Guided radiation therapy system

• US 9,072,895 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mate, Timothy P., Dimmer, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Midkiff, Anastasia
• Application Number:
  US12/891,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20110046481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 378/65, 378/204, 378/205, 378/901, 600/407, 600/408, 600424-429
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3958 emitting a signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/105 using a laser alignment system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1051 using an active marker markers in general A61B90/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/107 in real time, i.e. during treatment

Abstract

A system and method for accurately locating and tracking the position of a target, such as a tumor or the like, within a body. In one embodiment, the system is a target locating and monitoring system usable with a radiation delivery source that delivers a selected doses of radiation to a target in a body. The system includes one or more excitable beacons positionable in or near the target, an external excitation source that remotely excites the beacons to produce an identifiable signal, and a plurality of sensors spaced apart in a known geometry relative to each other. A computer is coupled to the sensors and configured to use the beacon measurements to identify a target isocenter within the target. The computer compares the position of the target isocenter with the location of the machine isocenter. The computer also controls movement of the patient and a patient support device so the target isocenter is coincident with the machine isocenter before and during radiation therapy.

Claims

1. A method for providing radiation treatment for a patient during a radiation treatment session, comprising:

during the radiation treatment session, initially delivering therapeutic radiation energy to a machine isocenter in accordance with initial radiation energy delivery parameters;

throughout the radiation treatment session, tracking the location of a predefined treatment site of the patient relative to the machine isocenter by energizing or exciting a marker implanted in the patient'"'"'s body via an excitation source positioned exterior to the patient to determine the location of the marker, wherein the marker resonates at a unique frequency to produce an identifiable signal when energized or excited by the excitation source; and

altering the radiation energy delivery parameters in accordance with which radiation energy is delivered in the radiation treatment session in a manner responsive to the location tracking.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation energy delivery parameters include radiation energy delivery direction, and wherein radiation energy delivery direction is altered.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation energy delivery parameters include location of a table supporting the patient relative to the machine isocenter wherein the location of the table relative to the machine isocenter is altered.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation energy delivery parameters include orientation of a table supporting the patient relative to the machine isocenter wherein the orientation of the table relative to the machine isocenter is altered.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking the location of the predefined treatment site of the patient relative to the machine isocenter comprises collecting data indicating positioning of the predefined treatment site of the patient relative to the machine isocenter in substantially real-time throughout the radiation treatment session.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the collected data indicates an orientation of the patient relative to the machine isocenter.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the collected data is collected at a frequency of at least 20 Hz.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the collected data is expressed relative to a defined reference point on the exterior of the patient.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the collected data is expressed relative to a reference coordinate system external to the patient.

5. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to perform a method for providing radiation treatment for a patient during a radiation treatment session, the method comprising:

during the radiation treatment session, initially delivering therapeutic radiation energy to a machine isocenter in accordance with initial radiation energy delivery parameters;

throughout the radiation treatment session, tracking the location of a predefined treatment site of the patient relative to the machine isocenter by energizing or exciting markers implanted in the patient'"'"'s body via an excitation source positioned exterior to the patient, the tracking being based on observations of the implanted markers each performed simultaneously with the delivery of therapeutic radiation energy, wherein the marker resonates at a unique frequency to produce an identifiable signal when energized or excited by the excitation source; and

altering the radiation energy delivery parameters in accordance with which radiation energy is delivered in the radiation treatment session in a manner responsive to the location tracking.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein the radiation energy delivery parameters include radiation energy delivery direction, and wherein radiation energy delivery direction is altered.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein the radiation energy delivery parameters include location of a table supporting the patient relative to the machine isocenter wherein the location of the table relative to the machine isocenter is altered.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein the radiation energy delivery parameters include orientation of a table supporting the patient relative to the machine isocenter wherein the orientation of the table relative to the machine isocenter is altered.