Patient positioning assembly

• US 7,860,550 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accuray Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Accuray Incorporated
• Inventors: Bodduluri, Mohan, Wang, James, Earnst, Eric, Thomson, Euan, Raanes, Chris, Saracen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAO, ELMER M
• Application Number:
  US10/881,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20050228255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,372 Days
• Field of Search: 600/411, 600/414, 600/407, 600/424, 378/65, 378/64, 378/205, 378208-209
• US Class Current: 600/410
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0487 Motor-assisted positioning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/105 using a laser alignment system
• 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 robotic patient positioning assembly for therapeutic radiation treatment includes a robotic positioning device for moving and supporting the patient during treatment, a sensor system for detecting the position of the robotic positioning device, and a controller operatively connected with the sensor system for receiving position data of the robotic positioning device and operatively connected to the robotic positioning device for controlling the motions of the robotic positioning device. The controller is adapted for controlling the motion of the robotic positioning device in response to information representative of the position of the robotic positioning device received from the sensor system, so that the treatment target within a patient loaded on the robotic positioning device is properly aligned with a radiation source of a therapeutic radiation treatment system.

Claims

1. A patient positioning assembly for adjusting patient position during a therapeutic radiation treatment using a therapeutic radiation treatment system,

wherein said patient positioning assembly comprises:

a robotic positioning device to support and to move the patient loaded on said robotic positioning device, wherein said robotic positioning device is configured to move said patient in at least five independent degrees of freedom, wherein said robotic positioning device comprises;

a treatment table to support said patient thereon;

a robotic arm assembly coupled to the treatment table, wherein the robotic arm assembly is configured to orient the treatment table by rotating the treatment table about roll-, pitch-, and yaw-axes for three rotational degrees of freedom, and wherein the robotic arm assembly is configured to position the treatment table by rotating about two axes to translate the treatment table for two translational degrees of freedom, wherein the robotic arm assembly comprises;

an arm assembly extending between a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is rotatably connected to the treatment table to allow the treatment table to rotate about three axes, wherein rotations about the three axes rotate the treatment table in the three rotational degrees of freedom; and

a plate member rotatably connected to the first end of the arm assembly to allow the arm assembly to rotate about a first axis, wherein rotations about the first axis translate the treatment table in a first of the two translational degrees of freedom; and

a base member rotatably connected to the plate member to allow the plate member to rotate about a second axis, wherein rotations about the second axis translate the treatment table in a second of the two translational degrees of freedom.

2. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 1, further comprising the therapeutic radiation treatment system including:

a therapeutic radiation source to generate at least one therapeutic radiation beam, and

an image system to generate image data representative of at least one image of a treatment target, said image data containing information regarding the near real time position of said treatment target with respect to a treatment coordinate system, wherein said robotic patient positioning assembly further comprises a sensor system to detect the position of said robotic positioning device relative to said treatment coordinate system, and a controller operatively connected;

(i) with said sensor system to receive position data of said robotic positioning device, (ii) said therapeutic radiation treatment system to receive near real time image data of said treatment target and information representative of the position of said therapeutic radiation source, and (iii) said robotic positioning device to control the movement of said robotic positioning device to align said treatment target with said therapeutic radiation source.

3. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 2, wherein said sensor system includes a magnetic tracking system to track the position of said robotic positioning device relative to said treatment coordinate system, wherein said magnetic tracking system includes at least one transducer attached to said robotic positioning device.

4. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 2, wherein said sensor system comprises a resolver-based sensor system.

5. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 2, wherein said sensor system comprises at least one inertial sensor attached to said robotic positioning assembly.

6. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 2, wherein said sensor system comprises at least one infrared sensor.

7. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 2, wherein said sensor system comprises at least one laser scanning device.

8. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 2, wherein said controller of said patient positioning assembly is programmed to automatically align said treatment target with said therapeutic radiation source.

9. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 2, wherein said controller of said patient positioning assembly is programmed to periodically adjust the position of said treatment target to maintain said treatment target being aligned with said therapeutic radiation source.

10. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 2, wherein said controller of said patient positioning assembly is programmed to reverse-synchronize breath motions of said patient to compensate breath-motion caused movement of said treatment target to maintain said treatment target aligned with said therapeutic radiation source.

11. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 1, wherein said robotic patient positioning assembly further comprises a controller operatively connected to the robot positioning device, wherein said controller has pre-programmed therein at least one substantially horizontal position or one substantially vertical position of said treatment table to load and unload said patient.

12. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 11, wherein said substantially vertical position of said treatment table is oblique to a horizontal plane.

13. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 12, wherein said substantially vertical position of said treatment table is oblique to the horizontal plane at an angle of about 110 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

14. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 1, wherein said treatment table comprises radiolucent material.

15. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 1, wherein said treatment table includes a top surface molded to fit a patient'"'"'s body curve.

16. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 1, wherein said treatment table includes a footplate at one end of said treatment table.

17. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 1, wherein the arm assembly comprises:

a first arm having a first end rotatably attached to said plate member to allow the first arm to rotate about the first axis, wherein rotations about the first axis translate the treatment table in the first of the two translational degrees of freedom; and

a second arm having a first end rotatably attached to a second end of said first arm to allow the second arm to rotate about a third axis, wherein rotations about the third axis translate the treatment table in a third translational degree of freedom, wherein said robotic positioning device is configured to move said patient in six independent degrees of freedom and

wherein said treatment table is rotatably attached to a second end of said second arm.

18. A patient positioning assembly in accordance with claim 17, wherein said robotic positioning device is configured to move said patient in six degrees of freedom, wherein said six degrees of freedom comprise the three translational degrees of freedom for translations along mutually orthogonal x-, y-, and z-coordinate axes, and the three rotational degrees of freedom for roll-, pitch-, and yaw-rotations about the roll-, pitch-, and yaw-axes, respectively.

19. A patient positioning assembly in accordance with claim 18, wherein said robotic positioning device is configured to move said patient in six degrees of freedom, wherein the robotic positioning device uses the three translational degrees of freedom of the six degrees of freedom to position the patient loaded on the robotic positioning device to a location in the treatment coordinate system, and the three rotational degrees of freedom of the six degrees of freedom to orient the patient loaded on the robotic positioning device at the location.

20. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 17, wherein said base member is rotatably mounted on a plinth.

21. A patient positioning assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least five independent degrees of freedom comprises three rotational degrees of freedom for roll-, pitch-, and yaw-rotations of the treatment table about the roll-, pitch-, and yaw-axes, respectively, and two translational degrees of freedom for translations of the treatment table along mutually orthogonal x-, y-, and z-coordinate axes.

22. A patient positioning assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the robotic positioning device uses the two translational degrees of freedom of the at least five independent degrees of freedom to position the patient loaded on the robotic positioning device to a location in the treatment coordinate system, and the three rotational degrees of freedom of the at least five independent degrees of freedom to orient the patient loaded on the robotic positioning device at the location.

23. A patient positioning assembly comprising:

a support device to support a patient thereon;

a robotic arm assembly coupled to the support device, wherein the robotic arm assembly is configured to orient the support device by rotating the support device about roll-, pitch-, and yaw-axes for three rotational degrees of freedom, wherein the robotic arm assembly comprises;

a base member;

a plate member rotatably mounted on said base member, wherein the plate member is configured to rotate about a first axis to translate the support device in a fourth degree of freedom;

a first arm having a first end rotatably attached to said plate member, and a second end, wherein the first arm is configured to rotate about a second axis to translate the support device in a fifth degree of freedom; and

a second arm having a first end rotatably attached to the second end of said first arm, and a second end, wherein the second arm is configured to rotate about a third axis to translate the support device in a sixth degree of freedom, wherein the fourth, fifth, and sixth degrees of freedom are used for translations along mutually orthogonal x-, y-, and z-coordinate axes, wherein the six degrees of freedom are independent degrees of freedom; and

a controller operatively connected to said robotic arm assembly to control the movement of said robotic arm assembly, wherein said controller has pre-programmed therein at least one substantially horizontal position or one substantially vertical position of said support device to load and unload said patient.

24. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 23, wherein said positioning assembly further comprises a sensor system to detect the position of said support device relative to a treatment coordinate system, and wherein said controller is operatively connected with said sensor system to receive position data of said support device, wherein said sensor system includes a magnetic tracking system to track the position of said support device relative to said treatment coordinate system, wherein said magnetic tracking system includes at least one transducer attached to said support device.

25. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 23, wherein said support device has a chair-like shape.

26. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 23, wherein said support device comprises radiolucent material.

27. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 23, wherein said support device includes a top surface molded to fit a patient'"'"'s body curve.

28. A patient positioning assembly for adjusting patient position during a therapeutic radiation treatment using a therapeutic radiation treatment system,

wherein said patient positioning assembly comprises:

a support device to support a patient thereon; and

a robotic arm assembly coupled to the support device, wherein the robotic arm assembly is configured to orient the support device by rotating the support device about roll-, pitch-, and yaw-axes for three rotational degrees of freedom, wherein the robotic arm assembly comprises;

a base member;

a plate member rotatably mounted on said base member, wherein the plate member is configured to rotate about a first axis to translate the support device for a first translational degree of freedom;

a first arm having a first end rotatably attached to said plate member, and a second end, wherein the first arm is configured to rotate about a second axis to translate the support device for a second translational degree of freedom; and

a second arm having a first end rotatably attached to the second end of said first arm, and a second end, wherein the second arm is configured to rotate about a third axis to translate the support device for a third translational degree of freedom, wherein the three translational degrees of freedom are used for translations along mutually orthogonal x-, y-, and z-coordinate axes, wherein the three rotational degrees of freedom and the three translational degrees of freedom are independent degrees of freedom.

29. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 28, wherein said base member is rotatably mounted on a plinth.

30. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 28, wherein said patient positioning assembly further comprises a controller operatively connected to said patient positioning assembly to control the movement of said plate member, said first arm, said second arm, and said support device.

31. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 30, further comprising the therapeutic radiation treatment system including:

a therapeutic radiation source to generate at least one therapeutic radiation beam, and

an image system to generate image data representative of at least one image of a treatment target, said image data containing information regarding the near real time position of said treatment target with respect to a treatment coordinate system, wherein said patient positioning assembly further comprises a sensor system to detect the position of said support device relative to said treatment coordinate system, and said controller being operatively connected with said sensor system to receive position data of said support device, and operatively connected to said therapeutic radiation treatment system to receive near real time image data of said treatment target and information representative of the position of said therapeutic radiation source, wherein said controller is configured to align said treatment target with said therapeutic radiation source responsive to said position data from said sensor system and said near real time image data from said treatment system.

32. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 31, wherein said sensor system includes a magnetic tracking system to track the position of said robotic positioning device relative to said treatment coordinate system, wherein said magnetic tracking system includes at least one transducer attached to said support device.

33. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 31, wherein said sensor system comprises a resolver-based sensor system.

34. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 31, wherein said sensor system comprises at least one inertial sensor attached to said robotic positioning assembly.

35. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 31, wherein said sensor system comprises at least one infrared sensor.

36. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 31, wherein said sensor system comprises at least one laser scanning device.

37. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 31, wherein said controller of said patient positioning assembly is programmed to automatically align said treatment target with said therapeutic radiation source.

38. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 31, wherein said controller of said patient positioning assembly is programmed to periodically adjust the position of said treatment target to maintain said treatment target being aligned with said therapeutic radiation source.

39. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 31, wherein said controller of said patient positioning assembly is programmed to reverse-synchronize breath motions of said patient to compensate breath-motion caused movement of said treatment target to maintain said treatment target aligned with said therapeutic radiation source.

40. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 28, wherein said patient positioning assembly further comprises a controller operatively connected to said patient positioning assembly to control the movement of said patient positioning assembly, wherein said controller has pre-programmed therein at least one substantially horizontal position or one substantially vertical position of said support device to load and unload a patient.

41. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 28, wherein said support device comprises radiolucent material.

42. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 28, wherein said support device includes a footplate at one end of said support device.

43. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 28, wherein said support device has a chair-like shape.

44. A patient positioning assembly for adjusting patient position during a therapeutic radiation treatment using a therapeutic radiation treatment system, said therapeutic radiation treatment system including a therapeutic radiation source to generate at least one therapeutic radiation beam, and an image system to generate image data representative of at least one image of a treatment target, said image data containing information regarding the near real time position of said treatment target with respect to a treatment coordinate system,

wherein said patient positioning assembly comprises:

a robotic positioning device to support and to move the patient loaded on said robotic positioning device during treatment, wherein said robotic positioning device is configured to move said patient in at least five independent degrees of freedom, wherein the robotic positioning device is configured to orient the patient by rotations about roll-, pitch-, and yaw-axes for three rotational degrees of freedom, and wherein the robotic positioning device is configured to position the patient by rotations about two axes to translate the patient for two translational degrees of freedom, wherein said robotic positioning device comprises;

a support device to support said patient thereon;

a robotic arm assembly coupled to the support device, wherein the robotic arm assembly comprises;

an arm assembly extending between a first end and second end, wherein the second end is rotatably connected to the support device to allow the support device to rotate about three axes, respectively, wherein rotations about the three axes rotate the treatment table in three rotational degrees of freedom; and

a plate member rotatably connected to first end of the arm assembly to allow the arm assembly to rotate about a first axis, wherein rotations about the first axis translate the support device in a first translational degree of freedom; and

a base member rotatably connected to the plate member to allow the plate member to rotate about a second axis, wherein rotations about the second axis translate the support device in a second translational degree of freedom;

a sensor system to detect the position of said robotic positioning device relative to said treatment coordinate system; and

a controller operatively connected;

(i) with said sensor system to receive position data of said robotic positioning device, (ii) to said therapeutic radiation treatment system to receive near real time image data of said treatment target and information representative of the position of said therapeutic radiation source, and (iii) to said robotic positioning device and is programmed to control the movement of said robotic positioning device to align said treatment target with said therapeutic radiation source.

45. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 44, wherein said arm assembly comprises:

a first arm having a first end rotatably attached to said plate member to allow the first arm to rotate about the first axis, wherein rotations about the first axis translate the support device in the first translational degree of freedom;

a second arm having a first end rotatably attached to a second end of said first arm to allow the second arm to rotate about a third axis, wherein rotations about the third axis translate the support device in a third translational degree of freedom, wherein said support device is rotatably attached to a second end of the said second arm, wherein the three translational degrees of freedom are used for translations along mutually orthogonal x-, y-, and z-coordinate axes, wherein the three rotational degrees of freedom and the three translational degrees of freedom are independent degrees of freedom.

46. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 45, wherein said base member is rotatably mounted on a plinth.

47. A patient positioning assembly for aligning a target within a patient'"'"'s anatomy with respect to a therapeutic radiation treatment system, said therapeutic radiation treatment system including a treatment beam generator and an imaging system to generate one or more images of said target in near real time, said patient positioning assembly comprising:

a. a robotic positioning device to move and to support the patient during treatment, said robotic positioning device comprising a support device to support said patient and a robotic arm to move said support device, wherein said robotic arm is configured to move said support device in at least five independent degrees of freedom, wherein the robotic arm is configured to orient the support device by rotations about roll-, pitch-, and yaw-axes for three rotational degrees of freedom, and wherein the robotic arm is configured to position the support device by rotations about two axes for two translational degrees of freedom;

b. a sensor system to sense the position of said support means, and to generate data representative the position of said support device;

c. a controller to control the motion of said robotic positioning device in order to align said target with respect to said treatment beam generator, said controller comprising;

i) means for receiving image data containing information regarding the near real time position and orientation of said target with respect to a treatment coordinate system;

ii) means, responsive to said position data from said sensor system and said image data from said imaging system, for generating at least one motion command signal for implementing one or more corrective motions of said robotic positioning device, wherein said corrective motions of said robotic positioning device substantially align said target, as shown in said near real-time image data of said target, with said treatment beam generator.

48. A patient positioning assembly according to claim 47 further comprising a user interface to enable the user to interactively participate in controlling the motion of the robotic positioning device.

49. A therapeutic radiation treatment system for treating a target in a patient, comprising:

i). a therapeutic radiation treatment apparatus comprising;

a. a therapeutic radiation source to generate therapeutic radiation; and

b. an imaging system to generate image data representative of one or more near real time images of said target, said image data containing information regarding the near real time position of said target with respect to a treatment coordinate system;

ii). a patient positioning device to support and to move and the patient during treatment, wherein the patient positioning device is configured to orient the patient by rotations about roll-, pitch-, and yaw-axes for three rotational degrees of freedom, and wherein the patient positioning device is configured to position the patient by rotations about three axes for three translational degrees of freedom, said patient positioning device comprising;

a. a base member;

b. a plate member rotatably mounted on said base member;

c. a first arm having a first end rotatably attached to said plate member, and a second end;

d. a second arm having a first end rotatably attached to the second end of said first arm, and a second end; and

e. a support device for supporting said patient thereon, wherein said support device is rotatably attached to said second end of said second arm, wherein said support device is configured to move said patient in six independent degrees of freedom, wherein the base member is configured to allow the plate member to rotate about a first axis for a first translational degree of freedom, wherein the plate member is configured to allow the first arm to rotate about a second axis for a second translational degree of freedom, wherein the first arm is configured to allow the second arm to rotate about a third axis for a third translational degree of freedom, wherein the three translational degrees of freedom are used for translations along mutually orthogonal x-, y-, and z-coordinate axes, wherein the three rotational degrees of freedom and the three translational degrees of freedom are independent degrees of freedom;

iii). a sensor system to sense the position of said patient positioning device, and to generate data representative the position of said patient positioning device; and

iv). a controller operatively connected with said sensor system to receive-position data of said patient positioning device and operatively connected to said therapeutic radiation treatment apparatus to receive near real time image data of said treatment target and information representative of the position of said therapeutic radiation source,

wherein said controller is operatively connected to said patient positioning device and is programmed to control the movement of said patient positioning device, responsive to said position data from said sensor system, said image data and the position information of said therapeutic radiation source from said therapeutic radiation treatment apparatus, to align said treatment target with said therapeutic radiation source.

50. A therapeutic radiation treatment system according to claim 49, wherein said therapeutic radiation treatment apparatus is a gantry-based treatment system.

51. A therapeutic radiation treatment system according to claim 49, wherein said therapeutic radiation treatment apparatus is a robot-based treatment system.

52. A therapeutic radiation treatment system according to claim 49, wherein said base member is rotatably mounted on a plinth.