Integrated radiation therapy systems and methods for treating a target in a patient

• US 20060058648A1
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mate, Timothy P., Wright, J. Nelson, Dimmer, Steven C., Meier, Eric, Purdy, Lynn M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/436
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1051 using an active marker
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1039 using functional images, e.g. PET or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1067 in real time, i.e. during treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/107 in real time, i.e. during treatment

Abstract

An integrated radiation therapy process comprises acquiring first objective target data related to a parameter of a target within a patient by periodically locating a marker positioned within the patient using a localization modality. This method continues with obtaining second objective target data related to the parameter of the target by periodically locating the marker. The first objective target data can be acquired in a first area that is apart from a second area which contains a radiation delivery device for producing an ionizing radiation beam for treating the patient. The localization modality can be the same in both the first and second areas. In other embodiments, the first objective target data can be acquired using a first localization modality that uses a first energy type to identify the marker and the second objective target data can be obtained using a second localization modality that uses a second energy type to identify the marker that is different than the first energy type.

Claims

1. An integrated process for treating a target in a patient with an ionizing radiation beam wherein a marker is positioned within the patient relative to the target, the process comprising:

acquiring first target data by locating the marker in a reference frame external to the patient using a marker localization modality;

obtaining second target data by locating the marker using the marker localization modality while the patient is at a radiation delivery device that produces the ionizing radiation beam;

irradiating the patient with the ionizing radiation beam while obtaining the second target data using the marker localization modality;

acquiring hardware data related to the radiation delivery device; and

evaluating the radiation delivered to the patient using at least one of the first target data, the second target data, and the hardware data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising developing at least a portion of a treatment plan based on the first target data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising simulating treatment using the first target data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising developing a treatment plan, simulating the treatment plan using the first target data, and evaluating the treatment using the second target data and the hardware data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the second target data and the hardware data to a record/verification module for evaluating the radiation fraction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the first target data, the second target data, and the hardware data to an information management system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the localization modality comprises determining locations of the marker using a non-ionizing energy.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the marker comprises a magnetic transponder that wirelessly transmits a location signal in response to a wirelessly transmitted excitation energy.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adapting a treatment plan based on at least one of the first target data, the second target data, and the hardware data.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising (a) retrieving the first target data and the second target data from a memory device and (b) monitoring a size and shape of the target based on the first and second target data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising (a) retrieving the first target data and the second target data from a memory device and (b) monitoring a trajectory of the target based on the first and second target data.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising correlating the second target data with hardware data related to the radiation beam at corresponding time intervals of the irradiating procedure.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the patient with respect to a radiation delivery device in a radiation vault during a setup stage so that the target is located at a desired location relative to a machine isocenter of the radiation delivery device using the second target data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising locating the marker in a reference frame external to the patient while a human technician is in the radiation vault along with the patient.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the marker has a magnetic transponder, and wherein locating the marker in the reference frame of the radiation delivery device comprises:

wirelessly transmitting excitation energy to the marker;

wirelessly transmitting location signals from the magnetic transponder of the marker to a sensor array external of the patient;

sensing the location signals from the marker; and

periodically calculating the location of the marker in the reference frame of the radiation delivery device based on the sensed location signals.

10. The method of 1, further comprising (a) obtaining images of the target and of the marker and (b) determining coordinates of the marker and the target in a reference frame external to the patient before acquiring the first target data.

17. An integrated radiation therapy process, comprising:

acquiring first objective target data related to a parameter of a target within a patient by periodically locating a marker positioned within the patient using a localization modality located in a first area, wherein the first area is apart from a second area that contains a radiation delivery device which produces an ionizing radiation beam for treating the patient; and

obtaining second objective target data related to the parameter of the target by periodically locating the marker using the localization modality in the second area.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the localization modality that periodically locates the marker for both the first and second objective target data uses a non-ionizing energy.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the marker comprises a magnetic transponder that wirelessly transmits a location signal in response to a wirelessly transmitted excitation energy.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising developing a radiation treatment plan for treating the target with ionizing radiation, and further comprising adapting the radiation treatment plan based on the second objective target data when the second objective target data indicates altering the treatment plan will be beneficial.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising (a) obtaining images of the target and of the marker and (b) determining coordinates of the marker and the target in a reference frame before acquiring the first objective target data.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising irradiating the target while obtaining the second objective target data.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising (a) retrieving the first objective target data and the second objective target data from a memory device and (b) monitoring a size and shape of the target by evaluating differences between the first and second target data.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising (a) retrieving the first objective target data and the second objective target data from a memory device and (b) comparing a trajectory of the target using the first objective target data and the second objective target data.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising (a) irradiating the target while obtaining the second objective target data and (b) correlating the second objective target data with hardware data related to a parameter of a radiation delivery device at corresponding time intervals.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising positioning the patient with respect to a radiation delivery device in a radiation vault during a setup stage so that the target is located at a desired location relative to a machine isocenter of the radiation delivery device using the second objective target data.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising locating the marker in a reference frame of the radiation delivery device while a human technician is in the radiation vault along with the patient.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the marker has a magnetic transponder, and wherein locating the marker in the reference frame of the radiation delivery device comprises:

wirelessly transmitting excitation energy to the marker to energized the magnetic transponder;

wirelessly transmitting location signals from the magnetic transponder of the marker to a sensor array external of the patient;

sensing the location signals of the marker; and

periodically calculating the location of the marker in the reference frame of the radiation delivery device based on the sensed location signals.

29. An integrated radiation therapy process, comprising:

acquiring first objective target data related to a parameter of a target within a patient by periodically locating a marker positioned within the patient using a first localization modality that uses a first energy type to identify the marker; and

obtaining second objective target data related to the parameter of the target by periodically locating the marker using a second localization modality that uses a second energy type to identify the marker that is different than the first energy type.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the first energy comprises an ionizing energy and the second energy comprises a non-ionizing energy.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising developing a radiation treatment plan for treating the target with ionizing radiation, and further comprising adapting the radiation treatment plan based on the second objective target data when the second objective target data indicates altering the treatment plan will be beneficial.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising irradiating the target while obtaining the second objective target data.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising (a) irradiating the target while obtaining the second objective target data and (b) correlating the second objective target data with hardware data related to a parameter of a radiation delivery device at corresponding time intervals.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising positioning the patient with respect to a radiation delivery device in a radiation vault during a setup stage so that the target is located at a desired location relative to a machine isocenter of the radiation delivery device using the second objective target data.

35. The method of claim 29 wherein the marker has a magnetic transponder, and wherein locating the marker in the reference frame of the radiation delivery device comprises:

wirelessly transmitting excitation energy to the marker to energized the magnetic transponder;

wirelessly transmitting location signals from the magnetic transponder of the marker to a sensor array external of the patient;

sensing the location signals of the marker; and

periodically calculating the location of the marker in the reference frame of the radiation delivery device based on the sensed location signals.

36. A method of integrated radiation therapy, comprising:

acquiring objective planning data related to a parameter of a target within a patient by periodically locating a marker positioned within the patient using a localization modality;

obtaining objective in-situ data related to the parameter of the target by periodically locating the marker with the localization modality while the patient is at a radiation delivery device that produces the ionizing radiation beam; and

determining a parameter of the radiation delivered to the patient using the in situ data.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the localization modality that periodically locates the marker for both the planning and in-situ data uses a non-ionizing energy.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising developing a radiation treatment plan for treating the target with ionizing radiation, and further comprising adapting the radiation treatment plan based on the in-situ data when the in-situ data indicates altering the treatment plan will be beneficial.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising irradiating the target while obtaining the in-situ data.

40. The method of claim 36, further comprising (a) irradiating the target while obtaining the in-situ data and (b) correlating the in-situ data with hardware data related to a parameter of a radiation delivery device at corresponding time intervals.

41. A method of integrated radiation therapy, comprising:

performing a treatment planning procedure by (a) obtaining images of a target within a patient and of a marker positioned within the patient proximate to the target using an imaging modality, (b) acquiring first target data by periodically locating the marker with respect to a reference frame external to the patient using a localization modality, and (c) developing a treatment plan using the images and the first target data;

performing a setup procedure by (a) obtaining second target data via periodically locating the marker with respect to a machine isocenter of a radiation delivery device in a radiation vault containing the radiation delivery device using the localization modality, and (b) moving the patient to align the target relative to the machine isocenter based on the second target data; and

performing a radiation treatment fraction by irradiating the patient according to the treatment plan while obtaining the second target data using the localization modality.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the localization modality uses a non-ionizing energy.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising developing a radiation treatment plan for treating the target with ionizing radiation, and further comprising adapting the radiation treatment plan based on the second objective target data when the second objective target data indicates altering the treatment plan will be beneficial.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising controlling the radiation delivery device while irradiating the target based on the second objective target data.

45. The method of claim 41, further comprising (a) irradiating the target while obtaining the second objective target data and (b) correlating the second objective target data with hardware data related to a parameter of a radiation delivery device at corresponding time intervals.

46. A method of establishing a system for radiation therapy, comprising:

providing a first node having a first localization unit located in a first area of a facility, wherein the first localization unit is configured to autonomously locate a marker positioned within the patient with respect to a reference frame external to the patient;

providing a second node having a second localization unit located in a radiation vault containing a radiation delivery device, wherein the second localization unit is configured to autonomously locate the marker positioned within the patient with respect to a reference frame of the radiation delivery device; and

operatively coupling the first node to the second node by a network to transfer target data between the first and second nodes.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the first and second localizing units locate the marker using a non-ionizing energy.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the non-ionizing energy is magnetic energy.

49. The method of claim 46, further comprising providing a third node coupled to the network, wherein the third node comprises a verification module having a computer operable medium containing instructions that cause a computer to evaluate radiation delivered to the patient based at least in part on data from the second node.

50. The method of claim 46, further comprising providing a central information system coupled to the network for managing data from the first and second nodes.

51. A method of integrated radiation therapy, comprising:

acquiring objective planning data related to a parameter of a target within a patient by periodically locating a marker positioned within the patient using a portable localization system at a treatment planning area;

moving the portable localization system to a radiation vault containing a radiation delivery device separate from the treatment planning area; and

determining locations of the marker with respect to a machine isocenter of the radiation delivery device by periodically locating the marker in the radiation vault using the portable localizing system.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein the portable localization system uses a non-ionizing energy for locating the marker.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the non-ionizing energy comprises magnetic energy.

54. A method for treating a target within a patient using radiation therapy, comprising:

developing a treatment plan for controlling a radiation delivery device to treat a target with a beam of radiation;

operating the radiation delivery device according to the treatment plan to irradiate the target;

periodically locating a marker positioned within the patient with a localization system using non-ionizing energy to determine locations of the markers in a reference frame external to the patient;

determining a parameter of the target based on the locations of the marker in the reference frame; and

adapting and/or confirming the treatment plan based at least in part on the determined parameter of the target.

55. A system for radiation therapy, comprising:

a first node having a first localization unit located in a first area of a facility, wherein the first localization unit is configured to autonomously locate a marker positioned within the patient with respect to a reference frame external to the patient;

a second node having a second localization unit located in a radiation vault containing a radiation delivery device, wherein the second localization unit is configured to autonomously locate the marker positioned within the patient with respect to a reference frame of the radiation delivery device; and

a network operatively coupling the first node to the second node to transfer target data between the first and second nodes.

56. The system of claim 55 wherein the first and second localizing units locate the marker using a non-ionizing energy.

57. The system of claim 56 wherein the non-ionizing energy is magnetic energy.

58. The system of claim 56, further comprising a third node coupled to the network, wherein the third node comprises a verification module having a computer operable medium containing instructions that cause a computer to evaluate radiation delivered to the patient based at least in part on data from the second node.

59. The system of claim 56, further comprising a central information system coupled to the network for managing data from the first and second nodes.