Path planning and collision avoidance for movement of instruments in a radiation therapy environment

• US 7,949,096 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LOMA Linda University Medical Center (Mission Healthcare Services LLC)
• Original Assignee: LOMA Linda University Medical Center (Mission Healthcare Services LLC)
• Inventors: Lesyna, David A., Cheng, Chieh C., Moyers, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, HOON K
• Application Number:
  US12/825,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20100292847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 378/65, 378/205, 378/207, 378195-196, 378208-209
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0442 made of non-metallic materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4092 for producing synchrotron radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/105 using a laser alignment system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1059 using cameras imaging the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1061 using an x-ray imaging system having a separate imaging source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1062 using virtual X-ray images, e.g. digitally reconstructed radiographs [DRR]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1097 Means for immobilizing the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1037 taking into account the movement of the target, e.g. 4D-image based planning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1067 in real time, i.e. during treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1069 Target adjustment, e.g. moving the patient support
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/107 in real time, i.e. during treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1078 Fixed beam systems
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45117 Medical, radio surgery manipulator

Abstract

A patient positioning system for use with a radiation therapy system that monitors the location of fixed and movable components and pre-plans movement of the movable components so as to inhibit movement if a collision would be indicated. The positioning system can also coordinate movement of multiple movable components for reduced overall latency in registering a patient. The positioning system includes external measurement devices which measure the location and orientation of objects, including components of the radiation therapy system, in space and can also monitor for intrusion into the active area of the therapy system by personnel or foreign objects to improve operational safety of the radiation therapy system.

Claims

1. A patient alignment system for a therapy delivery system, the patient alignment system comprising:

a multidimensional position determination module for determining a current position of a plurality of movable components of the therapy delivery system;

a patient registration module for determining a desired position of the plurality of movable components;

a motion control module for coordinating the movement of at least one of the plurality of movable components from the current position to the desired position, wherein the motion control module comprises a path planning module for simulating at least one projected trajectory of movement of the least one of the plurality of moveable components from the current position to the desired position; and

a command and control module for communicating requests between the multidimensional position determination module, the patient registration module, and the motion control module.

2. The patient alignment system of claim 1, wherein the path planning module comprises a library of three dimensional model data for each of the plurality of movable components.

3. The patient alignment system of claim 2, wherein the motion control module further comprises a collision avoidance module configured to calculate distances between the plurality of movable components along the at least one projected trajectory to determine a first collision hazard.

4. The patient alignment system of claim 3, wherein the collision avoidance module is further configured to receive real-time position data of the plurality of movable components of the therapy delivery system from the multidimensional position determination module, and wherein the collision avoidance module is further configured to calculate distances between the plurality of movable components based on the real-time position data to determine a second collision hazard.

5. The patient alignment system of claim 1, wherein the patient registration module comprises a user interface for providing a patient identifier.

6. The patient alignment system of claim 1, wherein the patient registration module is configured to receive information relating to a treatment prescription from a data file.

7. The patient alignment system of claim 1, wherein the multidimensional position determination module comprises a first position measurement system having a plurality of cameras for measuring the position of the plurality of movable components.

8. The patient alignment system of claim 7, wherein a first movable component of the plurality of movable components includes at least three markers, wherein the plurality of cameras is configured to determine the position and orientation of the first movable component using the at least three markers.

9. The patient alignment system of claim 7, wherein the multidimensional position determination module further includes an arbitration module and a second position measurement system, wherein the second position measurement system includes a plurality of resolvers for measuring the position of at least a portion of the plurality of movable components, and wherein the arbitration module is configured to receive the measured position information from the first and second position measurement systems for determining the position of the plurality of movable components.

10. The patient alignment system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable components comprises at least one of a patient pod, an imager, and a nozzle.

11. A patient alignment system for a therapy delivery system, the patient alignment system comprising:

means for determining a current position of a plurality of movable components of the therapy delivery system;

means for determining a desired position of the plurality of movable components;

means for coordinating movement of at least one of the plurality of movable components from the current position to the desired position, wherein the means for coordinating movement comprises a means for simulating at least one projected trajectory of movement of the least one of the plurality of moveable components from the current position to the desired position; and

means for communicating requests between the means for determining the current position, means for determining the desired position, and means for coordinating movement.

12. The patient alignment system of claim 11, wherein the means for coordinating movement comprises a means for modeling the plurality of movable components.

13. The patient alignment system of claim 12, wherein the means for coordinating further comprises a means for determining a collision hazard of the plurality of movable components along the at least one projected trajectory.

14. The patient alignment system of claim 11, wherein the means for determining the desired position comprises a means for receiving information relating to a treatment prescription.

15. The patient alignment system of claim 11, wherein the means for determining the current position comprises a means for measuring the position of the plurality of movable components.

16. A method of controlling patient alignment in a therapy delivery system, the method comprising:

determining a current position of a plurality of movable components of the therapy delivery system;

determining a desired position of the plurality of movable components; and

coordinating movement of at least one of the plurality of movable components from the current position to the desired position, wherein coordinating movement comprises simulating at least one projected trajectory of movement of the least one of the plurality of moveable components from the current position to the desired position,

wherein the steps of determining the current position, determining the desired position, and coordinating movement are performed at least in part in electronic hardware.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein simulating the at least one projected trajectory of movement comprises using three dimensional model data.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising calculating distances between the plurality of movable components along the at least one projected trajectory to determine a first collision hazard.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining real-time position data of the plurality of movable components of the therapy delivery system, and calculating distances between the plurality of movable components based on the real-time position data to determine a second collision hazard.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising verifying the accuracy of the real-time position data.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving information relating to a treatment prescription from a data file.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising measuring the position of the plurality of movable components using a plurality of cameras.