Radiation Oncology About Us Diversity and Outreach Technology and Innovation Philanthropy Contact Us Education & Training Physician Residency Medical Physics Residency Medical Students Alumni Research Basic Research Clinical Research Clinical Trials Divisions Faculty Technology and Innovation Home Research Research: Clinical Departments Radiation Oncology: Home Radiation Oncology: About Us Radiation Oncology: About Us > Technology and Innovation The Technology Behind a Sophisticated Specialty As a leader in academic medicine, the Department of Radiation Oncology is committed to leveraging advanced technology to drive innovation in research and clinical practice. We utilize state-of-the-art systems to plan and deliver precise therapeutic radiation, serving as a hub for groundbreaking clinical trials and high-impact research. Our Core Technologies Planning & Simulation Phillips Brilliance Big Bore CT Simulator A CT-driven virtual simulator that captures high-resolution images for precise tumor localization and dosimetry planning. The system's 4-D simulation capabilities account for respiratory motion, which is crucial for maximizing radiation dose to the tumor while sparing surrounding tissue. Treatment Delivery Varian Trilogy, TrueBeam, and Ethos Linear Accelerators These systems enable advanced radiation treatments such as IMRT, IGRT, SRS and SBRT. They provide sub-millimeter motion monitoring for unparalleled precision and utilize volumetric arc technology to optimize treatment delivery efficiency. Our advanced use of these systems creates sophisticated, highly shaped radiation treatments, which is a key area of research and training for our fellows and residents. Respiratory Gating & Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) We utilize these techniques to minimize the exposure of healthy organs — such as the heart and lungs — to radiation beams. This method accurately tracks tumor position during the respiratory cycle, allowing for highly precise radiation delivery. This is a critical factor in maximizing tumor dose while limiting normal tissue exposure and is crucial for limiting critical normal organ toxicity when treating the breast, pulmonary tumors and pancreatic tumors. Advanced Therapies Stereotactic CNS Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery Precision high-dose targeted irradiation of cranial and extracranial tumors using stereotactic localization and treatment forms the backbone of treatment for many malignant and benign tumors, including brain metastases, recurrent gliomas, selected bone metastases, prostate cancer, selected breast cancers and pancreatic cancer. High-dose-rate Brachytherapy Our department offers state-of-the-art brachytherapy on our Orange and Irvine campuses. This method uses automated after-loading systems (Varian Bravos) to place radioisotopes directly within or near a tumor in order to deliver treatments in only a matter of minutes. We have extensive experience with this treatment modality, particularly for advanced gynecological cancers, but also soft tissue sarcomas and head and neck cancers. Radioactive Eye Plaque Brachytherapy In collaboration with the Department of Ophthalmology, we offer this specialized technique for treating ocular tumors using radioactive seeds implanted in the orbit to preserve vision. Typically, these implanted radioactive seeds treat the tumors for several days before being removed. VMAT Total Body Irradiation As part of Orange County’s only academic hematopoietic stem cell transplant program, we developed techniques to extend the benefits of our VMAT (volumetric modulated arc therapy) program to the total body irradiation treatments used for allogeneic stem cell transplants. VMAT TBI allows us to limit the dose and therefore the toxicity to critical structures such as the lungs, liver and kidneys while assuring that the full effects of irradiating the bone marrow are not diminished.