Heavy Ion Microbeam Interlacing for Targeted Radiation Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional radiation therapy faces limitations due to radiation damage to normal tissues and the inability to effectively treat small tumors or neurological targets without damaging surrounding tissues, and heavy ion therapy has challenges with beam broadening and valley dose issues.
Innovation Solution
Implementing interlaced heavy ion microbeams, where two arrays of parallel microbeams are interleaved to create a broad radiation field only within the target volume, utilizing the inherent beam broadening characteristics of heavy ions to minimize damage to normal tissues and enhance therapeutic dose delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional radiation therapy is used to treat tumors, then therapeutic dose can be delivered to target, but radiation damage occurs to normal tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the radiation field into discrete microbeams separated by unirradiated gaps. Two arrays of microbeams are interlaced to deliver therapy while normal tissues in the gaps receive minimal radiation, thus segmenting the dose distribution to spare healthy tissues while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness in the target volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by creating non-uniform radiation distribution where different regions receive different doses. The target volume receives high therapeutic dose through interlaced microbeam arrays, while normal tissues in the gap regions receive minimal or zero dose, achieving localized high-dose delivery with spatially varying radiation quality.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If beam thickness is reduced to spare normal tissues, then normal tissue tolerance increases, but beam broadening occurs in heavy ion therapy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by accounting for and compensating for beam broadening effects before treatment delivery. The microbeam array geometry and spacing are pre-calculated to account for expected beam broadening, ensuring that despite the broadening, the microbeams still maintain sufficient separation to spare normal tissues while covering the target volume effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by exploiting the energy-dependent broadening characteristics of heavy ions. By optimizing beam energy and microbeam spacing parameters, the system achieves acceptable broadening control that allows normal tissue sparing while maintaining effective target coverage, adjusting parameters to balance these competing requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If heavy ion beams are used to increase therapeutic effectiveness, then RBE increases, but valley dose issues arise between microbeams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful valley dose effect into a beneficial feature by strategically positioning normal tissues in the gap regions between microbeams. The valley regions, which would normally be considered harmful due to scattered radiation, become protective zones where normal tissues receive minimal dose while still benefiting from the high RBE therapeutic effect in the interlaced target regions.
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
This method effectively delivers a therapeutic dose to the target while sparing normal tissues, allowing for the treatment of small and large tumors with reduced radiation leakage and valley dose, and can be administered from multiple directions to reduce the necessary entrance dose.
Implementation Method 1
therapeutic microbeam arrays of protons and heavy ions
Implementation Method 2
utilizing the inherent beam broadening characteristics of heavy ions to minimize damage to normal tissues
Data Source
AI summary
A method for delivering therapeutic heavy ion radiation to a subject, wherein a therapeutic dose of heavy ions is delivered substantially only to a target volume within the subject by generating a broad field of radiation effect substantially only within the target volume, and wherein the broad field of radiation effect is not generated in non-targeted tissue. The method includes the step of irradiating the target volume with at least two arrays of heavy ion microbeams, wherein the at least two arrays each have at least two parallel, spatially distinct heavy ion microbeams. The two arrays of microbeams are interleaved substantially only within the target volume to form a substantially continuous broad beam of radiation substantially only within the target volume.