Granada: Measuring X-ray exposure in radiotherapy

Investment opportunity

Researchers from the Department of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Granada, together with the Department of Radiology at the Hospital Virgen de las Nieves in Granada, have designed a portable and low-cost device which can measure the ionising radiation a patient is exposed to during radiotherapy.

This would provide a means of maximising the radiation dose without causing unwanted side effects. According to Manuel Vilches Pacheco from the Medical Physics and Radiology Department at the Hospital Virgen, “The potential harm ionising radiation can cause means that, in order to obtain clinical benefits and reduce the onset of unwanted adverse effects as much as possible, they must be used under strict quality control.”

Alberto Palma López, from the university, explains that the low cost, portable device does not require an electricity connection or a reading supply unit. It is able to operate correctly at high temperatures, meaning treatment rooms do not need special air conditioning. The small size of the detector allows it to measure the radiation quickly in different areas of the body.

Granada University’s technology transfer arm Oficina de Transferencia de Resultados de Investigación, is looking for commercial backing for this patented device.