Robotics and its applications in stereotactic radiosurgery.

Stereotactic radiosurgery has undergone a remarkable evolution since its conception and the subsequent introduction of image-guided radiosurgery, primarily because of the concurrent advances in imaging and computer technology. However, recent improvements in real-time imaging, inverse planning techniques, and frameless alternatives have greatly enhanced the conformity and accuracy of the radiosurgical procedure. As a consequence, the possibility of hypofractionation is offered, and both intra- and extracranial targets can now be ablated with sustained submillimetric precision. Although all indispensable features, none is as impressive or useful as the incorporation of robotics, robotic beam delivery, or robotic-assisted planning, which has only served to improve the accuracy and homogeneity of therapy. The aim of this article was to describe the general technological basis of robots in radiosurgery and to review current clinical usage of robotic radiosurgery devices. Emphasis has been placed on robotic principles and the various popular applications currently available.

[1]  Martin J Murphy,et al.  Tracking moving organs in real time. , 2004, Seminars in radiation oncology.

[2]  E. Glatstein,et al.  Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy , 2002, Radiation research.

[3]  J. Kresl.  St. Joseph's Hospital and Barrow Neurological Institute stereotactic radiotherapy experience: comparison of Gamma Knife and CyberKnife , 2006 .

[4]  R Mohan,et al.  Three-dimensional conformal treatment: a new frontier in radiation therapy. , 1991, Important advances in oncology.

[5]  Steve Webb,et al.  Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy , 1996, International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics.

[6]  David Wikler,et al.  The role of computer technology in radiosurgery. , 2007, Progress in neurological surgery.

[7]  L. Leksell,et al.  The High-Energy Proton Beam as a Neurosurgical Tool , 1958, Nature.

[8]  Robert Malone,et al.  The Robot Book , 1978 .

[9]  L. Xing,et al.  Overview of image-guided radiation therapy. , 2006, Medical dosimetry : official journal of the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists.

[10]  R. Wilson.  Radiological use of fast protons. , 1946, Radiology.

[11]  A. Frantz,et al.  Proton-beam therapy in acromegaly. , 1968, The New England journal of medicine.

[12]  L. Leksell.  A note on the treatment of acoustic tumours. , 1971, Acta chirurgica Scandinavica.

[13]  M J Murphy,et al.  The Cyberknife: a frameless robotic system for radiosurgery. , 1997, Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery.

[14]  A S Lichter,et al.  Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy: a testable hypothesis. , 1991, International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics.

[15]  F Colombo,et al.  External stereotactic irradiation by linear accelerator. , 1985, Neurosurgery.

[16]  T R Mackie,et al.  History of tomotherapy , 2006, Physics in medicine and biology.

[17]  K. Winston,et al.  A system for stereotactic radiosurgery with a linear accelerator. , 1986, International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics.

[18]  D. Jaffray,et al.  Advances in image-guided radiation therapy. , 2007, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[19]  John R. Adler,et al.  Preliminary Clinical Experience with the Cyberknife: Image-Guided Stereotactic Radiosurgery , 1996 .

[20]  O. Betti,et al.  Radiosurgery with a linear accelerator. Methodological aspects. , 1991, Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery.

[21]  O Betti,et al.  [Multiple-beam stereotaxic irradiation]. , 1983, Neuro-Chirurgie.

[22]  T. Mackie,et al.  Registration of synthetic tomographic projection data sets using cross-correlation , 1998, Physics in medicine and biology.

[23]  Clinical results of three-dimensional conformal irradiation. , 1994, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[24]  J H LAWRENCE,et al.  Pituitary irradiation with high-energy proton beams: a preliminary report. , 1958, Cancer research.

[25]  G. W. Callendine,et al.  Physical considerations in applying cobalt-60 to cancer therapy. , 1950, Nucleonics.

[26]  L. Leksell.  The stereotaxic method and radiosurgery of the brain. , 1951, Acta chirurgica Scandinavica.

[27]  Mark P. Carol,et al.  Peacock™: A system for planning and rotational delivery of intensity‐modulated fields , 1995, Int. J. Imaging Syst. Technol..