Methods and devices for detecting, controlling, and predicting radiation delivery
First Claim
1. Non-transitory machine-readable medium operable with an electronic computer, in treating a lesion on or adjacent the retina of an eye of a patient with an external-beam radiation device, to execute instructions effective to perform the steps comprising:
- (a) placing the eye in alignment with a known system axis in an external three-dimensional coordinate system, and measuring an axial length of the eye;
(b) from a known position of the system axis and from the measured axial length, determining coordinates of the lesion to be treated in the external coordinate system;
(c) directing a collimated x-ray radiation beam along a known beam axis in the external coordinate system at the lesion to be treated;
(d) during said directing, tracking a position of the eye with respect to the known system axis, thus to track a position of the lesion to be treated in the external coordinate system; and
(e) based on the known beam axis of the collimated beam in the external coordinate system, and the tracked position of the lesion to be treated in the external coordinate system, as determined at least in part by the tracked position of the eye, calculating a total radiation equivalent received at the lesion to be treated during the treatment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments provide method and systems for determining alignment of a patient'"'"'s body part, such as an eye, in an external coordinate system of a treatment or diagnostic device, such as a radiotherapy device, so as to define a reference axis for guiding device operation. Additional embodiments provide image-based methods and systems for aligning, tracking and monitoring motion of a body part and a treatment target in relation to a radiation beam axis. Particular ophthalmic embodiments provide method and systems including an eye-contact guide device and imaging system for aligning and tracking motion of an eye and ocular treatment target in relation to an orthovoltage X-ray beam axis, so as to monitor application of radiation to a lesion, such as a macular lesion of the retina. Particular methods for controlling radiation in response to motion of the target during treatment are described, such as algorithms for gating or interrupting radiation emission, both to ensure treatment goals and to avoid exposure to sensitive structures.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. Non-transitory machine-readable medium operable with an electronic computer, in treating a lesion on or adjacent the retina of an eye of a patient with an external-beam radiation device, to execute instructions effective to perform the steps comprising:
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(a) placing the eye in alignment with a known system axis in an external three-dimensional coordinate system, and measuring an axial length of the eye; (b) from a known position of the system axis and from the measured axial length, determining coordinates of the lesion to be treated in the external coordinate system; (c) directing a collimated x-ray radiation beam along a known beam axis in the external coordinate system at the lesion to be treated; (d) during said directing, tracking a position of the eye with respect to the known system axis, thus to track a position of the lesion to be treated in the external coordinate system; and (e) based on the known beam axis of the collimated beam in the external coordinate system, and the tracked position of the lesion to be treated in the external coordinate system, as determined at least in part by the tracked position of the eye, calculating a total radiation equivalent received at the lesion to be treated during the treatment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Non-transitory machine-readable medium operable with an electronic computer in a treatment system, for treating a target area in a patient with an irradiation beam, operably connected to (a) a tracking assembly for tracking a position of a patient body region containing the target area and at least one radiation-sensitive area with respect to a known reference axis in an external coordinate system and (b) a beam source for directing an x-ray irradiation beam at the patient target area along a known treatment axis in the external coordinate system, to execute instructions effective to perform the steps comprising:
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(i) determining, from a known position of body region in the external coordinate system, the coordinates of the target area to be treated and the coordinates of the at least one radiation-sensitive patient structure; (ii) during a period when the irradiation beam is being directed along the treatment axis at the target area, and based on information received from the tracking assembly, tracking positions of the target area to be treated and the at least one radiation-sensitive structure; (iii) based on the known beam axis of the collimated beam in the external coordinate system, and the instantaneous positions of the target area to be treated and the at least one radiation-sensitive structure, calculating a total radiation equivalent received at the target area and at least one radiation-sensitive structure; and (iv) based on the calculated radiation equivalents from step (iii), controlling the irradiation beam to insure that the at least one radiation-sensitive structure does not receive more than a preselected radiation equivalent during the treatment.
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Specification