Mini-beam Collimator for Spatially Fractionated Radiation Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation therapy methods for treating cancerous brain tumors face challenges in achieving sufficient depth penetration and minimizing damage to healthy tissues, with conventional methods causing collateral damage and synchrotron-generated micro-beam radiation therapy being limited by its low energy photons and accessibility.
Innovation Solution
A medical linear accelerator-based system using a mini-beam collimator to generate a spatially fractionated radiation beam with high energy photons (up to 25 MV) that produces a dose profile with peaks and valleys, allowing for deeper tissue penetration and reduced normal-tissue toxicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If synchrotron-generated micro-beam radiation therapy is used, then therapeutic index is improved, but depth of penetration deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the energy parameter of the radiation beam from low energy (≤200 keV) synchrotron photons to high energy (≥1 MV) photons from a linear accelerator, while maintaining the spatially fractionated micro-beam dose profile through specialized collimator geometry. This parameter change enables sufficient depth penetration into human tissue while preserving the therapeutic index benefits of spatial fractionation.
2Length of moving object
If conventional radiation therapy is used, then depth of penetration is improved, but collateral damage to healthy cells worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the radiation beam into an array of discrete micro-beams using a collimator with multiple blades, creating a spatially fractionated dose profile with peaks and valleys. This segmentation allows high doses to be delivered to tumor cells while healthy tissues in the valley regions receive minimal or no radiation, thereby reducing collateral damage while maintaining adequate depth penetration.
3Reliability
If synchrotron radiation sources are used, then micro-beam radiation therapy efficacy is improved, but accessibility and availability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the synchrotron micro-beam therapy concept using a different radiation source - specifically, a medical linear accelerator instead of a synchrotron. This copying approach replicates the therapeutic benefits of spatially fractionated micro-beam radiation while using widely available, clinically established equipment, thereby dramatically improving accessibility and availability.
4Device complexity
If grid therapy with large center-to-center spacing is used, then device complexity is reduced, but therapeutic index for brain tumors deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spatial parameters of the beam array from large center-to-center spacing (2.0 cm in conventional grid therapy) to small center-to-center spacing (1.0 cm or less), creating a denser array of micro-beams. This parameter change increases the therapeutic index for brain tumors by delivering more focused doses while maintaining manageable device complexity through the use of linear accelerator technology.
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 effectively treats brain tumors with improved therapeutic index by delivering high doses to tumors while minimizing damage to healthy tissues, as evidenced by successful treatments in canine subjects, demonstrating enhanced depth penetration and reduced collateral damage.
Implementation Method 1
The mini-beam collimator is located in a path of the open radiation beam. The mini-beam collimator includes a plurality of generally planar blades which extend between an entrance aperture onto which the open beam impinges and an exit aperture. The mini-beam collimator interacts with the open radiation beam to produce an output beam which is emitted from the exit aperture.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for delivery of spatially fractionated radiation treatment to a patient, the apparatus comprising: a radiation source for generating an open radiation beam oriented along a beam axis and having photon energies up to and including a maximum photon energy greater than 0.5 MV; a mini-beam collimator located in a path of the open radiation beam, the mini-beam collimator comprising a plurality of generally planar blades extending between an entrance aperture onto which the open beam impinges and an exit aperture, the mini-beam collimator interacting with the open radiation beam to produce an output beam emitted from the exit aperture, oriented along the beam axis and comprising a spatially fractionated mini-beam dose profile, the spatially fractionated mini-beam dose profile comprising: a plurality of dose peaks at which the dose is a local maximum, the dose peaks spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction that is transverse to the beam axis; and a plurality of dose valleys at which the dose is a local minimum, each dose valley located between a pair of transversely adjacent dose peaks.