A new device to improve safety and efficiency of radiation therapy
Official title: Improving allocation of scarce medical physics resources through a novel, comprehensive quality assurance device.
Funded at Wild Dog Physics, LLC · NIH-11176231 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds a faster, more precise quality‑checking device for radiation machines to help people getting high‑precision cancer radiation have safer, more reliable treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wild Dog Physics, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nicholasville, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $934,326 |
| NIH project number | 5R44CA295373-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11176231 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for any clinical testing or early adoption would be patients receiving high‑precision linac‑based radiation therapy (SBRT, SRS, IMRT or IGRT) at participating treatment centers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not receiving linac‑based radiation therapy or who are treated with non‑radiation approaches would not see direct benefit from this device.
What this research studies
The team is designing a next‑generation quality assurance (QA) device for medical linear accelerators that deliver IMRT, IGRT, SBRT and SRS so my treatments can be checked with greater precision and speed. They will develop the hardware and software, perform lab-based accuracy tests, and run clinical testing at partner radiation therapy centers to compare it to current QA tools. The device is meant to streamline tasks that currently occupy scarce qualified medical physicists and improve compliance with industry QA protocols. Based on test results they will refine the device to better fit clinic workflows and safety needs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make high‑precision radiation treatments safer, faster to verify, and easier to deliver at more clinics.
How similar studies have gone: There are existing QA tools that have improved radiation safety, but this comprehensive, more automated device represents a novel, less‑tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Wild Dog Physics, LLC
Nicholasville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Molloy, Janelle Arlene — Wild Dog Physics, LLC
- Study coordinator: Molloy, Janelle Arlene
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.