Method for function monitoring in medical accelerator systems

• US 7,857,745 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Delaperriere, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert; Samuel G
• Application Number:
  US11/435,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20060273746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 600 1- 2, 315/501, 375130-132, 250/252.1, 250/336.1, 250/370.01, 250/370.09, 250/370.1, 250/393, 250/398, 2504921-4923, 250/493.1
• US Class Current: 600/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1074 Details of the control system, e.g. user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1048 Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods

Abstract

A method for function monitoring in medical accelerator systems, wherein at least one signal characterizing the operation of at least one medical accelerator, is acquired, digitized and deposited in digitized form in a data processing system to hold it for evaluation of the accelerator system.

Claims

1. A method for function monitoring in medical accelerator systems with at least one signal characterizing an operation of at least one medical accelerator, the method comprising:

digitizing the at least one signal;

depositing in digitized form the at least one signal in a data processing system;

holding the at least one signal at least until evaluation of the accelerator system occurs, and

evaluating, by the data processing system, the width, envelope curve, form, or any combination thereof of the at least one signal,

wherein evaluating comprises making a prognosis in terms of an operating state of the at least one medical accelerator.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating the at least one signal characterizing the operation in the data processing system, the evaluating being as a function of rules, a function of a comparison, or the combination thereof, and

wherein an acquired signal, predetermined reference signal, or the combination thereof is used during the evaluating of the at least one signal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the prognosis is made in terms of the operating state of the at least one medical accelerator system.

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

depositing the outcome of the evaluation in the data processing system for a predetermined length of time, a length of time that can be defined by a user, or the combination thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

depositing, the at least one characterizing signal in the data processing system for a predetermined length of time, a length of time that can be defined by a user, or the combination thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring the at least one signal as a function of acquisition specifications, wherein the at least one signal is acquired continuously, at certain times, at certain time intervals, as a function of at least one trigger signal, multiple times, or any combination thereof.

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

acquiring the at least one signal as a plurality of different characterizing signals.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring the at least one signal as a plurality of signals from a respective plurality of accelerators.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of accelerators is structurally identical, similar, or the combination thereof to one another.

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

displaying the at least one digitized signal, an outcome of evaluation, a reference signal, at least one system-specific item of information present in the data processing system, or any combination thereof on one or more screens, and connecting the screens by a data connection to the data processing system after a program is called.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

acquiring, the at least one system-specific item of information, and

wherein the system-specific item is the energy supply, temperature monitoring, to a water flow sensor, or the combination thereof.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the at least one signal, an outcome of evaluation, or the combination thereof on a mobile screen, spatially remote screen from the at least one medical accelerator system, or the combination thereof.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the display is numerical, graphical, a function of the operating state of the at least one medical accelerator, or any combination thereof.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein digitizing comprises digitizing the at least one characterizing signal as a wave signal.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring the at least one signal as a signal of a target, an accelerator chamber, a klystron, a radiation source, the generated radiation, or any combination thereof.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring the at least one signal as a beam current, dosage pulse, the voltage, the current of the radiation source, the injection current, a generated radiation pulse, the reflected generated radiation, the signals characterizing the beam generation, or any combination thereof are acquired, and

wherein signals characterizing the beam generation are current, voltage, pulses, or the combination thereof.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an error situation with an evaluation by the data processing system; and

generating an error report, interrupting the accelerator operation, or the combination thereof.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data deposition is effected by a database of the data processing system.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring the at least one signal, at least one trigger signal, or the combination thereof of the accelerator with a device for signal acquisition, wherein the device forms part of the data processing system and digitizes the signal, exchanges data, or the combination thereof with a program of the data processing system

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one medical accelerator system comprises a medical accelerator, a linear accelerator, a cyclic accelerator, or the combination thereof, and wherein the medical accelerator is a synchrotron, a cyclotron, or the combination thereof.

21. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating the at least one signal characterizing the operation in the data processing system as a function of predetermined rules, as a function of a comparison, or the combination thereof with at least one acquired signal, predetermined reference signal, or the combination thereof.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating state of the accelerator comprises an expected service life for error-free operation.

23. A medical accelerator system comprising:

a device operable to digitize at least one signal characterizing an operation of the medical accelerator system;

a data storage operable to receive and hold, in digitized form, the at least one signal; and

a data processing system operable to evaluate the width, envelope curve, form, or any combination thereof of the at least one signal from the data storage, wherein the data processing system makes a prognosis in terms of an operating state of the accelerator.