The Technology
GammaPod is the world’s first stereotactic radiotherapy system optimized for treating breast cancer.
The GammaPod system is composed of the treatment delivery system, the stereotactic localization and immobilization device, prone patient loading systems and a treatment planning system.
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Treatment Delivery System
Treatment Delivery System
The GammaPod irradiation unit sits beneath the treatment couch, so patients are positioned above the sources for treatment delivery.
How it Works
- Multisource Cobalt-60 stereotactic radiotherapy system
- Continuously rotates during treatment, creating thousands of beam angles.
- Individual beams converge to create an intense focal spot, delivering the full dose to the target while sparing surrounding healthy tissue
- 25mm and 15mm collimators dynamically change during treatment.
- Table motion during treatment enables dynamic dose painting as the target moves across the focal spot in three dimensions.
Breast Immobilization and Localization
Stereotactic Breast Cup System
Stereotactic radiotherapy requires a high degree of precision to ensure accurate dose delivery. The GammaPod uses a first of its kind vacuum-assisted, dual-cup system that adheres noninvasively to the breast.
The GammaPod breast cup system provides breast tissue immobilization, serves as a stereotactic frame and enables reproducible setup between imaging and treatment.
System Components
Inner Cup
Flange
Outer Cup
How it works
- Patients are custom fit with the appropriately sized inner cup
- Inner cup is joined via a silicone flange to a rigid outer cup containing an embedded stereotactic fiducial wire
- Adhesive on the flange helps the device adhere to the patient
- Attached suction pump evacuates the air from between the cups to provide a stable immobilization
Prone Patient Positioning
GammaPod Patient Treatment Loader
GammaPod Patient Imager Loader
Clinical trials have found that prone positioning for breast cancer radiotherapy offers multiple benefits.1 The affected breast naturally falls away from chest wall and treatments can be designed to limit dose to the heart and lungs.
The GammaPod uses prone patient loaders in the imaging and treatment rooms to quickly and comfortably set up patients in the prone position. Providing reproducible setup at the time of imaging and treatment obviates the need for in-room image guidance.
How it works
- Patients step onto the loader wearing the breast cup, which fits through an aperture in the couch and is securely docked in place
- Smooth rotation of the couch seamlessly moves patients from the standing to prone position
- For the Imager Loader, the CT table receives the couch and patient, which is then positioned for scanning
- For the Treatment Loader, the GammaPod receives the couch and patient, which is then positioned for treatment
1 Formenti, S. C., DeWyngaert, J. K., Jozsef, G., & Goldberg, J. D. (2012). Prone vs Supine Positioning for Breast Cancer Radiotherapy. JAMA, 308(9), 861–863.
Treatment Planning
Treatment Planning
The GammaPod treatment planning system (TPS) uses sophisticated Monte Carlo dose calculations, the gold standard in radiotherapy, to create a dynamic path along which the couch will travel during the delivery of the prescribed dose. To accommodate the scan-plan-treat clinical workflow, the TPS provides clinicians with tools for quickly creating a new treatment plan each day based on changes to the target and anatomy.
How It Works
- Single-click localization of the stereotactic fiducial wire
- Intuitive contouring tools for defining the GTV with interpolation between image slices
- Easy creation of uniform margin expansion to define PTV
- Rapid optimization based on plan goals
Following approval, plans are transported to the treatment control system for verification and delivery.
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