MAGNETIC RESONANCE GUIDED THERAPY WITH INTERLEAVED SCANNING

• US 20150126799A1
• Filed: 05/08/2013
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Vahala, Erkki Tapani
• Granted Patent: US 10,946,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1055 using magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1072 taking into account movement of the target
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1074 Details of the control system, e.g. user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1037 taking into account the movement of the target, e.g. 4D-image based planning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1039 using functional images, e.g. PET or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1045 using a multi-leaf collimator, e.g. for intensity modulated radiation therapy or IMRT
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/107 in real time, i.e. during treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1077 Beam delivery systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a medical apparatus (100). The method comprises receiving a treatment plan (168) specifying a target volume (146) within an imaging volume (138) and a dose rate of radiation emitted by a radiotherapy apparatus (102) of the medical apparatus (100), and repeatedly acquiring the motion tracking magnetic resonance data and the image magnetic resonance data by controlling a magnetic resonance data magnetic resonance module (106) of the medical apparatus (100) with an interleaved pulse sequence; controlling the radiotherapy apparatus (102) to radiate the target volume (146) in accordance with the treatment plan (168); calculating a dose distribution map descriptive of a radiation dose received by the subject (144) from the radiotherapy apparatus (102) using the motion tracking magnetic resonance data, and the treatment plan (168); reconstructing a diagnostic image using the image magnetic resonance data; displaying on a display the diagnostic image and the dose distribution map; receiving treatment plan update data from a user interface; and updating the treatment plan (168) in accordance with the treatment plan update data.

Claims

1. A medical apparatus comprising:

a radiotherapy apparatus for radiating a target volume;

a magnetic resonance module for acquiring motion tracking magnetic resonance data and image magnetic resonance data from a subject of which at least a part is located within an imaging volume, wherein the target volume is within the imaging volume;

a memory for storing machine executable instructions; and

a processor for controlling the medical apparatus (100), wherein execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to receive a treatment plan specifying the target volume within the imaging volume and a dose rate of radiation emitted by the radiotherapy apparatus, and to repeatedly;

acquire the motion tracking magnetic resonance data and the image magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance module with an interleaved pulse sequence;

control the radiotherapy apparatus to radiate the target volume in accordance with the treatment plan;

calculate a dose distribution map descriptive of a radiation dose received by the subject from the radiotherapy apparatus using the motion tracking magnetic resonance data, and the treatment plan;

reconstruct a diagnostic image using the image magnetic resonance data;

display on a display the diagnostic image and the dose distribution map;

receive treatment plan update data from a user interface; and

update the treatment plan in accordance with the treatment plan update data.

2. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the execution of the instructions further causes the processor to reconstruct low temporal resolution images using the image magnetic resonance data, and to reconstruct high temporal resolution images using the motion tracking magnetic resonance data.

3. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the treatment plan update data comprises a request to automatically update the treatment plan using the dose distribution map, wherein the treatment plan is updated at least partially in accordance with the dose distribution map.

4. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the treatment plan update data is used at least partially to directly update the treatment plan.

5. The medical apparatus of claim 1, further comprises a multi-leaf collimator for collimating a radiation beam of the therapeutic apparatus to an irradiation area in match with the target volume, wherein the treatment plan update data comprises a request to automatically update the treatment plan by adjusting the multi-leaf collimator to match the target volume using the motion tracking magnetic resonance data.

6. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiotherapy apparatus is controlled to radiate the target volume in accordance with the treatment plan and the motion tracking magnetic resonance data.

7. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dose distribution map and the diagnostic image are displayed side by side.

8. The medical apparatus of claim 2, wherein the dose distribution map and the diagnostic image are overlaid.

9. The medical apparatus of claim 8, wherein the execution of the instructions further causes the processor to acquire the image magnetic resonance data during a pre-determined part of a cyclic motion of the subject by controlling the magnetic resonance module.

10. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the update of the treatment plan occurs during radiation of the target volume.

11. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiotherapy apparatus is controlled to radiate the target volume in separate radiation therapy fractions, wherein the update of the treatment plan occurs after one of the radiation therapy fractions is finished.

12. The medical apparatus of claim 11, wherein the radiotherapy apparatus comprises a LINAC X-ray source for radiating the target volume.

13. The medical apparatus of claim 12, wherein the execution of the instructions further causes the processor to calculate the dose distribution map using the motion tracking magnetic resonance data, radiotherapy apparatus output data and the treatment plan.

14. A computer program product containing machine executable instructions for execution by a processor controlling a medical apparatus, wherein the medical apparatus comprises a radiotherapy apparatus for radiating a target volume;

a magnetic resonance module for acquiring motion tracking magnetic resonance data and image magnetic resonance data from a subject of which at least a part is located within an imaging volume, wherein the target volume is within the imaging volume;

wherein execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to receive a treatment plan specifying the target volume the imaging volume and a dose rate of radiation emitted by the radiotherapy apparatus, and to repeatedly;

acquire the motion tracking magnetic resonance data and the image magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance module with an interleaved pulse sequence;

control the radiotherapy apparatus to radiate the target volume in accordance with the treatment plan;

calculate a dose distribution map descriptive of a radiation dose received by the subject from the radiotherapy apparatus using the motion tracking magnetic resonance data, and the treatment plan;

reconstruct a diagnostic image using the image magnetic resonance data;

display on a display the diagnostic image and the dose distribution map;

receive treatment plan update data from a user interface; and

update the treatment plan in accordance with the treatment plan update data.

15. A method of controlling a medical apparatus, wherein the medical apparatus comprises a radiotherapy apparatus for radiating a target volume;

a magnetic resonance module for acquiring motion tracking magnetic resonance data and image magnetic resonance data from a subject of which at least a part is located within an imaging volume, wherein the target volume is within the imaging volume, wherein the method comprises receiving a treatment plan specifying the target volume within the imaging volume and a dose rate of radiation emitted by the radiotherapy apparatus, and repeatedly;

acquiring the motion tracking magnetic resonance data and the image magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance module with an interleaved pulse sequence;

controlling the radiotherapy apparatus to radiate the target volume in accordance with the treatment plan;

calculating a dose distribution map descriptive of a radiation dose received by the subject from the radiotherapy apparatus using the motion tracking magnetic resonance data, and the treatment plan;

reconstructing a diagnostic image using the image magnetic resonance data;

displaying on a display the diagnostic image and the dose distribution map;

receiving treatment plan update data from a user interface; and

updating the treatment plan in accordance with the treatment plan update data.