SU-F-T-505: A Novel Approach for Sparing Critical Organs at Risk for Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Oncology Treatments.

PURPOSE: A major goal of an effective radiation treatment plan is to deliver the maximum dose to the tumor while minimizing radiation exposure to the surrounding normal structures. For example, due to the radiation exposure to neighboring critical structures during prostate cancer treatment, a significant increase in cancer risk was observed for the bladder (77%) and the rectum (105%) over the following decade. Consequently, an effective treatment plan necessitates limiting the exposure to such organs which can best be achieved by physically displacing the organ at-risk. The goal of this study is to present a prototype for an organ re-positioner device designed and fabricated to physically move the rectum away from the path of radiation beam during external beam and brachytherapy treatments. This device affords patient comfort and provides a fully controlled motion to safely relocate the rectum during treatment.

METHODS: The NiTi shape memory alloy was designed and optimized for manufacturing a rectal re-positioner device through cooling and heating the core alloy for its shaping. This has been achieved through a prototyped custom designed electronic circuit in order to induce the reversible austenitic transformation and was tested rigorously to ensure the integrity of the actuated motion in displacement of the target anatomy.

RESULTS: The desirable NiTi shape-setting was configured for easy insertion and based on anatomical constraint. When the final prototype was evaluated, accuracy and precision of the maximum displacement and temperature changes revealed that the device could safely be used within the target anatomy.

CONCLUSION: The organ re-positioner device is a promising tool that can be implemented in clinical setting. It provides a controlled and safe displacement of the delicate organ(s) at risk. The location of the organ being treated could also be identified using conventional onboard imaging devices or MV imaging available on-board most modern clinical accelerators.