IMAGE ACQUISITION BASED ON TREATMENT DEVICE POSITION

Abstract

The disclosed method encompasses acquiring position data. The position data describes predetermined positions of a treatment device. At each of the predetermined positions, an imaging condition is fulfilled. Such an imaging condition is for a free line of sight of two (stereo-)imaging units at the same time. In a next step, the current position of the treatment device is acquired. Then, the current position is compared with the predetermined positions. In case the current position corresponds to a predetermined position, decision data is determined which describes that an image shall be taken. In a next step, control data is determined which describes a control signal for an imaging device to take an image or not to take an image, depending on the decision data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for determining control data describing a control signal for controlling an imaging device to take an image, the method comprising: acquiring position data that describes at least one predetermined position of a set of predetermined positions of a radiation treatment device, wherein at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when the radiation treatment device is positioned in the at least one predetermined position; acquiring status data that describes a current position of the radiation treatment device; determining decision data based on the position data and the status data, the decision data describing that an image shall be taken by the imaging device or that no image shall be taken by the imaging device; and determining control data based on the decision data, the control data describing a control signal for controlling the imaging device to at least one of take an image or not to take an image.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device comprises two imaging units, one of the at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when each of the two imaging units has a free line of sight.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device comprises an imaging unit, one of the at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when the imaging unit has a free line of sight.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least two imaging conditions are fulfilled when the radiation treatment device is positioned in the at least one predetermined position, and wherein one of the at least two imaging conditions is fulfilled when the at least one predetermined position corresponds to a first position which fulfils a predetermined positional relationship to a second position, wherein the second position corresponds to another predetermined position of the set of predetermined positions.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when the predetermined position corresponds to a certain position on a treatment arc defined in a patient treatment plan.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the treatment arc is divided into a plurality of arc-segments and the certain position is a position defining a boundary point of an arc-segment.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of arc-segments includes two or more arc-segments of equal size.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when the predetermined position corresponds to a position at which no treatment beam is to be emitted by the treatment device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when the at least one predetermined position corresponds to a position at which the imaging device can take an image.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when the at least one predetermined position corresponds to a position with a predetermined positional relationship to a collision position, wherein at the collision position the imaging device collides with another device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least two imaging conditions are fulfilled when the radiation treatment device is positioned in the at least one predetermined position.

12. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for a program which, when running on a computer or when loaded onto a computer, causes the computer to: acquire position data that describes at least one predetermined position of a set of predetermined positions of a radiation treatment device, wherein at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when the radiation treatment device is positioned in the at least one predetermined position; acquire status data that describes a current position of the radiation treatment device; determine decision data based on the position data and the status data, the decision data describing that an image shall be taken by the imaging device or that no image shall be taken by the imaging device; and determine control data based on the decision data, the control data describing a control signal for controlling the imaging device to at least one of take an image or not to take an image.

13. A medical system, comprising: a treatment device; an imaging device; and a computer having computer-executable instructions that, when executed, configure the computer to: acquire position data that describes at least one predetermined position of a set of predetermined positions of the treatment device, wherein at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when the treatment device is positioned in the at least one predetermined position; acquire status data that describes a current position of the treatment device: determine decision data based on the position data and the status data, the decision data describing that an image shall be taken by the imaging device or that no image shall be taken by the imaging device; and determine control data based on the decision data, the control data describing a control signal for controlling the imaging device to at least one of take an image or not to take an image.

14. The medical system of claim 13, wherein the computer is operably coupled to the treatment device to acquire the status data and to the imaging device to control the imaging device to take the image based on the control signal.

15. (canceled)

16. The medical system of claim 13, wherein the imaging device includes an imaging unit and the at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when the imaging unit has a free line of sight.

17. The medical system of claim 13, wherein at least two imaging conditions are fulfilled when the treatment device is positioned in the at least one predetermined position, one of the at least two imaging conditions is fulfilled when the at least one predetermined position corresponds to a first position having a predetermined positional relationship to a second position, the second position corresponds to another predetermined position of the set of predetermined positions.

18. The medical system of claim 13, wherein the at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when the predetermined position corresponds to a certain position on a treatment arc defined in a patient treatment plan.

19. The medical system of claim 13, wherein the treatment arc is divided into a plurality of arc-segments and the certain position is a position defining a boundary point of an arc-segment.

20. The medical system of claim 13, wherein the at least one imaging condition is fulfilled when the at least one predetermined position corresponds to a position at which the imaging device can take an image.

21. The medical system of claim 20, wherein the position at which the imaging device can take an image includes at least one of a position at which the imaging device does not collide with another device or a position at which components of the imaging device are arranged in an imaging position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0086] In the following, the invention is described with reference to the appended figures which give background explanations and represent specific embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is however not limited to the specific features disclosed in the context of the figures, wherein

[0087] FIG. 1 illustrates the method according to the first aspect of the invention;

[0088] FIG. 2 is a first schematic illustration of an example of the system according to the fifth aspect;

[0089] FIG. 3 is a second schematic illustration of an example of the system according to the fifth aspect;

[0090] FIG. 4 is a third schematic illustration of the system according to the fifth aspect.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0091] FIG. 1 illustrates the basic steps of the method according to the first aspect, in which step S1.1 encompasses acquiring the position data, step S1.2 encompasses acquiring the status data, step S1.3 encompasses determining the decision data and step S1.4 encompasses determining the control data.

[0092] FIG. 2 is a first schematic illustration of an example of the system according to the fifth aspect. In this example, the system comprises a treatment system comprising a stand 1, a gantry 2 and a treatment device 3. A patient 7 is positioned on a patient couch 6 which is placed on a stand 5. An imaging unit comprising an emitter 8 and a receiver 4 has a line of sight indicated by dashed line 9. In the shown configuration, the gantry 2 obstructs the line of sight, i.e. lies between the emitter 8 and the receiver 4 (no free line of sight). In this case, the gantry 2 would be visible in an acquired image and for example cover relevant portions of anatomical body parts of the patient 7 which are to be imaged, for example for surgical navigation.

[0093] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the current position of the treatment device 3 described by the status data (which is acquired in step S1.2) does not correspond to a predetermined position described by the position data (which is acquired in step S1.1), in case the imaging condition which needs to be fulfilled at the predetermined position is that the imaging unit has a free line of sight. Thus, the decision data (determined in step S1.3) in this case describes that no image shall be taken by the imaging unit. Therefore, the control data (determined in step S1.4) describes a control signal for controlling the imaging device (and thus also the imaging unit included in the imaging device) not to take an image.

[0094] FIG. 3 is a second schematic illustration of an example of the system according to the fifth aspect. This example corresponds to the example described for FIG. 2. However, here the gantry 2 and therefore also the treatment device 3 which is attached to the gantry are positioned differently. As can be seen, the gantry is rotated around an axis which runs in superior—inferior direction of the patient. The gantry may of course also be positioned differently. In the shown example, the imaging unit now has a free line of sight indicated by dashed line 9a. In particular, the gantry 2 does not obstruct the line of sight of the imaging unit. Only the patient 7 and the patient couch 6 are in the line of sight. As described above, this is no reason to prevent an image from being taken, i.e. this configuration is the normal imaging arrangement used to capture an image of relevant anatomical body parts of the patient 7.

[0095] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the current position of the treatment device 3 described by the status data (acquired in step S1.2) corresponds to a predetermined position described by the position data (acquired in step S1.1), in case the imaging condition which needs to be fulfilled at the predetermined position is that the imaging unit has a free line of sight. Thus, the decision data (determined in step S1.3) in this case describes that an image shall be taken by the imaging unit. Therefore, the control data (determined in step S1.4) describes a control signal for controlling the imaging device (and thus also the imaging unit included in the imaging device) to take an image.

[0096] In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 only one imaging device is depicted. However, there may be two (or more) imaging units included in the imaging device. In one example, the imaging device includes two imaging units. In this example, the imaging condition is met in case each of the two imaging units has a free line of sight, i.e. in case a stereo-image can be acquired without any unwanted devices lying in the line of sight.

[0097] FIG. 4 is a second schematic illustration of the system 10 according to the fifth aspect. The system is in its entirety identified by reference sign 10 and comprises a computer 11, an electronic data storage device (such as a hard disc) 12 for storing at least the patient data. The system may further include the treatment device 13 (such as a radiation treatment apparatus) and the imaging device 14. The components of the medical system 10 have the functionalities and properties explained above with regard to the fifth aspect of this disclosure.

[0098] In the following, further advantageous embodiments and advantages of the present invention are described.

[0099] For example, an imaging condition can be a certain point in time (e.g. a periodic point in time such as every 10 seconds). The imaging condition can also be that a dose is applied (e.g. obtaining an image of high value. The imaging condition can also be that during a given time period before the imaging condition is met, the patient support device was moved (e.g. after a couch kick (non-coplanar field)).

[0100] The imaging condition can also be a clear (free) line of sight (unobstructed line of sight) of one or two imaging units. For example, in case of a stereoscopic imaging system comprising two imaging units, at certain gantry angle segments (at certain positions of the treatment device) a stereo view is possible, i.e. both imaging units have a free line of sight. Also, at certain segments (at certain positions of the treatment device) a first of the two imaging units has a clear (free) line of sight, whilst at (other and/or the same) certain segments (certain positions of the treatment device) the second of the two imaging units has a clear (free) line of sight.

[0101] As mentioned for the stereoscopic imaging system, the gantry angles in combination with the positional arrangement of the imaging system and the treatment device define whether there is a free line of sight or not. In other systems which only include a single imaging unit, the imaging unit moves with the gantry (and therefore with the treatment device). Therefore, in this case, images can be acquired from two sufficiently different line of sights (pseudo-3D). The closer two lines of sight are to perpendicularity the higher the value regarding reconstructability.

[0102] Other systems such comprise a surface camera system (imaging device) consisting of three cameras (imaging units). The systems may comprise surface cameras and/or thermal cameras. The three cameras are required to ensure a free line of sight at different positions of the gantry (and thus at different positions of the treatment device). Alternatively or additionally, the invention as described herein can be used with such a surface camera system to further enhance the imaging results.