Shielding requirements on-site loading and acceptance testing on the Leksell gamma knife

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-3016(90)90117-3· OSTI ID:6938271

Maitz, A H; Lunsford, L D; Wu, A; Lindner, G; Flickinger, J C ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, PA (USA)

On August 14, 1987, the first stereotactic radiosurgical procedure using the gamma knife was performed in North America. Located in a self-contained radiosurgical suite in the basement of Presbyterian-University Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This device uses 201 highly focused beams 60Co for the single-treatment closed-skull irradiation of brain lesions localized by stereotactic techniques (radiosurgery). One hundred and fifty-two patients with intracranial arteriovenous malformations or brain tumors were treated in the first year of operation. The Presbyterian University Hospital of Pittsburgh gamma knife is the first such unit in which the 60Co sources were loaded on-site. This effort required us to solve some difficult and unusual problems encountered during site preparation, delivery, and loading of the unit in a busy hospital setting. The solutions developed enabled installation and use of the gamma knife with minimal disruption of hospital activities while maintaining acceptable levels of exposure to radiation. Environmental surveys performed during the loading of the 201 radioactive sources (total, 219 TBq) confirmed that on-site loading is possible and practical. Our experience in the design, construction, and implementation of the first North American gamma knife supports the practicality and safety of on-site loading and may be of value in the planning and development of future gamma knife installations.

• OSTI ID: 6938271
• Journal Information: International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics; (USA), Vol. 18:2; ISSN 0360-3016
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BRAIN
NEOPLASMS
RADIOTHERAPY
BIOLOGICAL SHIELDING
COBALT 60
GAMMA RADIATION
IRRADIATION PROCEDURES
MAN
PATIENTS
PENNSYLVANIA
RADIATION PROTECTION
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
COBALT ISOTOPES
DISEASES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FEDERAL REGION III
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MEDICINE
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANS
PRIMATES
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
SHIELDING
THERAPY
USA
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOT
550603* - Medicine- External Radiation in Therapy- (1980-)