PATIENT POSITIONING SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY AND RADIOTHERAPY

• US 20090129556A1
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pyronia Medical Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pyronia Medical Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: AHN, PETER H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,002,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/208
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• 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 6/04 Positioning of patients; Tiltable beds or the like operating tables A61G13/00; operating chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1051 using an active marker markers in general A61B90/39
• 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 5/1064 for adjusting radiation treatment in response to monitoring

Abstract

The system provides new ways to ensure that a patient is positioned correctly, e.g. identically with an original planning scan if the patient is to undergo radiotherapy. The system also detects if there is patient movement during a scan. It is an aspect of the present method to immobilize the patient based on a specific site of interest by using positioning sensors that record patient physical orientation based on measurements of patient weight distribution and pressure distribution among other features.

Claims

1. A patient positioning system for precise, accurate and stable alignment of a patient during radiation therapy and diagnostics (RTD) comprising:

a patient immobilization device conformed to at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy;

at least one sensor attached to the patient immobilization device; and

an external interrogator device, wherein said immobilization device transmits data to said external interrogator device and said external interrogator device analyzes said data and transmits a control output.

2. The patient positioning system of claim 1 further comprising a patient stabilizer interconnected with the immobilization device and an external interrogator device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said output comprises regulative feedback maintaining a precise initial patient position and an accurate patient position continuously prior to, in the course of and/or subsequent to a radiotherapy or diagnostic radiology session.

4. The patient positioning system of claim 1, wherein said output comprises regulative feedback maintaining a precise initial patient position and an accurate patient position continuously prior to, in the course of and/or subsequent to each of at least two radiotherapy sessions.

5. The patient positioning system of claim 1, wherein said patient stabilizer is manipulated to precisely control patient position in real time according to output from said external interrogator device.

6. The patient positioning system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors.

7. The patient positioning system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor is removably attached with an adhesive.

8. The patient positioning system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor is permanently embedded into said patient immobilization device.

9. The patient positioning system of claim 3, wherein said regulative feedback further comprises surrogate feedback accounting for respiratory phase or excursion to deliver instructions to turn on or off a radiation therapy unit, correlating to said respiratory phase or excursion, for selectively treating or scanning tumors.

10. The patient positioning patient positioning system of claim 9, wherein selectively delivering radiation to a predetermined region of a patient'"'"'s anatomy comprising thoracic, abdominal and/or pelvic regions.

11. A patient positioning system for precise, accurate and stable alignment of a patient during radiation therapy and diagnostics (RTD) comprising:

a head and/or neck immobilization device conformed to at least a portion of the head and neck region of the patient;

at least one sensor attached to the immobilization device(s); and

an external interrogator device, wherein said sensor(s) attached to the immobilization device(s) transmits data to said external interrogator device and said external interrogator device analyzes said data and provides control output.

12. The patient positioning system of claim 11 further comprising a patient stabilizer interconnected with the immobilization device and an external interrogator device.

13. The patient positioning system of claim 11, wherein said patient stabilizer is manipulated to precisely control patient position in real time according to output from said external interrogator device.

14. The patient positioning system of claim 11, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors and sensing elements.

15. The patient positioning system of claim 11, wherein said at least one sensor is removably attached with an adhesive or said at least one sensor is permanently embedded into said patient immobilization device.

16. The patient positioning system of claim 11, wherein said output comprises regulative feedback maintaining a precise initial head and neck region position and an accurate head and neck region position continuously prior to, in the course of and/or subsequent to a radiotherapy session.

17. The patient positioning system of claim 11, wherein said output comprises regulative feedback maintaining a precise initial head and neck region position and an head and neck region position continuously prior to, in the course of and subsequent to a radiotherapy session.

18. The patient positioning system of claim 16 or 17, wherein said output comprises monitoring the position of a patient'"'"'s larynx and assessing swallowing status

19. A method for precise, accurate and stable positioning of a patient during radiation therapy and diagnostics (RTD) comprising:

conforming a patient immobilization device comprising at least one sensor to a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy identified for treatment;

connecting said at least one sensor to an external interrogator device;

interrogating the sensor for a patient position pattern and receiving the patient position pattern by an external interrogator device in real-time;

evaluating said patient position pattern by said external interrogator device to determine a treatment position;

monitoring said treatment position in real-time;

maintaining said treatment position continuously prior to, in the course of and/or subsequent to radiotherapy; and

delivering radiotherapy to the tumor and/or body region of interest.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said monitoring said patient position in real-time further comprises recording said patient position data from a first therapy session in data storage medium and comparing said patient position data from said first radiotherapy session with subsequent radiotherapy session.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising interconnecting a patient stabilizer the immobilization device and the external interrogator device.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said maintaining further comprises maintaining said treatment position continuously prior to, in the course of and subsequent to each of at least one radiotherapy treatment session.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising manipulating said patient stabilizer to precisely control patient position directed output from said external interrogator device.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said monitoring further comprises accounting for respiratory phase and delivering instructions to turn on or off a radiation therapy unit, correlating to said respiratory phase or excursion, for selectively delivering radiation to a predetermined region of a patient'"'"'s anatomy.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein said monitoring further comprises verifying the position of a patient'"'"'s larynx and assessing swallowing status.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein said delivering further comprises delivering radiotherapy to tumors selected from the group consisting of thoracic, abdominal, pelvic, skull, extremity, head and neck tumors.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the use of pressure sensors can be used directly on the patient table without a separate patient immobilization device for RTD scanning.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the need for one or more sessions of radiographic confirmation of patient position prior to treatment is reduced.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the allows for decreased positional uncertainty and smaller planning margins.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein the exposure of normal tissue to radiation is decreased.