The CyberKnife System is a

radiation therapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Rad ...

device manufactured by Accuray Incorporated. The system is used to deliver

radiosurgery Radiosurgery is surgery using radiation, that is, the destruction of precisely selected areas of tissue using ionizing radiation rather than excision with a blade. Like other forms of radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy), it is usually u ...

for the treatment of benign tumors,

malignant tumors Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...

and other medical conditions.

Device

The device combines a compact

linear accelerator A linear particle accelerator (often shortened to linac) is a type of particle accelerator that accelerates charged subatomic particles or ions to a high speed by subjecting them to a series of oscillating electric potentials along a linear b ...

mounted on a

robotic Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integra ...

manipulator and an integrated image guidance system. The image guidance system acquires

stereoscopic Stereoscopy (also called stereoscopics, or stereo imaging) is a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis for binocular vision. The word ''stereoscopy'' derives . Any stereoscopic image is ...

kV images during treatment, tracks tumor motion and guides the robotic manipulator to precisely and accurately align the treatment beam to the moving tumor. The system is designed for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). The system is also used for select 3D conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

History

The system was invented by Stanford University and Peter and Russell Schonberg of Schonberg Research Corporation. It was a development of the first 3D irradiation treatment realized with a linear accelerator producing 4 MeV X rays at that time still used only on planar dimensions as a CAT, by the physicist Renzo Carlo Avanzo in the hospital of Vicenza (Italy). The Cyberknife was the first dedicated linear accelerator increasing precision and decreasing the time of the treatment. The first system was installed at Stanford University in 1991 and was cleared by the

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...

for clinical investigation in 1994. After years of clinical investigation the FDA cleared the system for the treatment of intracranial tumors in 1999 and for the treatment of tumors anywhere in the body in 2001. Since the original design, Accuray Incorporated released seven CyberKnife System models over the years: the CyberKnife G3 System in 2005, the CyberKnife G4 System in 2007, the CyberKnife VSI System in 2009, the CyberKnife M6 System in 2012, and the CyberKnife S7 System in 2020.

Clinical application

The system is used to treat

tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

s of the

pancreas The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a gland. The pancreas is a mixed or heterocrine gland, i.e. it has both an end ...

liver The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it ...

prostate The prostate is both an accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found only in some mammals. It differs between species anatomically, chemically, and phys ...

, spine, cancer of the

throat In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the front part of the neck, internally positioned in front of the vertebrae. It contains the pharynx and larynx. An important section of it is the epiglottis, separating the esophagus from the trachea (windpi ...

and

brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in ...

, and

benign tumor A benign tumor is a mass of cells (tumor) that does not invade neighboring tissue or metastasize (spread throughout the body). Compared to malignant (cancerous) tumors, benign tumors generally have a slower growth rate. Benign tumors have re ...

References

External links

Accuray Inc.

Device

History

Clinical application

See also

References

External links

Further reading