Experiences with an application of industrial robotics for accurate patient positioning in proton radiotherapy.

Background: Protons beams deliver targeted radiation doses with greater precision than is possible with electrons or megavoltage X-ray photons, but to retain this advantage, patient positioning systems at proton clinics must meet tighter accuracy requirements. For this and other reasons, robots were incorporated into the treatment room systems at MPRI.

Methods: The Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute (MPRI) is the first radiotherapy facility in the United States to use commercial robots with six degrees of freedom for patient positioning, rather than a traditional bed with four degrees of freedom.

Results: This paper outlines the ways in which robots are used at MPRI and attempts to distil insights from the experience of treating over 200 radiotherapy patients with a robotic system from February 2004 to late 2006.

Conclusions: The system has performed well, and with great reliability, but there is room for future improvement, especially in ease of use and in reducing the time to get patients into position.