US5339347A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for microbeam radiation therapy
Assignee: Brookhaven Science Associates LLC
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Filing: 1993-04-27
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Granted: 1994-08-16
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Expires: 2013-04-27
Abstract
Abstract A method of performing radiation therapy on a patient, involving exposing a target, usually a tumor, to a therapeutic dose of high energy electromagnetic radiation, preferably X-ray radiation, in the form of at least two non-overlapping microbeams of radiation, each microbeam having a width of less than about 1 millimeter. Target tissue exposed to the microbeams receives a radiation dose during the exposure that exceeds the maximum dose that such tissue can survive. Non-target tissue between the microbeams receives a dose of radiation below the threshold amount of radiation that can be survived by the tissue, and thereby permits the non-target tissue to regenerate. The microbeams may be directed at the target from one direction, or from more than one direction in which case the microbeams overlap within the target tissue enhancing the lethal effect of the irradiation while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel N. Slatkin
- 👤 F. Avraham Dilmanian
- 👤 Per O. Spanne
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 07:31
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N5/00; A61N5/10; A61N5/1077; A61N5/1084; A61B; A61B90/00; A61B90/10; A61N2005/1085; A61N2005/1091; A61N5/1048; A61N5/1064
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 45
Claim 1
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of performing radiation therapy on a patient comprising the step of irradiating a target tissue with a therapeutic quantity of high energy electromagnetic radiation from a radiation source through at least two substantially mutually parallel spatially distinct microbeam envelopes, each envelope describing a path having a width less than about i millimeter, wherein the target tissue within the microbeam envelope receives a summed absorbed dose of radiation exceeding a maximum absorbed dose survivable by the target tissue and non-target tissue between adjacent microbeam envelopes receives a summed absorbed dose of radiation less than a minimum absorbed dose lethal to non-target tissue thereby permitting irradiated non-target tissue to regenerate.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of performing radiation therapy on a patient comprising the step of irradiating a target tissue with a therapeutic quantity of high energy electromagnetic radiation from a radiation source through at least two substantially mutually parallel spatially distinct microbeam envelopes, each envelope describing a path having a width less than about i millimeter, wherein the target tissue within the microbeam envelope receives a summed absorbed dose of radiation exceeding a maximum absorbed dose survivable by the target tissue and non-target tissue between adjacent microbeam envelopes receives a summed absorbed dose of radiation less than a minimum absorbed dose lethal to non-target tissue thereby permitting irradiated non-target tissue to regenerate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said irradiating further comprises said microbeam envelope path width being between about 10 micrometers and about 500 micrometers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said irradiating further comprises said microbeam envelope path width being between about 20 micrometers and about 100 micrometers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said irradiating further comprises said microbeam envelope having a rectangular cross-section.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 4, wherein a side of the rectangular cross-section is from about 20 micrometers to about 100 micrometers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said irradiating further comprises said microbeam envelope having a substantially radially symmetrical cross-section.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the microbeam envelope has a substantially circular cross-section.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 7, wherein the microbeam envelope cross-section has a diameter of from about 20 micrometers to about 100 micrometers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation is monochromatic.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation is generated by a synchrotron.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the radiation is generated by a wiggler insertion device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said irradiating further comprises generating a microbeam bundle, which has a plurality of spatially distinct microbeam envelopes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 12, wherein generating the microbeam bundle comprises generating a substantially regularly spaced array of microbeams envelopes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 13, wherein the array is substantially linear.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the array is 2-dimensional.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 15 wherein the array is substantially rectangular.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 15, wherein the array is substantially radially symmetrical.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 17, wherein the array is substantially circular.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the microbeam envelopes of said microbeam bundle have a center-to-center spacing of from about 50 micrometers to about 500 micrometers.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the microbeam bundle envelopes of said microbeam bundle have a center-to-center spacing of from about 50 micrometers to about 200 micrometers.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the irradiating further comprises producing the microbeams simultaneously.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the irradiating further comprises producing the microbeams in temporally discrete radiation pulses.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 12, wherein said irradiating further comprises producing a plurality of microbeam bundles.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 23, wherein the microbeam bundles are substantially mutually parallel.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 24, wherein the microbeam bundles are rectangularly translationally displaced from each other and substantially mutually parallel.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 23, wherein the microbeam bundles are angularly displaced from each other and substantially isofocused and mutually convergent.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 12, wherein said irradiating further comprises generating each microbeam bundle in a single radiation pulse.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 12, wherein said irradiating further comprises generating each microbeam bundle by delivering a plurality of temporally discrete radiation pulses.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 28, wherein said plurality of radiation pulses irradiate the target tissue with substantially identical microbeam envelopes.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 28, wherein the radiation pulses irradiate said target tissue with rectangularly translationally displaced microbeam envelopes.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 28, wherein the radiation pulses have substantially regular durations and substantially regular interpulse intervals.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 31, wherein the radiation pulses have a duration of from about 20 milliseconds to about 2 seconds.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 31, wherein the radiation pulses have durations and interpulse intervals substantially synchronized with a physiomechanical cycle of the patient.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 33, wherein the physiomechanical cycle is a cardiac cycle.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 33, wherein the physiomechanical cycle is a pulmonary cycle.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 33, wherein the physiomechanical cycle is a cardiopulmonary cycle.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation is focused.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation is unfocused.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the target is a tumor.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 39, wherein the tumor is intracranial.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising stereotactically immobilizing the patient.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation is X-ray radiation.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 42, wherein the radiation has a beam intensity within a range of from about 30 key to about 300 keV.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 42, wherein the beam intensity is within a range of from about 50 keV to about 150 keV.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-08-15 | 1998-02-14 | 1998-08-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-08-15 | 2002-02-14 | 2002-08-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-08-15 | 2006-02-14 | 2006-08-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |