1) a robot which can point the linear accelerator from a wide variety of angles. In fact, the CyberKnife can strike the tumor from over 1200 angles. The tumor is hit from multiple angles many times, so that the cumulative radiation dose is much more intense than standard radiation therapy or IMRT—killing the tumor cells as effectively as if they had been removed by conventional surgery. The radiation beams can conform to small, complex-shaped tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
2) several x-ray cameras that are combined with powerful software to track patient position. The
cameras obtain frequent pictures of the patient during treatment, and use this information to target the radiation beam emitted by the linear accelerator.
For example, when a patient moves during treatment, the change in position is detected by the cameras, and the robot compensates in 'real time', ensuring that the radiation is accurately hitting the target (tumor) throughout treatment. In fact, the Synchrony Respiration Tracking System allows the robotic arm to move in time with a patient's breathing. Now, radiosurgery is possible on any tissue that moves with respiration, such as the lung and pancreas, without breath-holding or other gating methods. No other local device can do this.
In short, the CyberKnife System has proven to be the most accurate, image-guided robotic radiosurgery system in the world. What's more, the simple outpatient procedure allows patients to undergo their treatment, without pain, and immediately resume normal activities.
