Stereotactic device for gamma knife radiosurgery in experimental animals: Technical note

Objective: Radiosurgery has become a well-established treatment modality for many intracranial lesions and the information obtained from animal experiments is crucial in devising new strategies with improved efficacy and less risk. We constructed a stereotactic device for rats which can be used for both usual laboratory work and radiosurgery using a Gamma Knife. Materials and Methods: The stereotactic device was made by modifying the basic design of the ordinary stereotactic frames used for usual laboratory work. It was developed for both Gamma Knife model B and C. An auxiliary tool was also devised which facilitates the placement of the target point at the radiation isocenter. Results: The reliability of the device was verified by checking the radiation profile and absorbed dose. The results of the experimental irradiation in normal and tumor-cell-inoculated rats demonstrated the usefulness of the device. Conclusions: The modified animal stereotactic frame described herein can be used for both the production of experimental animal models and for performing radiosurgery with a common apparatus.