Real-time imaging of radiation dose inside the body
Official title: Academic-Industry Partnership for the Translation of a 4D in vivo Dosimetry Approach for Radiation Therapy
Funded at University of California-Irvine · NIH-11178117 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will use tiny sound waves made by X‑rays to image and track the radiation dose delivered to people getting radiation therapy for cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2019 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $395,685 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA240806-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178117 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People receiving external X‑ray–based radiation therapy for solid tumors at participating centers would be the most likely candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients receiving non‑X‑ray treatments (such as brachytherapy or some proton therapies) or those with tumors located where acoustic signals cannot be captured may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers are building a 3D scanner that detects acoustic waves produced when pulsed X‑rays heat tissue, since the wave strength reflects how much radiation was absorbed. The technique, called X‑ray‑induced Acoustic Computed Tomography (XACT), will be combined with pulse‑echo ultrasound so clinicians can see both dose and anatomy in real time. An academic‑industry team at UC Irvine, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, and PhotoSound Technologies will develop the prototype hardware and software and refine it under clinical conditions. The work includes designing the scanner, testing imaging performance, and validating dose measurements to support use by medical physicists during treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let treatment teams confirm the actual dose reaching the tumor during each session, improving accuracy and potentially reducing side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical and early device studies have shown XACT can map X‑ray absorption, but applying the method during routine human treatment is novel and still under development.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xiang, Shawn Liangzhong — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Xiang, Shawn Liangzhong
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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.