Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] The present invention relates to the field of medical science, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an intravaginal slab phantom with air-pockets.
BACKGROUND FOR THE INVENTION:
[002] The following discussion of the background to the invention is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgment or admission that any of the material referred to is published, known, or part of the common general knowledge in any jurisdiction as of the priority date of the application. The details provided herein the background if belongs to any publication is taken only as a reference for describing the problems, in general terminologies or principles or both of science and technology in the associated prior art.
[003] In recent years, there has been a growing need for realistic simulations in the field of medical training, research, and quality assurance. One particularly challenging area is the simulation of endometrial cancer patients, specifically with cancinoma endometrium. For effective training, treatment planning, and advancement of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, the availability of a high-fidelity phantom that accurately replicates the characteristics and complexities of ca endometrium patients is crucial.
[004] Vagina is a folded organ like shaped like “dog ear” and after hysterectomy of patient the vaginal vault might not be cylindrical or perfectly smooth therefore while inserting the dome shaped vaginal cylinder air pockets can generate in between the vaginal vault and vaginal mucosa. Due to the generation of air pockets the dose to the vaginal vault or vaginal mucosa (target volume) can reduce significantly which causes the treatment failure.
[005] In light of the foregoing, there is a need for an intravaginal slab phantom with air-pockets that overcomes problems prevalent in the prior art.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:
[006] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows.
[007] The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an intravaginal slab phantom with air-pockets.
[008] An object of the present invention is to provide an intravaginal slab phantom with air-pockets that hat accurately simulates ca endometrium patients with the presence of air pockets.
[009] Another object of the present invention is to provide an intravaginal slab phantom with air-pockets that aims to provide a valuable tool for a range of applications, including training, treatment planning, dosimetric analysis, research, quality assurance, procedural simulations, and evaluation of imaging techniques related to endometrial cancer.
[010] Another object of the present invention is to provide the Intravaginal slab phantom with air-pockets that purposes a PMMA (Poly Methyl Methacrylate) vaginal phantom manufactured for simulating the treatment position of ca endometrial patient with central vaginal applicator.
[011] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide the Intravaginal slab phantom with air-pockets, wherein air cavities of different volume are introduced around the central vaginal applicator at different locations to simulate the treatment condition of intra vaginal patient.
[012] Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
[013] The present invention provides an intravaginal slab phantom with air-pockets.
[014] In one aspect of the present invention, an intravaginal slab phantom with air-pockets, the phantom includes a central cuboid, adjoining cubic slabs, a bladder slab (B), a rectum slab (R), and optionally air cavities; wherein total number of slabs used for fabrication of Phantom is 30.
[015] In another aspect of the present invention the central cuboid and other cuboids are made rectangle and smooth on edges to make perfect contact and avoid any air gap in between phantom and dosimetric Gaf-chromic films.
[016] In another aspect of the present invention the Gaf-Cromic EBT3 films are used as dosimeter in phantom.
[017] In another aspect of the present invention the dimensions of central cuboid is (L*w*t) 8cm x 3cm x 3cm with a central groove of 1mm diameter for source insertion and 3cm diameter (2cm in length) dome shaped applicator with 3 ovoids (each 2 cm length) is used in patients therefore the central groove length and width is decided 3cm*3cm and length 8cm.
[018] In another aspect of the present invention the adjoining cubic slabs around the central cuboid are arranged of 1 cm width for dosimetry and radiation doses are analyzed at 1 cm distance from central cuboid to avoid rapid dose variation.
[019] In another aspect of the present invention the bladder location is assumed at 1 cm distance from central cuboid so above the central cuboid a bladder slab of 13cm* 3cm* 1cm (L*w*t) is placed above the central cuboid.
[020] In another aspect of the present invention the location of rectum is considered 0.5 cm below the central cuboid and has dimension of 13cm* 3cm * 0.5cm (L*w*t).
[021] In another aspect of the present invention the Lymphatic channels in vaginal mucosa lie within 3mm of mucosal surface therefore two air cavities of 0.5 cm (air cavity volume 0.566cc) and 1.0cm (air cavity volume 2.01 cc).
[022] In another aspect of the present invention a Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) is chosen for the phantom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS:
[023] Reference will be made to embodiments of the invention, examples of which may be illustrated in accompanying figures. These figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although the invention is generally described in the context of these embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments.
[024] Figure 1 shows various views of Phantom slabs block diagram without air pockets;
[025] Figure 2 shows various views of Phantom slabs block diagram with air pockets;
[026] Figure 3 (a) shows a cross sectional view of Phantom Setup I (Without air pockets);
[027] Figure 3 (b) shows a Sagittal view of Phantom Setup I (Without air pockets);
[028] Figure 4 (a) shows a cross sectional view of Phantom Setup II (With air pockets); and
[029] Figure 4 (b) shows a Sagittal view of Phantom Setup II (With air pockets).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS:
[030] While the present invention is described herein by way of example using embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments of drawing or drawings described and are not intended to represent the scale of the various components. Further, some components that may form a part of the invention may not be illustrated in certain figures, for ease of illustration, and such omissions do not limit the embodiments outlined in any way. It should be understood that the drawings and the detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.
[031] As used throughout this description, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e. meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense, (i.e. meaning must). Further, the words "a" or "an" mean "at least one” and the word “plurality” means “one or more” unless otherwise mentioned. Furthermore, the terminology and phraseology used herein are solely used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as limiting in scope. Language such as "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," or "involving," and variations thereof, is intended to be broad and encompass the subject matter listed thereafter, equivalents, and additional subject matter not recited, and is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers, or steps. Likewise, the term "comprising" is considered synonymous with the terms "including" or "containing" for applicable legal purposes. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles, and the like are included in the specification solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any or all these matters form part of the prior art base or are common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention.
[032] In this disclosure, whenever a composition or an element or a group of elements is preceded with the transitional phrase “comprising”, it is understood that we also contemplate the same composition, element, or group of elements with transitional phrases “consisting of”, “consisting”, “selected from the group of consisting of, “including”, or “is” preceding the recitation of the composition, element or group of elements and vice versa.
[033] The present invention is described hereinafter by various embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein reference numerals used in the accompanying drawing correspond to the like elements throughout the description. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, the embodiment is provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the following detailed description, numeric values and ranges are provided for various aspects of the implementations described. These values and ranges are to be treated as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. In addition, several materials are identified as suitable for various facets of the implementations. These materials are to be treated as exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
[034] Referring now to Figures 1 to 4(b), the present invention provides an intravaginal slab phantom with air-pockets that accurately simulates ca endometrium patients with the presence of air pockets. The phantom aims to provide a valuable tool for a range of applications, including training, treatment planning, dosimetric analysis, research, quality assurance, procedural simulations, and evaluation of imaging techniques related to endometrial cancer. For this purpose, a PMMA (Poly Methyl Methacrylate) vaginal phantom is manufactured simulating the treatment position of ca endometrial patient with central vaginal applicator. Air cavities of different volume are introduced around the central vaginal applicator at different locations to simulate the treatment condition of intra vaginal patient.
[035] Phantom fabrication: Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) is chosen for the phantom material due to the following properties:
- Density of PMMA-1.18 g/cc (nearly equivalent to water 1g/cc). Human body contains 70% of water therefore we required water equivalent material for radiation dosimetry. PMMA has good degree of compatibility with human tissue.
- PMMA is strong, tough and lightweight material which makes it suitable for use in rough environment also.
- Solid at room temperature.
- Melting point for PMMA ranges from 85`C to 160 `C depending upon the polymerization.
[036] PMMA phantom is composed of different width of cuboids along, upward and downward of the central cuboid to make it a composite homogeneous phantom and to provide maximum scatter and backscatter condition as required for dose measurement (fig 1). The central cuboid and other cuboids are made rectangle and smooth on edges to make perfect contact and avoid any air gap in between phantom and dosimetric Gaf-chromic films. Gaf-Cromic EBT3 films are used as dosimeter in phantom. Its properties are discussed in dosimetry section.
[037] The central cuboid- Dimensions of central cuboid is (L*w*t) 8cm x 3cm x 3cm with a central groove of 1mm diameter for source insertion. Most commonly 3cm diameter (2cm iin length) dome shaped applicator with 3 ovoids (each 2 cm length) is used in patients therefore the central groove length and width is decided 3cm*3cm and length 8cm.
[038] Adjoining cubic slabs with central cuboids: Adjoining cubic slabs around the central cuboid are arranged of 1 cm width for dosimetry. Radiation doses are analyzed at 1 cm distance from central cuboid to avoid rapid dose variation.
[039] Bladder slab (B): After analyzing the patients’ data and from literature the bladder location is assumed at 1 cm distance from central cuboid so above the central cuboid a bladder slab of 13cm* 3cm* 1cm (L*w*t) is placed above the central cuboid.
[040] Rectum slab (R): According to ICRU 38 recommendation and analyzing patient data the location of rectum is considered 0.5 cm below the central cuboid. Rectum slab has dimension of 13cm* 3cm * 0.5cm (L*w*t).
[041] Air cavities: Lymphatic channels in vaginal mucosa lie within 3mm of mucosal surface therefore two air cavities of 0.5 cm (air cavity volume 0.566cc) and 1.0cm (air cavity volume 2.01 cc) is introduced to evaluate the minimum and maximum elevation of vaginal mucosa which could affect the dose difference. Patient data and literature review suggestions also taken into consideration for deciding the volume and diameter of air cavities.
[042] Phantom Design: Combining all the slab the phantom cross-sectional view and sagittal view is as follows: Total number of slabs used for fabrication of Phantom = 30

[043] Air Pocket cylinders should be made according to the defined place in the diagram on the center line of the cuboid and the cylindrical part should be given to the user in a proper condition so that it should be perfect fit in the holes created in the cuboids.
[044] Phantom simulating carcinoma endometrium patient can serve various utilities. Some other potential applications for this phantom include:
- Training and Education: Medical professionals, students, and researchers can use the phantom for training or educational purposes. It can be utilized to practice implant techniques, improve diagnostic skills, or teach others about endometrial cancer.
- Treatment Planning: The phantom can aid in treatment planning for endometrial cancer patients. It can be used to simulate scenarios, test different treatment methods, and evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.
- Radiation Dosimetry: The phantom can be utilized for dose assessment of rectum, bladder and vagina in endometrial cancer and new protocols can be developed for imaging and dose prescription.
- Radiobiological evaluation: The analyzed radiation doses can be utilized for radiobiological evaluation of organ at risk and new protocols for bladder, rectum and vagina can be defined in practical scenario.
- Research and Development: The phantom can be employed in research and development of new diagnostic or treatment techniques for endometrial cancer. It allows researchers to run experiments, collect data, and refine their methods in a controlled setting.
- Quality Assurance: The phantom can be utilized for quality assurance in medical imaging devices or treatment equipment. It allows for regular testing and calibration of machines to ensure accurate and consistent results.
- Procedural Simulations: The phantom can be used to simulate endometrial cancer procedures, such as biopsies or tumor resections. This enables healthcare professionals to practice and refine their skills before performing these procedures on actual patients.
- Evaluating Imaging Techniques: The phantom can serve as a benchmark for evaluating the quality and accuracy of different imaging techniques used in diagnosing endometrial cancer. It allows for direct comparisons and improvements to be made in imaging modalities.
- Cost effective: The phantom is cost effective as PMMA is easily available and can be given desired shape without any toxic substance generation.
- Overall, the phantom can be a versatile tool in the medical field, assisting in training, treatment planning, research, quality assurance, procedural simulations, and evaluating imaging techniques related to endometrial cancer.
[045] The disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein.
[046] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully revealed the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the scope of the embodiments as described herein.
, Claims:We Claim:
1) An intravaginal slab phantom with air-pockets, the phantom comprises a central cuboid, adjoining cubic slabs, a bladder slab (B), a rectum slab (R), and optionally air cavities; wherein total number of slabs used for fabrication of Phantom is 30.
2) The phantom as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central cuboid and other cuboids are made rectangle and smooth on edges to make perfect contact and avoid any air gap in between phantom and dosimetric Gaf-chromic films.
3) The phantom as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Gaf-Cromic EBT3 films are used as dosimeter in phantom.
4) The phantom as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dimensions of central cuboid is (L*w*t) 8cm x 3cm x 3cm with a central groove of 1mm diameter for source insertion and 3cm diameter (2cm in length) dome shaped applicator with 3 ovoids (each 2 cm length) is used in patients therefore the central groove length and width is decided 3cm*3cm and length 8cm.
5) The phantom as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjoining cubic slabs around the central cuboid are arranged of 1 cm width for dosimetry and radiation doses are analyzed at 1 cm distance from central cuboid to avoid rapid dose variation.
6) The phantom as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bladder location is assumed at 1 cm distance from central cuboid so above the central cuboid a bladder slab of 13cm* 3cm* 1cm (L*w*t) is placed above the central cuboid.
7) The phantom as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location of rectum is considered 0.5 cm below the central cuboid and has dimension of 13cm* 3cm * 0.5cm (L*w*t).
8) The phantom as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Lymphatic channels in vaginal mucosa lie within 3mm of mucosal surface therefore two air cavities of 0.5 cm (air cavity volume 0.566cc) and 1.0cm (air cavity volume 2.01 cc).
9) The phantom as claimed in claim 1, wherein a Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) is chosen for the phantom.