Summary
A team of Vanderbilt researchers has developed a novel fiducial marker for use during radiosurgery of the eye. The fiducial is a non-invasive, comfortable method for performing registration of preoperative medical images and the radiotherapy target during therapy. The device aims to remove the need for existing invasive registration procedures, while still providing accurate localization to the clinician.
Addressed Need
Current clinical methods for localizing the eye during stereotactic treatments involve either invasive anesthesia blocks of the eye, crude visual prompts to the patient, or most recently, surgically implanted fiducials to track the eye position at the time of radiation delivery. While implanted fiducials do provide sufficient localization of the eye, they are an invasive measure and a great inconvenience to patients who are ultimately trying to avoid a surgical intervention with radiosurgery. The present technology addresses these concerns with a non-invasive design that has the potential to be used during both the radiation planning and treatment.
Unique Features
- Non-invasive fiducial marker
- No discomfort for the patient
- Able to be seen on both CT and MRI scans
- Removes the need for an additional surgery
Technology Development Status
A prototype of the device has been created. Additional testing and device refinement is ongoing.
Intellectual Property Status
A patent application has been filed.