Randall R Stone

US Patent:

53738446, Dec 20, 1994

Filed:

Jun 14, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/076740

Inventors:

Vernon Smith - San Rafael CA
Randall A. Stone - San Francisco CA

Assignee:

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

International Classification:

A61B 600

US Classification:

1286531

Abstract:

An apparatus and method for inverse treatment planning for stereotactic radiosurgery is disclosed. Target position and volume are initially determined by establishing a reliable x,y,z coordinate system using a stereotactic frame and imaging the regions of interest in the patient. The target volume is geometrically packed with "shot volumes" determined by isodose curves of single Leksell "gamma knife" shots on a series of two-dimensional slices to generate a net treatment volume. A final treatment plan is generated by further packing the target volume with the treatment volume determined by the isodose surface of all of the gamma knife shots. Once the final treatment plan is developed, the patient is treated with the "gamma knife. " The result is that the target volume is sufficiently irradiated while the amount of radiation to surrounding tissue or critical structures in the patient is minimized.