Gamma knife is also known as gamma-ray stereotactic radiation therapy system, including the head gamma knife system and the body gamma knife system two major parts. The body gamma knife is developed on the basis of the head gamma knife, in the late 1990s, under the efforts of Chinese scientists, the head gamma knife and body gamma knife into one, the development of the super gamma knife, so that the precise radiotherapy of tumors has taken a great step forward.
Head Gamma Knife is the use of stereotactic technology for precise positioning of intracranial target foci, and then irradiated with a narrow beam of gamma rays to destroy the target tissue, the boundary of the destruction foci sharp as a knife cut, similar to the effect of surgery. Therefore, commonly known as gamma knife, the introduction of head gamma knife is a revolution in neurosurgery, it is minimally invasive, safe and unique efficacy of the medical community attention. In the late 1980s, with the widespread use of stereotactic radiosurgery technology in the world, the gamma knife has become an important means of neurosurgery treatment, respected by the academic community and the patient’s favor.
Gamma knife research is the masterpiece of Swedish neurosurgeon Professor Leksell. Professor Leksell, who has long been engaged in neurosurgery research and clinical work, first put forward the idea of radiosurgery treatment, that is, the use of stereotactic technology to pinpoint the target foci, and then irradiate with high-energy radiation gathering to cause radiation necrosis, while the target area outside the dose decreases rapidly, the damage to normal tissue is very light, so as to achieve the purpose of treating disease. Based on this principle, the world’s first gamma knife was designed and produced in 1968 through the joint efforts of nuclear physicists, radiotherapists and others. It arranged 179 cobalt 60 radiation sources in a hemispherical shape, 179 very thin g-rays centripetal focus irradiation target tissue, so that the irradiated tissue to form a neatly edged disc-shaped necrotic foci, initially mainly used to create small destructive foci in the deep white matter functional areas of the brain or nucleus accumbens to treat functional neurosurgical diseases. CT, MRI and other non-invasive imaging techniques for positioning In the 1990s, China took the lead in the international development of the rotary gamma knife. The rotating gamma knife and super gamma knife use 30 cobalt 60 radiation sources and 30 beams of g-rays to rotate around the center of the target point in a cone. The automatic change of collimator makes the treatment operation easier and less time-consuming, with a higher degree of automation and enhanced protection for patients and doctors.
Body gamma knife is the abbreviation of stereotactic gamma-ray whole body treatment system, is a new technology developed by Chinese scientists on the basis of head gamma knife, is a large medical equipment with conformal function that can implement stereotactic radiation treatment for tumors in all parts of the body. October 1998 began to trial in the clinic, playing an important role in the precise radiation treatment of malignant tumors in the body.
At present, the super gamma knife has been successfully developed and put into clinical trial, super gamma treatment system is a new type of stereotactic whole body radiation therapy equipment developed on the basis of the existing head gamma knife system and body gamma knife system mature technology. It is in line with the development trend of “three highs and one low” of high precision, high dose, high efficacy and low damage of radiation therapy. Super gamma treatment system widely absorbed the technical advantages of existing stereotactic radiotherapy equipment (such as head gamma knife, body gamma knife and X knife, etc.), to achieve the true sense of stereotactic gamma ray “whole body” treatment system.