Glossary

BNCT: Boron Neutron Capture Therapy — boron reacts with thermal neutrons. The NeuCure BNCT-system by SHI has approval as medical device in Japan after several years of clinical trials. It is the only clinically operational commercial BNCT system today

Bragg Peak: Dose peak at the end of the range of the charged particle beam. Used to optimize dose distribution of proton and light ion beams. More about Bragg Peak.

Cyclotron: Isochronous cyclotrons are designed to emit a steady particle beam with high energy and high current.

ESS: Energy Selection System, AKA Degrader comprises of energy degrader and beam purification bend before the nozzle. Determines the energy i.e. depth of the Bragg Peak.

Gantry: Structure to rotate a beamline to allow ideally 360 degrees of treatment angels. The Gantry holds bending magnets and nozzle to deliver radiation precisely.

IMT:  Integrated Medical Technologies Inc. makes nice phantoms and QA tools. See imtqa.com.

LIONESS: Light ION Energy Selection System — Energy selection system for charged  particles from a cyclotron. Adjusts range of different light ion beams’ Bragg Peak.

Light Ions: In particle therapy.

MeV: Kinetic energy measured in MegaelectronVolts.

MR-Linac: Combining 8 FPS MR cine during treatments with sharp radiation beams, the MRIdian Linac from ViewRay is used to treat moving targets in critical locations with high doses.

NEUCURE: First and only commercially available (in Japan) clinical BNCT product consist of a cyclotron accelerator and beryllium target from SUMITOMO, boron compound for injection by Stella Pharma, and RayStation TPS from Raysearch.

OAR: Organs At Risk — Avoidance structures in treatment planning.

OIS: Oncology Information System = patient data archive and network.

Photons / X-Rays, are used in conventional radiotherapy with linear accelerators.

Protons, Proton Therapy is a specialized sub-discipline of radiation therapy and radiosurgery, offering the dosimetric advantages of the Bragg Peak . 

PSI: Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen near Zurich, Switzerland.

QA and QC: Rigorous Quality Assurance and Quality Control are key to accurate and safe delivery of tumoricidal radiation doses. The phantoms from IMTQA do a great job as pseudo patients for end to end verification of dose deliveries.

SOBP: Spread Out Bragg Peak = achieved by superposition of proton beams with varying energy.

SRS: Stereotactic radiosurgery of the brain, head and neck. High precision, high dose, single fraction or few fractions.

Superconducting: So cool that there is no resistance.

TSL — The Svedberg Laboratory: Research particle accelerator at Uppsala University 1951-2016. The  first animal experiments with stereotactic radiosurgery, and the first human cancer treatments with proton therapy were performed at the Svedberg Laboratory using the  Gustav Werner cyclotron in 1957.

TLA: Three letter acronym — like TSL, SRS, ESS, MRL, PSI, TPS, ZAP, SHI, OIS, OAR, MeV,MRI, PET, CIA, FBI, FAQ. LMT (Lioness MedTech), TSS.

TSS — Training Support Specialists: Clinical and technical specialist training ensures smooth and efficient ramp-up and operations of your new precision radiation technology.

TPS: Treatment Planning System = computerized calculation of the dose distribution and development of treatment technique and strategy. Based on CT and MRI images and dose optimization and calculation algorithms.

ZAP-X: Futuristic self-shielded new radiosurgery system with 3 MV linac. Design to spread radiosurgery to benefit more patients.