Spin-off of IFCA (CSIC–UC) · Santander
Real-time in vivo dosimetry for high-dose-rate brachytherapy
We are developing a silicon carbide detector system that checks, while the treatment is running, that the dose delivered to the patient matches the dose that was planned.
The problem
A high dose, delivered in minutes, that nobody measures
A precise, efficient treatment
HDR brachytherapy places a radioactive source inside the body through catheters. It treats prostate, cervical, breast and other cancers with a steep dose gradient that spares healthy tissue.
Errors cannot be undone
Needles and catheters are placed by hand. A misplaced dose can reach the urethra, rectum or bladder, and the whole treatment is over in minutes, before anyone can react.
No routine verification
International bodies recommend in vivo dosimetry, and France and the UK already require it in external radiotherapy. In brachytherapy there is still no robust real-time solution.
Our approach
Silicon carbide detectors built for the inside of the body
Our sensor is based on silicon carbide (SiC) diodes, a semiconductor that withstands very high radiation doses and keeps a stable response at body temperature. Together with dedicated readout electronics, it measures the dose during the irradiation itself.
The technology comes from research at the Institute of Physics of Cantabria and has been characterised with a real 192Ir source in the brachytherapy suite of Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla.
- >1,000s GyLong service lifeRadiation-hard sensor, far beyond the ~200 Gy of current MOSFET dosimeters. No costly consumable.
- 37 °CThermally stableNo temperature compensation needed inside the patient.
- Real timeFlags errors as they happenDetects a deviation while the treatment can still be stopped.
- Plug-inFits the clinical workflowDesigned to integrate with existing equipment and protocols.
| Technology | Service life | Real-time reading | Temperature independence | Cost / handling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4H-SiC · Particle Care | Very long (>1,000s Gy) | Yes | Very high | Low / very flexible |
| MOSFET | Short (~200 Gy) | No | Medium–low | Medium / consumable |
| Optical fibre + scintillator | Medium | Yes | Low | Medium / complex |
| TLD | Medium | No | Medium | Low / slow readout |
Built for manufacturers
A verification layer for the next generation of afterloaders
We work business-to-business. Our goal is to license the technology to brachytherapy equipment manufacturers, so they can offer integrated, real-time dose verification with their systems, and to support that integration over the product's life.
Milestones so far