Radiation therapy is one of the most common procedures across a variety of types of cancers. Beams of radiation, or high-energy photons, are directed at cancerous cells to damage DNA and ultimately kill and prevent growth of cancer cells. One main drawback to radiation therapy is that healthy tissues are damaged as well, so being able to minimize dosing is crucial. Presently, computer modeling allows for prediction of dose distribution; however, it cannot accurately account for positioning, minor movements, and intrapersonal variability in body structure. The current solution to this problem is the use of implanted dosimeters placed near the site of irradiation. 

To overcome these challenges, the group has developed  a “smart bandage" dosimeter based on organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), called RAD-OFET. This flexible "smart bandage" dosimeter combines high sensitivity with tissue-equivalent materials to deliver accurate, non-invasive radiation monitoring during therapy.

 

The university is actively supporting commercialization of this technology and is seeking partners interested in radiation monitoring and dosimetry solutions. Researchers and commercial partners interested in advancing this technology should contact the university's technology transfer office to discuss licensing opportunities.

Technology Overview

Current Challenges

While radiation therapy is highly effective for treating many cancers, accurately delivering the intended dose remains challenging. Existing dose-planning models cannot fully account for patient positioning, movement, or anatomical variability during treatment, which can lead to unintended radiation exposure of healthy tissues. Current solutions often rely on implanted dosimeters, creating a need for non-invasive, real-time dosimetry technologies that can more accurately monitor delivered radiation doses.

Our Innovation

RAD-OFET works was a large “smart bandage” that conforms to the contours of the skin. OFETs can be designed from tissue equivalent matters, making them similar to the body allowing for high precision while reducing complexity. Additionally, they are thin enough to avoid altering the desired dose. These RAD-OFETs will provide instantaneous feedback to understand the dose of radiation being distributed, while being non-invasive. Ultimately, this technology can improve the accuracy, safety, and efficacy of radiation treatments to reduce side effects and speed up the recovery process.

This invention allows for more precise monitoring, in a less invasive way, than the current standard-of-care. The maximal sensitivity currently achieved by the RAD-OFET is 2.2•107 µC Gy-1cm-3, which is well within the range of typical medical imaging and therapy.

Benefits of this Technology

RAD-OFET has the following advantages over current dosimeters:

  • The organic layer of the OFET is similar to human tissues, allowing for more accurate dosimetry
  • The OFET is flexible and can conform to contours of the body non-invasively
  • Allows for radiation to pass through the RAD-OFET to accurately measure the dose

Stage of Development

The RAD-OFET radiation dosimetry platform has been developed and is undergoing active performance optimization and validation. Current efforts are focused on characterizing device sensitivity, dynamic range, and the scale up of array size. Early studies have demonstrated the feasibility of the tissue-equivalent, flexible dosimeter design, supporting its continued development as a wearable, real-time radiation monitoring solution for radiotherapy applications.