2414 results about "Radiation dose" patented technology

Methods of monitoring and evaluating the status of a tumor undergoing treatment includes monitoring in vivo at least one physiological parameter associated with a tumor in a subject undergoing treatment, transmitting data from an in situ located sensor to a receiver external of the subject, analyzing the transmitted data, repeating the monitoring and transmitting steps at sequential points in time and evaluating a treatment strategy. The method provides dynamic tracking of the monitored parameters over time. The method can also include identifying in a substantially real time manner when conditions are favorable for treatment and when conditions are unfavorable for treatment and can verify or quantify how much of a known drug dose or radiation dose was actually received at the tumor. The method can include remote transmission from a non-clinical site to allow oversight of the tumor's condition even during non-active treatment periods (in between active treatments). The disclosure also includes monitoring systems with in situ in vivo biocompatible sensors and telemetry based operations and related computer program products.

Tomography limitations in vivo due to incomplete, inconsistent and intricate measurements require solution of inverse problems. The new strategies disclosed in this application are capable of providing faster data acquisition, higher image quality, lower radiation dose, greater flexibility, and lower system cost. Such benefits can be used to advance research in cardiovascular diseases, regenerative medicine, inflammation, and nanotechnology. The present invention relates to the field of medical imaging. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to methods, systems, and devices for imaging, including tomography-based and MRI-based applications. For example, included in embodiments of the invention are compressive sampling based tomosynthesis methods, which have great potential to reduce the overall x-ray radiation dose for a patient. To name a few, compressive sensing based carbon nano-tube based interior tomosynthesis systems, tomography-based dynamic cardiac elastography systems, cardiac elastodynamic biomarkers from interior MR imaging, exact and stable interior ROI reconstructions for radial MRI, and interior reconstruction based ultrafast tomography systems are provided.

A method of continuous real-time monitoring and positioning of multi-leaf collimators during on and off radiation exposure conditions of radiation therapy to account for target motion relative to a radiation beam is provided. A prediction algorithm estimates future positions of a target relative to the radiation source. Target geometry and orientation are determined relative to the radiation source. Target, treatment plan, and leaf width data, and temporal interpolations of radiation doses are sent to the controller. Coordinates having an origin at an isocenter of the isocentric plane establish initial aperture end positions of the leaves that is provided to the controller, where motors to position the MLC midpoint aperture ends according to the position and target information. Each aperture end intersects a single point of a convolution of the target and the isocenter of the isocentric plane. Radiation source hold-conditions are provided according to predetermined undesirable operational and/or treatment states.

The present invention is directed to a system, method, and computer program product for handling, mixing, dispensing and/or injecting a mixture into an individual during a medical procedure. The present invention provides one or more mixing devices, containers, and dispensing devices to facilitate the handling, mixing, dispensing, and/or injecting of a mixture containing, for example, pharmaceutical agents and/or radiopharmaceutical agents. The present invention also provides a mixing device capable of diluting a radiopharmaceutical agent with, for instance, a diluent, for altering a radiation dose emitted by the radiopharmaceutical agent.

A radiation applicator system is structured to be mounted to a radiation source for providing a predefined dose of radiation for treating a localized area or volume, such as the tissue surrounding the site of an excised tumor. The applicator system includes an applicator and an adapter. The adapter is formed for fixedly securing the applicator to a radiation source, such as a radiosurgery system which produces a predefined radiation dose profile with respect to a predefined location along the radiation producing probe. The applicator includes a shank and an applicator head, wherein the head is located at a distal end of the applicator shank. A proximate end of the applicator shank couples to the adapter. A distal end of the shank includes the applicator head, which is adapted for engaging and/or supporting the area or volume to be treated with a predefined does of radiation. The applicator can include a low energy radiation filter inside of the applicator head to reduce undesirable low energy radiation emissions. A biocompatible radiation shield may be coupled to the outer surface of the applicator head to block radiation emitted from a portion of the radiation probe, in order to shield an adjacent location or vital organ from any undesired radiation exposure. A plurality of applicators having applicator heads and radiation shields of different sizes and shapes can be provided to accommodate treatment sites of various sizes and shapes.

A method of enhancing image quality and providing tissue composition information by analysis of energy discrimination data, the method comprising determining a radiation dosage at one or more energy spectrum levels based on patient parameters and user selected parameters. Computer-readable medium and systems that afford functionality of the type defined by this method are also contemplated in conjunction with the present technique.

Embodiments herein provide a non-invasive tracking system that accurately predicts the location of tumors, such as lung tumors, in real time, while allowing patients to breathe naturally. This is accomplished by using Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), in conjunction with spirometry, strain gauge and infrared sensors, and by using sophisticated patient-specific mathematical models that incorporate the dynamics of tumor motion. With the direction and speed of lung tumor movement successfully tracked, radiation may be effectively delivered to the lung tumor and not to the surrounding healthy tissue, thus increased radiation dosage may be directed to improving local tumor control without compromising functional parenchyma.

An interstitial brachytherapy apparatus and method for delivering and monitoring radioactive emissions delivered to tissue surrounding a resected tissue cavity. The brachytherapy device including a catheter body member having a proximal end, a distal end, and an outer spatial volume disposed proximate to the distal end of the body member. A radiation source is disposed in the outer spatial volume and a treatment feedback sensor is provided on the device. In use, the treatment feedback sensor can measure the radiation dose delivered from the radiation source.

A treatment device which uses cold red and infrared radiation for the photodynamic stimulation of cells, especially cells of human tissue. The described device produces a constant energy radiation by the use of semiconductor and/or laser diodes, which furthermore radiate light in several separate wavelengths due to a special operation mode. With help of sensors the advanced controller system is able to test the patients for the needed radiation doses in order to avoid overstimulation. Furthermore the radiation openings in the applicators are advantageously covered with a polarization filter, whereby the absorption in the irradiated tissue is increased. The basic equipment consists of a standpillar, with which machine applicators are connected with a jointed arm. The machine applicators are adapted for the treatment of large area tissues, for example, the back of humans. The standpillar is freely movable on wheels and includes a control mechanism, whereby the various parameters for therapy can be adjusted and switched ON and OFF. The standpillar is also connected to a hand applicator designed for the treatment of small tissue areas, e.g., acupuncture points. Another version of the hand applicator is especially devised for dental treatment, whereby the head piece of the hand applicator can be connected with an expander containing an optical fiber. Photodynamic substances are introduced into tissue to be treated, which enhances the effects of light irradiation by the inventive device.

The invention relates to a method of and a device for the formation of a three-dimensional image data set of a periodically moving body organ (11) of a patient (5) by means of an X-ray device (1) which includes an X-ray source and an X-ray detector (3), a motion signal (H, B) which is related to the periodic motion of the body organ (11) being measured simultaneously with the acquisition of the projection data sets (D₀, D₁, . . . , D₁₆). In order to improve such a method or such a device, notably in order to improve the construction and to reduce the time required for data processing while keeping the radiation dose for the patient as small as possible and while ensuring an as high as possible image quality, the invention proposes to acquire the projection data sets (D₀, D₁, . . . , D₁₆) necessary for the formation of the three-dimensional image data set successively from different X-ray positions (p₀, p₁, . . . , p₁₆) which are situated in one plane, to control the X-ray device by means of the motion signal (H, B) in such a manner that a projection data set (D₀, D₁, . . . , D₁₆) is acquired during a low-motion phase of the body organ (11) in each X-ray position (p₀, p₁, p₁₆) required for the formation of the three-dimensional image data set, and to use the projection data sets (D₀, D₁, . . . , D₁₆) acquired during the low-motion phase for the formation of the three-dimensional image data set.

A general imaging scheme is proposed for applications of CBCT. The approach provides a superior CBCT image quality by effective scatter correction and noise reduction. Specifically, in its implementation of CBCT imaging for radiation therapy, the proposed approach achieves an accurate patient setup using a partially blocked CBCT with a significantly reduced radiation dose. The image quality improvement due to the proposed scatter correction and noise reduction also makes CBCT-based dose calculation a viable solution to adaptive treatment planning.

A method and system for converting low-dose tomosynthesis projection images or reconstructed slices images with noise into higher quality, less noise, higher-dose-like tomosynthesis reconstructed slices, using of a trainable nonlinear regression (TNR) model with a patch-input-pixel-output scheme called a pixel-based TNR (PTNR). An image patch is extracted from an input raw projection views (images) of a breast acquired at a reduced x-ray radiation dose (lower-dose), and pixel values in the patch are entered into the PTNR as input. The output of the PTNR is a single pixel that corresponds to a center pixel of the input image patch. The PTNR is trained with matched pairs of raw projection views (images together with corresponding desired x-ray radiation dose raw projection views (images) (higher-dose). Through the training, the PTNR learns to convert low-dose raw projection images to high-dose-like raw projection images. Once trained, the trained PTNR does not require the higher-dose raw projection images anymore. When a new reduced x-ray radiation dose (low dose) raw projection images is entered, the trained PTNR outputs a pixel value similar to its desired pixel value, in other words, it outputs high-dose-like raw projection images where noise and artifacts due to low radiation dose are substantially reduced, i.e., a higher image quality. Then, from the “high-dose-like” projection views (images), “high-dose-like” 3D tomosynthesis slices are reconstructed by using a tomosynthesis reconstruction algorithm. With the “virtual high-dose” tomosynthesis reconstruction slices, the detectability of lesions and clinically important findings such as masses and microcalcifications can be improved.