Ohio Patent of the Month – February 2021
Radiation therapy is used to control and eliminate malignant cells, like cancer cells, in a patient. Radiation therapy is a careful mix of a dose strong enough to kill the tumor in the region of interest (ROI) without harming the surrounding organs at risk (OAR). The treatment is implemented based on the contours and positions of the ROI and OAR which are determined with MRIs. MRIs are taken with a still patient, which means the radiation treatment assumes the patient will not change position. Organs shift internally from basic movements (like breathing). So the actual dose delivered to the ROI and OARs do not follow the treatment plan entirely. ViewRay Technologies, Inc. is developing a method to better control this delivery by assessing patient movement.
Magnetic resonance guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) would assess patient motion indicated by multiple MRI images captured during radiation delivery and adjust treatment as needed. The method would use a gating mechanism to create spatial gates that guide radiation delivery. If the gates are triggered (the ROI exits the radiation delivery beam or the OAR enters the delivery zone) the radiation automatically stops. The processor also tracks the total dose of radiation delivered throughout the session and will store this information for future sessions. ViewRay’s method will ensure a more accurate radiation therapy session and reduce potential harm to surrounding organs.
About ViewRay
ViewRay was founded on the belief that enhanced real-time visualization combined with on-line adapting and accurate dose recording will significantly improve the safety and efficacy of radiation therapy, leading to better outcomes for patients.
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