Methods and Systems for Guiding Clinical Radiotherapy Setups

• US 20100008467A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elekta Ltd. (Elekta AB)
• Original Assignee: Elekta Ltd. (Elekta AB)
• Inventors: Dussault, Chantal, Bonneville, Martin, Lodu, Daniel, Lachaine, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,189,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1059 using cameras imaging the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/103 Treatment planning systems

Abstract

Radiation beam parameters are determined by manipulating a tool about a patient in order to determine a desired beam entry point and/or beam angle. In certain embodiments, a visual representation of the beam may be displayed along with images of internal and external anatomical features of the patient, and used to determine couch and/or gantry manipulation parameters to move the patient into a desired position with respect to a treatment delivery device.

Claims

1. A method for establishing radiation beam parameters for delivery of radiotherapy treatment to a patient using a radiotherapy treatment device, the method comprising:

a. orienting a wand with respect to the patient to establish a beam entry point;

b. acquiring positional parameters characterizing wand positioning with respect to a room coordinate system; and

c. defining, in the room coordinate system, a beam angle consistent with the beam entry point.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein wand positioning comprises a position of the wand tip.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein wand positioning comprises an orientation of the wand.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein orienting the wand further establishes a beam trajectory.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein orienting the wand further establishes a collimator rotation.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of converting the beam angle to couch and gantry movement parameters.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising moving a gantry couch in accordance with the parameters.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein movement of the couch is tracked and feedback specifying conformance to the parameters is provided to a user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the beam angle is established relative to a curvature of the patient.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

d. obtaining one or more images of the patient'"'"'s internal anatomy; and

e. visually representing portions of the patient'"'"'s internal anatomy within a beam area corresponding to the defined beam angle.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising including digitized images of one or more external anatomical features of the patient'"'"'s anatomy within the beam area corresponding to the defined beam angle.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

d. obtaining one or more images of the patient'"'"'s external anatomy; and

e. visually representing portions of the patient'"'"'s external anatomy within a beam area corresponding to the defined beam angle.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising including digitized images of one or more internal anatomical features of the patient'"'"'s anatomy within the beam area corresponding to the defined beam angle.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the visual representation comprises image points on a plane defined relative to the beam angle.

15. The method of claim 14 where the plane is defined by a beam'"'"'s-eye view.

16. The method of claim 14 where the plane is perpendicular to a beam'"'"'s-eye view.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising visually displaying beam information, the beam information comprising at least one of beam aperture, dose information, or electron beam depth.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a beam entry point and correlating the beam entry point with a desired source-to-skin distance.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the wand orientation defines a current source-to-skin distance, and further comprising defining a desired source-to-skin distance and computing couch and gantry movement parameters for shifting the current source-to-skin distance to the desired source-to-skin distance.

20. The method of claim 1 where the beam angle is used for treatment planning purposes.

21. A system for establishing radiation beam parameters for treatment of a patient, the system comprising:

a. a tool;

b. a tool tracking device for sensing an orientation of the tool with respect to the patient to establish at least a beam entry point; and

c. a processor for characterizing the beam entry point with respect to a room coordinate system and defining a beam angle consistent with the beam entry point.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the processor further characterizes a beam trajectory.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the tool comprises a wand having a shaft, a handle, and a distal tip.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the tool further comprises one or more optical tracking sensors identified by the tool tracking device.

25. The system of claim 21 further comprising a register for storing image data corresponding to one or more of internal and external anatomical features of the patient.

26. The system of claim 25 further comprising one or more imaging devices for obtaining the image data.

27. The system of claim 26 further comprising a display device for displaying one or more of the internal and external anatomical features of the patient within a beam'"'"'s eye view of a radiation treatment device, wherein the beam'"'"'s eye view is oriented along the desired beam angle.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the display further provides beam information, the beam information comprising at least one of a beam aperture, a dose information, and an electron beam depth.

29. The system of claim 21 further comprising a controller for determining couch and gantry movement parameters, and directing movement of at least one of the gantry and the couch such that a radiation beam may be delivered to the patient along the desired beam angle.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the processor correlates the beam entry point with a desired source-to-skin distance.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the tool orientation defines a current source-to-skin distance, the controller computing couch and gantry movement parameters for shifting the current source-to-skin distance to the desired source-to-skin distance.