Abstract: A radiation therapy medical apparatus is disclosed. The medical apparatus comprises: a base; a cylindrical gantry, peripherally and rotatably supported by the base; a radiation therapy assembly, comprising an arm and a radiation head, wherein one end of the arm is fixed to a first position on a first side of the gantry and the other end thereof is extended outwardly, and the radiation head is fixed to the other end of the arm; an imaging assembly, mounted to a second side of the gantry opposite to the first side, and configured to be a first balanced weight part for balancing the radiation therapy assembly; and a counterbalance, fixed to the second side of the gantry, and configured to cooperate with the imaging assembly to prevent the gantry from turnover under action of the radiation therapy assembly and configured to dynamically balance with the radiation therapy assembly with respect to a rotation axis of the gantry.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for assessing endothelial function in a mammal. In certain embodiments the methods involve using a cuff to apply pressure to an artery in a subject to determine a plurality of baseline values for a parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (Pm); b) applying a stimulus to the subject; and applying external pressure Pm to the artery to determine a plurality of stimulus-effected values for the parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (Pm); where the baseline values are determined from measurements made when said mammal is not substantially effected by said stimulus and differences in said baseline values and said stimulus-effected values provide a measure of endothelial function in said mammal.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for assessing endothelial function in a mammal.

Abstract: A system includes acquisition of a three-dimensional computed tomography image of a patient volume at a computed tomography scanner, acquisition of projection images of the patient volume located at an isocenter of a linear accelerator, and determination of a transformation between a coordinate system of the linear accelerator and a coordinate system of the three-dimensional computed tomography image based on the projection images.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for assessing endothelial function in a mammal. The methods involve applying to the artery a substantially constant external pressure, where the pressure is provided via a cuff adjacent to and/or around a region of the mammal's body; determining, over the course of one or more cardiac cycles, changes in pressure in the cuff resulting from cardiac activity of the mammal to establish a baseline value for a parameter related to endothelial function in the mammal; applying a stimulus to the mammal; determining, over the course of one or more cardiac cycles, changes in pressure in the cuff resulting from cardiac activity of the mammal to establish a stimulus-effected value for a parameter related to endothelial function in the mammal; wherein differences in the baseline value and the stimulus-effected value provide a measure of endothelial function in the mammal.

Abstract: A “relaxoscope” (100) detects the degree of arterial endothelial function. Impairment of arterial endothelial function is an early event in atherosclerosis and correlates with the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. An artery (115), such as the brachial artery (BA) is measured for diameter before and after several minutes of either vasoconstriction or vasorelaxation. The change in arterial diameter is a measure of flow-mediated vasomodification (FMVM). The relaxoscope induces an artificial pulse (128) at a superficial radial artery (115) via a linear actuator (120). An ultrasonic Doppler stethoscope (130) detects this pulse 10-20 cm proximal to the point of pulse induction (125). The delay between pulse application and detection provides the pulse transit time (PTT). By measuring PTT before (160) and after arterial diameter change (170), FMVM may be measured based on the changes in PTT caused by changes in vessel caliber, smooth muscle tone and wall thickness.

Abstract: A system includes acquisition of a three-dimensional computed tomography image of a patient volume at a computed tomography scanner, acquisition of projection images of the patient volume located at an isocenter of a linear accelerator, and determination of a transformation between a coordinate system of the linear accelerator and a coordinate system of the three-dimensional computed tomography image based on the projection images.

Abstract: A system includes determination of a model of a trajectory of a target volume, determination of a treatment plan identifying a portion of the trajectory of the target volume and an irradiation field corresponding to the portion of the trajectory, the portion of the trajectory commencing at a control point of the trajectory, control of a collimator to restrict a treatment beam to the irradiation field, monitoring of the trajectory of the target volume until it is determined that the trajectory is at the control point, and delivery of the treatment beam to the irradiation field in response to determining that the trajectory of the target volume is at the control point.

Abstract: A system includes determination of a model of a trajectory of a target volume, determination of a treatment plan identifying a portion of the trajectory of the target volume and an irradiation field corresponding to the portion of the trajectory, the portion of the trajectory commencing at a control point of the trajectory, control of a collimator to restrict a treatment beam to the irradiation field, monitoring of the trajectory of the target volume until it is determined that the trajectory is at the control point, and delivery of the treatment beam to the irradiation field in response to determining that the trajectory of the target volume is at the control point.

Abstract: A system may include transmission of an activation beam to one or more non-radioactive elements disposed in a patient volume, wherein the elements become radioactive in response to the activation beam, detection of radiation emitted by the one or more now-radioactive elements, determination of respective locations of the one or more now-radioactive elements based on the detected radiation, and transmission of a treatment beam to the patient volume based on the respective locations.

Abstract: A system may include a conductive substrate, a plurality of conductive nanostructures disposed on a first side of the conductive substrate, an insulating substrate, and a plurality of electrodes disposed on a first side of the insulating substrate. The first side of the conductive substrate faces the first side of the insulating substrate, and each of the plurality of electrodes is electrically connected to the conductive substrate. In other aspects, a system may include a first insulating substrate and a second insulating substrate, where a first side of the first insulating substrate faces a first side of the second insulating substrate, and each of a first plurality of electrodes is electrically connected to a respective one of a second plurality of electrodes.

Abstract: Some embodiments include determination of a first projection image of a phantom based on first imaging geometry parameters associated with a first radiation-based imaging system and on a virtual model of the phantom, acquisition of a second projection image of the phantom based on radiation emitted from the first radiation-based imaging system, the phantom located at a first position and determination of a difference between the first projection image and the second projection image. Second imaging geometry parameters are determined based on the first imaging geometry parameters and the difference between the first projection image and the second projection image, a third projection image of the phantom is determined based on the second imaging geometry parameters and on the virtual model of the phantom, and a fourth projection image of the phantom located at the first position is acquired based on radiation emitted from the first radiation-based imaging system.

Abstract: A system and method for tomosynthesis, the method including emitting a respective imaging x-ray from each of a plurality of imaging x-ray sources disposed in a fixed relation with respect to one another, acquiring x-ray absorption projections of an object, each of the x-ray absorption projections associated with an imaging x-ray emitted by a respective one of the plurality of imaging x-ray sources, and performing digital tomosynthesis using the x-ray absorption projections to generate a cross-sectional image of the object.

Abstract: A system and method for tomosynthesis, the method including emitting a respective imaging x-ray from each of a plurality of imaging x-ray sources disposed in a fixed relation with respect to one another, acquiring x-ray absorption projections of an object, each of the x-ray absorption projections associated with an imaging x-ray emitted by a respective one of the plurality of imaging x-ray sources, and performing digital tomosynthesis using the x-ray absorption projections to generate a cross-sectional image of the object.

Abstract: Some embodiments include determination of a first projection image of a phantom based on first imaging geometry parameters associated with a first radiation-based imaging system and on a virtual model of the phantom, acquisition of a second projection image of the phantom based on radiation emitted from the first radiation-based imaging system, the phantom located at a first position, and determination of a difference between the first projection image and the second projection image. Second imaging geometry parameters are determined based on the first imaging geometry parameters and the difference between the first projection image and the second projection image, a third projection image of the phantom is determined based on the second imaging geometry parameters and on the virtual model of the phantom, and a fourth projection image of the phantom located at the first position is acquired based on radiation emitted from the first radiation-based imaging system.

Abstract: A system may include determination of a first scatter kernel based on a first energy, a material-equivalent radiological thickness and a first diameter, wherein the first scatter kernel is not a monotonically decreasing function of radial coordinate, determination of a second scatter kernel based on the first energy, the material-equivalent radiological thickness and a second diameter greater than the first diameter, determination of a third scatter kernel based on the first scatter kernel and the second scatter kernel, wherein the third scatter kernel is a monotonically decreasing function of radial coordinate, and estimation of scatter radiation within the projection image of the object based on the third scatter kernel.

Abstract: Some embodiments include an accelerator waveguide to generate an accelerated radiation beam, and a housing to house to accelerator waveguide. The housing may include an interface to couple the housing to and to decouple the housing from a movable support. Some aspects include coupling a first interface of a housing to a first interface of a movable support, and uncoupling the first interface of the housing from the first interface of the movable support, wherein the housing includes an accelerator waveguide to generate an accelerated radiation beam.

Abstract: A system may include a biocompatible housing and an electrical circuit disposed within the housing, the electrical circuit to emit a radiofrequency signal, and wherein the electrical circuit does not comprise a metal. Also included may be a signal generator to generate a wireless signal to trigger the electrical circuit, a receiver to receive a wireless response signal generated by the triggered electrical circuit, a processor to determine a location of the biocompatible housing based on the wireless response signal, and a ion beam source to deliver a ion beam to a patient volume including the biocompatible housing.

Abstract: Some embodiments include creation of projection images of a patient volume using one or more x-ray sources, performance of digital tomosynthesis on the projection images to generate a cross-sectional image of the patient volume, determination of a location of a target within the patient volume based on the cross-sectional image, determination of a location of a Bragg peak associated with an ion beam, and determination of a difference between the location of the target and the location of the Bragg peak. In some aspects, the patient volume is moved to move the target toward the location of the Bragg peak based on the difference. Additionally or alternatively, one or more characteristics of the ion beam may be changed to move the location of the Bragg peak toward the location of the target based on the difference. The one or more radiation sources may comprise a plurality of x-ray sources disposed in a fixed relationship to each other.

Abstract: Some embodiments include a support movable with at least four degrees of freedom, a therapeutic radiation source coupled to the support, a plurality of radiation sources disposed in a fixed relationship to each other, the plurality of radiation sources movable in the fixed relationship with at least four degrees of freedom, a detector to acquire a projection image based on radiation emitted from one of the plurality of radiation sources, and a processor to perform digital tomosynthesis on the projection image acquired by the detector and a plurality of other projection images to generate a cross-sectional image representing a plane viewed from a perspective of the therapeutic radiation source.