Method for use with a radiotherapy device

Abstract

Described is a method of determining whether repair or replacement of an electron gun of a radiotherapy device should be scheduled. The radiotherapy device comprises a linear accelerator and is configured to provide therapeutic radiation to a patient. The radiotherapy device comprises a vacuum tube comprising the electron gun, a waveguide configured to accelerate electrons emitted by the electron gun toward a target to produce said radiation. The radiotherapy device comprises also comprises a current sensor, the current sensor being configured to provide signals indicative of current supplied to the electron gun. The method comprises receiving a current value, processing the current value, and based on the processing of the current value, determining whether repair or replacement of the electron gun should be scheduled. Processing the current value comprises determining whether the current value meets at least one threshold criterion, and determining whether the current value has changed by at least a threshold amount in a particular time period.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates to the fields of predictive maintenance and remote diagnostics, and in particular to methods of determining whether to schedule repair or replacement of an electron gun in a radiation therapy device, determining the nature of a fault in a radiation therapy device, and determining whether maintenance of a radiation therapy device should be scheduled. Background technique [0002] Radiation therapy devices are an important tool in modern cancer treatment. Radiation therapy units are large, complex machines with many moving parts and interoperating mechanisms. Despite precise engineering and rigorous testing, some components of a radiation therapy device may begin to degrade during its lifetime. This can sometimes lead to suboptimal operation and even occasional security overrides. [0003] If at any point during treatment, the radiation therapy device begins to function outside of its normal operating parameters, a safety...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Often, the type of problem or faulty component is not known in advance, so time-consuming diagnostic tests must be performed on-site

Therefore, existing methods result in substantial machine downtime

Also, in existing approaches, field service engineers are not aware of potential problems until components have degraded to the point where the radiation therapy machine is experiencing a safety outage, or even until the point where the radiation therapy machine is unable to operate within its safety parameters

This means that repairs to radiation therapy machines are often scheduled at times when the resources of field service engineers and the resources of the hospital or other machine owners are not available or efficient.

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