Patient alignment system with external measurement and object coordination for radiation therapy system

• US 8,981,324 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• 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: Rigney, Nickolas S., Anderson, Daniel C., Lesyna, David A., Miller, Daniel W., Moyers, Michael F., Cheng, Chieh C., Baumann, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAHU, MEENAKSHI S
• Application Number:
  US14/062,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20140163300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 250/492.1, 250/491.1, 250/492.3, 356/375, 356/373, 378/20, 378/65, 378/68
• US Class Current: 250/492.3
• 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 alignment system for a radiation therapy system. The alignment system includes multiple external measurement devices which obtain position measurements of components of the radiation therapy system which are movable and/or are subject to flex or other positional variations. The alignment system employs the external measurements to provide corrective positioning feedback to more precisely register the patient and align them with a radiation beam. The alignment system can be provided as an integral part of a radiation therapy system or can be added as an upgrade to existing radiation therapy systems.

Claims

1. A radiation therapy delivery system comprising a moveable radiation nozzle, a moveable patient positioner, and a plurality of fixed landmarks, wherein the system is configured to determine a current three-dimensional spatial position and angular orientation of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner with reference to the plurality of fixed landmarks, and wherein the system is further configured to induce movement of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner based on the current spatial position and angular orientation, of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner to achieve a desired translational and rotation alignment of the patient positioner with respect to the radiation nozzle.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising two or more measurement devices arranged to independently obtain position measurements of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner with reference to the plurality of fixed landmarks.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the two or more measurement devices are arranged to obtain position measurements from multiple perspectives.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a control system configured to receive the position measurements from the two or more measurement devices and determine the current spatial position and angular orientation of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner based on the received position measurements.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the control system is further configured to calibrate the two or more measurement devices prior to determining the current spatial position and angular orientation of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the control system is further configured to determine corrective factors such that the two or more measurement devices provide independent position measurements that are in agreement following calibration.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising a control system configured to determine movement commands to induce at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner to move from the current spatial position and angular orientation to a desired spatial position and angular orientation.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the position measurements comprise direction vectors and wherein the control system is configured to calculate intersections of pluralities of the direction vectors.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the control system further determines a current three-dimensional spatial position and angular orientation of each of the patient positioner and of the radiation nozzle based at least in part on the calculated intersections of the direction vectors.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the two or more measurement devices include cameras, laser measurement devices, radio-location devices, or a combination thereof.

11. The system of claim 2, further comprising one or more moveable imagers arranged to obtain image data of at least a portion of the patient positioner, wherein the two or more measurement devices are further configured to obtain position measurements of the one or more imagers with reference to the plurality of fixed landmarks.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is further configured to determine a current three-dimensional spatial position and angular orientation of the one or more imagers based on the position measurements of the one or more imagers.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is further configured to determine a movement envelope for the one or more imagers using the current spatial position and angular orientation of the one or more imagers.

14. The system of claim 2, further comprising one or more feedback devices in communication with at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner, the one or more feedback devices configured to independently determine the current position of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner, wherein the system is configured to induce movement of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner based on position information received from the two or more measurement devices and the one or more feedback devices.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the system receives position signals from one or more moveable imagers indicative of a spatial position of a target iso-center of a patient affixed to the patient positioner, and wherein the system is configured to induce movement of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner to align the target iso-center at a desired translation and rotation position.

16. A radiation therapy delivery system comprising:

means for obtaining position measurements of at least one of a moveable radiation nozzle and a moveable patient positioner with reference to a plurality of fixed landmarks;

means for determining a current three-dimensional spatial position and angular orientation of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner based on the position measurements; and

means for inducing movement of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner based on the current spatial position and angular orientation of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner to achieve a desired translational and rotation alignment of the patient positioner with respect to the radiation nozzle.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for obtaining includes at least one of a camera, a laser measurement device, and a radio-location device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for determining includes a control system configured to receive position measurements from the means for obtaining position measurements.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for inducing movement includes a control system configured to generate control signals based on the determined spatial position and angular orientation of at least one of the radiation nozzle and the patient positioner.