Irradiation of Small Structures Through the Intact Skull

Abstract

Narrow beams of penetrating ionizing radiation may be used to transfer radiation energy to affect small, well circumscribed tissue volumes in the depth of the brain for functional neurosurgery and for treatment of small benign tumours.This kind of 'neurosurgical' operations through the intact skull is considered to give essential advantages over existing so-called 'open' methods ( LEKSELL 195 1, 1966).The physical conditions for the use of ionizing radiation for these purposes are today relatively wellknown, mainly through the work with the cyclotrons at Berkeley and at Uppsala (LARSSON 1962, LAWRENCE et coll.1962, TOBIAS et coll.1964, LARSSON & SARBY 1975) but, unfortunately, there exists no suitable construction that permits routine use in the hospital.The technical and physical aspects of this problem have therefore been considered and a 6OCo apparatus proposed.The work was done in close collaboration with the neurosurgeon (LEKSELL 197 1).