­Radiation therapy (RT) is one of the most common treatment modalities for cancer and is used in approximately 50% of all treatment plans. It's estimated that RT is responsible for more than 3.5 million successful treatment outcomes along with another 3.5 million for palliative care. Although RT effectively kills cancer, it can cause damage to healthy tissues with significant treatment-related morbidity. Hence, it's vital to monitor the radiation dose to the tumor and the adjacent healthy tissues to monitor for acute and late-term side effectThis invention describes the methods and compositions of an implantable hydrogel to measure radiation dosimetry for cancer radiotherapy. The hydrogel uses radiation-sensitive iron-containing components that transition from a ferrous (Fe²⁺⁾ to the ferric (Fe3+) stage when exposed to radiation. The inventors have developed a prototype of the hydrogel and tested it within in vitro and in vivo experiments showing the ability to measure radiation dose.

Competitive Advantages

• Self-forming hydrogel capable of measuring the radiation dose delivered during cancer treatment.
• The injectable biocompatible material can be used to uniform radiation delivery and prevent exposure to normal tissues.
• Data generated by the inventors' prototype show the ability to measure radiation dose in an animal model.

Opportunity

• The global market for radiation oncology was valued at $7 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to $11.5 billion at a CARG of 7.3% through 2027.
• The market for medical dosimeters was $774 million in 2017 and is anticipated to reach $1 billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 7.1%.

Rowan University is seeking a partner(s) for further development and potential commercialization of this technology. The inventor is available to collaborate with interested companies.