SYSTEM AND METHOD OF EVALUATING DOSE DELIVERED BY A RADIATION THERAPY SYSTEM

• US 20070195929A1
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accuray Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TomoTherapy Incorporated (Accuray Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lu, Weiguo, Schnarr, Eric, Mackie, Thomas, Ruchala, Kenneth, Olivera, Gustavo
• Granted Patent: US 7,839,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1072 taking into account movement of the target
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1037 taking into account the movement of the target, e.g. 4D-image based planning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1038 taking into account previously administered plans applied to the same patient, i.e. adaptive radiotherapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1048 Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1071 for verifying the dose delivered by the treatment plan

Abstract

A system and method of evaluating dose delivered by a radiation therapy system using a marker that indicates motion. The marker is associated with the patient. In one method of operation, the method includes delivering radiation to the patient, monitoring motion of the marker during the delivering radiation, and evaluating a dose delivered to the patient based at least in part on the motion of the marker. In another method of operation, the method includes delivering radiation to the patient, obtaining information relating to the delivery of radiation, estimating dose to the marker based at least in part on the information, acquiring dose received by the marker, and comparing the received dose with the estimated dose.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating dose delivered by a radiation therapy system using a marker that indicates motion, the marker being associated with the patient, the method comprising:

delivering radiation to the patient;

monitoring motion of the marker during the delivering radiation; and

evaluating a dose delivered to the patient based at least in part on the motion of the marker.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the marker is disposed within the patient.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the marker is coupled to the patient and is exterior to the patient.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising obtaining a plurality of images of the patient, and wherein the evaluating a dose is further based on the plurality of images.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising providing therapy to the patient, and wherein the obtaining a plurality of images occurs during the providing therapy to the patient.

6. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the obtaining a plurality of images are collected in substantially the treatment position.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising obtaining a three-dimensional image of the patient, and wherein the evaluating a dose is further based on the three-dimensional image.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising obtaining four-dimensional images of the patient, and wherein the evaluating a dose is further based on the four-dimensional images.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising adapting the delivering radiation to the patient based at least in part on the evaluation.

10. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising performing deformation, and wherein the evaluating a dose is further based on deformation.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the marker is used as a fiduciary point for the performing deformation.

12. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising acquiring a signal transmitted from the marker having a relation to the intensity of radiation received by the marker, and wherein the evaluating a dose is further based on the intensity of radiation received by the marker.

13. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising acquiring an intensity of a signal being transmitted from the marker, and wherein the evaluating a dose is further based on the intensity of the signal being transmitted from the marker.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 wherein the intensity of the signal being transmitted from the marker is based on an amount of delivered radiation.

15. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising changing the delivering radiation based on the monitoring motion of the marker.

16. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the delivering radiation is according to a treatment plan and further comprising dynamically modifying the treatment plan based on the monitoring act.

17. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the delivering radiation is according to a treatment plan and further comprising dynamically changing the treatment plan based on the monitoring act.

18. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the monitoring motion of the marker includes at least one of monitoring an absolute position of the marker, monitoring a relative position of the marker, monitoring an absolute speed of the marker, monitoring a relative speed of the marker, monitoring an absolute acceleration of the marker, monitoring a relative acceleration of the marker, and monitoring a time series of the marker.

19. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising acquiring dosimetric characteristics relating to the marker.

20. A method of evaluating dose delivered by a radiation therapy system using a marker associated with the patient, the method comprising:

delivering radiation to the patient;

obtaining information relating to the delivery of radiation;

estimating dose to the marker based at least in part on the information;

acquiring dose received by the marker; and

comparing the received dose with the estimated dose.

21. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the marker is disposed within the patient.

22. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the marker is coupled to the patient and is exterior to the patient.

23. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the acquiring act includes receiving a value representing a dose received by the marker and adjusting the value with a calibration value.

24. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the obtaining act includes identifying the location of the marker with an image of the patient, and wherein the estimating act further includes calculating dose based at least in part on the location of the marker.

25. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the obtaining act includes obtaining motion information for the marker, and wherein the estimating the dose is further based on the motion information.

26. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the obtaining act includes obtaining detector data, and wherein the estimating the dose is further based on the detector data.

27. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the obtaining act includes obtaining system feedback information, and wherein the estimating the dose if further based on the system feedback information.

28. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the obtaining act includes obtaining a three-dimensional image, and wherein the estimating the dose includes performing a three-dimensional dose calculation with the three-dimensional image.

29. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the obtaining act includes obtaining a plurality of three-dimensional images, and wherein the estimating the dose includes performing a four-dimensional dose calculation with the plurality of three-dimensional images.

30. A method as set forth in claim 20 and further comprising modifying the delivering radiation based at least in part on the comparison.

31. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the acquiring act includes acquiring a signal transmitted from the marker having a relation to the intensity of radiation received by the marker.

32. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the acquiring act includes acquiring an intensity of a signal being transmitted from the marker.

33. A method as set forth in claim 32 wherein the intensity of the signal being transmitted from the marker is based on an amount of delivered radiation.

34. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the acquired act includes at least one of a dose received during a portion of a fraction, a cumulative dose for an entire fraction, and a cumulative dose received over multiple fractions.

35. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the estimating act includes performing deformation.

36. A method as set forth in claim 35 wherein the marker is used as a fiduciary point for the performing act.

37. A method as set forth in claim 20 and further comprising determining a position of the marker based at least in part on the comparison.

38. A method as set forth in claim 20 dynamically changing the delivering radiation based on the comparison.

39. A method as set forth in claim 20 and further comprising acquiring motion information for the marker.

40. A method of evaluating dose delivered by a radiation therapy system using a marker that indicates motion, the marker being associated with the patient, the method comprising:

delivering radiation to the patient;

monitoring motion of the marker during the delivering radiation;

estimating a dose delivered to the patient based at least in part on the motion of the marker;

acquiring dose received by the marker; and

comparing the received dose with the estimated dose.

41. A method as set forth in claim 40 wherein the marker is disposed within the patient.

42. A method as set forth in claim 40 wherein the marker is coupled to the patient and is exterior to the patient.

43. A method as set forth in claim 40 wherein the acquiring act includes receiving a value representing a dose received by the marker and adjusting the value with a calibration value.

44. A method as set forth in claim 40, further comprising identifying the location of the marker with an image of the patient, and wherein the estimating act further includes calculating dose based at least in part on the location of the marker.

45. A method as set forth in claim 40 and further comprising determining a position of the marker based at least in part on the comparison.