Megavoltage radiation therapy machine combined to diagnostic imaging

Abstract

A patient setup and treatment verification system for radiation therapy having diagnostic imaging devices connected to a room containing a megavoltage radiation therapy machine. The diagnostic rooms and the megavoltage therapy room are connected to each other by openings in the shared secondary wall of the accelerator or through an anteroom to the megavoltage therapy room. Daily patient setup for routine and three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy and on-line treatment port verification with superimposed isodose are done with the patient on a diagnostic-imaging table. The patients are transferred from the diagnostic table to the treatment table without changing the verified treatment position. Sliding or rotating shield or maze walled anteroom are used for radiation protection. A patient setup with multiple diagnostic devices in separate chambers allows rapid turnover of patients in the megavoltage treatment room with patients spending much less time in the treatment room. When the diagnostic device is not in use with the megavoltage therapy machine for radiation therapy of patients in a radiation oncology department, it can be used as a routine diagnostic device for a diagnostic radiology department.