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

• US 20060074301A1
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• 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 9,682,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/427
• 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. A method for assessing a treatment fraction in radiation therapy in which a target within a patient is positioned relative to a machine isocenter in a radiation vault containing a radiation delivery device, the method comprising;

irradiating the patient with a radiation beam from the radiation delivery device;

determining target data relative to a parameter of the target by periodically locating a marker positioned within the patient relative to an external reference frame of the radiation delivery device using a localization modality while irradiating the patient in the radiation vault; and

assessing whether the target was irradiated according to a predetermined treatment plan using the target data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the target data comprises periodically locating the marker using a non-ionizing energy to locate the marker while irradiating the patient.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the marker comprises a magnetic transponder and the non-ionizing energy comprises a wirelessly transmitted magnetic field alternating at a resonant frequency of the marker, and wherein the method further comprises wirelessly transmitting corresponding location signals from the marker, sensing the location signals from the marker with a sensor array external to the patient, and calculating three-dimensional location coordinates of the marker in the external reference frame of the radiation delivery device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the predetermined treatment plan based on the assessing procedure.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein assessing whether the target was irradiated according to the predetermined treatment plan further comprises:

computing objective values of the locations of the target in the external reference frame of the radiation vault at a plurality of time intervals; and

calculating radiation dosage levels delivered to regions of the target by correlating parameters of the radiation beam with the locations of the target at the time intervals.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising developing an adapted treatment plan by identifying differences between the calculated radiation dosage levels and desired radiation dosage levels in the predetermined treatment plan.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein assessing Whether the target was irradiated according to the predetermined treatment plan further comprises:

computing objective values of the locations of the target in the external reference frame of the radiation vault at a plurality of time intervals; and

correlating parameters of the radiation delivery device with the computed objective values of the locations of the target at the time intervals.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the correlating process further comprises comparing values from the correlation between the parameters of the radiation delivery device and the computed objective values of the locations of the target with planned treatment margins for the target.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining deviations between values in a treatment plan and corresponding values from the correlation between the parameters of the radiation delivery device and the computed objective values of the locations of the target.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprises providing a treatment result from the assessing procedure and storing the treatment result in a patient record associated with the patient.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the assessing process comprises (a) acquiring hardware data related to a parameter of the radiation delivery device while irradiating the patent and (b) correlating the target data with the hardware data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the target data comprises three-dimensional coordinates of the target in the external reference frame of the radiation delivery device at time intervals while irradiating the patient, and the method further comprises determining the extent to which the target was irradiated.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein correlating the target data with the hardware data comprises evaluating target data and hardware data at corresponding times of the irradiation procedure.

14. A method for assessing a treatment fraction in radiation therapy in which a target within a patient is positioned relative to a machine isocenter in a radiation vault containing a radiation delivery device, the method comprising:

irradiating the patient with a radiation beam from the radiation delivery device;

determining target data relative to a parameter of the target by periodically locating a marker positioned within the patient relative to an external reference frame using a localization modality while irradiating the patient in the radiation vault;

determining hardware data by periodically locating a hardware marker attached to a device in the radiation vault; and

assessing whether the target was irradiated according to a predetermined treatment plan using the target data and the hardware data.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein determining the target data comprises periodically locating the marker using a non-ionizing energy to locate the marker while irradiating the patient.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the marker comprises a magnetic transponder and the non-ionizing energy comprises a wirelessly transmitted magnetic field alternating at a resonant frequency of the marker, and wherein the method further comprises wirelessly transmitting corresponding locations signals from the marker, sensing the location signals from the marker with a sensor array external to the patient, and calculating three-dimensional location coordinates of the marker in the external reference frame of the radiation delivery device.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising modifying the predetermined treatment plan based on the assessing procedure.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein assessing whether the target was irradiated according to the predetermined treatment plan further comprises:

computing objective values of the locations of the target in the external reference frame of the radiation vault at a plurality of time intervals; and

calculating radiation dosage levels delivered to regions of the target by correlating parameters of the radiation beam with the locations of the target at the time intervals.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising developing an adapted treatment plan by identifying differences between the calculated radiation dosage levels and desired radiation dosage levels in the predetermined treatment plan.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein assessing whether the target was irradiated according to the predetermined treatment plan further comprises:

computing objective values of the locations of the target in the external reference frame of the radiation vault at a plurality of time intervals; and

correlating parameters of the radiation delivery device with the computed objective values of the locations of the target at the time intervals.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the correlating process further comprises comparing values from the correlation between the parameters of the radiation delivery device and the computed objective values of the locations of the target with planned treatment margins for the target.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining deviations between values in a treatment plan and corresponding values from the correlation between the parameters of the radiation delivery device and the computed objective values of the locations of the target.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprises providing a treatment result from the assessing procedure and storing the treatment result in a patient record associate with the patient.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein assessing whether the target was irradiated according to the predetermined treatment plan comprises (a) acquiring hardware data related to a parameter of the radiation delivery device while irradiating the patent and (b) correlating the target data with the hardware data.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the target data comprises three-dimensional coordinates of the target in the external reference frame of the radiation delivery device at time intervals while irradiating the patient, and the method further comprises determining the extent to which the target was irradiated.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein correlating the target data with the hardware data comprises evaluating target data and hardware data at corresponding times of the irradiation procedure.

27. A method of assessing performance of a treatment fraction in radiation therapy, comprising:

periodically locating a marker positioned within a patient relative to a reference frame of a radiation delivery device using a localization system that monitors the marker and outputs objective target data relative to the marker locations over a substantially continuous period of time while the patient is at the radiation delivery device;

irradiating the patient using a radiation beam produced by the radiation delivery device according to a predetermined treatment plan;

recording hardware data of the radiation delivery device while irradiating the patient; and

correlating the target data with the hardware data to assess whether the patient was irradiated according to the predetermined treatment plan.