An x-ray imaging apparatus and associated methods are provided to receive measured projection data in a primary region and measured scatter data in asymmetrical shadow regions and determine an estimated scatter in the primary region based on the measured scatter data in the shadow region(s). The asymmetric shadow regions can be controlled by adjusting the position of the beam aperture center on the readout area of the detector. Penumbra data may also be used to estimate scatter in the primary region.

The present invention relates to a low energy radiation therapy system for superficial lesion treatment and an operation method thereof, the low energy radiation therapy system comprising: an optical scanner for acquiring 3D scanning data of a treatment region including a superficial lesion site; an irradiation unit configured to apply radiation to the treatment region; a calculation unit for calculating, on the basis of the 3D scanning data, a skin dose, energy of radiation, and a part-specific radiation amount adjustment value, and producing, according to the part-specific radiation amount adjustment value, shape data of a compensation unit to be provided at the end of the irradiation unit; and a 3D printer configured to three-dimensionally print and produce the compensation unit according to the shape data.

An x-ray treatment system includes an electron beam generator configured to generate an electron beam and an x-ray treatment head comprising an array of pixel source cells including side walls defining an x-ray transmissive interior. The side walls include an x-ray absorptive material. A target element is positioned to, when impacted by the electron beam, generate x-ray photon radiation within the x-ray transmissive pixel source cell interior. An electron beam control system includes a controller configured to control responsive to a treatment plan at least one of the direction and intensity of the electron beam to a particular one of the pixel source cells, and then responsive to the treatment plan to control at least one of the direction and intensity of the electron beam to at least one additional pixel source cell. A method of treating a patient with x-ray photon radiation is also disclosed.

A method of calibration in a radiation delivery system. The method including acquiring, using a camera, an image of a radiation beam incident on a phantom, wherein the radiation beam being emitted by a radiation source of the radiation delivery system and the phantom comprising an X-ray luminescent material. The method further including determining a beam pointing offset based on the image. The method further including calibrating a position of the radiation source of the radiation delivery system based on the beam pointing offset and a relative position of the camera with respect to a beam axis of the radiation beam.

A photon source emits a flattening filter-free photon beam. A control circuit operably couples to a multi-layer multi-leaf collimator that is disposed between the photon source and a treatment area of a patient. The control circuit automatically arranges operation of some, but not all, of the layers of the multi-layer multi-leaf collimator to serve as a virtual flattening filter with respect to the flattening filter-free photon beam emitted by the photon source. By one approach, another of the layers of the multi-layer multi-leaf collimator serves to form a treatment aperture corresponding to a shape of the treatment area of the patient. By one approach the control circuit comprises an integral part of a treatment platform (as versus a dedicated treatment planning platform) and can carry out most or even essentially all of the planning steps that lead to administration of the treatment to a patient.

A system for treating a diseased site in a human or animal body. The system includes a pharmaceutical carrier including one or more phosphors which are capable of emitting light into the diseased site upon interaction, a photoactivatable drug for intercalating into DNA of cells at the diseased site, one or more devices which infuse the diseased sited with the photoactivatable drug and the pharmaceutical carrier, an x-ray or high energy electron source, and a processor programmed to control a dose of x-rays or electrons to the diseased site for production of light inside the tumor to activate the photoactivatable drug.

Controlling unit for a radiation source includes a mains-driven power supply terminal connectable to a mains-driven power supply, a battery-driven power supply terminal connectable to a battery-driven power supply, a failsafe power supply terminal, a processor unit to control the radiation source, and a patient-in-place sensor unit to provide a respective signal to the processor unit. The failsafe power supply terminal is connected to the mains-driven power supply terminal via a first diode and to the battery-driven power supply terminal via a second diode and he processor unit is connected to the failsafe power supply terminal to receive power from the higher voltage power supply terminal of the mains-driven power supply terminal and the battery-driven power supply terminal, respectively. The processor unit is adapted to shut down the radiation source in case a patient-not-in-place signal is provided.

A phantom is described. The phantom having a spherical phantom body and an X-ray luminescent material, wherein at least a portion of the X-ray luminescent material is on a surface of the phantom.

This invention relates the use of cortisol blockers (glucocorticoid receptor [GR] antagonists) for the treating or preventing treatment resistant prostate cancer, treating or preventing neoplasia, and treating or preventing infection related to acute or chronic injury or disease.

A multimodal imaging apparatus, comprising a rotatable gantry system positioned at least partially around a patient support, a first source of radiation coupled to the rotatable gantry system, the first source of radiation configured for imaging radiation, a second source of radiation coupled to the rotatable gantry system, the second source of radiation configured for at least one of imaging radiation or therapeutic radiation, wherein the second source of radiation has an energy level more than the first source of radiation, and a second radiation detector coupled to the rotatable gantry system and positioned to receive radiation from the second source of radiation, and a processor configured to combine first measured projection data based on the radiation detected by the first detector with second measured projection data based on the radiation detected by the second detector, and reconstruct an image based on the combined data, wherein the reconstructing comprises at least one of correcting the second measured projection data using the first measured projection data, correcting the first measured projection data using the second projection data, and distinguishing different materials imaged in the combined data using the first measured projection data and the second measured projection.