Gamma ray detection system comprising a detection module assembly including at least two detection modules configured for positron emission tomography (PET) scanning of a target zone, each detection module comprising a plurality of stacked scintillator plates each having a major surface oriented to generally face the target zone and lateral minor surfaces defining edges of the scintillator plates, a plurality of photon sensors being mounted against said edges layer photon sensor 18a configured to detect a scintillation event in the scintillator plate from a gamma ray incident on the major surface. The gamma ray detection system is further configured to function as a Compton camera, at least one scintillator plate that is not the scintillator plate closest to the target zone being configured as an absorber scintillator plate for said Compton camera.

The disclosure provides a phantom and method for quality assurance of a hadron therapy apparatus used in the intensity modulated particle therapy mode. The phantom comprises a frame structure comprising a base plate, one or more energy wedges, an energy wedge first face inclined with respect to said base plate and an energy wedge second face perpendicular to said base plate, said one or more energy wedges being mounted on said base plate, a 2D detector; said one or more wedges, and 2D detector being in known fixed positions in relation to said frame structure. Said phantom comprises in addition a Spread-Out Bragg Peak wedge, said SOBP wedge having an SOBP wedge first face inclined with respect to said base plate, and a SOBP wedge second face, perpendicular to said base plate, said SOBP wedge being made of a material having a relative density higher than 1.3 preferably 1.5, more preferably 1.7, the distance between the SOBP wedge first face and SOBP second face varying between the penetration depth of a beam having an energy between the high and low limit energy of the beam of said hadron therapy apparatus. The disclosure also provides a method for determining the compliance of the planned SOBP with the actual SOBP.

A computing system comprising a central processing unit (CPU), and memory coupled to the CPU and having stored therein instructions that, when executed by the computing system, cause the computing system to execute operations to generate a radiation treatment plan. The operations include accessing a minimum prescribed dose to be delivered into and across the target, determining a number of beams and directions of the beams, and determining a beam energy for each of the beams, wherein the number of beams, the directions of the beams, and the beam energy for each of the beams are determined such that the entire target receives the minimum prescribed dose. The operations further include prescribing a dose rate and optimizing dose rate constraints for FLASH therapy, and displaying a dose rate map of the FLASH therapy.

Described herein is an implantable device having a sensor configured to detect an amount of an analyte, a pH, a temperature, strain, or a pressure; and an ultrasonic transducer with a length of about 5 mm or less in the longest dimension, configured to receive current modulated based on the analyte amount, the pH, the temperature, or the pressure detected by the sensor, and emit an ultrasonic backscatter based on the received current. The implantable device can be implanted in a subject, such as an animal or a plant. Also described herein are systems including one or more implantable devices and an interrogator comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to the one or more implantable devices or receive ultrasonic backscatter from the one or more implantable devices. Also described are methods of detecting an amount of an analyte, a pH, a temperature, a strain, or a pressure.

Information associated with a radiation treatment plan includes, for example, values of dose per voxel in a target volume, values of dose rate per voxel in the target volume, and values of parameters used when generating the values of dose per voxel and the values of dose rate per voxel. Renderings that include, for example, a rendering of an image of or including the target volume, and a rendering of selected values of the radiation treatment plan, are displayed. When a selection of a region of one of the renderings is received, a displayed characteristic of another one of the renderings is changed based on the selection.

Described herein are systems and methods for positioning a radiation source with respect to one or more regions of interest in a coordinate system. Such systems and methods may be used in emission guided radiation therapy (EGRT) for the localized delivery of radiation to one or more patient tumor regions. These systems comprise a gantry movable about a patient area, where a plurality of positron emission detectors, a radiation source are arranged movably on the gantry, and a controller. The controller is configured to identify a coincident positron annihilation emission path and to position the radiation source to apply a radiation beam along the identified emission path. The systems and methods described herein can be used alone or in conjunction with surgery, chemotherapy, and/or brachytherapy for the treatment of tumors.

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for tracking and/or imaging impact of a particle beam treating a tumor using one or more imaging systems positionable about the tumor, such as a positron emission tracking and/or imaging system, where resulting tracking/imaging data: dynamically determines a treatment beam position, tracks a history of treatment beam positions, guides the treatment beam, and/or images a tumor before, during, and/or after treatment with the charged particle beam.

A treatment planning apparatus includes an overall data management unit for storing a target irradiation dose distribution to be formed in an irradiation object, a broad irradiation parameter calculation unit and a scanning irradiation parameter calculation unit for cooperatively calculating and determining operational parameters for devices, such as an accelerator and an irradiation nozzle, to operate during a broad irradiation and an scanning irradiation, respectively, so that the sum of irradiation doses imparted by both broad irradiation and scanning irradiation forms the target irradiation dose distribution.

A restraint system for a patient to be exposed to a radiation beam is disclosed. The system includes a patient support panel and a head restraint assembly in the form of a face mask to which plural clips are secured. The patient support panel includes plural connectors, which may include fixed or adjustable connectors. The clips include are configured to engage the plural connectors in a snap-on manner, without the need for tools or separate fastening devices.

Embodiments now disclosed herein provide an apparatus and method in which free radicals can be detected in a substance by MRI without changing the MRI static field.