Hybrid Linac-MRI System: New Medical Imaging Combines Medical Linear Accelerators And Magnetic Resonance Imagers

ScienceDaily (July 30, 2009) — Canadian scientists at the University of Alberta's Cross Cancer Institute are developing a new technology that integrates two existing medical devices -- medical linear accelerators, or "linacs," which produce powerful X-rays for treating cancer, and magnetic resonance imagers (MRIs), which are widely used to image tumors in the human body.

The proposed hybrid Linac-MR system promises to help doctors treat certain types of cancer by allowing them to accurately monitor moving tumors in people's lungs and other soft tissues such as the liver or prostate in real time while the radiation treatment is ongoing. Though the new technology is not yet available in the clinic, the Canadian scientists have now demonstrated its feasibility for the near future.

In related research, a group from Stanford University is determining the specifications for how the new technology can be used. Both groups will discuss their latest findings at the 51st meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), which takes place from July 26 - 30, 2009 in Anaheim, California.

source: Science Daily Press`Release