Patent ID: 7984715

Claim:
A pod for providing radiation treatment to a head and neck region of a patient, the pod comprising: a support shell shaped to generally conform to the shape of the head and neck region of the patient, the shell extending longitudinally from a shell caudal end to a cephalad end, the shell extending laterally from a first shell lateral edge to a second shell lateral edge, the shell defining a channel between the first and second lateral edges, the shell having a shell inner surface and a shell outer surface; a facemask configured for attachment directly to the first shell lateral edge and the second shell lateral edge of the support shell to immobilize the patient, the facemask extending laterally between a first facemask lateral edge and a second facemask lateral edge; and a facemask-to-shell attachment system comprising: a first locating pin formed near the first shell lateral edge so as to extend outward therefrom wherein the first locating pin is formed of a low atomic number material so as to reduce attenuation or perturbation of radiation; a second locating pin formed near the second shell lateral edge so as to extend outward therefrom wherein the second locating pin is formed of a low atomic number material so as to reduce attenuation or perturbation of radiation; a first receiving slot near the first facemask lateral edge to receive the first locating pin; and a second receiving slot near the second facemask lateral edge to receive the second locating pin, wherein at least one of the shell, the facemask, and the facemask-to-shell attachment system is configured to reduce the attenuation or distortion of radiation beams directed at the patient.