Method and apparatus for tracking an internal target region without an implanted fiducial
First Claim
1. A method for locating an internal target region during treatment, the method comprising:
- generating a plurality of first images of a relevant volume of a patient, the relevant volume including the internal target region and each of the plurality of first images showing the internal target region;
generating a live image of the relevant volume at a predetermined time during treatment; and
determining a location of the internal target region at the predetermined time by identifying one of the plurality of first images that best matches the live image.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for locating an internal target region during treatment without implanted fiducials is presented. The method comprises producing a plurality of first images that show an internal volume including the internal target region, then producing a live image of the internal volume during treatment and matching this live image to one of the plurality of first images. Since the first images show the internal target region, matching the live image to one of the first images identifies the position of the target region regardless of whether the second image itself shows the position of the target region. The first images may be any three-dimensional images such as CT scans, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound. The live image may be, for example, an x-ray image. The invention may be used in conjunction with a real-time sensor to track the position of the target region on a real-time basis.
196 Citations
46 Claims
-
1. A method for locating an internal target region during treatment, the method comprising:
-
generating a plurality of first images of a relevant volume of a patient, the relevant volume including the internal target region and each of the plurality of first images showing the internal target region; generating a live image of the relevant volume at a predetermined time during treatment; and determining a location of the internal target region at the predetermined time by identifying one of the plurality of first images that best matches the live image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. An apparatus for tracking the location of an internal target region inside a patient, the apparatus comprising:
-
an imaging device configured to generate a live image of a relevant volume that includes the internal target region; a memory unit storing a plurality of three-dimensional images wherein each of the three-dimensional images shows a pre-generated image, generated prior to treatment, of the relevant volume and the internal target region; and a processor coupled to the imaging device and the memory unit, the processor including a first set of computer-readable instructions for selecting a best three-dimensional image that most closely resembles the live image and a second set of computer-readable instructions for determining a position of the internal target region at the time the live image is generated based on the best three-dimensional image. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. An apparatus for tracking the location of a target region inside a patient, the apparatus comprising:
-
means for generating a plurality of first images of a relevant volume inside the patient, the relevant volume including the target region and each of the plurality of first images showing the target region; means for generating a live image of the relevant volume at a predetermined time during treatment; and means for determining a location of the internal target region at the predetermined time by identifying one of the plurality of first images that best matches the live image. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A method for locating during treatment an internal target region in a patient who is undergoing a motion, the method comprising:
-
generating prior to treatment a plurality of first images of a relevant volume of a patient, the relevant volume including the target region and each of the plurality of first images showing the target region; generating a second image of the relevant volume at a predetermined time during treatment; and determining a location of the target region at the predetermined time by identifying one of the plurality of first images that best matches the second image. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46)
-
Specification