Interstitial brachytherapy is a cancer treatment in which radioactive material is placed closely to the target tissue of the affected site using an afterloader (HDR-brachytherapy) or manually (LDR- and PDR-brachytherapy). For HDR-brachytherapy, the accuracy of this placement is calibrated using an external reference system that locates the radioactive material according to the radiation levels measured at locations around the source. At each of these locations, a scintillator produces light when irradiated by the radioactive material. This light is proportional to the level of radiation at each location. The light produced by each scintillator is converted to an electrical signal that is proportional to the light and the radiation level at each location. The radioactive material is located according to the plurality of electrical signals.

A method of a radiotherapy or radiosurgery treatment comprises steps of: (a) providing a converging x-ray beam source configured for emitting a converging X-ray beam propagating along an axis thereof; (b) emitting the converging x-ray beam towards a volume of treatment (VOT) having a length along the axis of the converging X-ray beam ranging between 2 mm and 5 cm within a patient's body such that a waist portion is within the VOT; (c) propagating the beam through tissues previously located relative to the VOT (PO); the VOT per se and tissues distally located to the VOT (DO). The converging X-ray beam characterized by a convergent angle ranging between 2 and 30 degrees providing 80% to 100% of a maximum dose is received by the VOT and less than 60% of the maximum dose is received by the PO and the DO.

The disclosed calibration method includes a calibration phantom positioned on an adjustable table on the surface of a mechanical couch, with the phantom's centre at an estimated location for the iso-centre of a radio therapy treatment apparatus. The calibration phantom is then irradiated using the apparatus, and the relative location of the center of the calibration phantom and the iso-centre of the apparatus is determined by analyzing images of the irradiation of the calibration phantom. The calibration phantom is then repositioned by the mechanical couch applying an offset corresponding to the determined relative location of the centre of the calibration phantom and the iso-centre of the apparatus to the calibration phantom. Images of the relocated calibration phantom are obtained, to which the offset has been applied, and the obtained images are processed to set the co-ordinate system of a stereoscopic camera system relative to the iso-centre of the apparatus.

A phantom, phantom system, and method of phantom identification include a first material that forms a phantom. A phantom identifier includes at least one unit marker. The at least one unit marker identifies a physical characteristic of the phantom. In a method of phantom identification, an image of the phantom is obtained that includes the phantom identifier. The at least one unit marker is identified, the at least one unit marker encodes a value representative of a physical characteristic of the phantom.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for verifying radiation source delivery in brachytherapy by allowing for the radiation source location and dwell time to be determined via real-time measurement. In an embodiment, a radiation detector may be disposed proximate to a radiotherapy target. The radiation detector is configured to provide real-time information indicative of ionizing radiation emitted by a radiation source. A controller may perform operations including receiving, from the radiation detector, real-time information indicative of at least one of: a particle flux rate, an energy fluence, or an absorbed dose of ionizing radiation emitted from the radiation source. The operations may also include determining, based on the received information, at least one of: a location of the radiation source or a dwell time of the radiation source.

A method of calibrating a monitoring system (10,14) is described in which a calibration phantom (70) is located with its center located approximately at the isocenter of a treatment room through which a treatment apparatus (16) is arranged to direct radiation, wherein the surface of the calibration phantom (70) closest to an image capture device (72) of the monitoring system (10,14) is inclined approximately 45° relative to the camera plane of an image capture device of the monitoring system. Images of the calibration phantom (70) are then captured using the image capture device (72) and the images are processed to generate a model of the imaged surface of the calibration phantom. The generated model of the imaged surface of the calibration phantom (70) is then utilized to identify the relative location of the center of the calibration phantom (70) and the camera plane of the image capture device (72) which is then utilized to determine the relative location of the camera plane of the image capture device and the isocenter of a treatment room.

A water tank apparatus for use with a radiotherapy system, comprising a base, side walls, end walls, and a top wall, together defining a tank structure, wherein an aperture is defined in the top wall near one end wall, and an upstanding rim surrounding the aperture; and a sensor mounting body fixed within the tank structure, and having formations by which a radiation sensor can be located in a fixed position within the tank structure so as to detect radiation at a point equidistant from the side wall and top wall and base.

A medical image-based radiation shielding device and method thereof, which may form a targeted and highly accurate radiation shielding according to individual differences in patients, such as tumor location and size, thereby reduce or avoid radiation from a irradiation apparatus to normal tissues of patients. The shielding device includes a medical image scanning means for scanning an irradiated site of an irradiated subject and outputting medical image voxel data, a data processing and three-dimensional modeling means for establishing a three-dimensional phantom tissue model according to the medical image voxel data and establishing a three-dimensional shield model according to the three-dimensional phantom tissue model; a shield located between the irradiation apparatus and the irradiated site, wherein the shield is formed by printing the three-dimensional shield model data input to a 3D printer.

A multi-purpose object for calibrating, monitoring and/or tracking a patient in a treatment system and/or a treatment planning system is described, the multi-purpose object being made of transparent material and defining an internal space having one or more targets, wherein an upper surface is coated so as to define a pattern of transparent markings. The interior of the multi-purpose object can be back lit to present a high contrast surface image for a patient treatment, tracking or monitoring system.

An imaging apparatus includes a first X-ray detector that includes: a low energy scintillator operable to convert an incident X-ray spectrum into a first set of light photons; a first light imaging sensor operable to generate a set of low energy image signals from the first set of light photons, wherein a first exit radiation is a remainder portion of the first incident radiation after the X-ray spectrum passes through the low energy scintillator and the first light imaging sensor; an energy-separation filter operable to absorb or reflect at least a portion of the energy of the first exit X-ray spectrum and convert the first exit X-ray spectrum into a second exit X-ray spectrum; a second X-ray detector that includes: a high energy scintillator operable to convert the second exit X-ray spectrum into a second set of light photons; a second light imaging sensor operable to generate a set of high energy image signals from the second set of light photons; and a processor configured to: generate a high-energy image that is based on the set of high energy image signals and a low-energy image that is based on the set of low energy image signals; and perform a comparison of the high-energy image from the low-energy image to generate a soft tissue image.