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I recently heard about device called the Novac7 which delivers precision controlled xrays directed at a target during surgery. Now that I know such a device actually exists, it encouraged me to contact someone in the medical field about an idea I've had for a while that would allow certain forms of surgery to performed without a scalpel. The basic idea is that multiple xray devices would deliver low powered beams shooting from different angles. The low power of each beam would not cause tissue damage, however, where the beams overlapped their combined power would be distructive to the target. The process involves these technologies
=== 20111228 called Dr. Lawrence E Kline at Scripps Clinic Turns out that my idea is already a reality. It's called Stereotactic Radiosurgery. After learning what the procedure is called, I looked it up and found the following description. It is neat to see how closely the concept I dreamed up aligns with this actual practice. === Stereotactic radiosurgery Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a highly precise form of radiation therapy initially used to treat tumors and other abnormalities of the brain. Now the principles developed for cranial SRS are also being used to treat cancer in other parts of the body in a procedure called stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Despite its name, SRS is a non-surgical procedure that delivers precisely-targeted radiation at much higher doses than traditional radiation therapy while sparing healthy tissue nearby. SRS and SBRT rely on several technologies:
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