatment, then patient comfort is improved, but radiation dose to the tongue increases
Solution Approach 1:
A tongue diverter component is introduced as an intermediary device between the patient's tongue and the radiation beam path. This diverter redirects the tongue away from the high-dose radiation field while maintaining patient comfort through proper design and positioning, effectively mediating between radiation protection requirements and patient comfort.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides high reproducibility and accuracy in patient positioning, reduces radiation dose to the tongue, and minimizes patient discomfort by allowing unobstructed breathing and reducing bulk, thus enhancing treatment efficacy and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
Masks are heated to a temperature of about 160° F. (71° C.) and formed directly on to the patient's head or other body part
Implementation Method 2
The masks may be affixed to a table supporting the patient and cooled to form a firm mask holding the patient steady for treatment
Data Source
AI summary
An immobilization system, especially for use on the human head and neck area, is described in various embodiments. The system may include a bite block immobilization system having a bite block with a dental interface releasably engageable with a plurality of teeth of a patient, and a retention mask. The dental interface releasably engages the teeth of a patient and allows very highly accurate repositioning during multiple procedures. In some embodiments, the bite block may have an integral bite block airway passage, allowing a patient to have unobstructed breathing both during molding of the retention mask and during subsequent use of the system, and may include a tongue diverter, that may, by way of example only and not limitation, be used to divert the tongue away from a therapeutic radiation beam. Steps for utilizing the system are further described.