THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS

• US 20130131433A1
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Katscher, Ulrich, Lips, Oliver, Findeklee, Christian, Leussler, Christoph, Nehrke, Kay, Wirtz, Daniel, Overweg, Johannes Adrianus
• Application Number:
  US13/521,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20130131433A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/403 for thermotherapy, e.g. hyperthermia
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/007 for cooling the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1055 using magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1064 for adjusting radiation treatment in response to monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1084 for delivering multiple intersecting beams at the same time, e.g. gamma knives
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4804 Spatially selective measurement of temperature or pH
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4808 Multimodal MR, e.g. MR combined with positron emission tomography [PET], MR combined with ultrasound or MR combined with computed tomography [CT]

Abstract

The invention provides for a therapeutic apparatus comprising a tissue heating system (302, 480, 482). The therapeutic apparatus further comprises a magnetic resonance imaging system (300) for acquiring magnetic resonance thermometry data (366) from nuclei of a subject (318) located within an imaging volume (330). The therapeutic apparatus further comprises a radiation therapy system (304, 592) for irradiating an irradiation volume (316, 516) of the subject, wherein the irradiation volume is within the imaging volume. The therapeutic apparatus further comprises a controller (354) for controlling the therapeutic apparatus. The controller is adapted for acquiring (100, 210) magnetic resonance thermometry data repeatedly using the magnetic resonance imaging system. The controller is adapted for heating (102, 208) at least the irradiation volume using the tissue heating system. The heating is controlled using the magnetic resonance thermometry data. The controller is adapted for irradiating (104, 208) the irradiation volume.

Claims

1. A therapeutic apparatus comprising:

a tissue heating system;

a magnetic resonance imaging system for acquiring magnetic resonance thermometry data from nuclei of a subject located within an imaging volume,

a radiation therapy system for irradiating an irradiation volume of the subject, wherein the irradiation volume is within the imaging volume; and

a controller for controlling the therapeutic apparatus, wherein the controller is adapted for acquiring magnetic resonance thermometry data repeatedly using the magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein the controller is adapted for heating at least the irradiation volume using the tissue heating system, wherein the heating is controlled using the magnetic resonance thermometry data, wherein the controller is adapted for irradiating the irradiation volume using the radiation therapy system

wherein the method further comprises;

updating the magnetic resonance image data repeatedly during execution of the control plan; and

modifying the control plan repeatedly during execution of the control plan using the updated magnetic resonance image data to compensate for motion of the subject.

2. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tissue heating system is for heating a heating volume of the subject;

wherein the heating volume is within the imaging volume;

wherein the irradiation volume is within the heating volume;

wherein the controller is a computing device;

wherein the computing device comprises a processor, wherein the computing device comprises a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for execution by the processor, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to perform a method comprising the steps of;

receiving a treatment plan;

acquiring magnetic resonance image data using the magnetic resonance imaging system;

registering the magnetic resonance image data to the treatment plan;

generating a control plan using the registration of the magnetic resonance imaging data to the treatment plan, wherein the control plan comprises machine executable instructions for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system and for controlling the radiation therapy system;

executing the control plan in order to heat the heating volume using the tissue heating system and irradiate the irradiation volume using the irradiation system;

acquiring magnetic resonance thermometry data repeatedly during execution of the control plan using the magnetic resonance imaging system;

generating a magnetic resonance temperature map repeatedly during execution of the control plan using the magnetic resonance thermometry data; and

modifying the control plan repeatedly during execution of the control plan using the magnetic resonance temperature map.

3. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 2, wherein the irradiation volume is irradiated only when the heated volume is above a first predetermined temperature;

and wherein the irradiation volume is irradiated only when the region of the subject within the imaging volume and not within the heated volume is below a second predetermined temperature.

4. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tissue heating system is a high intensity focused ultrasound system.

5. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tissue heating system is a radio-frequency hyperthermia system.

6. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiation therapy system is a photon radiation therapy system.

7. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the photon radiation therapy system is any one of the following:

a linear accelerator gamma radiation therapy system, an X-ray radiation therapy system, and a radioisotope gamma radiation therapy system.

8. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiation therapy system is a charged particle therapy system.

9. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the therapeutic apparatus further comprises a cooling system adapted fir cooling the subject.

10. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cooling system comprises an air chiller adapted for directing chilled air towards the subject.

11. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cooling system comprises a liquid chiller for supplying chilled liquid.

12. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cooling system comprises an attachment for supplying the chilled liquid to a saturation bag and/or an implement adapted for insertion into an orifice of the subject.

13. The therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system comprises a magnetic field gradient adapted for spatially encoding the spins of the nuclei within the imaging volume, wherein the radiation therapy system is adapted for producing a radiation beam for irradiating the irradiation volume, wherein the magnetic field gradient coil is a split coil with a split, wherein the radiation therapy system is adapted for aiming the radiation beam through the split.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising machine executable instructions for execution by a control system of a therapeutic apparatus;

wherein the control system is adapted for controlling the therapeutic apparatus;

wherein the therapeutic apparatus comprises a tissue heating system;

wherein the therapeutic apparatus further comprises a magnetic resonance imaging system for acquiring magnetic resonance thermometry and image data from nuclei of a subject located within an imaging volume;

wherein the therapeutic apparatus further comprises a radiation therapy system for irradiating an irradiation volume of the subject;

wherein the irradiation volume is within the imaging volume;

wherein the machine executable instructions cause the control system to perform a method comprising the steps of;

acquiring magnetic resonance thermometry and image data repeatedly using the magnetic resonance imaging system;

heating at least the irradiation volume using the tissue heating system, wherein the heating is controlled using the magnetic resonance thermometry data; and

irradiating the irradiation volume using the radiation therapy system.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein at least one of the heating or the irradiating are further controlled according to a treatment plan.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

modifying the treatment plan repeatedly during execution of the treatment plan to compensate for motion of the subject.

17. A therapeutic method comprising:

controlling a magnetic resonance imaging system to repeatedly acquire and update magnetic resonance thermometry and image data during execution of a treatment plan;

controlling a tissue heating system to heat a target volume based on the magnetic resonance thermometry data;

controlling a radiation therapy system to irradiate the target volume according to the treatment plan; and

modifying the treatment plan repeatedly during execution of the treatment plan using the updated magnetic resonance image data to compensate for motion of the subject.