Abstract: An apparatus for irradiating a breast of a patient includes a radiation source, a structure adapted to hold a breast of a patient in receiving a radiation from the radiation source, and a vacuum source. The structure includes a member having an interior generally conformal to a shape of the patient's breast when the breast is uncompressed or pendulous. The vacuum source is adapted to provide a negative pressure in the interior of the member, whereby in use of the apparatus with the patient in a supine position, the breast is held in the generally uncompressed shape.

Abstract: A method of constructing a navigation table relating a set of images representative of a region of interest in a subject to a reference system with reference positions indicating known anatomic landmarks of a reference subject comprising providing reference positions for two or more images identified with two or more anatomic landmarks indicative of the region of interest with reference positions of known anatomic landmarks corresponding to the identified anatomic landmarks, and determining reference positions for the remaining images by interpolation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system 10 for irradiating a breast 20 of a patient 22. The system 10 comprises a gantry 12 rotatable about a horizontal axis 14 and comprising a radiation source 16 for generating a radiation beam 18 and a detector 24 spaced from the radiation source 16, and a barrier 26 disposed between the patient 22 and the gantry 12. The barrier 26 is provided with an opening 30 adapted to allow a breast 20 passing therethrough to be exposed to the radiation beam 18. In some embodiments, the barrier 26 is provided with an opening 30 adapted to allow both the breast 20 and the tissue leading from the breast to axilla and the muscle tissue of the adjacent chest wall passing therethrough to be exposed to the radiation beam 18.

Abstract: An image acquisition apparatus includes a conversion layer for generating electrons in response to electromagnetic radiation photons, and a first semiconducting layer adjacent to the conversion layer for generating electron-hole pairs in response to electrons generated by the conversion layer.

Abstract: An image acquisition device having a photoconductor, a substrate including a detector array and an interlayer between the photoconductor and the substrate is disclosed. The interlayer is formed of molecules having a first ligand selectively binding the substrate and a second ligand selectively binding the photoconductor.

Abstract: A method of imaging a patient's uncompressed region of interest using X-ray cone beam computed tomography or cone beam digital tomography comprises the step of introducing an effective amount of a contrast agent to the uncompressed region of interest. A system for imaging a patient's uncompressed region of interest using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) or cone beam digital tomography (CBDT) comprises an X-ray source transmitting an X-ray to the uncompressed region of interest, an image acquisition system acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional projection images data for a CBCT or CBDT data set with at least one of the projection images acquired in 35 milliseconds or less, and a processor generating a three-dimensional computed tomography image data set resolving voxels with dimensions of 0.4 mm or less in at least two orthogonal directions.

Abstract: A method of constructing a navigation table relating a set of images representative of a region of interest in a subject to a reference system with reference positions indicating known anatomic landmarks of a reference subject comprising providing reference positions for two or more images identified with two or more anatomic landmarks indicative of the region of interest with reference positions of known anatomic landmarks corresponding to the identified anatomic landmarks, and determining reference positions for the remaining images by interpolation.

Abstract: A dual pulse imaging method is provided comprising the steps of generating a first image of a region of interest by a first pulse delivering a first dose, generating a second image of the region of interest by a second pulse delivering a second dose different from the first dose, and computing a third image of the region of interest using data from the first and second images. A threshold can be identified for determining data from the first and second images to be used in computing the third image. A dual pulse imaging system is also provided.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for a high resolution radiation treatment system which provide for projecting a field of radiation energy at targeted patient tissue. The system uses a multi-leaf collimator, which is positioned such that a significant clearance is provided between the multi-leaf collimator and the isocenter plane where the targeted tissue is located. The leaves of the multi-leaf collimator are designed to provide for high step resolution in the projected radiation energy shape. Additionally, an embodiment of the system and method herein can provide for a high step resolution in the projected radiation energy shape, and for a dose calculation matrix which has matrix units which coincide with the high step resolution in the projected radiation shape.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system 10 for irradiating a breast 20 of a patient 22. The system 10 comprises a gantry 12 rotatable about a horizontal axis 14 and comprising a radiation source 16 for generating a radiation beam 18 and a detector 24 spaced from the radiation source 16, and a barrier 26 disposed between the patient 22 and the gantry 12. The barrier 26 is provided with an opening 30 adapted to allow a breast 20 passing therethrough to be exposed to the radiation beam 18. In some embodiments, the barrier 26 is provided with an opening 30 adapted to allow both the breast 20 and the tissue leading from the breast to axilla and the muscle tissue of the adjacent chest wall passing therethrough to be exposed to the radiation beam 18.

Abstract: A multicolor particle analyzer and method is described. The particles each of which either naturally fluoresce or are tagged to fluoresce at distinctive wavelengths are caused to flow through an analyzing volume where fluorescence is excited by an impinging light beam. A tunable optical filter repetitively and sequentially passes emitted light at each of the characteristic wavelengths as each particle travels through the analyzing volume and the light transmitted through the optical filter is received by single detector which provides output signals representative of each distinct wavelength of light emitted by the particle.

Abstract: A particle analyzer in which tagged particles to be analyzed are drawn through a suspended capillary tube where a predetermined volume in the capillary tube is illuminated. The illumination scattered by said particles is detected by a detector to count all particles. The fluorescent illumination emitted by tagged particles is detected and the output signals from the fluorescent detectors and scatter detector are processed to provide an analysis of the particles.

Abstract: A method of imaging a patient's uncompressed region of interest using X-ray cone beam computed tomography or cone beam digital tomography comprises the step of introducing an effective amount of a contrast agent to the uncompressed region of interest. A system for imaging a patient's uncompressed region of interest using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) or cone beam digital tomography (CBDT) comprises an X-ray source transmitting an X-ray to the uncompressed region of interest, an image acquisition system acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional projection images data for a CBCT or CBDT data set with at least one of the projection images acquired in 35 milliseconds or less, and a processor generating a three-dimensional computed tomography image data set resolving voxels with dimensions of 0.4 mm or less in at least two orthogonal directions.