Method and apparatus for modulating a radiation beam
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A radiation therapy treatment system comprising:
- a collimator including a plurality of leaf assemblies, each leaf assembly havinga support structure,a plurality of leaves coupled to the support structure and adapted to pivot with respect to the support structure, andan unobstructed pathway extending from one leaf to an adjacent leaf, andwherein the arrangement of the leaf assemblies provides a two-dimensional array, the collimator configured to separate a megavoltage radiation beam into a plurality of independent beamlets, andfurther wherein each independent beamlet is defined by only a single leaf.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method to deliver intensity modulated radiation therapy by irradiating a treatment volume with rotation of the radiation beam. The system includes a collimation device comprising a two-dimensional array of pivoting attenuating leaves, which are temporarily placed into the radiation beam path as the gantry rotates around the patient. The leaves are independently movable between a first position and a second position. The radiation beam intensity is modulated by controlling the time that each leaf is present to attenuate the beam.
385 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A radiation therapy treatment system comprising:
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a collimator including a plurality of leaf assemblies, each leaf assembly having a support structure, a plurality of leaves coupled to the support structure and adapted to pivot with respect to the support structure, and an unobstructed pathway extending from one leaf to an adjacent leaf, and wherein the arrangement of the leaf assemblies provides a two-dimensional array, the collimator configured to separate a megavoltage radiation beam into a plurality of independent beamlets, and further wherein each independent beamlet is defined by only a single leaf. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A radiation therapy treatment system comprising:
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a gantry; a collimator supported by the gantry, the collimator including a plurality of leaf assemblies, each leaf assembly including a support structure, a plurality of leaves coupled to the support structure and adapted to pivot with respect to the support structure, an unobstructed pathway extending from one leaf to an adjacent leaf, a plurality of actuators, each actuator coupled to one of the leaves, and wherein the arrangement of the leaf assemblies provides a two-dimensional array , the collimator configured to separate a megavoltage radiation beam into a plurality of independent beamlets, and further wherein each independent beamlet is defined by only a single leaf; and a controller operable to selectively instruct the actuators to move the leaves to provide temporal and spatial modulation of the megavoltage radiation beam. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A radiation therapy treatment system comprising:
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a collimator; and means for delivering a plurality of independently controlled slices of megavoltage radiation to a patient at substantially the same time, the delivery means supported by the collimator. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A radiation delivery system comprising:
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a collimator including a first leaf assembly and a directly-adjacent second leaf assembly, the first leaf assembly including a first support structure, a plurality of leaves coupled to the first support structure and adapted to pivot with respect to the first support structure, and a first radiation pathway between the first leaf assembly and the directly-adjacent second leaf assembly, the first radiation pathway being unobstructed between adjacent leaves, the second leaf assembly including a second support structure, a plurality of leaves coupled to the second support structure and adapted to pivot with respect to the second support structure, and a second radiation pathway defined on a side of the second leaf assembly opposite to the first radiation pathway, the second radiation pathway being unobstructed between adjacent leaves, and wherein the leaf assemblies are adapted to attenuate megavoltage radiation.
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24. A radiation delivery system comprising:
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a plurality of leaf assemblies, each leaf assembly including a support structure, and a plurality of leaves coupled to the support structure and adapted to pivot with respect to the support structure; and a plurality of separate pathways, each pathway oriented between adjacent leaf assemblies, and each pathway being independently controlled by at least one leaf of only one of the leaf assemblies, and wherein the leaf assemblies are adapted to attenuate megavoltage radiation.
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Specification