Patent ID: 8784846

Claim:
A method of delivering therapy, the method comprising: introducing a quantity of therapeutic agent into a patient, the therapeutic agent configured to provide a beneficial effect to the patient when allowed to appropriately interact with a target tissue; introducing a quantity of protective agent into the patient, the protective agent configured to prevent the therapeutic agent from interacting with surrounding tissue; introducing a quantity of activating agent into the patient, the activating agent having a high molecular weight and configured to be irradiated by particle radiation, thereby facilitating release of the therapeutic agent from the protective agent into the target tissue; wherein the therapeutic agent, the protective agent, and the activating agent are associated with each other in the patient; and directing a dose of particle radiation comprising accelerated protons or accelerated heavier positive ions having a Bragg peak at the target tissue of the patient so that the dose interacts with the activating agent proximal to the target tissue, thereby releasing the therapeutic agent from its association with the protective agent; wherein the patient is oriented and the dose of particle radiation is directed into the patient at a specified vector so that the Bragg peak of the dose of particle radiation at least partially overlaps the activating agent proximal to the target tissue, thereby reducing undesired radiation to, and interaction of therapeutic agent with, non-target tissue.