APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING NANOPARTICLE-ASSISTED EXTERNAL BEAM RADIOTHERAPY AND METHOD CARRIED OUT USING SAID APPARATUS

摘要

An apparatus for performing nanoparticle-assisted external beam radiotherapy includes an X-ray spectrometer having an optical axis, an X-ray filter, and a mobile holding structure suitable for holding the X-ray filter and the X-ray spectrometer in a first and a second relative position, and for switching from the first to the second relative position while simultaneously allowing the positioning of a patient body part in a target region including a target point; wherein: the first and second relative positions of the X-ray filter and the X-ray spectrometer are such that an X-ray beam emitted from the X-ray source crosses the X-ray filter before reaching the target point, a propagation direction of the X-ray beam forming an angle θ different from 0° and 180° with the optical axis of the X-ray spectrometer; and the second relative position is obtained by inverting the relative positions of the X-ray filter and of the X-ray spectrometer with respect to the patient body part. A method of determining an X-ray dose delivered at a region of a patient body using the apparatus is provided.