Patient visual instruction techniques for synchronizing breathing with a medical procedure

• US 20050119560A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mostafavi, Hassan
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/425
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/371 with simultaneous use of two cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1059 using cameras imaging the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1064 for adjusting radiation treatment in response to monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1065 Beam adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1069 Target adjustment, e.g. moving the patient support

Abstract

A method of prompting a patient includes informing a patient a relationship between a result of an activity being performed by the patient and a first target result to be achieved by the activity. A method of prompting a patient includes informing a patient a relationship between a time and a target result to be achieved by an activity. A method of prompting a patient includes informing a patient a relationship between a position of a portion of the patient and a first target position for the portion.

Claims

1. A method of prompting a patient, comprising:

informing a patient of a relationship between a result of an activity being performed by the patient and a first target result to be achieved by the activity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first target result comprises a prescribed inhale level of a breathing, a prescribed exhale level of a breathing, or a prescribed duration of a breath-hold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity comprises breathing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the informing comprises displaying an object in a screen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the object comprises at least a portion of a line or a bar.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the object comprises a curve representing a relationship between desired breathing levels and time.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the object comprises one or more portions, each of the one or more portions associated with a portion of a gantry rotation, and each of the one or more portions having a length that represents a range of gantry angles at which image data is to be obtained.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising informing the patient the relation between the result of the activity being performed by the patient, and a second target result to be achieved by the activity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first target result varies in time, and the method further comprises informing the patient a relationship between time and the first target result.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the informing the patient the relationship between the time and the first target result comprises displaying an object in a screen, and moving the object, the object associated with the first target result.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the moving the object is performed in synchronization with a movement of a medical device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the medical device comprises a radiation source.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the object has a length representing a range of positions of the radiation source at which image data is to be obtained using the radiation source.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the informing comprises:

displaying a first object in a screen for representing a position of a portion of the patient; and

displaying a second object in the screen, the second graphic representing a target position for the portion of the patient.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the informing further comprises changing a position of the first object in the screen in response to a movement of the portion of the patient.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an audio signal when the first target result is achieved by the activity.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a visual signal when the first target result is achieved by the activity.

18. A computer program product that includes a medium, the medium comprises a set of instructions, an execution of which causes a process to be performed, the process comprising:

informing a patient a relationship between a result of an activity being performed by the patient, and a first target result to be achieved by the activity.

19. A system for prompting a patient, comprising:

means for informing a patient a relationship between a result of an activity being performed by the patient, and a first target result to be achieved by the activity.

20. A user interface for prompting a patient, comprising:

a screen displaying graphics for informing a patient a relationship between a result of an activity being performed by the patient, and a first target result to be achieved by the activity.

21. A method of prompting a patient, comprising:

informing a patient a relationship between a time and a target result to be achieved by an activity.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the informing comprises displaying an object in a screen, the object representing the target result.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the informing further comprises moving the object within the screen in synchronization with a movement of a medical device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the medical device comprises a radiation source.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the object has a length representing a range of positions of the radiation source at which image data is to be obtained using the radiation source.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the object comprises one or more portions, each of the one or more portions associated with a portion of a gantry rotation, and each of the one or more portions having a length that represents a range of gantry angles at which image data is to be obtained.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the object comprises a curve representing a relationship between desired breathing levels and time.

28. A computer program product that includes a medium, the medium comprises a set of instructions, an execution of which causes a process to be performed, the process comprising:

informing a patient a relationship between a time and a target result to be achieved by an activity.

29. A system for prompting a patient, comprising:

means for informing a patient a relationship between a time and a target result to be achieved by an activity.

30. A user interface for prompting a patient, comprising:

a screen displaying graphics for informing a patient a relationship between a time and a target result to be achieved by an activity.

31. A method of prompting a patient, comprising:

informing a patient a relationship between a position of a portion of the patient and a first target position for the portion.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first target position is associated with an inhale level of a breathing or an exhale level of a breathing.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the informing comprises:

displaying a first object that represents the position of the portion; and

displaying a second object that represents the first target position.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the informing further comprises moving the first object relative to the second object in response to a movement of the portion of the patient.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the portion comprises a body part that is moveable in association with a breathing of the patient.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the target position varies in time, and the method further comprises informing the patient a relationship between time and the target position.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the informing the patient the relationship between the time and the target position comprises displaying an object in a screen, and moving the object in synchronization with a movement of a medical device.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the medical device comprises a radiation source, and the object is moved in synchronization with a rotation of the radiation source.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the informing the patient the relationship between the time and the target position comprises displaying an object in a screen, the object having one or more portions, each of the one or more portions representing a portion of a gantry rotation during which image data is to be collected.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein each of the one or more portions has a length representing a range of gantry angles at which image data is to be collected.

41. A computer program product that includes a medium, the medium comprises a set of instructions, an execution of which causes a process to be performed, the process comprising:

informing a patient a relationship between a position of a portion of the patient and a first target position for the portion.

42. A system for prompting a patient, comprising:

means for informing a patient a relationship between a position of a portion of the patient and a first target position for the portion.

43. A user interface for prompting a patient, comprising:

a screen displaying graphics for informing a patient a relationship between a position of a portion of the patient and a first target position for the portion.