Patent classifications
A61N5/1049
Tracking Soft Tissue in Medical Images
The present invention relates to a medical data processing method of determining the representation of an anatomical body part (2) of a patient (1) in a sequence of medical images, the anatomical body part (2) being subject to a vital movement of the patient (1), the method being constituted to be executed by a computer and comprising the following steps: a) acquiring advance medical image data comprising a time-related advance medical image comprising a representation of the anatomical body part (2) in a specific movement phase; b) acquiring current medical image data describing a sequence of current medical images, wherein the sequence comprises a specific current medical image comprising a representation of the anatomical body part (2) in the specific movement phase, and a tracking current medical image which is different from the specific current medical image and comprises a representation of the anatomical body part (2) in a tracking movement phase which is different from the specific movement phase; c) determining, based on the advance medical image data and the current medical image data, specific image subset data describing a specific image subset of the specific current medical image, the specific image subset comprising the representation of the anatomical body part (2); d) determining, based on the current medical image data and the image subset data, subset tracking data describing a tracked image subset in the tracking current medical image, the tracked image subset comprising the representation of the anatomical body part (2).
PATIENT POSITIONING FOR RADIOTHERAPY TREATMENT
Disclosed herein is a method of positioning a patient for radio-therapy treatment using a radiotherapy device. The method comprises determining an identity of a treatment beam that is to be used to treat the patient, determining an offset between a reference location and an isocentre location for the identified treatment beam that is to be used to treat the patient, and changing a spatial relationship between the patient and at least a part of the radiotherapy device, according to the determined offset.
Systems and methods for adjusting medical device
A method for adjusting a medical device is provided. The method includes obtaining an initial trajectory of a component of the medical device. The initial trajectory of the component includes a plurality of initial positions. For each of the plurality of initial positions, the method further includes determining whether a collision is likely to occur between a subject and the component according to the initial trajectory of the component. In response to the determination that the collision is likely to occur, the method further includes updating the initial trajectory of the component to determine an updated trajectory of the component.
MR image-guided radiation controlling device
There is provided a patient's cranial position monitoring and controlling device for controlling a magnetic resonance (MR) guided radiation source module via an MR-guided radiation controlling device connected to the patient's cranial position monitoring and controlling device and an MR-guided radiation system including a patient's cranial position monitoring and controlling device, which allows for better MR-imaging while allowing patient position monitoring close to the patient.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING PATIENT MOTION VIA CAPACITIVE POSITION SENSING
Systems and methods are described for the monitoring of patient motion via the detection of changes in capacitance, as measured using a capacitance position sensing electrode array. The changes in capacitance may be processed to determine a corresponding positional offset, for example, using a calibration data set relating capacitance to offset for each electrode of the array. The detected positional offset may be employed to provide feedback to a surgeon or operator of a medical device, or directly to the medical device for the control thereof. A medical procedure may be interrupted when the positional offset is detected to exceed a threshold. Alternatively, the detected positional offset may be employed to manually or automatically reconfigure a medical device to compensate for the detected change in position. Various configurations of capacitive position sensing devices are disclosed, including embodiment in incorporating capacitive sensing electrodes with a mask or other support structure.
RADIATION THERAPY SYSTEMS AND METHODS WITH TUMOR TRACKING
A radiation therapy system comprising a therapeutic radiation system (e.g., an MV X-ray source, and/or a linac) and a co-planar imaging system (e.g., a kV X-ray system) on a fast rotating ring gantry frame. The therapeutic radiation system and the imaging system are separated by a gantry angle, and the gantry frame may rotate in a direction such that the imaging system leads the MV system. The radiation sources of both the therapeutic and imaging radiation systems are each collimated by a dynamic multi-leaf collimator (DMLC) disposed in the beam path of the MV X-ray source and the kV X-ray source, respectively. In one variation, the imaging system identifies patient tumor(s) positions in real-time. The DMLC for the imaging radiation source limits the kV X-ray beam spread to the tumor(s) and/or immediate tumor regions, and helps to reduce irradiation of healthy tissue (e.g., reduce the dose-area product).
MULTIMODAL RADIATION APPARATUS AND METHODS
An imaging apparatus comprises a rotatable gantry system positioned at least partially around a patient support; a first source of radiation coupled to the rotatable gantry system, the first source of radiation configured for imaging radiation; a second source of radiation coupled to the rotatable gantry system; and a first radiation detector coupled to the rotatable gantry system and laterally movable relative to a central beam of the first source of radiation to receive radiation from at least the first source of radiation over various fields of view. Alternative configurations of the imaging apparatus and methods of using the imaging apparatus are also provided.
FIDUCIAL MARKER FOR ONCOLOGICAL AND OTHER PROCEDURES
A method and apparatus for marking a target with a radiopaque marker is disclosed. The method may include providing a radiopaque filament and inserting at least portion of the radiopaque filament into tissue. The filament may extend continuously and at last partially around a perimeter of the target so that the filament is disposed in a plurality of surgical planes to demarcate the target with the radiopaque maker.
IMAGE-BASED RADIATION THERAPY QUALITY ASSURANCE
Systems, methods, and computer software are disclosed for acquiring images during delivery of a radiation beam, the images capturing at least a portion of a shape representative of a radiation field generated by a radiation delivery system that includes a radiation source configured to deliver the radiation beam.
RADIOTHERAPEUTICAL OR RADIOSURGICAL SYSTEM COMPRISING TWO OR MORE ROTATABLE HIGH-INTENSITY RADIATION SOURCES AND A RING-SHAPED IMAGER, AND METHODS THEREOF
The present invention provides a radiotherapeutical or radiosurgical system comprising at least two high-intensity radiation sources configured to rotate around a common rotation axis and a ring-shaped imaging device. A three-source configuration is considered as the most cost-effective and will be used as an example for illustration. The three radiation sources are specially configured with each radiation source emits a radiation beam having an angle (α1, α2 or α3 respectively) relative to the common rotation axis and targets at a common isocenter. During a radiation treatment, the angles α1, α2 and α3 are independently of each other constant or variable with a magnitude of less than ±15°, and it always remains that α1≠α2, α1≠α3, and α2≠α3. The special configuration of these high-intensity radiation sources and use of a unique compact MLC for each of the radiation sources make it possible for the system to rapidly deliver high-conformal non-coplanar stereotactic radiation treatment in one gantry rotation without any couch rotation. Consequently, a ring-shaped imaging device, which does not allow couch rotation, can be integrated into the system to provide high-precision image guidance. Therefore, the present invention can deliver high precision and high-conformal non-coplanar stereotactic radiation treatment to any part of the body in an extremely short time (0.1-20 seconds), which may exhibit numerous advantages over the prior art, such as reduction of radiation damage to the circulating immune cells in blood and mitigation of patient motion-induced problems, among others.