Flexible Scintillating Sheet for Real-Time Radiotherapy Beam Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiotherapy technologies lack real-time monitoring capabilities to visualize the position, shape, and intensity of radiation beams as they pass through patients, leading to potential underdosing or overdosing and irradiation of healthy tissues, with existing methods being impractical for clinical application due to limited anatomic references and complex, expensive setups.
Innovation Solution
A real-time radiotherapy beam visualization system using a free-form flexible scintillating sheet that emits light when irradiated, combined with a camera to collect and process image data, allowing for real-time assessment of beam characteristics and comparison with treatment planning data to ensure accurate delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If onboard MV electronic portal imaging (EPID) is utilized for monitoring the RT beam after it exits the patient, then beam monitoring capability is provided, but the available anatomic references are limited to bony anatomy or implanted fiducial markers making interpretation nontrivial
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary scintillating material that converts ionizing radiation into visible light, enabling direct visualization of the radiation beam's path through tissue. This mediator allows clinicians to see soft tissue structures illuminated by the beam without relying on bony anatomy or fiducial markers, thus resolving the information loss about soft tissue anatomy.
2Illumination intensity
If Cherenkov emission or air scintillation is used to visualize therapeutic beam delivery, then real-time beam visualization is achieved, but the signals generated are at least three orders of magnitude smaller than typical room lights requiring long exposure times in darkened rooms or complex, expensive imaging setups
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of light emission by using scintillating materials with high light yield that convert ionizing radiation into intense visible light. This parameter change increases the signal intensity by at least three orders of magnitude compared to Cherenkov emission or air scintillation, allowing standard cameras to capture images in normal room lighting conditions without long exposure times or darkened rooms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs inexpensive scintillating materials and standard digital cameras rather than complex, expensive specialized imaging systems. The scintillating material can be a simple coating or sheet that is easily applied and disposed of, replacing costly specialized equipment while achieving superior real-time visualization performance.
3Reliability
If quality assurance measurements are performed using traditional methods, then machine performance is verified, but the tests are time-consuming, tedious, and prone to operator error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements real-time visual feedback during radiation beam delivery, allowing operators to immediately observe beam position, shape, and intensity relative to patient anatomy. This continuous feedback eliminates the need for separate, time-consuming QA tests and reduces operator error by providing direct visual confirmation of correct beam delivery throughout treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual, mechanical QA measurement procedures with automated optical detection using scintillating materials and digital imaging. This substitution eliminates tedious manual measurements and reduces operator error by automating the detection and visualization process, providing objective real-time data without human intervention in the measurement itself.
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
Enables real-time monitoring of beam position, shape, and intensity, reducing the risk of errors and improving treatment fidelity by providing immediate feedback and data for quality assurance, thus enhancing the precision and safety of radiotherapy treatments.
Implementation Method 1
a free-form flexible scintillating sheet that emits light when irradiated
Data Source
AI summary
A method of real-time radiotherapy beam visualization is provided that includes disposing a free-form flexible scintillating sheet on a subject of interest, irradiating the subject of interest with a source of ionizing radiation, where the free-forming flexible scintillating sheet emits light when irradiated by the therapeutic photon beam, collecting the emitted light and collecting ambient light reflected from the subject of interest and surrounding objects using a camera, where the collected light is converted to image data by the camera, where the image data is communicated to an appropriately programmed computer, and processing the image data to determine beam characteristics and the characteristics of the subject of interest, using the appropriately programmed computer, where the beam characteristics and the characteristics of the subject of interest are displayed in real-time to a machine operator enabling real-time verification of treatment delivery.