Patent ID: 7322929

Claim:
A method for intraoperative radiation therapy treatment in a living patient, comprising: following excision of a tumor from a patient, while the patient remains under anesthesia, mapping the excision cavity by the steps of: (a) inserting an applicator into the excision cavity, the applicator including a series of guides, (b) inserting one or more ionizing radiation sources into peripheral ones of the guides and inserting a radiation sensor into a central one of the guides, (c) expanding the applicator to substantially fill the cavity, thereby placing the peripheral guides substantially at walls of the cavity adjacent to a volume to be treated with radiation, (d) moving the sources and sensor through the guides and taking a reading with the sensor for each of the sources at a plurality of locations along such movement, such locations being sufficient to substantially define the shape of the walls of the cavity, (e) from data determined in step (d), determining a three-dimensional model of the excision cavity, using a radiation prescription prepared by an attending physician, making a radiation treatment plan for a volume to be treated immediately surrounding the excision cavity based on the three-dimensional model of the cavity, while the patient remains under anesthesia and the applicator remains within the incision cavity, for irradiation of the volume to be treated by use of such ionizing radiation sources and the applicator, and executing the treatment plan by moving the ionizing radiation sources through the peripheral guides of the applicator with appropriate dwell times such that substantially the prescribed dose of radiation is received in all regions of the volume to be treated.