Patent classifications
A61N2005/1062
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REAL TIME BEAM SCULPTING INTRA-OPERATIVE-RADIATION-THERAPY TREATMENT PLANNING
Systems and methods for radiation therapy. The methods comprise: acquiring an image of a treatment area using a Robotic Sculpted Beam Radiation Treatment System (RCBRTS); presenting, by a Mobile Computing Platform (MCP), the image in a GUI; creating a Real-Time Beam Sculpting Treatment Plan (RTBSTP) for the patient based on user inputs to MCP via GUI; verifying an expected effectiveness of RTBSTP using a virtual measurement component of GUI (where the virtual measurement component simultaneously provides distance measurements and radiation dose deposition measurements associated with the patient's anatomy and RTBSTP); verifying the final treatment plan using cross sectional 3D view and/or AR view; programming RCBRTS such that radiation therapy delivery will be provided in accordance with RTBSTP; setting RCBRTS so part of it will be inserted into a cavity formed during a medical procedure; and/or performing operations by RCBRTS to apply radiation to the patient.
Positioning and Motion Tracking Using Force Sensing
An array of force sensors for determining a position of an object, detecting motion of object, and tracking motion of objects in 3D space are described herein. In particular, an array of force sensors can be used to monitor anatomical motion during medical procedures, such as head motion during cranial radiosurgery, to maintain a desired alignment with the anatomical feature. Alerts can be posted to the medical machine operator and the radiosurgery system or scanner can make compensatory adjustments to maintain the desired alignment either after suspension of treatment or dynamically during treatment. Methods of detecting a position, movement or tracking motion of an anatomical feature are also provided herein.
Tracking during radiation treatment using ultrasound imaging
Systems and methods for tracking a target volume, e.g., tumor, during radiation treatment are provided. Under one aspect, a system includes an ultrasound probe, an x-ray imager, a processor, and a computer-readable medium that stores a 3D image of the tumor in a first reference frame and instructions to cause the processor to: instruct the x-ray imager and ultrasound probe to substantially simultaneously obtain inherently registered x-ray and set-up ultrasound images of the tumor in a second reference frame; establish a transformation between the first and second reference frames by registering the 3D image and the x-ray image; instruct the ultrasound probe to obtain an intrafraction ultrasound image of the tumor; registering the intrafraction ultrasound image with the set-up ultrasound image; and track target volume motion based on the registered intrafraction ultrasound image.
IMAGE-GUIDED RADIATION TREATMENT WITH IMAGING DATA USING IMAGING RADIATION AT DIFFERENT ENERGY LEVELS
A method of image-guided radiation treatment is described. The method may include acquiring digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) of a patient and generating a first set of image data of part or all of the patient using imaging radiation at a first energy level and a second set of image data of part or all of the patient using imaging radiation at a second energy level. The method may also include processing the first and second sets of image data to generate an enhanced image, wherein the enhanced image comprises a combination of the first and second sets of image data, and wherein part or all of the image data comprises the target. The method may also include registering the enhanced image with the DRRs to obtain a registration result, tracking movement and position of the target using the registration result to generating tracking information.
GANTRY IMAGE GUIDED RADIOTHERAPY SYSTEM AND RELATED TREATMENT DELIVERY METHODS
A radiation treatment apparatus, comprising a gantry structure comprising a beam member extending between first and second ends of the gantry structure. The radiation treatment apparatus also includes a radiation treatment head movably mounted to the beam member in a manner that allows (i) translation of the radiation treatment head along the beam member between the first and second ends, and (ii) gimballing of the radiation treatment head relative to the beam member, the gimballing comprising pivotable movement in at least one independent pivot direction defined with respect to the beam member. The radiation treatment apparatus also includes a patient couch operative coupled with the radiation treatment head in manner to provide movement of the patient couch relative to the radiation treatment head.
ONLINE ANGLE SELECTION IN ROTATIONAL IMAGING AND TRACKING SYSTEMS
A radiation therapy apparatus determines a set of angles that have a tracking quality metric value that satisfies a tracking quality metric criterion. During an alignment phase or a treatment phase for a treatment stage of a target by the radiation therapy apparatus, the radiation therapy apparatus performs selects at least a first angle and a second angle from the set of angles for a first rotation of the gantry. The radiation therapy apparatus generates, using an imaging device mounted to the gantry, a first tracking image of the target from the first angle during the first rotation of the gantry. The radiation therapy apparatus generates, using the imaging device, a second tracking image of the target from the second angle during the first rotation of the gantry. The radiation therapy apparatus performs the target tracking based on the first tracking image and the second tracking image.
Systems and Methods for Quality Control in Image-Guided Radiotherapy
Systems and methods for quality control in image-guided radiotherapy are provided. In some aspects, a method includes acquiring treatment images from a patient using an imaging system, and performing a registration using the treatment images and simulation images acquired during a simulation process. The method also includes computing at least one similarity metric based on the registration performed, and determining a conformance of the at least one similarity metric to predetermined limits. The method further includes generating a report indicative of the conformance.
Path planning and collision avoidance for movement of instruments in a radiation therapy environment
Apparatus and methods for therapy delivery are disclosed. In one embodiment, a therapy delivery system includes a plurality of movable components including a radiation therapy nozzle and a patient pod for holding a patient, a patient registration module for determining a desired position of at least one of the plurality of movable components, and a motion control module for coordinating the movement of the least one of the plurality of movable components from a current position to the desired position. The motion control module includes a path planning module for simulating at least one projected trajectory of movement of the least one of the plurality of moveable components from the current position to the desired position.
System for monitoring the position of a patient receiving 4pi radiation therapy
Disclosed is a method for determining a deviation of the position of an anatomical body part relative to a predetermined position defined by a radiation treatment plan. A monitoring image is taken of the anatomical body part at the instant that a predetermined control point defined in the treatment plan has been reached. The monitoring image is compared to a simulated image simulated from a planning image of the anatomical body from the perspective of a monitoring camera used to generate the monitoring image. The comparison allows for a determination of whether there is a positional deviation.
Offline angle selection in rotational imaging and tracking systems
A processing device determines a plurality of angles from which tracking images can be generated by an imaging device. The processing device generates a plurality of projections of a treatment planning image of a patient, the treatment planning image comprising a delineated target, wherein each projection of the plurality of projections has an angle that corresponds to one of the plurality of angles from which the tracking images can be taken. The processing device determines, for each angle of the plurality of angles, a value of a tracking quality metric for tracking the target based on an analysis of a projection generated at that angle. The processing device selects a subset of the plurality of angles that have a tracking quality metric value that satisfies a tracking quality metric criterion.