{"id":8519,"date":"2023-02-01T11:05:34","date_gmt":"2023-02-01T14:05:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/?p=8519"},"modified":"2026-03-28T12:29:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T15:29:56","slug":"immobilization-devices-for-radiotherapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/immobilization-devices-for-radiotherapy\/","title":{"rendered":"Immobilization devices for radiotherapy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Radiotherapy is a common cancer treatment that uses high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. In order to deliver the radiation accurately and effectively, it is crucial that the patient remains in the same position throughout the treatment course. This is where immobilization devices come into play. Immobilization devices are used to keep the patient’s body in a stable, reproducible position during the course of the treatment, thus reducing the risk of movement and ensuring the radiation is delivered precisely to the targeted area.<\/p>\n

\"Example

Example of patient immobilization<\/p><\/div>\n

There are several types of immobilization devices used in radiotherapy, including baseplates and overlays, vacuum bags, head molds, and masks. Each of these devices has its own unique features and benefits, and choosing the right one for each patient depends on the type of cancer, the location of the tumor, and the patient’s individual needs.<\/p>\n

Baseplates and overlays are two of the most commonly used immobilization devices in radiotherapy. Baseplates are made of a lightweight, rigid material, such as plastic or carbon fiber, and are designed to provide a stable platform for the patient’s body. Overlays, on the other hand, are typically made of foam or other soft materials and are designed to provide cushioning and comfort to the patient. The combination of a baseplate and an overlay provides a stable, comfortable platform for the patient during treatment.<\/p>\n

Vacuum bags are another popular type of immobilization device used in radiotherapy. These bags are made of a flexible, airtight material, such as plastic, and are designed to be placed over the patient’s body. A vacuum pump is used to remove the air from the bag, which creates a tight, moldable seal around the patient’s body. This helps to keep the patient in a stable position and reduce the risk of movement during treatment.<\/p>\n

Head molds are another important type of immobilization device used in radiotherapy. These molds are made of a soft, flexible material and are designed to be placed around the patient’s head. The mold provides a stable, comfortable platform for the patient’s head during treatment, which helps to reduce the risk of movement and ensure that the radiation is delivered precisely to the target area.<\/p>\n

Finally, masks are one of the most commonly used immobilization devices in radiotherapy. Masks are made of a lightweight, rigid material, such as plastic, and are designed to fit snugly over the patient’s face. The mask provides a stable platform for the patient’s head and neck, which helps to reduce the risk of movement and ensure that the radiation is delivered precisely to the target area.<\/p>\n

The importance of using immobilization devices in radiotherapy cannot be overstated. Without these devices, the patient is at risk of moving during the treatment, which can result in the radiation missing the target area or damaging healthy tissue. The use of immobilization devices ensures that the patient is positioned correctly and remains still during the treatment, which helps to deliver the radiation precisely to the target area and minimize the risk of damage to healthy tissue.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, immobilization devices are a crucial component of radiotherapy, helping to ensure that the patient is positioned correctly and remains still during the treatment. There are several types of immobilization devices available, including baseplates and overlays, vacuum bags, head molds, and masks, each of which has its own unique features and benefits. Choosing the right device for each patient depends on the type of cancer, the location of the tumor, and the patient’s individual needs, but all of these devices play an important role in ensuring that the radiation is delivered precisely to the target area and minimizing the risk of damage to healthy tissue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Radiotherapy is a common cancer treatment that uses high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. In order to deliver the radiation accurately and effectively, it is crucial that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8525,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8519","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-radiotherapy"},"aioseo_notices":[],"rt_seo":{"title":"","description":"","canonical":"","og_image":"","robots":"default","schema_type":"default","include_in_llms":false,"llms_label":"","llms_summary":"","faq_items":[{"q":"What types of immobilization devices are used in radiotherapy?","a":"The main types include thermoplastic masks for head and neck immobilization, vacuum bags that mold to the body shape, baseplates and overlays for stable positioning, head molds for cranial treatments, and specialized boards for breast radiotherapy. Each device is chosen based on the tumor location and treatment requirements."},{"q":"How does a vacuum bag immobilization system work?","a":"A vacuum bag contains small polystyrene beads enclosed in an airtight plastic membrane. When placed under or around the patient, air is pumped out to create a rigid, custom-shaped mold that conforms precisely to the body contours. This provides consistent repositioning accuracy across multiple treatment sessions."},{"q":"What materials are radiotherapy immobilization devices made from?","a":"Common materials include low-temperature thermoplastics (heated to become malleable and cooled to harden), carbon fiber for rigid baseplates, polyurethane foam for body cushions, and specialized plastics for vacuum bags. These materials are chosen to be radiolucent, meaning they do not significantly attenuate or scatter the radiation beam."},{"q":"How accurate is patient positioning with immobilization devices?","a":"Modern immobilization devices can achieve repositioning accuracy within 1-3 millimeters for head and neck fixation and 3-5 millimeters for body immobilization. This accuracy is verified using image-guided techniques such as cone-beam CT or surface monitoring systems before each treatment fraction."},{"q":"Are immobilization devices reused or made new for each patient?","a":"Immobilization devices are custom-made for each individual patient and used throughout their entire course of treatment, which may span several weeks. Thermoplastic masks and vacuum bags are molded to the specific patient anatomy during a simulation session before treatment begins. After treatment is completed, the devices are typically discarded."}],"video":[],"gtin":"","mpn":"","brand":"","aggregate_rating":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8519\/"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post\/"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1\/"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments\/?post=8519"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8519\/revisions\/"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15482,"href":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8519\/revisions\/15482\/"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8525\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/?parent=8519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories\/?post=8519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rtmedical.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/?post=8519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}