Abstract: A method of performing microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) includes delivering a dose only to selected tissue in a target volume (10) with continuous broad beam, first, by interleaving arrays of microplanar beams (30,36) only at the target (10). Administered contrast agents can supplement the effect by preferentially increasing the target dose relative to dose in normal tissue. A broad beam effect is alternatively created using non-interleaving microbeam array(s) with scattering agents administered to selected tissue that preferentially increase valley dose (69) within target to approximate broad beam. The methods of interleaving microbeams are also applied to treat diseases and conditions by ablating at least a portion of selected tissue, or by damaging blood-brain barrier for efficient drug and/or cell administration.

Abstract: A method of performing radiation therapy includes delivering a therapeutic dose such as X-ray only to a target (e.g., tumor) with continuous broad beam (or in-effect continuous) using arrays of parallel planes of radiation (microbeams/microplanar beams). Microbeams spare normal tissues, and when interlaced at a tumor, form a broad-beam for tumor ablation. Bidirectional interlaced microbeam radiation therapy (BIMRT) uses two orthogonal arrays with inter-beam spacing equal to beam thickness. Multidirectional interlaced MRT (MIMRT) includes irradiations of arrays from several angles, which interleave at the target. Contrast agents, such as tungsten and gold, are administered to preferentially increase the target dose relative to the dose in normal tissue. Lighter elements, such as iodine and gadolinium, are used as scattering agents in conjunction with non-interleaving geometries of array(s) (e.g.