Transportation method and system for assisting radiotherapy patient in taking and placing positioning pad

Abstract

The invention belongs to the field of radiotherapy auxiliary instruments, and particularly relates to a transportation method and system for assisting a radiotherapy patient in taking and placing a positioning pad. The system is connected with a storage chamber, an accelerator chamber, a CT chamber and a waste chamber through a transportation track, and a transportation robot automatically transports a positioning pad along the track. The robot is provided with a multi-joint mechanical arm, a scanner and a clamping jaw, and positioning pads at different positions in the storage cabinet can be accurately stored and taken. The method comprises the following steps: pasting a unique bar code for each positioning pad, and distributing a storage position through an information system; during treatment, the cushion is automatically called according to a Mosaiq instruction, and after treatment, the cushion is automatically reset and treatment parameters are updated; after treatment, the device is automatically transferred to a waste chamber. And the integrity of the cushion is monitored in real time by adopting a pressure sensor. According to the invention, the whole-process non-contact management of the positioning pad is realized, the problems of disordered access, mistaken access, difficulty in finding and the like are effectively solved, and the radiotherapy management efficiency is remarkably improved.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of radiotherapy auxiliary devices, specifically a method and system for transporting positioning pads to assist radiotherapy patients. Technical Field

[0002] Among the recent reforms in the radiotherapy department, the most beneficial for patients and the most satisfying for staff is the establishment of the Mosaiq Integrate Platform (MIP). This platform uses "patient" as the index and "treatment site" as the unit to clearly define multiple steps covering radiotherapy, clarifying the flow of each step and displaying the work tasks of each position in real time, greatly improving the overall efficiency of radiotherapy work from an information flow perspective. However, in actual patient management, especially in physical entity management, many thorny problems remain that the MIP platform has not been able to solve. One of the most prominent problems is the unclear management, chaotic access, and inefficient use of body positioning pads. As a key auxiliary instrument to ensure the accuracy of radiotherapy positioning, the chaotic management of positioning pads directly affects treatment precision and efficiency. In large-scale radiotherapy centers in China, the number of patients treated daily is huge, usually stabilizing at several hundred or even thousands. Each patient has at least one positioning pad customized to their own body shape, which means that the hospital needs to manage tens of thousands of positioning pads simultaneously. In addition, the continuous influx of new patients and the ongoing generation of new positioning pads between the time of positioning and the start of radiotherapy put enormous pressure on the already overcrowded warehousing and management work.

[0003] Because patients' radiotherapy cycles often last a month or even longer, requiring the daily removal and placement of positioning pads before and after treatment, this high-frequency physical interaction exposes numerous shortcomings in the existing manual management model. From the completion of positioning to the start of radiotherapy, patients typically experience a "waiting period" of seven to ten days. During this time, patients gradually lose memory of the specific type and location of their positioning pads, leading to inefficient searching for the correct pads before treatment begins, a process prone to loss. Secondly, during radiotherapy, patients retrieve their pads daily from the storage room, inevitably leading to mistakes. Using the wrong pad directly results in severe misalignment of the treatment placement, affecting treatment effectiveness, potentially damaging normal tissues, and causing serious medical chaos and safety hazards. Furthermore, as consumable items, positioning pads are inevitably subjected to compression and collisions during repeated handling and transport to the accelerator room, leading to frequent damage such as leaks. This physical damage alters the shape and support performance of the positioning pad, making it impossible to guarantee the repeatability and accuracy of placement. Furthermore, every day, patients finish radiotherapy, and their positioning pads need to be retired and discarded. When handling a large number of positioning pads awaiting disposal, administrators are highly susceptible to misidentification, easily misjudging pads still in use as "scrap" and disposing of them. This misoperation can directly interrupt the treatment process of the affected patients, causing unnecessary medical disputes and treatment delays.

[0004] In summary, the existing positioning pad management model, which relies on manual labor and patient self-care, has become a bottleneck restricting the improvement of radiotherapy quality and efficiency. There is an urgent need for an automated solution to assist radiotherapy patients in taking and placing positioning pads. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention proposes a method and system for transporting positioning pads to assist radiotherapy patients in placing and retrieving them. By integrating MIP, Mosaiq systems, and a transport control system, a transport robot automatically delivers barcode-labeled positioning pads along a track, achieving contactless automated management of the entire process from manufacturing, storage, retrieval to recycling, effectively solving problems of chaotic storage and retrieval, mis-picking, and damage.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention specifically employs the following technical means:

[0007] A method for transporting a positioning pad to assist a radiotherapy patient, the method comprising the following steps:

[0008] During a patient's first visit, a unique identification information is generated through the HIS system and transmitted to the MIP system.

[0009] In the CT scanning room, a positioning pad is customized for the patient, and the identification information is printed using a barcode printer and affixed to the positioning pad;

[0010] A positioning pad with labeled information is placed on a transport robot and transported to a designated storage location in the storage room via a transport track. The location information is recorded in the MIP system.

[0011] When a patient needs treatment, a retrieval command is issued through the Mosaiq system. The transport robot moves to the corresponding storage location according to the command, and after verifying the identification information of the positioning pad with a scanner, it grabs and transports it to the accelerator room along the transport track.

[0012] After a single treatment session, the transport robot will retrieve the positioning pad from the accelerator chamber and return it to its original storage location.

[0013] When the data transmitted back by the MIP system confirms that the patient's treatment is complete or the positioning pad is detected as damaged, the transport robot delivers the positioning pad to the disposal room.

[0014] Furthermore, the Mosaiq system transmits the patient's treatment parameters, including the number of treatments completed and the irradiation dose, to the MIP system in real time and updates the display.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes positioning pad leakage monitoring: a pressure sensor installed on the inside of the gripper detects the hardness of the positioning pad during the gripping process. If the pressure value is abnormal, a damage signal is generated and sent to the system and the medical staff terminal.

[0016] Correspondingly, the present invention also provides a transport system for assisting radiotherapy patients in placing and removing positioning pads, for implementing the above method, the system comprising:

[0017] A transport track is erected between and within the multiple functional rooms to provide a transport path; at least one transport robot is movably connected to the transport track to automatically grab, place, and transport positioning pads on storage cabinets between and within the functional rooms; a transport control system is used to receive instructions from the MIP and Mosaiq systems to control the robot to move, grab, and place positioning pads.

[0018] Furthermore, the transport robot includes;

[0019] The top of the robot has teeth on both sides that mesh with the drive gears on the inside of the transport track. The robot moves on the track by rotating the drive gears.

[0020] A rotating shaft is connected to the bottom of the top of the robot;

[0021] The telescopic joint is connected below the rotating shaft and is driven by a cylinder to achieve vertical length adjustment;

[0022] The movable module, connected below the telescopic joint, is used to adjust the distance from the storage cabinet in the horizontal direction;

[0023] The gripper, controlled by a gripping cylinder, is used to grip or place the positioning pad;

[0024] The scanner, mounted on the mobile module, is used to scan the marking information on the positioning pad.

[0025] Furthermore, a pressure sensor is installed on the inner side of the gripper to detect the degree of fullness when gripping the positioning pad.

[0026] Furthermore, the gripping action of the gripper is controlled by a gripping cylinder driving a rack to move, and the rack moves back and forth and meshes with the claw gear on the side.

[0027] Furthermore, the transport track in the storage room includes multiple branch tracks, which are arranged alternately with the storage cabinets on both sides. The transport robot can rotate at multiple angles to grab the positioning pad in the storage cabinet on either side.

[0028] Furthermore, the transport robot is equipped with casters at the bottom of its top for assisting in sliding on the track.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0030] This invention achieves fully automated transfer of positioning pads between the CT room, storage room, accelerator room, and waste disposal room by constructing an automated transmission network integrating transport tracks, robots, and information systems, replacing the traditional model that relies on manual retrieval and placement by patients and medical staff. This not only frees medical staff from heavy physical labor and searching, but also achieves "person-pad separation" and "contactless" management, eliminating chaos and errors caused by human intervention.

[0031] By assigning a unique barcode to each positioning pad and integrating a scanner onto the transport robot, the system can verify identity with each grab. This ensures precise matching of "one pad per patient," avoiding the risk of patients picking up the wrong positioning pad. This eliminates the medical safety hazard of "serious inaccuracy" in radiotherapy positioning caused by incorrect positioning pads, thus improving the safety and reliability of treatment.

[0032] The robot's grippers integrate pressure sensors on their inner sides, enabling real-time detection of changes in the hardness of the positioning pads during the gripping process. This allows the system to automatically and instantly identify damage such as "air leaks" or "collapse" in the positioning pads, immediately alerting medical personnel and facilitating timely pad replacement. The multi-degree-of-freedom design of the transport robot allows it to flexibly and accurately access storage compartments of varying heights and depths. Furthermore, the branch design of the track system and the robot's 360° rotation capability enable it to serve storage cabinets on both sides within a limited space, significantly improving space utilization and access efficiency.

[0033] By recording and updating the precise location of each positioning pad in the storage room in real time through an information system, the system can accurately inventory and retrieve massive numbers of positioning pads with a single click. No matter how long the positioning pads have been stored, the robot can quickly and accurately retrieve them according to instructions, solving the problems of inefficiency and loss caused by fuzzy memory and difficulty in finding them in traditional management.

[0034] This system is deeply integrated with existing MIP and Mosaiq systems, achieving synchronization of information flow and physical flow. When a patient's treatment is complete, the system automatically deactivates the barcode on the patient's positioning pad and directs a robot to move it to the disposal room. As a crucial supplement to existing systems in terms of physical entity management, this system forms a complete closed-loop management system covering both information and physical objects. It not only addresses clinical pain points but also saves significant manpower and resources through automation, reduces pad wear caused by manual operation, and improves the overall operational efficiency and management level of the radiotherapy department. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall system layout according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the transport track and the function in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a top view of the connection between the transport track and the function in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a side view of the connection between the transport track and the function in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 This is an overall structural diagram of a robot according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a side view of a robot according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the top of a robot according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the top of a robot according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 9 This is a system architecture diagram of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Numbers in the diagram:

[0045] 100. Storage room; 200. Acceleration room; 300. CT scanning room; 400. Exhaust room; 1. Storage cabinet; 2. Transport track; 3. Transport robot; 4. Drive gear; 5. Gear; 6. Rotating shaft; 7. Telescopic joint; 8. Scanner; 9. Gripper; 10. Grasping cylinder; 11. Rack; 12. Claw gear; 13. Branch track; 14. Pressure sensor; 15. Positioning pad; 16. Moving module; 17. Universal wheel; 18. Robot top. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The following detailed description provides specific embodiments to illustrate the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a portion, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The overall layout of the system of this invention includes four main functional rooms: a storage room 100, an acceleration room 200, a CT scanning room 300, and a waste disposal room 400. These functional rooms are interconnected via transport tracks 2, forming a complete logistics network. A transport robot 3 can move on the transport tracks 2, responsible for automatically transporting positioning pads 15 between the functional rooms and between storage cabinets 1 within the storage room 100.

[0048] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The transport track 2 is mounted on the ceiling via a hanger. Inside the storage room 100, the transport track 2 has multiple branch tracks 13, which are arranged alternately with the storage cabinets 1 on both sides. Each branch track 13 can be equipped with a transport robot 3, which, due to its 360° rotation capability, can rotate 180° to grab the positioning pad 15 in any storage cabinet 1 on either side of the branch track. For example, it can simultaneously serve the storage cabinets on sides A and D, or sides B and E, or sides E and H.

[0049] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8The detailed structure of the transport robot 3 is as follows: The top of the robot 18 is mounted on the transport track 2, and its two sides are equipped with gears 5 that mesh with the drive gear 4 inside the track. When the drive gear 4 rotates, it drives the transport robot 3 to move along the track through gear meshing. Universal wheels 17 are installed below the top of the robot 18 to assist sliding on the track and ensure smooth operation.

[0050] The main body of the transport robot 3 includes a rotating shaft 6 connected below the top 18 of the robot. Below the rotating shaft 6 is a telescopic joint 7 driven by a cylinder. By adjusting the length of the telescopic joint 7, the robot can adapt to the storage needs of different shelf heights in the storage cabinet 1. Below the telescopic joint 7 is a moving module 16, driven by a servo motor. This module allows the robot to move horizontally, thereby fine-tuning the distance between it and the storage cabinet 1 to achieve precise grasping and placement.

[0051] The mobile module 16 is equipped with a scanner 8 and a gripper 9. The gripper 9 is controlled by a gripping cylinder 10, which drives a rack 11 to move back and forth. The rack 11 meshes with a side-mounted claw gear 12, thereby controlling the gripper 9 to perform gripping or releasing actions. A pressure sensor 14 is installed on the inside of the gripper 9 to detect the hardness of the positioning pad 15 during gripping, thereby determining whether it has leaked air or become "soft".

[0052] The specific transportation and control process is as follows: During the patient's first visit, their basic information is transmitted from the hospital's HIS system to the MIP system, generating a unique barcode or radiotherapy number. In the CT scanning room 300, after the technician prepares the positioning pad 15 for the patient, they use a barcode printer to print the barcode and affix it to the positioning pad 15. Subsequently, the technician places the positioning pad 15 with the barcode affixed onto the gripper 9 of the transport robot 3.

[0053] After receiving instructions from the MIP system, the transport control system controls the transport robot 3 to transport the positioning pad 15 to the storage room 100 along the transport track 2. The system assigns a designated storage location to the positioning pad 15, such as the first layer, a-th compartment of storage cabinet 1 numbered "A" (location number A1a). The MIP system records that the location is occupied and updates the inventory information.

[0054] When a patient arrives for treatment, they scan the barcode on their treatment card in the lobby. The Mosaiq system then sends a command to the transmission control system to retrieve the patient's positioning pad 15. Upon receiving the command, the transport robot 3 in the storage room 100 moves to the designated storage cabinet 1. It aligns with the target compartment using the lifting and lowering of the telescopic joint 7 and the horizontal movement of the moving module 16, and then uses the scanner 8 to scan the barcode on the positioning pad 15 for identity verification. After confirmation, the gripper 9 grasps the positioning pad 15.

[0055] The transport robot 3 transports the positioning pad 15 to the acceleration chamber 200 along the transport track 2. The transport track 2 inside the acceleration chamber 200 is arranged around the perimeter of the room and is kept as far away from the accelerator equipment as possible. The robot transports the positioning pad 15 to the fixed position on the "on-board", at which point the patient is already next to the treatment bed, realizing the "human-pad combination" to start the treatment.

[0056] After a single treatment session, the technician returns the positioning pad 15 to its fixed position within the acceleration chamber 200. The Mosaiq system issues a storage command, and the transport robot 3 automatically picks up the positioning pad 15, transports it along its original path, and precisely stores it back in its original storage location in the storage chamber 100. During this process, the Mosaiq system transmits the specific parameters of this treatment back to the MIP system in real time, such as treatment progress "1Fx / 25Fx" (indicating a planned 25 treatments, with 1 treatment completed) and dose progress "200cGy / 5000cGy" (indicating a planned irradiation of 5000cGy, with 200cGy irradiated). The MIP system's information interface then dynamically updates these key treatment parameters.

[0057] Once the patient has completed all radiotherapy sessions (i.e., the Mosaiq system data shows the treatment progress has reached "25Fx / 25Fx"), the patient's barcode automatically becomes invalid in the MIP system. Afterward, when the system attempts to store this positioning pad, it determines that it should not be returned to its original storage compartment and is instead transported by transport robot 3 to the waste room 400 for centralized recycling.

[0058] If the positioning pad 15 leaks air during use, it will become "soft" when gripped by the gripper 9, causing a change in hardness. The pressure sensor 14 inside the gripper 9 will detect the abnormal pressure value and send the signal to the MIP system via the transmission control system. The MIP system updates the data and sends an alarm message to the doctor's or technician's terminal via the communication module, so that the positioning pad can be remade in a timely manner to avoid affecting subsequent treatments.

[0059] This invention achieves fully automated management of radiotherapy positioning pads throughout the entire process. By using a transport robot and track system, it replaces manual handling, enabling contactless storage and fundamentally eliminating positioning errors caused by patients picking up the wrong pad. Integrated barcode scanning and pressure sensors ensure precise matching of "one pad per patient" and automatically detect damage such as leaks, providing timely alarms. The system is deeply integrated with MIP / Mosaiq, synchronizing treatment parameters in real time and realizing lifecycle management of the positioning pads from warehousing, retrieval, and disposal. This solves the clinical pain points of chaotic management and low efficiency, significantly improving treatment safety and operational efficiency.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating the transport of a positioning cushion for a radiotherapy patient, the method comprising: providing a positioning cushion; providing a transport bag; and placing the positioning cushion in the transport bag. The method comprises the following steps: At the first visit of the patient, the unique identification information of the patient is generated by the HIS system and transmitted to the MIP system; In the CT scanning room (300), the positioning pad (15) is customized for the patient, and the identification information is printed by a bar code printer and pasted on the positioning pad (15); The positioning pad (15) with the identification information is placed on the transport robot (3), and is transported to the designated storage position of the storage room (100) through the transport track (2), and the position information is recorded in the MIP system; When the patient needs treatment, the Mosaiq system issues a call instruction, the transport robot (3) moves to the corresponding storage position according to the instruction, verifies the identification information of the positioning pad (15) through the scanner (8), and then grabs and transports to the accelerator room (200) along the transport track (2); After a single treatment, the transport robot (3) grabs the positioning pad (15) from the accelerator room (200) and returns it to its original storage position; When the MIP system returns data confirming that the patient's treatment is complete or the positioning pad (15) is detected as damaged, the transport robot (3) transports the positioning pad (15) to the waste room (400).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The Mosaiq system transmits the patient's treatment parameters, including the number of completed treatments and the irradiation dose, to the MIP system in real time and updates the display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: It also includes a positioning pad air leakage monitoring: a pressure sensor (14) is arranged inside the gripper (9) to detect the hardness of the positioning pad (15) during grabbing. If the pressure value is abnormal, a damage signal is generated and sent to the system and medical staff terminal.

4. A transport system for assisting a radiotherapy patient in taking and placing a positioning cushion, for carrying out the transport method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The system comprises: A transport track (2) is provided between and inside the plurality of functional rooms to provide a transport path; At least one transport robot (3) is movably connected to the transport track (2) to automatically grab, place and transport the positioning pad (15) on the storage cabinet (1) between the functional rooms and inside the functional rooms; A transport control system is used to receive MIP and Mosaiq system instructions to control the movement of the robot to grab and place the positioning pad (15).

5. The transport system to assist a patient in positioning and removing a positioning cushion for radiotherapy according to claim 4, characterized in that, The transport robot (3) comprises: A robot top end (18) is provided with meshing teeth (5) on both sides to engage with the drive gear (4) inside the transport track (2), and the movement of the robot on the track is realized by the rotation of the drive gear (4); A rotating shaft (6) is connected below the robot top end (18); A telescopic joint (7) is connected below the rotating shaft (6) and is driven by a gas cylinder to adjust the length in the vertical direction; A moving module (16) is connected below the telescopic joint (7) to adjust the distance from the storage cabinet (1) in the horizontal direction; A gripper (9) is controlled by a grabbing gas cylinder (10) to grab or place the positioning pad (15); A scanner (8) is installed on the moving module (16) to scan the identification information on the positioning pad (15).

6. The transport system to assist a patient in positioning and removing a positioning cushion for radiotherapy according to claim 5, characterized in that, A pressure sensor (14) is installed inside the gripper (9) to detect the degree of filling of the positioning pad (15) when it is grabbed.

7. The transport system of claim 5, wherein, The gripping action of the gripper (9) is driven by the gripping cylinder (10) driving the rack (11) to move forward and backward, and the rack (11) is in meshing motion with the side jaw gear (12) to realize control.

8. The transport system to assist a patient in positioning and removing a positioning cushion for radiotherapy according to claim 5, characterized in that, The transport track (2) comprises a plurality of branch tracks (13) in the storage room (100), the branch tracks (13) are staggered with the storage cabinets (1) on both sides, and the transport robot (3) can rotate at multiple angles to grasp the positioning pad (15) in any side storage cabinet (1).

9. The transport system to assist a patient in positioning and removing a positioning cushion for radiotherapy according to claim 5, characterized in that, A universal wheel (17) is also installed below the robot top end (18) of the transport robot (3) to assist sliding on the track.

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