The invention provides for a medical apparatus (100, 300, 400) comprising a subject support (102) configured for moving a subject (106) from a first position (124) to a second position (130) along a linear path (134). The subject support comprises a support surface (108) for receiving the subject. The subject support is further configured for positioning the subject support in at least one intermediate position (128). The subject support is configured for measuring a displacement (132) along the linear path between the first position and the at least one intermediate position. Each of the at least one intermediate position is located between the first position and the second position. The medical apparatus further comprises a camera (110) configured for imaging the support surface in the first position. Execution of machine executable instructions 116 cause the a processor (116) controlling the medical apparatus to: acquire (200) an initial image (142) with the camera when the subject support is in the first position; control (202) the subject support to move the subject support from the first position to the second position; acquire (204) at least one intermediate image (144) with the camera and the displacement for each of the at least one intermediate image as the subject support is moved from the first position to the second position; and calculate (206) a height profile (150, 600, 604) of the subject by comparing the initial image and the at least one intermediate image. The height profile is at least partially calculated using the displacement. The height profile is descriptive of the spatially dependent height of the subject above the support surface.

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for tracking and/or imaging impact of a particle beam treating a tumor using one or more imaging systems positionable about the tumor, such as a positron emission tracking and/or imaging system, where resulting tracking/imaging data: dynamically determines a treatment beam position, tracks a history of treatment beam positions, guides the treatment beam, and/or images a tumor before, during, and/or after treatment with the charged particle beam.

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).

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.

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.

Systems and techniques may be used to estimate a patient state during a radiotherapy treatment. For example, a method may include generating a dictionary of expanded potential patient measurements and corresponding potential patient states using a preliminary motion model. The method may include training, using a machine learning technique, a correspondence motion model relating an input patient measurement to an output patient state using the dictionary. The method may include estimating, using a processor, the patient state corresponding to an input image using the correspondence motion model.

Disclosed herein is a medical instrument (100, 300). Execution of the machine executable instructions causes a processor (106) to: receive (206) a set of joint location coordinates (128) for a subject (118) reposing on a subject support (120), receive (207) a body orientation (132) in response to inputting the set of joint location coordinates into a predetermined logic module (130), calculate (208) a torso aspect ratio (134) from set of joint location coordinates. If (210) the torso aspect ratio is greater than a predetermined threshold (136) then (212) the body pose of the subject is a decubitus pose. Execution of the machine executable instructions further cause the processor to assign (220) the body pose as being a supine pose if the subject is face up on the subject support or assign (222) the body pose as being a prone pose if the subject is face down on the subject support if the torso aspect ratio is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold. Execution of the machine executable instructions further cause the processor to generate (216) a subject pose label (142).

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for monitoring calibration of positron emission tomography (PET) systems. In some variations, the systems include an imaging assembly having a gantry comprising a plurality of positron emission detectors. A housing may be coupled to the gantry, and the housing may include a bore and a radiation source holder spaced away from a patient scan region within the bore. A processor may be configured to receive positron emission data from the positron emission detectors and to distinguish the positron emission data from the radiation source holder and from the patient scan region. A fault signal may be generated when the positron emission data from the radiation source holder exceeds one or more threshold parameters or criteria.

A radiation system may include a treatment assembly including a first radiation source, a second radiation source, and a first radiation detector. The first radiation source may be configured to deliver a treatment beam covering a treatment region of the radiation system, and the treatment region may be located in a bore of the radiation system. The second radiation source may be configured to deliver a first imaging beam covering a first imaging region of the radiation system, and may be mounted rotatably on a first side of the treatment assembly. The first radiation detector may be configured to detect at least a portion of the first imaging beam, and may be mounted rotatably on a second side of the treatment assembly. The treatment assembly, the second radiation source, and the first radiation detector may be positioned such that the treatment region is addressable for the radiation system.

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).