System and method for positioning radiation shield

Abstract

A system and method for reducing radiation exposure in an operating room using a radiation shield is provided. The method determines first position data indicative of a position of a clinician in the operating room, and determines second position data indicative of a position of an imaging source of an imaging system in the operating room. The method also applies a radiation model to estimate a radiation pattern of radiation emitted by the imaging source based on the first position data and the second position data. The method also applies a shield positioning model to predict an optimal position of the radiation shield that minimizes exposure of the emitted radiation by the at least one clinician based on the estimated radiation pattern, the first position data, and the second position data.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Repeated exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation can cause health problems such as erythema, alopecia, skin atrophy, fibrosis, desquamation, skin necrosis, cataracts, reduced red blood cell production, and sterility. For example, during certain interventional procedures performed in an operating room, radiation-emitting medical imaging (e.g., X-ray imaging) is required to provide real-time and near-real-time images. Thus, radiation exposure is a problem for many medical personnel, including doctors, radiologists, interventionalists, and staff, as well as for patients, who are located in the operating room during repeated procedures involving radiation emission. For example, according to a 2015 Cleveland Clinic report entitled "Radiation a Danger to Patients and Physicians Alike" (https: / / consultqd.clevelandclinic.org / ), between 2012 and 2015, nine left-sided brain / head and neck tumors were reported among interventional cardiologists. Interventionalists may also receive increased doses of radiation to their hands during several procedures. Even low levels of radiation exposure can damage genetic material in germ cells and increase chromosomal abnormalities. Radiation exposure can also alter DNA over time, as studies have shown an increase in chromosomal abnormalities among medical personnel who are interventionalists compared to those who are non-interventionalists.

[0002] For example, the long-term presence of medical personnel in an operating room using an X-ray imaging system can cause some health problems due to ionizing radiation. The amount of radiation dose emitted towards medical personnel depends on the C-arm orientation and position of the radiation source, patient size and position, and the position of the medical personnel and patient relative to the C-arm / radiation source and the operating table. Protective shields and lead aprons can reduce the received radiation dose; however, they have limitations and drawbacks that lead to dissatisfaction among medical personnel. In fact, the limited size of the protective shield above the operating table and sometimes its inappropriate position and orientation may increase the amount of radiation received by medical personnel. In addition, protective lead aprons are cumbersome and heavy and can cause musculoskeletal problems after long-term use.

[0003] Attempts have been made to provide protective shields to attenuate radiation exposure. However, due to factors such as inappropriate size, position, and / or orientation of the protective shield, medical personnel may still sometimes receive a large amount of radiation. Using more than one protective shield can increase protection, but it also makes the room cluttered and distracting.

[0004] Manually repositioning the protective shield is time-consuming and distracting, and requires attention to continuously estimate the optimal position and orientation based on the changed C-arm position. Thus, manual repositioning typically does not provide the optimal position of the protective shield during a procedure in response to movement of the C-arm and / or medical personnel.

[0005] Accordingly, there is a clinical need to reduce the radiation exposure dose of medical personnel by automatically repositioning the radiation protection shield based on the number and position of medical professionals standing near a patient on an operating table, objects near the operating table, and the angle of the C-arm. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] According to a representative embodiment, a system for reducing exposure of at least one clinician in an operating room to X-ray radiation is provided. The system includes a controller that includes a processor and a memory, the processor being configured to: receive first position data indicative of the position of at least one clinician in the operating room; receive second position data indicative of the position of an imaging source of an imaging device configured to provide image data of a patient in the operating room; estimate a radiation pattern of radiation emitted by the imaging source based on the first position data and the second position data; and predict an optimal position of a radiation shield in the operating room that minimizes exposure of the at least one clinician to the emitted radiation based on the estimated radiation pattern, the first position data, and the second position data. The system may further include a radiation shield formed of a radiation shielding material; and at least one sensor configured to provide the first position data indicative of the position of at least one clinician in the operating room and the second position data indicative of the position of an X-ray source of an X-ray imaging device configured to provide image data of a patient in the operating room.

[0007] According to other representative embodiments, a method for using a radiation shield to reduce exposure of at least one clinician to X-ray radiation from an X-ray source in an operating room is provided. The method includes: determining first position data indicative of the position of at least one clinician in the operating room; determining second position data indicative of the position of an imaging source of an imaging device configured to provide image data of a patient in the operating room; estimating a radiation pattern of radiation emitted by the imaging source based on the first position data and the second position data; and predicting an optimal position of a radiation shield in the operating room that minimizes exposure of the at least one clinician to the emitted radiation based on the estimated radiation pattern, the first position data, and the second position data.

[0008] According to other representative embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided for storing instructions for reducing exposure of at least one clinician to X-ray radiation from an X-ray source in an operating room using a radiation shield. When executed by one or more processors, the instructions cause the processor to: determine first position data indicating the position of at least one clinician in the operating room; determine second position data indicating the position of an imaging source of an imaging device configured to provide image data of a patient in the operating room; estimate a radiation pattern of radiation emitted by the imaging source based on the first position data and the second position data; and predict an optimal position of a radiation shield in the operating room that minimizes exposure of the at least one clinician to the emitted radiation based on the estimated radiation pattern, the first position data, and the second position data. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Example embodiments are best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that the various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for the sake of discussion. The same reference numerals denote the same elements wherever applicable and practical.

[0010] Figure 1 is a simplified block diagram of a system for reducing exposure of at least one clinician to X-ray radiation from an X-ray source in an operating room according to a representative embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of radiation shield placement that minimizes radiation exposure to a clinician according to a representative embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of radiation shield placement that minimizes radiation exposure to a clinician according to a representative embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for reducing exposure of at least one clinician to X-ray radiation from an X-ray source in an operating room using a radiation shield according to a representative embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for training a shield positioning model to reduce exposure of at least one clinician to X-ray radiation from an X-ray source according to a representative embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 is a view of a radiation shielding system including a configurable radiation shield according to a representative embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6Is a perspective view of a connector according to a representative embodiment, the connector movably connecting first and second portions of a radiation shield for rotational movement.

[0017] Figure 7A Is a perspective view of a connector according to a representative embodiment, the connector movably connecting first and second portions of a radiation shield for translational movement.

[0018] Figure 7B Is a perspective view of a spool in a connector according to a representative embodiment, the connector operable to provide translational movement of first and second portions of a radiation shield.

[0019] Figure 8 Is a perspective view of a connector according to a representative embodiment, the connector movably connecting an upper panel and a lower panel in a third portion of a radiation shield for vertical movement.

[0020] Figure 9 Is a perspective view of a connector according to a representative embodiment, the connector movably connecting an upper panel and a lower panel in a first portion of a radiation shield for vertical movement. Detailed Description

[0021] In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, representative embodiments disclosing specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments according to the present teachings. Descriptions of known systems, devices, materials, methods of operation, and methods of manufacture may be omitted so as not to obscure the description of the representative embodiments. Nevertheless, systems, devices, materials, and methods within the scope of those of ordinary skill in the art are within the scope of the present teachings and may be used in accordance with the representative embodiments. It should be understood that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. The defined terms supplement the technical and scientific meanings of the defined terms as commonly understood and accepted in the technical field of the present teachings.

[0022] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or components, these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element or component from another. Thus, a first element or component discussed below may be referred to as a second element or component without departing from the teachings of the inventive concept.

[0023] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms of the terms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the singular and the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Additionally, when used in this specification, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" and / or similar terms specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0024] Unless otherwise stated, when an element or component is referred to as "connected to," "coupled to," or "adjacent to" another element or component, it should be understood that the element or component can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or component, or there can be intermediate elements or components. That is, these and similar terms cover cases where one or more intermediate elements or components can be employed to connect two elements or components. However, when an element or component is referred to as "directly connected" to another element or component, this only covers the case where the two elements or components are connected to each other without any intervening or intermediate elements or components.

[0025] In view of the foregoing, therefore, the present disclosure, by one or more of its aspects, embodiments, and / or specific features or sub-components, is intended to bring one or more of the advantages specifically pointed out hereinafter. For purposes of explanation and not limitation, exemplary embodiments that disclose specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments according to the present teachings. However, other embodiments that depart from the specific details disclosed herein and are consistent with the present disclosure are still within the scope of the appended claims. Additionally, descriptions of well-known devices and methods may be omitted so as not to obscure the description of the exemplary embodiments. Such methods and devices are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0026] Generally, various embodiments provide systems and methods for autonomously manipulating one or more radiation shields during the operation of an X-ray imaging system to protect one or more clinicians in an operating room from radiation. In some embodiments, a machine learning algorithm uses position and / or tracking information from an X-ray source, which can be mounted on a C-arm, as well as on one or more clinicians and patients in the operating room.

[0027] The system can be a stand-alone solution with its own radiation shield, or it can be connected to a radiation shield already present in the operating room and / or can be integrated with the X-ray imaging system to directly receive information about the C-arm angulation for both radiation exposure reduction and collision prevention.

[0028] Figure 1FIG. 0 is a simplified block diagram of a system for reducing exposure of at least one clinician to X-ray radiation from an X-ray source in an operating room according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 Referring to FIG. 1, system 100 includes a control unit (controller) 105, an imaging system (e.g., an X-ray imaging system) 130, and a shielding placement system 140. The control unit 105 is configured to implement and / or manage the processes described herein. The control unit 105 includes one or more processors indicated by processor 110, one or more memories indicated by memory 120, a user interface (IF) 112, and a display 114. The memory 120 stores instructions executable by the processor 110. When executed, the instructions cause the processor 110 to implement one or more processes for determining and reducing exposure of at least one clinician indicated by clinician 150 to radiation by manipulating a radiation shield 142 of the shielding placement system 140 and for controlling the performance of the X-ray imaging system 130 as described below. As used herein, a "clinician" refers to any person in an operating room, such as an interventional physician, a radiology technician, an anesthesiologist, and a nurse, each of which, for example, may be exposed to radiation when performing a procedure on a patient 155. The procedure may be an interventional procedure, such as an interventional endovascular or endobronchial procedure (e.g., cardiac catheterization and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)). For illustrative purposes, the memory 120 is shown as including software modules, each software module including instructions corresponding to an associated capability of the control unit 105, as described below.

[0030] The processor 110 represents one or more processing devices and may be implemented by any combination of hardware, software, firmware, hardwired logic circuitry, or a combination thereof by a general-purpose computer, a central processing unit (CPU), a computer processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a state machine, a programmable logic device, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a combination thereof. Any processing device or processor herein may include multiple processors, parallel processors, or both. Multiple processors may be included in a single device or multiple devices or coupled to a single device or multiple devices. As used herein, the term "processor" encompasses an electronic component capable of executing a program or machine-executable instructions. A processor may also refer to a collection of processors within a single computer system or distributed among multiple computer systems, such as in a cloud-based or other multi-site application. A program has software instructions executed by one or more processors, which may be within the same computing device or may be distributed across multiple computing devices.

[0031] The memory 120 may include a main memory and / or a static memory, where these memories may communicate with each other and with the processor 110 via one or more buses. The memory 120 may be implemented by, for example, any number, type, and combination of random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM), and may store various types of information, such as software algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) machine learning models, and computer programs, all of which may be executed by the processor 110. Various types of ROM and RAM may include any number, type, and combination of computer-readable storage media, such as disk drives, flash memory, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, removable disks, magnetic tapes, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disks, Blu-ray discs, universal serial bus (USB) drives, solid-state drives (SSD), or any other form of storage media known in the art. The memory 120 is a tangible storage medium for storing data and executable software instructions and is non-transitory when the software instructions are stored therein. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is not construed as an eternal property of a state, but rather as a property of a state that will persist for a period of time. The term "non-transitory" specifically denies transient properties, such as carrier waves or signals or other forms of properties that only exist temporarily anywhere at any time. The memory 120 may store software instructions and / or computer-readable code for implementing the performance of various functions. The memory 120 may be secure and / or encrypted, or insecure and / or unencrypted.

[0032] The processor 110 and the memory 120 may include or may have access to an AI engine or module, which may be implemented as software providing artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms (such as the neural network modeling described herein). For example, the AI engine may reside in any of various components other than or different from the processor 110, such as the memory 120, an external server, and / or the cloud. When the AI engine is implemented in the cloud (such as at a data center), the AI engine may be connected to the processor 110 via the Internet using one or more wired and / or wireless connections.

[0033] The user interface 112 is configured to provide information and data output by the processor 110 and / or the memory 120 to the user and / or to provide information and data input by the user to the processor 110 and / or the memory 120. That is, the user interface 112 enables the user to input data and control or manipulate aspects of the processes described herein, as well as control or manipulate aspects of X-ray imaging. The user interface 112 also enables the processor 110 to indicate to the user the effects of the user's control or manipulation.

[0034] For example, all or a portion of the user interface 112 may be implemented by a graphical user interface (GUI), such as the GUI 118 on the touch screen 116 of the display 114. The user interface 112 includes buttons that can be operated (pressed) by the user to initiate various commands for manipulating the displayed images, making measurements and calculations, etc. at any point during an imaging session (e.g., cone beam computed tomography "CBCT" or other X-ray examinations) or during an interventional procedure performed under X-ray guidance. For example, the buttons may be displayed by the GUI 118 on the touch screen 116 or may be physical buttons. The user interface 112 may also include any other compatible interface devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, trackball, joystick, microphone, camera, touchpad, or voice or gesture recognition captured by the microphone or camera.

[0035] For example, the display 114 may be any compatible monitor for displaying X-ray images, radiation shielding positions, and other information, such as a computer monitor, liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED), flat panel display, or solid state display. The display 114 includes the touch screen 116 and the GUI 118 to enable the user to interact with the displayed images and features, as described above.

[0036] The X-ray imaging system 130 includes an X-ray source 131 and an X-ray detector 132 that are connected to each other in a fixed relationship on a C-arm 133. The X-ray source 131 emits ionizing radiation according to settings such as dose, frame rate, exposure time, and beam collimation that travel through a portion of the patient's anatomy. For example, the X-ray detector 132 receives the X-ray radiation that has traveled through the patient's anatomy and, in response, acquires an X-ray image that enables visualization of the internal anatomy of the patient 155 on the operating table 156 in the image (such as an X-ray image, a fluoroscopy sequence, a CBCT image). For example, when a contrast agent is injected into the vasculature of the patient 155 during X-ray image acquisition, visualization of the vascular anatomy of the patient 155 is achieved in images such as digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images and three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA) images. The C-arm 133 is maneuverable to change the position of the X-ray source 131 relative to the patient 155 to accommodate various different perspectives of the image. The X-ray imaging system 130 may be a fixed C-arm X-ray system installed in an operating room or a portable mobile C-arm X-ray system.

[0037] More specifically, the X-ray source 131 is positioned relative to the region of interest (ROI) 157 of the patient 155 to obtain, for example, an image of the patient's anatomy during an interventional procedure performed by the clinician 150. For example, the ROI 157 can be the operative site or access site for the interventional procedure. The X-ray imaging interface 135 interfaces the X-ray imaging system 130 with the control unit 105 to convert X-ray image data into a format compatible with the processor 110 and / or to transfer X-ray imaging system information (e.g., encoded C-arm position) to the control unit 105. The control unit 105 sends control signals to the C-arm 133 for controlling the placement of the X-ray detector 132 relative to the patient 155 and for controlling image acquisition including timing, frame rate, power, and other imaging parameters. The control unit 105 also receives and processes X-ray image data from the X-ray detector 132 in response to the operation of the X-ray source 131. The clinician 150 (e.g., an interventional physician or radiology technician) can control the operation of the X-ray imaging system 130 through the user interface 112, but it should be understood that control of the X-ray imaging system 130 can be performed partially or fully by a separate control unit without departing from the scope of the present teachings.

[0038] The shielding placement system 140 includes a radiation shield 142 and a control interface (IF) 144 configured to control the movement of the radiation shield 142. For example, the radiation shield 142 is formed of a radiation shielding material such as lead glass. In an embodiment, the radiation shielding material is transparent such that the placement of the radiation shield 142 for maximizing protection from radiation does not obstruct the clinician 150's visual line of sight to the ROI 157. Alternatively, the transparent radiation shielding material can include a transparent polymer sheet coated with a radiation absorbing material. The transparent polymer sheet allows for variability in the shape (e.g., concave or convex) of the radiation shield 142 or portions of the radiation shield 142. For example, the radiation absorbing material can include lead or a non-toxic alternative to lead such as tungsten, bismuth, or barium sulfate. The transparent polymer sheet can additionally be coated with a thin film of a self-cleaning, self-sterilizing, antimicrobial polymer to help keep the environment sterile and avoid the manual cleaning requirements that could damage the radiation absorbing layer. In one embodiment, the radiation shield 142 can include a plurality of interconnected portions that can be folded or slid relative to each other to allow for a variable coverage area of the radiation shield 142.

[0039] Optimizing the protection of the clinician 150 from X-ray radiation includes protecting the clinician 150 from X-ray radiation that directly interacts with a surface after being emitted from the X-ray source 131 and X-ray radiation that is reflected from the surfaces of entities present in the operating room, such as the clinician 150, the patient 155, the operating table 156, and other people and objects. After being emitted from the X-ray source 131, the X-ray radiation that directly interacts with a surface can be referred to as "direct radiation", and the radiation that is reflected from a surface and subsequently indirectly interacts with the surfaces of entities present in the operating room can be referred to as "scattered radiation". The direct radiation and the scattered radiation can be collectively referred to as "X-ray radiation", and the exposure pattern or level of exposure of the surfaces of entities in the operating room to the combined effects of the direct radiation and the scattered radiation can be referred to as the "X-ray radiation pattern" or simply the "radiation pattern". The control IF144 includes one or more motors (e.g., servo motors), actuators, and / or other drive devices configured to move the radiation shield 142 and / or one or more portions of the radiation shield 142. In an embodiment, the radiation shield 142 can be encoded such that the exact position of the radiation shield 142 is available to the control unit 105. Alternatively, the radiation shield 142 can have an attached external positioning device, such as an electromagnetic (EM) sensor or an optical signal generator, e.g., which can be detected by an external sensor to obtain position data, such as the first sensor 145 discussed below. Or, the external sensor can be a camera configured to acquire an image of the radiation shield 142 to obtain position data, again as discussed below with respect to the first sensor 145.

[0040] The radiation shield 142 is adjustable to optimize the protection of the clinician 150 (and others in the operating room), which includes reducing the exposure of the clinician 150 to X-ray radiation originating from the X-ray source 131 to the lowest possible level without prohibiting the clinician 150 from accessing the ROI 157 of the patient 155. That is, the position of the radiation shield 142 is adjustable to minimize the amount of radiation received by the clinician 150 as well as by the radiation-sensitive portions of the patient 155 without obscuring the clinician's view of the ROI 157 (e.g., the intervention site) and / or without prohibiting access to the ROI 157. The position of the radiation shield 142 can also be adjusted according to the position of the C-arm 133 so as to prevent the radiation shield 142 from obscuring the field of view of the X-ray imaging system 130.

[0041] As used herein, "position" refers to the position (e.g., Cartesian coordinates) and orientation (e.g., rotational coordinates) of the radiation shield 142. In various embodiments, the radiation shield 142 may be configurable (variable), which means that in addition to position and orientation, the coverage area (e.g., size and shape) of the radiation shield 142 can be changed to further refine the shielding provided by the radiation shield 142. For example, the radiation shield 142 may include a plurality of interconnected parts and panels. At least one of the interconnected parts may be configured to fold and unfold relative to another part to change the coverage area of the interconnected part. Moreover, at least one of the interconnected parts may include interconnected panels, and at least one of the plurality of panels may be configured to slide relative to another panel to further change the coverage area of the interconnected part. Thus, when the radiation shield 142 is configurable, "position" refers to the position, orientation, and configuration of the radiation shield.

[0042] For example, the radiation shield 142 is adjustable to accommodate variables that change within the operating room during an interventional procedure, such as the position and orientation of the C-arm 133 that controls the position and orientation of the X-ray source 131, the size and position of the patient 155, and the number and position of the clinician 150 and other medical staff relative to the X-ray source 131. For example, the shield placement system 140 can be used in any of a variety of types of procedures (such as imaging procedures and any interventional endovascular and endobronchial procedures).

[0043] The shield placement system 140 further includes a first sensor 145 configured to provide first position data indicative of the position of the clinician 150, the patient 155, and objects in the operating room (e.g., the radiation shield 142, the operating table 156). For example, the first sensor 145 can be a camera, such as an RGB or RGB-D camera, which provides, for example, image data and depth information about the objects within its field of view, including the clinician 150, the patient 155, and various objects. In alternative embodiments, for example, the first sensor 145 may include one or more position tracking devices, such as an electromagnetic (EM) detector or an optical sensor. In such cases, corresponding positioning devices (such as an EM sensor or an optical signal generator) would be attached to the people and objects within the field of view of the first sensor 145 for which first position data is desired. For example, the clinician 150 may have an EM sensor on a wearable badge, wristband, clothing, etc.

[0044] The processor 110 receives first position data from the first sensor 145 via the first sensor interface 146. When the first sensor 145 is, for example, a camera, the first position data includes image data. The first sensor interface 146 enables the first sensor 145 to send the first position data to the processor 110 and receive control commands (e.g., adjust imaging parameters, trigger image acquisition) from the processor 110. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the processor 110 determines the positions of people and objects in three dimensions by applying any compatible position determination algorithm to the first position data. For example, the processor 110 uses the first position data provided by the first sensor 145 to determine the positions of the clinician 150, the patient 155, the operating table 156, and the radiation shield 142. The processor 110 may also use the first position data to determine the positions of the ROI 157 and any sensitive anatomical regions 158 of the patient 155. For example, the sensitive anatomical region 158 may include the pelvic region of a patient of reproductive age.

[0045] The processor 110 may also receive second position data indicating the position of the X-ray source 131 from the first sensor 145 in substantially the same manner as described above. The processor 110 determines the second position of the X-ray source 131 in three dimensions by applying any compatible position determination algorithm to the second position data received from the first sensor 145. Alternatively, the shield placement system 140 further includes a second sensor 147 incorporated in the C-arm 133 of the X-ray imaging system 130. The second sensor 147 is configured to provide second position data indicating the position of the X-ray source 131 to the processor 110 via the X-ray imaging interface 135. In an embodiment, the second sensor 147 includes an internal encoder that is configured to receive motion data indicating the movement of the X-ray source 131 and / or the C-arm 133 during operation and convert the motion data to provide the second position data.

[0046] In the depicted embodiment, the memory 120 particularly includes an X-ray radiation model module 121 for applying an X-ray radiation model and a shielding body positioning model module 122 for applying a shielding body positioning model. The X-ray radiation model may include a mathematical model (also referred to as a physics-based model) for calculating the X-ray radiation pattern in the operating room. For any given angle of the C-arm 133, the calculation may include direct radiation from the X-ray source and / or the influence of scattered radiation, where the scattered radiation results from the reflection of direct radiation from entities in the operating room, and the calculation may include the positions of the X-ray source and the entities in the operating room. The X-ray radiation model may analytically calculate or predict the radiation pattern in the operating room using machine learning (e.g., using a neural network). The X-ray radiation model receives, as input, the positions of the clinician 150, the patient 155, the operating table 156, and any other entities in the room that may reflect X-ray radiation (e.g., walls, ceiling, table) from first position data provided by the first sensor 145, receives the position (pose information) of the X-ray source 131 from second position data provided by the first sensor 145 or the second sensor 147, and receives the X-ray-related settings of the X-ray imaging system 130 as input. Such settings may include, for example, the dose, frame rate, exposure time, and collimation of the X-ray radiation emitted by the X-ray source 131.

[0047] In an embodiment using machine learning, the radiation model (e.g., a neural network) may be previously trained using a processor before being applied to an actual procedure. The training may include receiving historical data (actual and / or simulated), where the historical data includes the previous positions of entities (e.g., clinician, patient, operating table, etc.) based on previous first position data generated by sensors during corresponding previous procedures, and includes the previous position of the X-ray source 131 based on previous second position data generated by sensors during previous procedures. The training may further include receiving other historical data, such as previous X-ray system settings (e.g., dose, frame rate, exposure time, and collimation of the X-ray radiation emitted by the X-ray source, etc.) during previous procedures and / or previous measured radiation at positions in the operating room during previous procedures. The training may correlate the relationships between the previous positions of the entities, the previous imaging source positions, the previous X-ray system settings, and / or the previous measured radiation at positions in the operating room during previous procedures to generate a trained radiation model. The trained radiation model is configured to predict and output an estimated radiation pattern in the operating room based on inputs of the current positions of one or more entities and the X-ray source in the operating room and optionally based on current X-ray system settings.

[0048] The X-ray radiation model outputs an estimated radiation pattern that includes the effects of direct and scattered radiation and indicates how radiation can propagate when the X-ray source 131 is turned on in a particular setting. For example, the direct radiation indicates the radiation dose delivered to various entities in its path, including, for example, the clinician 150 and the patient 155. The scattered radiation indicates how the X-ray beam interacts with (is reflected by) various entities in its path and allows for the calculation of an estimated radiation dose that can be delivered to entities outside the direct path of the X-ray beam emitted by the X-ray source 131. The radiation pattern can be visualized as scatter points (e.g., a scatter plot or a swarm plot), the density of which corresponds to the dose level of the scattered radiation, or the radiation pattern can be visualized as contour lines defining corresponding regions of the same dose.

[0049] The control unit 105 is also configured to determine the optimal position of the radiation shield 142 during a procedure, which minimizes the exposure of the clinician 150 to X-ray radiation from the X-ray source. Specifically, the processor 110 applies the X-ray radiation model to the position of the clinician 150 indicated by the first position data and the position of the X-ray source 131 indicated by the second position data to determine the radiation pattern of the X-ray radiation emitted by the X-ray source 131 and reflected by entities in the operating room. Such entities include, but are not limited to, the clinician 150, the patient 155, the radiation shield 142, and the operating table 156. The processor 110 also applies the shield positioning model to the position of the clinician 150 indicated by the first position data, the position of the X-ray source 131 indicated by the second position data, and the determined radiation pattern to determine the optimal position of the radiation shield 142. As described above, the position of the radiation shield 142 refers to its position and orientation, as well as its configuration when applied.

[0050] The processor 110 can visualize the optimal position of the radiation shield 142 on the display 114. This enables a user (e.g., the clinician 150) to manually move the radiation shield 142 to the optimal position by referring to the display 114. The user can manually move the radiation shield by grasping the radiation shield itself or by grasping a handle or knob mounted on the radiation shield 142 and physically manipulating the radiation shield 142 to the optimal position. Alternatively or in addition, the user can use the controls at the user interface 112 and / or the GUI 118 on the touch screen 116 to manually move the radiation shield 142 to electronically control the movement of the radiation shield 142 by sending commands via the control IF 144. In this case, the commands input by the user control the operation of motors, actuators, and / or other drive devices in the control IF 144, which is configured to move the radiation shield 142 and / or parts of the radiation shield 142. In an embodiment, the processor 110 visualizes the optimal position of the radiation shield 142 together with the current position of the radiation shield 142 on the display 114. This gives the user a visual perspective on how to manipulate the radiation shield 142 from its current position to the optimal position.

[0051] In an embodiment, the control unit 105 further includes a projector that is configured to project, under the control of the processor 110, the direction to move the radiation shield 142 to its optimal position onto a surface. Transmitting the direction allows the user to easily observe and follow the direction to place the radiation shield 142 in the optimal position. For example, the directions can be projected onto the radiation shield 142 itself and can include straight arrows indicating the direction in which the radiation shield 142 should be translated and curved arrows near the edges of the radiation shield 142 indicating which edges should be rotated and in which directions to rotate the radiation shield 142 to optimally position the radiation shield 142. The control unit 105 can similarly include an augmented reality (AR) display, e.g., included in AR glasses worn by the user, which can similarly display arrows indicating the directions to translate and / or rotate the radiation shield 142 to position it in the optimal position.

[0052] In one embodiment, the processor 110 automatically maneuvers the radiation shield 142 to an optimal position by controlling the operation of motors, actuators, and / or other drive devices in the control IF 144 to drive the radiation shield 142 to the optimal position. In this case, the memory 120 includes a shield driver module 123 that receives current position data regarding the current position of the radiation shield 142, such as from the radiation shield 142 itself or from the first sensor 145, and optimal position data regarding the optimal position of the radiation shield 142 from the shield positioning model module 122. The shield driver module 123 then calculates movement data, including, for example, a vector and a rotation angle indicating the desired movement of the radiation shield 142 from the current position to the optimal position, and provides the movement data to the control IF 144 to be implemented. When the radiation shield 142 is configurable, the movement data may also include the differences between the dimensions and shapes of the radiation shield 142 in its current configuration and the dimensions and shapes of the radiation shield 142 in its optimal configuration at the optimal position. In this case, the movement data indicates the arrangements of the parts and panels in the current and optimal configurations, respectively, such that any differences can be identified and implemented to drive the radiation shield to the optimal position. If desired, the shield driver module 123 may receive feedback regarding the intermediate position of the radiation shield 142 during the movement process for updating the movement data.

[0053] As described above, the control IF 144 may include motors, actuators, and / or other drive devices that operate in response to commands from the control unit 105. For example, commands from the control unit 105 to the control IF 144 may be provided via wires or using a wireless system such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. In an embodiment, for example, user commands may be transmitted to the control unit 105 via the user interface 112, such as by gesture or voice recognition protocols and / or via a wired or wireless remote control. Moreover, the control unit 105 may include a separate robot controller for controlling the operation of the control IF 144, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In an embodiment, the movement of the radiation shield 142 may be a combination of automatic and manual control without departing from the scope of this teaching.

[0054] In an embodiment, an opportunity is provided to the user via the user interface 112 and / or the GUI 118 to accept or reject the optimal position of the radiation shield 142. When the user rejects the optimal position, after changing at least one parameter of the first position and the second position and / or at least one parameter of the shield positioning model itself, the processor 110 may apply the shield positioning model again to the first position, the second position, and the determined radiation pattern to determine another optimal position of the radiation shield 142. The parameters may be changed by the user or automatically by the processor 110. Manual change of the parameters may include the user indicating, via the touchscreen interface area, areas to be avoided (e.g., areas where the radiation shield 142 may prohibit the clinician's access to the ROI 157) or areas to be further protected (e.g., radiation-sensitive parts of the patient 155). Automatic changes of the parameters may include, for example, optimizing the radiation shield position for a clinician who is second closest to the X-ray source rather than the clinician who is closest to the X-ray source.

[0055] The shield positioning model is configured to estimate the exposure of the clinician 150 to X-ray radiation from the X-ray source 131 at the position indicated by the second position data based on the estimated radiation pattern output by the X-ray radiation model, and to estimate the optimal position of the radiation shield 142 that minimizes the exposure of the clinician 150 to X-ray radiation from the X-ray source 131. The shield positioning model may receive as input the position of the clinician 150 determined from the first position data, the position of the X-ray source 131 determined from the second position data, and the radiation pattern output by the X-ray radiation model. Based on this input, the shield positioning model calculates and outputs the optimal position of the radiation shield 142 that minimizes the radiation exposure to the clinician 150, for example, by minimizing the overlap between the position of the clinician and a given radiation exposure level in the radiation pattern. In some embodiments, the radiation shield includes movable interconnecting parts and panels, and the shield positioning model calculates the positions of these interconnecting parts and panels to provide the optimal position for radiation shielding. In some embodiments, the shield positioning model may include a neural network algorithm, such as an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm, a convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm, or a recurrent neural network (RNN) algorithm. In other embodiments, the shield positioning model may use a look-up table (such as a relational database) that maps model inputs (including the positions of the X-ray source, clinician, patient, table, etc. in the operating room and the corresponding radiation patterns) to a predetermined optimal position of the radiation shield. In still other embodiments, the model may analytically calculate the optimal position of the radiation shield from the model inputs based on known and / or simulated relationships between the positions of the X-ray source, clinician, patient, table, etc. in the operating room and the corresponding radiation patterns.

[0056] In an embodiment, the shield positioning model calculates the optimal position of the radiation shield 142 to account for the position of the ROI 157 such that the radiation shield 142 does not block the clinician 150's visual and / or physical access to the ROI 157. In another embodiment, the shield positioning model calculates the optimal position of the radiation shield 142 to alternatively or also account for the position of the sensitive anatomical region 158 such that the radiation shield 142 prioritizes protection at that location in addition to protecting the clinician 150.

[0057] In some embodiments using supervised learning, bounding boxes or other region-of-interest indicators can be used during training to identify any sensitive regions. For example, the regions to be avoided or prioritized in calculating the optimal position of the radiation shield 142 can be indicated by the clinician 150 or other users in the training data (e.g., by outlining the regions to be avoided in red and the regions to be prioritized in green on the user interface 112), allowing the shield positioning model to optimize its weights using a loss function during supervised training that assigns a higher error to shield positions that overlap with the regions to be avoided and a lower error to shield positions that overlap with the regions to be prioritized. This allows the shield positioning model to prioritize the regions indicated (e.g., green) by the user, for example, during inference or application of the shield positioning model. For example, the user interactively indicates the regions to be prioritized on the touchscreen 116, allowing the output of the shield positioning model that updates the optimal shield position. Alternatively, the system can automatically infer which patients require protection of additional anatomical regions. For example, in an embodiment, the patient's electronic health record (EHR) data can be additionally input into the shield positioning model, allowing the shield positioning model to access information including patient age and gender and optimize its weights during supervised training such that, for example, shield positions that reduce radiation to the identified pelvic region of reproductive-age females are prioritized. By additionally changing the weights of the shield positioning model during training based on patient EHR data (including age, gender, and pregnancy status), the shield positioning model learns from its parameters to protect features associated with the identified regions of the patient's anatomy. Thus, the shield positioning model will learn that, for pregnant or reproductive-age females, for example, the regions around the abdomen and pelvis must be protected and will predict a radiation shield position that prioritizes protection of these regions for the relevant patient during inference.

[0058] Memory 120 may also store information about the program, such as a "target program" that identifies the type of program, a "target anatomical structure" that identifies the part of the patient's body that is the object of the program, a "program phase" that identifies the part of the multi - program being executed, and / or an "access site" that identifies the location on the patient's body where a device is inserted into the patient's body. Using this information, processor 110 can automatically identify, in substantially the same manner as avoiding the location of ROI 157, areas around patient 155 that should be avoided or excluded from the optimization of the position of radiation shield 142. For example, when clinician 150 is accessing the femoral region of patient 155, processor 110 can exclude the area around the patient's leg from the optimization to avoid obscuring the proper access of the clinician's hand to the access site.

[0059] In addition, clinician 150 can enter a range in the operating room via user interface 112 and / or GUI 118 to be excluded from the optimization based on his or her personal comfort level, such that the optimal position of radiation shield 142 does not end within these ranges. Control unit 105 can learn the user preferences of clinician 150, which is achieved by tracking the excluded areas and the optimal positions of radiation shield 142 over time and / or after multiple procedures in which the clinician has accepted or rejected the proposed optimal positions of radiation shield 142. The user preferences can be input into the shield positioning model to personalize the determination of the optimal position of radiation shield 142 for a given user. For example, user preferences can be implemented through a weighted loss function such that positions of radiation shield 142 similar to those previously accepted by clinician 150 generate lower errors compared to those positions of radiation shield 142 that the clinician 150 has not previously accepted or otherwise explicitly rejected, so that preferred shield positions contribute less to the cumulative error while rejected shield positions contribute more to the error, thus prompting the shield positioning model to prefer the shield positions previously accepted by clinician 150.

[0060] The shielding body positioning model (e.g., a neural network) can be previously trained by a processor before being implemented for an actual procedure. The training can include receiving historical data (actual and / or simulated), the historical data including the previous positions of entities (e.g., clinicians, patients, operating tables, etc.) based on previous first position data generated by sensors during corresponding previous procedures, and including the previous positions of the X-ray source 131 based on previous second position data generated by sensors during previous procedures. The training can also include receiving other historical data, including the previous estimated radiation pattern in the operating room during previous procedures. For example, the training can include receiving the previous estimated radiation pattern analytically calculated or predicted by an X-ray radiation model from the previous first and second position data. The training can also include receiving additional historical data, including the previous position of the radiation shielding body 142 in the operating room during previous procedures, and the training can include previous measured radiation of the entity at the previous position of the radiation shielding body 142. In some embodiments, the radiation shielding body has movable interconnecting parts and panels, such as the radiation shielding body 542 described with respect to Figure 5 and the previous position of the radiation shielding body includes (i) the position of at least one part of the interconnecting parts of the radiation shielding body relative to other parts of the interconnecting parts of the radiation shielding body and / or (ii) the position of at least one panel of the panels of the radiation shielding body relative to other panels of the radiation shielding body. The previous data can be retrieved from a database or other memory (e.g., memory 120), e.g., accessible by the processor 110.

[0061] The training can associate the relationship between the previous positions of entities (clinicians, patients, operating tables, etc.), previous imaging source positions, previous estimated radiation patterns, previous radiation shielding body positions (e.g., in some embodiments, including the positions of its parts and / or panels) and / or previous measured radiation with the entity at the previous radiation shielding body position during previous procedures to generate a trained shielding body positioning model. The trained shielding body positioning model is configured to predict and output the optimal positioning of the radiation shielding body (e.g., in some embodiments, including the optimal positions of its parts and / or panels), the optimal positioning minimizing radiation exposure to the clinician based on the following inputs: the current positions of the entity and the imaging source in the operating room and the current estimated radiation pattern in the operating room.

[0062] Training may include one or more loss functions implemented to predict the optimal position of a radiation shield according to a predetermined optimization criterion. For example, the loss function may be implemented to weight or balance the application of prior data, such as prior positions of clinicians, patients, operating tables, etc.; prior imaging source positions; prior estimated radiation patterns; prior radiation shield positions; and / or prior measured radiation of entities at prior radiation shield positions during prior procedures. For example, one optimization criterion may be to minimize radiation exposure to the clinician 150 and / or other personnel standing closest to the X-ray source 131 using the radiation shield 142. In this embodiment, the loss function may be implemented to weight the prior data to predict the optimal radiation shield position, thereby minimizing the pose difference between the estimated shield pose and the principal intersection plane (i), where the principal intersection plane (i) is the principal plane of intersection between a given radiation exposure level (indicated by certain shading on the heatmap in Figure 2A and 2B ) and the clinician. The loss may be the difference between the three degrees of freedom (two DoF in-plane translations, one DoF in-plane rotation) (DoF) shield pose estimated by the shield positioning model and the principal intersection plane. For example, the loss function may apply the Euclidean distance between the two DoF translation components of the shield pose and the intersection plane, and the angle between the one DoF in-plane rotation component of the shield pose and the intersection plane. Similar loss functions can be implemented for radiation shields with more than three DoF. For example, when the radiation shield 142 is configurable and thus able to slide along its height to change its vertical configuration, the translation component may include all three DoF. The Euclidean distance between the translation components of the shield pose may also be replaced by other distance metrics, such as Riemannian distance, Geodesic distance.

[0063] Figure 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams of radiation shield placement that minimizes radiation exposure to a clinician according to a representative embodiment. Referring to Figure 2A , the shield positioning model inputs first position information regarding the position of the clinician 150 and the initial position of the radiation shield 142, and second position information regarding the position of the X-ray source 131 and / or the C-arm 133. The shield positioning model further inputs the estimated radiation pattern 221 output by the X-ray radiation model. Referring to Figure 2B , as the clinician 150 moves into a higher radiation region, the shield positioning model outputs the optimal pose (indicated by the arrow 223) of the radiation shield 142 to minimize radiation exposure to the clinician 150. Figure 2BAlso shown is the intersection principal plane (i) between the shield attitude and a given radiation exposure level as determined by the X-ray radiation model (indicated by certain shading on the heat map of the radiation pattern 221 represented by Figure 2A and 2B or by contour lines indicating the radiation level) and the clinician 150.

[0064] More specifically, Figure 2A shown at time t, the clinician 150 is at position p t , and the shield 142 is positioned at the optimal position s t such that the radiation to the clinician 150 is minimized. However, the radiation is higher near the controller 134, as shown by the radiation pattern 221. Thus, if the clinician 150 moves there at a future time t + ∈ (as shown in the transparency diagram in Figure 2A ), the radiation exposure to the clinician 150 will be high. In Figure 2B , when the clinician 150 moves to the control 134 at time t + ∈, the optimal position of the radiation shield 142 is updated from s t to s t+∈ such that the radiation to the clinician 150 is minimized again.

[0065] As described above, another optimization criterion can be to avoid obscuring or prohibiting access to the ROI 157 of the patient in a previous procedure. This can be achieved by annotating the regions to be avoided relative to the ROI 157 in the training data and penalizing the proximity of the estimated shield attitude to the annotated regions (a avoid ). In this case, as described above, the Euclidean distance between the annotated regions (a avoid ) and the shield attitude can be maximized while minimizing the distance between the shield attitude and the principal intersection plane (i).

[0066] Another optimization criterion can be to protect the sensitive anatomical region 158 identified on the patient in a previous procedure from direct radiation and / or scattered radiation without obscuring the ROI 157 or other critical regions. Similar to the above discussion, the sensitive anatomical regions 158 to be avoided can be annotated in the training data. In this case, during optimization, the Euclidean distance between the annotated regions (a 包括)Minimize the Euclidean distance between the and the shield posture, while penalizing shield postures that may fall within the field of view to be imaged. This can be accomplished by using an X-ray radiation model to model the X-ray beam generated from the X-ray source 131 for a given current X-ray setting (e.g., dose, collimation), and evaluating whether the radiation shield 142 intersects the X-ray beam at various positions. When the radiation shield 142 intersects the X-ray beam traveling towards the field of view to be imaged, the corresponding positions are rejected because they fall within the field of view. On the other hand, when the radiation shield 142 intersects the X-ray beam traveling towards a 包括 traveling X-ray beam, the corresponding positions are given preference.

[0067] It should be noted that the training of the shield positioning model was described above with reference to system 100, which is the same system used to subsequently execute the program using the X-ray radiation model and the trained shield positioning model. However, it should be understood that the training data for training the shield positioning model can be obtained from other systems similar to the configuration of system 100 without departing from the scope of this teaching.

[0068] Moreover, in an embodiment, the training of the shield positioning model can be performed in a simulation environment, e.g., executable by the processor 110. The simulation environment generates data in the form of a rendered scene of a program environment, where various parameters can be varied, such as X-ray image settings and geometries and the positions of clinicians and other entities, e.g., in order to generate a large amount of simulated data. The optimal posture of the radiation shield 142 can be modeled in the simulation based on radiation propagation and other physical properties from the X-ray radiation model. Physical-based simulations (such as, for example, Monte Carlo simulations) or data-driven solutions can be used to calculate the radiation propagation (or mapping) to estimate the volumetric heat map around the ROI 157 (e.g., the interventional access site). In this case, the loss function can include the distance between the estimated posture of the radiation shield 142 and the ground truth posture. As described above, depending on the design of the radiation shield 142, one to six or more DoFs are considered for the radiation shield 142. The simulated data can also be used in combination with real data and can be used to evaluate the shield placement system 140 and quantify how much reduction in radiation exposure has been achieved.

[0069] In an embodiment, the system 100 may also use the first position data and the second position data and / or one or more distance measurement sensors (such as optical, acoustic, capacitive, inductive, and / or optoelectronic sensors) to provide collision avoidance. The one or more distance measurement sensors are arranged, for example, in the operating room and / or on the radiation shield 142 and are configured to measure the distance between the radiation shield 142 and the clinician 150, patient 155, operating table 156, and other equipment in the operating room when the radiation shield 142 is being maneuvered. The measurement information may be provided to the control unit 105, and whenever one of the measured distances becomes less than a predetermined safe threshold distance, the control unit 105 activates an alarm. The control unit 105 may also block further movement and / or configuration of the radiation shield 142 until the measured distance is again outside the predetermined safe threshold distance. This ensures the safety of the clinician 150 and the patient 155, as well as the safety of the radiation shield 142 during operation.

[0070] In another embodiment, the system 100 may also include one or more radiation shields in addition to the radiation shield 142. In this case, as described above, an X-ray radiation model and a shield positioning model are used to determine the optimal position of each radiation shield (including the radiation shield 142) relative to the clinician 150. The first position data acquired by the first sensor 145 also includes data regarding the respective positions of the radiation shields. This data is input into the X-ray radiation model (e.g., provided by the shield positioning model module 122), which takes the position as a factor in estimating the radiation pattern of the X-ray radiation originating from the X-ray source 131, since each radiation shield is an object that reflects the X-ray radiation to be considered when determining the optimal position of each of the other radiation shields. Then, as discussed above with respect to the radiation shield 142, the optimal position of each radiation shield is determined by applying the shield positioning model (e.g., provided by the shield positioning model module 122) to the position of at least one clinician, the position of the X-ray source, and the estimated radiation pattern. Moreover, the collision avoidance discussed above can be incorporated into a system with multiple radiation shields to prevent collisions and / or to cause the optimal positions of the various radiation shields to overlap.

[0071] In embodiments involving multiple radiation shields, the loss between each radiation shield and the personnel (including clinician 150) in the operating room can be calculated in the following manner: such that the position of each radiation shield is compared only with the position of the personnel closest to it. For example, the personnel present in the operating room can be clustered into n clusters corresponding to each radiation shield, where n is the number of radiation shields (including radiation shield 142). Then, the processor 110 calculates the loss between the position of each radiation shield and the position of the personnel in the corresponding cluster to determine the optimal position when applying the shield positioning model. As the personnel move around, the composition of these n clusters may change, in which case the optimal position of each radiation shield may be updated. Alternatively, the position of each radiation shield can be compared with the clinician who is the nth closest with respect to the radiation exposure level in the radiation pattern. That is, the position of the first shield is compared with the person closest to the exposure level, the second shield with the second closest person to the exposure level, and so on.

[0072] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for reducing the exposure of at least one clinician to X-ray radiation from an X-ray source in an operating room using a movable radiation shield according to a representative embodiment. For example, Figure 3 the method depicted in

[0073] can be implemented by the processor 110 of the control unit 105 to execute instructions stored in the memory 120. Figure 3 Referring to

[0074] In block S313, determine the optimal position of the radiation shield (e.g., radiation shield 142), where the optimal position minimizes the exposure of at least one clinician to radiation from the X-ray source. Determining the optimal position of the radiation shield can include applying an X-ray radiation model (e.g., provided by the X-ray radiation model module 121), which takes the position of at least one clinician and the position of the X-ray source as inputs to estimate the X-ray radiation pattern in block S313a, including the effects of direct radiation from the X-ray source and scattered radiation reflected from entities in the operating room. Determining the optimal position can also include applying a shield positioning model (e.g., provided by the shield positioning model module 122), which takes the position of at least one clinician, the position of the X-ray source, and the estimated radiation pattern as inputs to determine the optimal position of the radiation shield in block S313b. The optimal position provides protection for at least one clinician from X-ray radiation. The optimal position can provide a configuration for the movable interconnecting portions and panels of the radiation shield to optimally position the radiation shield so as to provide protection for at least one clinician from X-ray radiation. In an embodiment, the X-ray radiation model can further receive the X-ray settings of the X-ray source for emitting X-ray radiation as an input.

[0075] In block S314, output the optimal position of the radiation shield so that the radiation shield can be arranged at the optimal position. In an embodiment, the output of the optimal position of the radiation shield can include visualizing the optimal position of the radiation shield on a display (e.g., display 114) such that a user (e.g., clinician 150) can manually adjust the radiation shield to the optimal position accordingly. In another embodiment, the optimal position of the radiation shield is visualized and displayed together with the current position of the radiation shield. This gives the user visual context when maneuvering the radiation shield from the current position to the optimal position. The user can manually move the radiation shield by physically touching the radiation shield and guiding it to the optimal position. Alternatively or in addition, the user can use controls at the user interface (e.g., user IF112) (including buttons provided by a GUI (e.g., GUI118) on a touch screen (e.g., touch screen 116)) to manually move the radiation shield to send a command to control the electronic movement of the radiation shield via a control interface (e.g., control IF144). The GUI can be configured to provide feedback to the user when maneuvering the shield.

[0076] In block S315, the radiation shield optionally automatically moves from its current position to the optimal position output in block S314. The radiation shield can be automatically moved by a control unit that determines the difference between the current position and the optimal position of the radiation shield and issues a command to the control interface to automatically drive the radiation shield from the current position to the optimal position based on these differences. As described above, the control interface includes motors, actuators, and / or other drive devices that operate in response to commands from the control unit. In this case, the control unit can include a robot controller, the operation of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In an embodiment, the movement of the radiation shield can be a combination of automatic and manual control without departing from the scope of this teaching.

[0077] As described above, in embodiments where the shield positioning model includes a machine learning model, the shield positioning model applied to block S313b is initially trained. Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for training a shield positioning model to reduce the exposure of at least one clinician to X-ray radiation from an X-ray source according to a representative embodiment. Figure 4 The method depicted in can be implemented by a processor 110 of the control unit 105, such as by executing instructions stored in the memory 120, or by another processor that is not part of the control unit. The training can be based on historical data that respectively includes the previous positions of the clinician, patient, and entity, the previous position of the X-ray source, and the previously determined optimal positions of the radiation shield. The historical data can be data from previous procedures performed using the same system (including the same control unit, X-ray imaging system, and shield positioning system) or using different but similar systems. Alternatively, all or part of the historical data can be provided in a simulated environment.

[0078] Referring Figure 4 , the method includes receiving, in block S411, the previous position of at least one clinician based on previous first position data generated by a first sensor (e.g., first sensor 145) during a previous procedure on a corresponding patient, and receiving, in block S412, the previous position of the X-ray source based on previous second position data generated by the first sensor or a second sensor (e.g., second sensor 147) during the previous procedure.

[0079] In block S413, receive a previous radiation pattern of X-ray radiation emitted by an X-ray source estimated by an X-ray radiation model. The radiation pattern is based on previous first position data and previous second position data, respectively, thereby providing a corresponding set of previous first position data, previous second position data, and an estimated radiation pattern. The previous radiation pattern may include the effects of direct radiation and scattered radiation estimated by an X-ray radiation model (e.g., X-ray radiation model module 121), where direct radiation indicates X-ray radiation emitted from the X-ray source, and scattered radiation indicates X-radiation reflected from an entity within the operating room.

[0080] In block S414, input the set of previous first position data, previous second position data, and the estimated radiation pattern into a shielding body positioning model, which is a trained shielding body positioning model.

[0081] For each set of previous first position data, previous second position data, and the estimated radiation pattern, in block S415, use the shielding body positioning model to predict an optimal configuration of a radiation shielding body that minimizes the exposure of at least one clinician to X-ray radiation from the X-ray source, and in block S416, determine the difference between the predicted or estimated optimal configuration and the ground truth optimal configuration of the radiation shielding body. In some embodiments, the radiation shielding body includes interconnected movable parts and panels, and the optimal configuration predicted using the shielding body positioning model includes the optimal configuration of these parts and panels. In an embodiment, estimating the optimal configuration of the radiation shielding body in block S415 may include applying a loss function that includes one or more of the following: minimizing the radiation exposure of the clinician standing closest to the X-ray source (when there are multiple clinicians), avoiding obscuring or prohibiting access to an area of interest on the patient, and protecting an area of interest of the patient's anatomy from X-ray radiation.

[0082] In block S417, determine whether a stopping criterion is met. For example, the stopping criterion may be when the difference between the estimated shielding body position and the ground truth optimal shielding body position is less than a predetermined threshold. When the stopping criterion has not been met (block S417: No), the training of the shielding body positioning model is continued by adjusting the parameters of the shielding body positioning model in block S418 based on the difference between the estimated optimal configuration and the ground truth optimal configuration of the radiation shielding body, repeating the estimation of the optimal configuration of the radiation shielding body using the shielding body positioning model with the updated parameters in block S415, and comparing the estimated optimal configuration and the ground truth optimal configuration of the radiation shielding body in block S416. When the stopping criterion is met (block S417: Yes), the training process ends, resulting in a trained shielding body positioning model.

[0083] As described above, the radiation shield 142 can be configurable, meaning that in addition to the position and orientation of the radiation shield 142, the coverage area of the radiation shield 142 (e.g., size and shape) is variable to further adjust the shielded area provided by the radiation shield 142. In some embodiments, the radiation shield can include a movable interconnect portion and panels that can be adjusted to adjust the shielded area provided by the radiation shield 142.

[0084] Figure 5 FIG. is a diagram of a system (e.g., system 100) including a configurable radiation shield in a perspective view according to a representative embodiment. Generally, the radiation shield can be configured to accommodate varying variables within an operating room to maximize protection from radiation during a surgical procedure. As described above, for example, such variables include the size and shape of the operating room, the position of the radiation sources (e.g., X-ray source 131 and C-arm 133), the size and position of the patient, the number and position of medical personnel relative to the radiation source, and / or the number and position of radiation sources.

[0085] As described above, referring to Figure 5 , the system includes a radiation shield 542, as well as a control unit 105 and a control IF 144. The radiation shield 542 is placed within an operating room for performing a medical imaging and / or interventional procedure that requires the use of an imaging device (such as an X-ray source 131) that emits ionizing radiation. In the depicted embodiment, the radiation shield 542 includes three interconnect portions, each interconnect portion including a set of two vertically stacked panels (upper and lower), where at least one panel is movable relative to the other panel in a vertical direction (indicated by the y-axis).

[0086] More specifically, the first (central) portion 510 includes an upper panel 511 and a lower panel 512, the second (left) portion 520 includes an upper panel 521 and a lower panel 522, and the third (right) portion 530 includes an upper panel 531 and a lower panel 533. The first portion 510, the second portion 520, and the third portion 530 are formed of one or more radiation shielding materials, as each of the upper and lower panels 511, 512, 521, 522, 531, and 533 is formed of one or more of the aforementioned radiation shielding materials. In an alternative embodiment, one or more of the first portion 510, the second portion 520, and the third portion 530 can include only a single panel of radiation shielding material.

[0087] Each of the second portion 520 and the third portion 530 is configured to fold and unfold relative to the first portion 510 to change the width of the radiation shield 542 in a horizontal direction (indicated by the x-axis), making it narrower or wider. Folding and unfolding involves a pivoting movement about a vertical axis (indicated by the y-axis). Referring below to Figure 6Examples of connections for implementing the folding and unfolding movement of the second part 520 and the third part 530 are discussed. Each of the second part 520 and the third part 530 can also be configured to move horizontally (translate) relative to the first part 510 to change the width of the radiation shield 542 in the horizontal direction, making it narrower or wider. Reference is made below to Figure 7A and 7B Examples of connections for implementing the translation of the second part 520 and the third part 530 are discussed.

[0088] In the first part 510, the upper panel 511 and the lower panel 512 are configured to move vertically relative to each other (e.g., slide or roll) to change the length of the coverage area of the radiation shield 542 in the vertical direction. Similarly, the upper panel 521 and the lower panel 522 in the second part 520 and the upper panel 531 and the lower panel 532 in the third part 530 are each configured to move relative to each other in the vertical direction. Reference is made below to Figure 8 and 9 Examples of connections for implementing the vertical movement of the respective panels are discussed. When the desired configuration of the radiation shield 542 is obtained, the first part 510, the second part 520 and the third part 530 and / or the upper and lower panels 511, 512, 521, 522, 531 and 532 can be locked in place to maintain the overall shape of the radiation shield. For example, the tension in the cables used to adjust the upper and lower panels 511, 512, 521, 522, 531 and 532 discussed below can use a stepper motor with sufficient holding torque to hold them in place. Alternatively, for example, an electric solenoid can be used in combination with mating holes to drive pins in and out to lock the upper and lower panels 511, 512, 521, 522, 531 and 532 in place. Solenoid pins can be used to lock the movement in the vertical direction (indicated by the y-axis) as this will bear the weight of the panels.

[0089] It should be noted that although the number of parts of the depicted radiation shield is three and the number of radiation-resistant panels of each depicted part is two, it should be understood that more or fewer parts and / or more or fewer panels per part can be incorporated without departing from the scope of the present teachings, depending on factors such as room size and layout, the type of procedure for which the operating room is designed, the number and location of medical staff expected in the operating room during the procedure, etc.

[0090] The radiation shield 542 also includes a mount 540 that is configured to movably connect the three interconnected parts to a structure 550, such as a ceiling (as Figure 5as shown in the example of) and / or one or more walls of the operating room. Alternatively, the structure 550 can be a freestanding base to which the mounting 540 is attached, where the freestanding base itself can be repositioned around the operating room using, for example, wheels or skids. In the depicted embodiment, the mounting 540 connects the first portion 510 (referred to as the main panel) to the structure 550 from below. This allows the second portion 520 and the third portion 530 (referred to as secondary portions) to fold and unfold freely relative to the first portion 510.

[0091] The mounting 540 is attached to the first portion 510 and / or the structure 550 in such a way that the first portion 510 (and thus the second portion 520 and the third portion 530 connected to the first portion 510) can rotate relative to the structure 550 about Figure 5 at least one of the y-axis, x-axis, or z-axis shown, where the y-axis is the vertical axis, and the x-axis and z-axis are horizontal axes perpendicular to each other. The first portion 510 can spin about the y-axis, tilt left and right about the z-axis, and tilt forward and backward about the x-axis in any combination of movements. The mounting 540 can include any compatible mounting hardware capable of moving in one or more directions. For example, the mounting 540 can include a stabilizer fixedly attached to the structure 550 and rotatably attached to the first portion 510. Alternatively, the mounting 540 can include a stabilizer fixedly attached to the first portion 510 and rotatably attached to the structure 550. As another example, a robotic arm or a robotic manipulator arm can be mounted to the structure 550, and either end (the structure 550 attachment point or the shield mounting 540 attachment point) can be rotated via an electric rotary table. The robotic arm or the robotic manipulator arm can have the ability to hold a load in various static positions. As described above, the various configurations allow three-dimensional rotational movement.

[0092] In an alternative embodiment, without departing from the scope of the present teachings, the mounting 540 can connect either the second portion 520 or the third portion 530 to the structure 550. Moreover, although Figure 5 the mounting 540 is shown connected to the first portion 510 from above, it should be understood that, without departing from the scope of the present teachings, the mounting 540 can be connected from below in an alternative configuration. For example, the structure 550 can be the floor or a structure located on or attached to the floor, and the mounting 540 is fixedly or rotatably attached to the floor.

[0093] In the depicted embodiment, the control unit 105 and the control IF 144 provide electronic control of the configuration of the radiation shield 542. However, it should be understood that the movement of the radiation shield 542 can be fully or partially manual, for example, using a physical handle or knob (not shown) mounted on one or more of the first part 510, the second part 520, or the third part 530, or by direct contact with the first part 510, the second part 520, or the third part 530. When electronically controlled by the control unit 105, the configuration of the radiation shield 542 can be performed by sending signals via the control IF 144 to motors that control the first part 510, the second part 520, or the third part 530. In this case, the parts and / or panels of the radiation shield 542 can be encoded such that the exact configuration of the radiation shield 542 is available to the control unit 105. This encoding provides position coordinates for the radiation shield 542, for example, using sensors and / or the translational movement of the control motors. Thus, buttons on a touch screen or other user interfaces of the control unit 105 (such as the user interface 112 and / or the GUI 118 discussed above in Figure 1 can be used to control the movement of the radiation shield 542 to adjust its configuration. The above-described manual and electronic control of the parts can also be applied to the upper and lower panels 511, 512, 521, 522, 531, and 532.

[0094] When the radiation shield 542 is encoded, the control unit 105 can be configured to visualize the configuration of the radiation shield on a display interface (such as the display 114 in Figure 1 ) using a three-dimensional model of the radiation shield 542. The visualization can include information about the shape, position, and orientation of the radiation shield 542. If the control unit 105 has a communication channel with the X-ray imaging system 130, the visualization can include the shape, position, and orientation of the radiation shield 542 relative to the C-arm 133. As described above, the visualization can additionally show the mapping of the radiation pattern.

[0095] In various embodiments, the control IF 144 can include drive devices that include small motors, such as servo motors or stepper motors, and / or solenoids that are configured to provide torque and rolling energy for folding and unfolding the second part 520 and the third part 530, and for vertically moving one or more of the upper and lower panels 511, 512, 521, 522, 531, and 532, respectively. For folding and unfolding operations, the mechanical connectors and devices can include a motor that is configured to rotate a spool to adjust cables that are connected to the corners of the second part 520 and the third part 530, for example, as described below with reference to Figure 6As discussed. For the vertical movement of the panels, the mechanical connection and device can include a motor configured to rotate a spool to adjust the cables connected to the lower panels 511, 521, and 531 or the upper panels 512, 522, and 532, so that the connected panels slide relative to other panels. For example, as discussed below with reference to Figure 8 and Figure 9 As discussed. For the translational movement of the panels, the mechanical connection and device can include a motor connected to a rotating spool to adjust the cables at the first part 510 that are connected to the corners of the second part 520 and the third part 530, so as to translate the second part and the third part relative to the first part 510. For example, as discussed below with reference to Figure 7A and 7B It should be understood that any compatible electrical and mechanical connections and devices capable of configuring the parts of the radiation shield 542 and the panels can be incorporated without departing from the scope of the present teachings.

[0096] In the depicted embodiment, the control unit 105 is configured to operate the motor controlling the IF144 to rotate at least one of the second part 520 and the third part 530 relative to the first part 510, so as to fold and unfold the second part and the third part to change the width of the coverage area of the radiation shield 542. The control unit 105 is further configured to operate the motor to move one or more of the upper and lower panels 511, 512, 521, 522, 531, and 532 relative to each other, so as to change the height of the coverage area of the radiation shield 542. The control unit 105 is further configured to operate the motor controlling the IF144 to translate at least one of the second part 520 and the third part 530 relative to the first part 510, so as to change the width of the coverage area of the radiation shield 542.

[0097] As described above, each of these functions can be performed manually or electronically. In one embodiment, the control unit 105 can include a mechanism (e.g., a switch) that enables a user to change between manual control of the radiation shield 542 by the control unit 105 and electronic control of the radiation shield 542. Manual control enables the user to physically manipulate the first part, the second part, and the third parts 520 and 530 and / or the upper panel and the lower panels 511, 512, 521, 522, 531, and 532 manually. Electronic control enables the user to operate the control unit 105 through the user interface 112 and / or the GUI 118 to manipulate the first part 510, the second part 520, and the third part 530 and / or the upper panel and the lower panels 511, 512, 521, 522, 531, and 532 by the operation of motors, solenoids, and / or other electronic control devices. As described above, the control unit 105 can also be configured to automatically manipulate the first part 510, the second part 520, and the third part 530 and / or the upper panel and the lower panels 511, 512, 521, 522, 531, and 532.

[0098] It should be noted that, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, Figure 5 the configurations shown are merely illustrative. It should be understood that the configuration of the radiation shield 542 is not limited to these examples and can vary to provide unique benefits for any particular situation or meet the specific requirements of various embodiments. For example, the degree of folding of one or both of the second part 520 and the third part 530 relative to the first part 510 can vary from 0 degrees to about 180 degrees. Similarly, the distance that one or more of the lower panels 512, 522, and 532 can move upward relative to the upper panels 511, 521, and 531 respectively can vary from zero to almost 100% overlap. Similarly, for example, the degree of rotation about the y-axis at the mount 540 can vary from zero to + 180 degrees, and the degree of rotation about one or more of the x-axis and the z-axis at the mount 540 can vary from zero to about + 110 degrees.

[0099] Figures 6 - 9 is a perspective view of a connector for movably connecting the parts and panels of a configurable radiation screen according to a representative embodiment. Figures 6 to 9 Examples of various connectors are provided and are not restrictive.

[0100] In particular, Figure 6 is a perspective view of a connection system according to a representative embodiment that movably connects the first and second parts of a radiation shield for rotational movement.

[0101] Referring to Figure 6, the illustrative connection system 600 includes a slot and pin assembly 630 for attaching a first part 510 and a second part 520 to move relative to each other rotationally (and translationally). The connection system 600 also includes a screw actuator 610 positioned on the upper edge of the first part 510, and a protrusion 621, rollers 425 and 426 positioned on the upper edge of the second part 520. The screw actuator 610 is operable to rotate a worm gear 615, which mechanically interacts with the protrusion 621 on the second part 620. In the depicted configuration, rotation of the worm gear 615 in a first direction causes a corresponding rotation of the protrusion 621 about the pin 622, which causes the second part 520 to unfold away from the first part 510. Rotation of the worm gear 615 in an opposite second direction causes a corresponding rotation of the protrusion 621 of the pin 622, which causes the second part 520 to fold towards the first part 510. As described below, the rollers 425 and 626 roll along the surface of the second part 520 during translational movement of the second part 520 relative to the first part 510 and apply a force on the second part 520 during rotation about the pin 622. The screw actuator 610 includes a motor, for example, the operation of the motor (e.g., rotational speed and direction of rotation) is controlled by an electrical signal from the control unit 105. Although the screw actuator 610 may be operated hydraulically or pneumatically, for example, without departing from the scope of this teaching.

[0102] Figure 7A is a perspective view of a connection system according to a representative embodiment, which movably connects first and second parts of a radiation shield for translational movement. Figure 7B is a perspective view of a spool in a connector operable to provide translational movement of first and second parts of a radiation shield according to a representative embodiment.

[0103] Reference Figure 7A , the illustrative connection system 700 includes a spool 715 and a motor 718 in a housing 710, which is connected to the upper edge of the first part 510. The connection system 700 also includes a first corner connector 721 and a second corner connector 722 at the left and right corners of the upper edge of the second part 520, and thin first and second steel cables 731 and 732 extending between the first corner connector 721 and the second corner connector 722 and the spool 715, respectively. The motor 718 is operable to rotate the spool 715 clockwise and counterclockwise, and the spool 715 in turn complementarily adjusts the lengths of the first and second steel cables so as to move the second part 520 translationally left and right via the first and second corner connectors 721 and 722. The rollers 625 and 626 roll along the surface of the second part 520 during translational movement.

[0104] Reference Figure 7B, in the depicted example, clockwise rotation of the spool 715 shortens the first cable 731 and lengthens the second cable 732, thereby pulling the second portion 720 to the right via the first corner connector 721 and the second corner connector 722. Counterclockwise rotation of the spool 715 shortens the second cable 732 and lengthens the first cable 731, thereby pulling the second portion 720 to the left via the first corner connector 721 and the second corner connector 722. For example, the motor 718 may be controlled by an electrical signal from the control unit 705. However, in an alternative configuration, the spool 715 may be operated hydraulically or pneumatically, for example, without departing from the scope of the present teachings.

[0105] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a connection system according to a representative embodiment that movably connects an upper panel and a lower panel of a third portion of a radiation shield for vertical movement.

[0106] Reference Figure 8 , the illustrative connection system 800 includes a spool 815 and a dedicated motor 818 in the housing 710 that is connected to the upper edge of the first portion 510. The connection system 800 also includes a first corner connector 821 and a second corner connector 822 at the left and right corners, respectively, of the upper edge of the lower panel 532 of the third portion 530, and thin first and second cables 831 and 832 that extend between the first corner connector 821 and the second corner connector 822 and the spool 815, respectively. The first and second cables 831 and 832 are wound around the spool 815 in the same direction. The first corner connector 821 and the second corner connector 822 are positioned within tracks 841 and 842, respectively, that are attached to the left and right edges of the upper panel 531 of the third portion 530. The tracks 841 and 842 are configured to guide the vertical movement of the lower panel 532.

[0107] The motor 818 is operable to rotate the spool 815 clockwise and counterclockwise, which in turn adjusts the lengths of the first and second cables in the same direction so as to vertically move the lower panel 532 up and down relative to the upper panel 531 via the first and second angled connectors 821 and 822. That is, in the depicted example, clockwise rotation of the spool 815 lengthens the first cable 831 and the second cable 832, thereby lowering the lower panel 532 relative to the upper panel 531 (inside the first track 841 and the second track 842) via the first angled connector 821 and the second angled connector 822. Counterclockwise rotation of the spool 815 shortens the first cable 831 and the second cable 832, thereby raising the lower panel 532 relative to the upper panel 531 via the first angled connector 821 and the second angled connector 822. For example, the motor 818 may be controlled by an electrical signal from the control unit 105. However, in an alternative configuration, the spool 815 may be operated hydraulically or pneumatically, for example, without departing from the scope of the present teachings. It is noted that the connection system for vertically movably connecting the upper panel 521 and the lower panel 522 of the second part 520 of the radiation shield 542 will be substantially the same as the connection system 800.

[0108] Similarly, Figure 9 is a perspective view of a connection system according to a representative embodiment that movably connects an upper panel and a lower panel of a first part of a radiation shield for vertical movement.

[0109] Referring Figure 9 to, the illustrative connection system 900 includes a spool 915 and a dedicated motor 918 in a housing 710 that is connected to the upper edge of the first part 510. The connection system 900 also includes a first angled connector 921 and a second angled connector 922 at the left and right corners, respectively, of the upper edge of the lower panel 512 of the first part 510, and thin first and second cables 931 and 932 that extend between the first angled connector 921 and the second angled connector 922 and the spool 915, respectively. The first and second cables 931 and 932 are wound around the spool 915 in the same direction. The first angled connector 921 and the second angled connector 922 are positioned within tracks 941 and 942, respectively, that are attached to the left and right edges of the upper panel 511 of the first part 510. The tracks 941 and 942 are configured to guide the vertical movement of the lower panel 512.

[0110] The motor 918 is operable to rotate the spool 915 clockwise and counterclockwise, which in turn adjusts the lengths of the first and second cables 931 and 932 in the same direction so as to vertically move the lower panel 512 up and down relative to the upper panel 511 via the first and second angular connectors 921 and 922. That is, in the depicted example, clockwise rotation of the spool 915 lengthens the first cable 931 and the second cable 932, thereby lowering the lower panel 531 (inside the first track 941 and the second track 942) relative to the upper panel 511 via the first angular connector 921 and the second angular connector 922. Counterclockwise rotation of the spool 915 shortens the first cable 931 and the second cable 932, thereby raising the lower panel 512 relative to the upper panel 511 via the first angular connector 921 and the second angular connector 922. For example, the motor 918 can be controlled by an electrical signal from the control unit 105. However, in an alternative configuration, the spool 915 can be operated hydraulically or pneumatically, for example, without departing from the scope of this teaching.

[0111] Although this specification describes components and functions that may be implemented in particular embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols, the present disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols. Such standards are periodically replaced by more efficient equivalents that perform substantially the same function. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocols that perform the same or a similar function are considered equivalents thereof.

[0112] The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a complete description of all elements and features of the disclosure described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the disclosure such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the illustrations are merely representative and may not be drawn to scale. Some of the ratios in the illustrations may be exaggerated while others may be minimized. Accordingly, the disclosure and the figures should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0113] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be referred to herein individually and / or collectively by the term "invention" merely for convenience and are not intended to actively limit the scope of this application to any particular invention or inventive concept. Moreover, although particular embodiments have been shown and described herein, it should be understood that any subsequent arrangement designed to achieve the same or similar purpose may replace the particular embodiments shown. The present disclosure is intended to cover any and all subsequent modifications or variations of the various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments and other embodiments not specifically described herein will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the specification.

[0114] The abstract of the present disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Additionally, in the foregoing detailed description, for the purpose of simplifying the present disclosure, various features may be combined together or described in a single embodiment. The present disclosure should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the following claims, the inventive subject matter may involve less than all of the features of any of the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, the following claims are incorporated into the detailed description, where each claim stands on its own as defining a separately claimed subject matter.

[0115] The foregoing description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable a person skilled in the art to practice the concepts described in the present disclosure. Accordingly, the subject matter disclosed above is considered illustrative and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments that fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the scope of the present disclosure will be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the appended claims and their equivalents, and shall not be limited or restricted by the foregoing detailed description.

Claims

1. A system for reducing radiation exposure in an operating room using a radiation shield, the system include: A controller comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to: receiving first location data indicating a location of at least one clinician in an operating room; receiving second position data indicating a position of an imaging source of an imaging device configured to provide image data of a patient in the operating room; estimating a radiation pattern of radiation emitted by the imaging source based on the first position data and the second position data; and An optimal position of a radiation shield in the operating room that minimizes exposure of the at least one clinician to the emitted radiation is predicted based on the estimated radiation pattern, the first position data, and the second position data.

2. The system according to claim 1, in, The radiation shield comprises a plurality of interconnected sections, wherein: At least one of the plurality of interconnected portions is configured to fold and unfold relative to another portion of the plurality of interconnected portions to change the coverage area of ​​the plurality of interconnected portions, and At least one of the plurality of interconnected portions comprises a plurality of panels, wherein at least one of the plurality of panels is configured to slide relative to another of the plurality of panels to vary the coverage area of ​​the plurality of interconnected portions.

3. The system according to claim 2, in, Predicting the optimal position of the radiation shield that minimizes exposure of the at least one clinician to the emitted radiation includes predicting: (i) the position of at least one of the plurality of interconnected portions relative to another of the plurality of interconnected portions, and (ii) the position of at least one of the plurality of panels relative to another of the plurality of panels.

4. The system according to claim 1, in, The processor is further configured to apply a radiation model configured to estimate the radiation pattern based on the first position data and the second position data.

5. The system according to claim 4, in, The radiation model is further configured to estimate the radiation based on settings of the imaging source, wherein the settings include at least one of a dose, a frame rate, an exposure time, and a collimation of the radiation emitted by the X-ray source.

6. The system according to claim 1, in, The processor is also configured to apply a shield positioning model configured to predict the optimal position of the radiation shield based on the position of the at least one clinician indicated by the first position data, the position of the imaging source indicated by the second position data, and the estimated radiation pattern.

7. The system according to claim 6, in, The shielding body positioning model is a machine learning model, which includes at least one of an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm, a convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm, and a recurrent neural network (RNN) algorithm.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a second processor configured to train the shield positioning model, the second processor configured to: receiving previous first position data indicating a position of the at least one clinician during a previous procedure; receiving a previous second position data indicating a position of the imaging source during the previous procedure; receiving said imaged radiation pattern during said previous procedure based on said previous first position data and said previous second position data; inputting the previous first position data, the previous second position data and the estimated radiation pattern into the shield positioning model; estimating an optimal configuration of the radiation shield that minimizes exposure of the at least one clinician to radiation from the imaging source using the shield positioning model; as well as Parameters of the shield positioning model are adjusted based on a difference between the estimated optimal configuration and a ground truth optimal configuration of the radiation shield.

9. The system according to claim 6, in, The shield positioning model includes one or more loss functions configured to predict the optimal position based on at least one of: minimizing radiation exposure to a clinician among the at least one clinician standing closest to the imaging source; Avoid obstructing or prohibiting access to areas of interest; as well as The anatomical region of interest is protected from the imaging radiation.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: include: The radiation shielding body comprises the radiation shielding material; as well as At least one sensor is configured to provide at least one of: the first position data, the second position data, and position data of one or more other objects in the operating room.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising: include: at least one motor configured to move at least a portion of the radiation shield, Wherein the processor is further configured to operate the at least one motor to move the radiation shield to the optimal position.

12. The system according to claim 10, in, The at least one sensor includes an internal encoder configured to receive motion data indicative of movement of a motion source during the procedure, wherein the second position data includes the motion data.

13. The system according to claim 1, in: The first position data further indicates a position of a region of interest on the patient, and The processor is also configured to predict the optimal position of the radiation shield to at least one of: (i) prevent the radiation shield from obstructing or inhibiting access to the region of interest, and (ii) protect the region of interest from the X-ray radiation.

14. The system according to claim 1, in, The first position data further indicates the position of one or more objects in the operating room, the one or more objects including at least one of the radiation shield and an operating table.

15. A method for reducing radiation exposure in an operating room using a radiation shield, the method include: determining first position data indicative of a position of at least one clinician in an operating room; determining second position data indicative of a position of an imaging source of an imaging device configured to provide image data of a patient in the operating room; estimating a radiation pattern of radiation emitted by the imaging source based on the first position data and the second position data; as well as An optimal position of a radiation shield in the operating room that minimizes exposure of the at least one clinician to the emitted radiation is predicted based on the estimated radiation pattern, the first position data, and the second position data.

16. The method according to claim 15, in, The radiation shield comprises a plurality of interconnected portions, wherein: At least one of the plurality of interconnected portions is configured to fold and unfold relative to another portion of the plurality of interconnected portions to change the coverage area of ​​the plurality of interconnected portions, and At least one of the plurality of interconnected portions comprises a plurality of panels, wherein at least one of the plurality of panels is configured to slide relative to another of the plurality of panels to vary the coverage area of ​​the plurality of interconnected portions; and Predicting the optimal position of the radiation shield that minimizes exposure of the at least one clinician to the emitted radiation includes predicting: (i) the position of at least one of the plurality of interconnected portions relative to another of the plurality of interconnected portions, and (ii) the position of at least one of the plurality of panels relative to another of the plurality of panels.

17. The method according to claim 15, in, Predicting the optimal position of the radiation shield includes applying a shield positioning model, which includes a machine learning model, and the machine learning model is trained to predict the optimal position of the radiation shield based on the position of the at least one clinician indicated by the first position data, the position of the imaging source indicated by the second position data, and the estimated radiation pattern.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program, the computer program comprising, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to: determining first position data indicative of a position of at least one clinician in an operating room; determining second position data indicative of a position of an imaging source of an imaging device configured to provide image data of a patient in the operating room; estimating a radiation pattern of radiation emitted by the imaging source based on the first position data and the second position data; and An optimal position of a radiation shield in the operating room that minimizes exposure of the at least one clinician to the emitted radiation is predicted based on the estimated radiation pattern, the first position data, and the second position data.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, in, The radiation shield comprises a plurality of interconnected sections, wherein: At least one of the plurality of interconnected portions is configured to fold and unfold relative to another portion of the plurality of interconnected portions to change the coverage area of ​​the plurality of interconnected portions, and at least one of the plurality of interconnected portions comprises a plurality of panels, wherein at least one of the plurality of panels is configured to slide relative to another of the plurality of panels to vary the coverage area of ​​the plurality of interconnected portions; and Predicting an optimal position of the radiation shield that minimizes exposure of the at least one clinician to the emitted radiation includes predicting: (i) the position of at least one of the plurality of interconnected portions relative to another of the plurality of interconnected portions, and (ii) the position of at least one of the plurality of panels relative to another of the plurality of panels.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, in, To predict the optimal position of the radiation shield, the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: Applying a shield positioning model, the shield positioning model comprising a machine learning model trained to predict the optimal position of the radiation shield based on the position of the at least one clinician indicated by the first position data, the position of the imaging source indicated by the second position data, and the estimated radiation pattern.

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