APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR EXTERNAL BEAM RADIATION DISTRIBUTION MAPPING

• Main Authors: GUEYE PAUL, KEPPEL CYNTHIA E, SINESI CHRISTOPHER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.01.2014
• Subjects: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROMTHE BODY; DIAGNOSIS; ELECTROTHERAPY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; MAGNETOTHERAPY; MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION; MEASURING; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; PHYSICS; RADIATION THERAPY; SURGERY; TESTING; ULTRASOUND THERAPY

An apparatus and method for in vivo and ex vivo control, detection and measurement of radiation in therapy, diagnostcs, and related applications accomplished through scintillating fiber detection. One example includes scintillating fibers placed along a delivery guide such as a catheter for measuring applied radiation levels during radiotherapy treatments, sensing locations of a radiation source, or providing feedback of sensed radiation. Another option is to place the fibers into a positioning device such as a balloon, or otherwise in the field of the radiation delivery. The scintillating fibers provide light output levels correlating to the levels of radiation striking the fibers and comparative measurement between fibers can be used for more extensive dose mapping. Adjustments to a radiation treatment may be made as needed based on actual and measured applied dosages as determined by the fiber detectors. Characteristics of a radiation source may also be measured using scintillating materials.