title: Patient positioning in the proton radiotherapy era.
abstract: The main hindrance to the diffusion of proton therapy facilities is the high cost for gantry installations. An alternative technical option is provided by fixed-beam treatment rooms, where the patient is rotated and translated in space with a robotic arm solution to enable beam incidence from various angles. The technological efforts based on robotic applications made up to now for patient positioning in proton beam facilities are described here, highlighting their limitations and perspectives.
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy ASL Brindisi A.Perrino Hospital, Brindisi, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Devicienti
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Strigari
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benassi
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dimiccoli
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Portaluri
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D056888:Patient Positioning / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D061766:Proton Therapy; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D012371:Robotics; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons
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