Motion compensation for non-invasive treatment therapies

• US 10,076,303 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2011
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InSightec Ltd.
• Original Assignee: InSightec Ltd.
• Inventors: Medan, Yoav, Vortman, Kobi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kish, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gupta, Vani
• Application Number:
  US13/226,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20120059243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,569 Days
• Field of Search: 600407-480
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

Procedures and systems facilitate non-invasive, focused delivery of therapeutic energy to a target within or on a patient using, in various embodiments, a closed-loop approach such that feedback regarding anatomical movement and/or morphology changes is tracked and the uncertainty inherent in the measurements is addressed.

Claims

1. A method of continuously monitoring movement of an internal volume of tissue during treatment thereof, the method comprising the steps of:

using a physical model of anticipated movement of an internal target volume to predict a target volume location as a function of time;

continuously and directly tracking the internal target volume during treatment thereof using two tracking modalities, wherein the first tracking modality provides initial estimated target volume locations based directly on first image contents of the internal target volume obtained at a first information update rate, and the second tracking modality identifies subsequent estimated target locations of the internal target volume based directly on second image contents of the internal target volume obtained at a second information update rate lower than the first information update rate wherein the subsequent estimated target locations are more accurate than the initial estimated target volume locations;

comparing the initial estimated target volume locations to the predicted target volume locations to determine a tracking error;

if the tracking error exceeds a safety threshold, suspending treatment; and

adjusting one or more parameters of the physical model based on the subsequent estimated target volume locations of the target volume.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical model comprises a vector prediction model.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first update rate is above 10 Hz and the second update rate is below 10 Hz.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting at least one of the first or second information update rates based at least in part on motion of the target volume as determined from the tracking step.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first tracking modality and the second tracking modality comprise imaging devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the physical model to steer an acoustic beam.

7. A system for continuously and directly monitoring movement of an internal volume of tissue during treatment thereof, the system comprising:

a register for storing (i) a physical model of anticipated movement of an internal target volume for predicting a target volume location as a function of time, (ii) representations of estimated target volume locations based directly on first image contents of the internal target volume obtained using a first tracking modality at a first information update rate, and (iii) representations of target volume locations based directly on second image contents of the internal target volume obtained using a second tracking modality at a second information update rate lower than the first information update rate;

a processor for (i) comparing the estimated target volume locations to the predicted target volume locations to determine a tracking error, (ii) determining if the tracking error exceeds a safety threshold, and (iii) adjusting one or more parameters of the physical model based on the target volume locations obtained using the second tracking modality; and

a controller for suspending treatment to the target if the tracking error exceeds the safety threshold.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the first tracking modality comprises use of a one-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging device.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the second tracking modality comprises use of an ultrasound device.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the physical model comprises a motion vector prediction model.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the processor adjusts one or more treatment parameters based on the predicted target location determined with the physical model.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the first information update rate is greater than 10 Hz and the second information update rate is less than 10 Hz.