An invention to increase the target accuracy of radiation therapy and improve cancer treatment.
The Invention
The invention is an integrated gantry-based triple on-board imager (OBI) into medical linear accelerator (Linac) for human image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) that allows functional and molecular imaging and treatment to take place in the same room. The combination of three different imaging modalities provides anatomical CT imaging with functional and molecular imaging which is invisible for current system design in Linac. This promises the ability to detect cancer by identifying cellular characteristics, tissue functions, and biochemistry/metabolism that change long before a tumor grows to a size detectable by conventional anatomical imaging modalities. A Linac-integrated, molecular imaging-based OBI allows the oncologists, in the treatment room, to pinpoint the precise location of the tumors in real time, and personalize the fields of radiation such that the tumors could be therapeutically treated while the normal tissues are maximally blocked from radiation and thereby spared.
Key Benefits
• Increased Target Accuracy
• Enhanced Dose Distribution
• Increased Normal Tissue Sparing
• Improved Clinical Outcomes
Application
• Add-on imager for medical linear accelerator.
Market Opportunity
The need for radiation therapy will increase as the incidence of cancer increases. It is estimated that 50% of patients diagnosed with cancer will have radiation therapy as a treatment. The market for radiotherapy was estimated at $5.8 billion in 2014 and is anticipated to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.7% to $8 billion by 2019.
Development and Intellectual Property Status
This technology is in the early stages of development. Corporate-sponsored research is desired to fund the development of a prototype. A U.S. patent application (U.S. 15/751,096) has been filed.