Patient positioning system employing surface photogrammetry and portal imaging

• US 6,535,574 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Bani-Hashemi, Ali, Svatos, Michelle Marie, Collins, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Church, Craig E.
• Application Number:
  US10/004,206
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 376/65, 376/20, 376/205, 376/206
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/105 using a laser alignment system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1054 using a portal imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1059 using cameras imaging the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1069 Target adjustment, e.g. moving the patient support

Abstract

A system includes acquistion of first data representing a three-dimensional surface of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'body while the patient is in a first position substantially maintained in preparation for radiation treatment, acquistion of an image of a first internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is substantially in the first position, and determination of whether the patient is properly positioned for radiation treatment based on the first data and the image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring first data representing a three-dimensional surface of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s body while the patient is in a first position substantially maintained in preparation for radiation treatment;

acquiring an image of a first internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is substantially in the first position; and

determining if the patient is properly positioned for radiation treatment based on the first data and the image.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the image comprises:

controlling a radiation treatment device to emit photons toward the second internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

controlling the radiation treatment device to deliver a radiation treatment plan to the patient'"'"'s body.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring, prior to acquiring the first data, second data representing a three-dimensional surface of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is in a second position; and

wherein the determining step comprises;

determining if the patient is properly positioned for radiation treatment based on the first data, the second data and the image.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

acquiring, prior to acquiring the first data, third data representing at least one internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is in the second position; and

determining the radiation treatment based on the second data and the third data.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

determining, based on the first data and the second data, that the second position does not correspond to the first position.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring, prior to acquiring the first data, third data representing at least one internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is in a second position; and

determining the radiation treatment plan based on the third data.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises:

retrieving a stored sequential radiation treatment plan including second data representing a three-dimensional surface of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body in a second position, the second position being a position in which data representing at least an internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body was acquired; and

automatically determining if the patient is properly positioned based on the first data, the second data and the image.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein if it is determined that the patient is not properly positioned, the first position is automatically changed relative to a radiation treatment device based on the first data, the second data and the image.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically delivering a first segment of a sequential radiation treatment plan to the patient;

after the first segment is delivered, automatically adjusting a position of the patient relative to a radiation treatment device according to the sequential radiation treatment plan;

automatically adjusting a delivery configuration of the radiation treatment device according to the sequential radiation treatment plan; and

automatically delivering a second segment of the sequential radiation treatment plan to the patient.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the position of the patient is automatically adjusted based on data representing a second three-dimensional surface of the patient in the position and on a second image of an internal portion of the patient in the position.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the position of the patient is automatically adjusted based on second data representing a three-dimensional surface of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body in a third position, the third position being a position in which data representing at least an internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body was acquired.

13. A method comprising:

acquiring computed tomography data of a patient while the patient remains substantially in a first position;

acquiring first data representing a three-dimensional surface of the patient while the patient remains substantially in the first position;

acquiring second data representing a three-dimensional surface of the patient while the patient remains substantially in a second position with respect to a radiation treatment device;

acquiring an image of a first internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is substantially in the second position; and

determining if the second data corresponds to the first data;

determining if the image corresponds to a radiation treatment plan; and

delivering radiation to the patient according to the radiation treatment plan.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

automatically repositioning the patient with respect to the radiation treatment device if it is determined that the second data does not correspond to the first data, and/or if it is determined the image does not corresponds to a radiation treatment plan.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

automatically repositioning the patient with respect to the radiation treatment device according to the radiation treatment plan;

acquiring third data representing a three-dimensional surface of the patient while the patient remains substantially in a third position at the radiation treatment station;

acquiring an image of a second internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is substantially in the third position; and

determining if the third data and the image correspond to the radiation treatment plan; and

delivering a second segment of radiation to the patient according to the radiation treatment plan.

16. A medium storing controller-executable process steps, the process steps comprising:

a step to acquire first data representing a three-dimensional surface of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s body while the patient is in a first position substantially maintained in preparation for radiation treatment;

a step to acquire an image of a first internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is substantially in the first position; and

a step to determine if the patient is properly positioned for radiation treatment based on the first data and the image.

17. A medium according to claim 16, the process steps further comprising:

a step to acquire, prior to acquiring the first data, second data representing a three-dimensional surface of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is in a second position; and

wherein the determining step comprises;

a step to determine if the patient is properly positioned for radiation treatment based on the first data, the second data and the image.

18. A medium according to claim 17, the process steps further comprising:

a step to acquire, prior to acquiring the first data, third data representing at least one internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is in the second position; and

a step to determine the radiation treatment based on the second data and the third data.

19. A medium according to claim 16, wherein the determining step comprises:

a step to retrieve a stored sequential radiation treatment plan including second data representing a three-dimensional surface of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body in a second position, the second position being a position in which data representing at least an internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body was acquired; and

a step to automatically determine if the patient is properly positioned based on the first data, the second data and the image.

20. A medium according to claim 19, wherein if it is determined that the patient is not properly positioned, the first position is automatically changed relative to a radiation treatment device based on the first data, the second data and the image.

21. A medium according to claim 16, the process steps further comprising:

a step to automatically deliver a first segment of sequential radiation treatment plan to the patient;

a step to, after the first segment is delivered, automatically adjust a position of the patient relative to a radiation treatment device according to the sequential radiation treatment plan;

a step to automatically adjust a delivery configuration of the radiation treatment device according to the sequential radiation treatment plan; and

a step to automatically deliver a second segment of the sequential radiation treatment plan to the patient.

22. A system comprising:

a surface imager for acquiring first data representing a three-dimensional surface of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s body while the patient is in a first position substantially maintained in preparation for radiation treatment;

a portal imager for acquiring an image of a first internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is substantially in the first position; and

a computing device for determining if the patient is properly positioned for radiation treatment based on the first data and the image.

23. A system according to claim 22, further comprising:

a second surface imager for acquiring, prior to acquisition of the first data, second data representing a three-dimensional surface of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is in a second position,

wherein the computing device determines if the patient is properly positioned based on the first data, the second data and the image.

24. A system according to claim 23, further comprising:

a CT device for acquiring, prior to acquisition of the first data, third data representing at least one internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the patient is in the second position; and

a second computing device for determining the radiation treatment based on the second data and the third data.

25. A system according to claim 22, further comprising:

a memory storing second data representing a three-dimensional surface of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s body in a second position, the second position being a position in which data representing at least an internal portion of the patient'"'"'s body was acquired, and

wherein the computing device automatically determines if the patient is properly positioned based on the first data, the second data and the image.

26. A system according to claim 25, wherein if it is determined that the patient is not properly positioned, the computing device controls a radiation treatment device to automatically change the position of the patient relative to the radiation treatment device based on the first data, the second data and the image.