Double-layer beam regulation and control device, radiotherapy system and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a double-layer beam regulation and control device, a radiotherapy system and a control method thereof, and the device comprises a dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly which is used for forming a conformal radiation field layer; the point-shaped radiation field array assembly is installed below the dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly, the point-shaped radiation field array assembly comprises an array unit support and array unit blocks arranged on the array unit support transversely and longitudinally, and the array unit blocks are made of ray shielding materials. The array unit blocks comprise solid array unit blocks and hollow array unit blocks; the dotted radiation field array driving assembly is used for forming a dotted radiation field layer by driving the solid array unit blocks and the hollow array unit blocks to be arranged on the array unit bracket; a conformal radiation field layer formed by the dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly and a dotted radiation field layer formed by the dotted radiation field array assembly are superposed to form a final radiation therapy radiation field.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of radiotherapy, and in particular to a double-layer beam control device, a radiotherapy system and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Radiation therapy (RT) is one of the mainstays of cancer treatment. Its core goal is to precisely deliver high doses of ionizing radiation to the target tumor while maximally sparing surrounding normal tissue and critical organs. With the rapid advancement of computer technology and medical imaging, precision RT technologies such as three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and volumetric modulated radiotherapy (VMAT) have become widely used. These technologies primarily utilize a multileaf collimator (MLC) to dynamically or statically create an irradiation field that is highly conformal to the projected shape of the tumor target. These technologies then adjust the intensity of the sub-fields (intensity modulation) to achieve a relatively uniform dose distribution within the target volume or to minimize dose loss to adjacent sensitive organs.

[0003] Research suggests that creating highly heterogeneous, especially point-like, high-dose "hot spots" within tumors may have unique biological and therapeutic advantages:

[0004] Enhanced tumor killing effect: Extremely high local radiation doses can induce stronger direct DNA damage and complex indirect biological effects (such as vascular damage and immune activation). Even if the dose in the surrounding area is low, it may be more effective to destroy the entire tumor through "point-to-surface" effects (such as distal effects and bystander effects).

[0005] Overcoming tumor heterogeneity: Tumors contain regions with varying sensitivity to radiation (e.g., hypoxic zones). Targeted application of ultra-high doses to known stubborn regions or clusters of drug-resistant clones can overcome these resistances.

[0006] Maximizing the therapeutic gain ratio: Strictly limiting ultra-high doses to tiny point-like areas can theoretically greatly enhance local lethality without significantly increasing or even reducing the overall average tumor dose, while better protecting surrounding normal tissues and maximizing the therapeutic gain ratio.

[0007] Although existing technologies (such as MLC-based IMRT / VMAT) have made significant progress in overall target conformality and dose homogenization / gradient optimization, they still have fundamental limitations in achieving highly localized, point-like, non-uniform dose distributions:

[0008] Macroscopic field shape constraints: The minimum physical size of MLC blades (typically on the order of 5mm to 10mm) and inter-leaf leakage limit their ability to form truly microscopic or submillimeter-scale fine fields. The field boundaries formed by MLC are essentially straight lines or approximate curves defined by the blade end faces, making it difficult to create complex, isolated, and extremely small point-shaped openings.

[0009] The "homogenization" tendency of dose distribution control: The core optimization algorithm of IMRT / VMAT is mainly focused on achieving uniform coverage of the prescribed dose (or specific distribution required by the plan) within the entire target volume and reducing the dose to organs at risk. Its optimization objective function (such as least squares, maximum and minimum dose, etc.) naturally tends to eliminate dose "hot spots" and "cold spots" within the target volume and pursue overall uniformity. Even if a certain degree of dose non-uniformity (such as hot spots) can be generated, it is usually a large area related to organ avoidance, rather than a proactively designed, highly concentrated point-like high-dose area.

[0010] Lack of precise point-dose sculpting capabilities: Existing technologies struggle to proactively, flexibly, and efficiently create isolated, tiny, point-shaped high-dose deposition areas (i.e., point-shaped dose distributions) at any specified location within a tumor in three-dimensional space, with doses significantly higher than those in the surrounding area. This capability requires extremely fine flux modulation and spatial constraints at the voxel or even sub-pixel level, which are insufficiently supported by the physical properties of traditional MLC and the optimization paradigms of existing planning systems.

[0011] In summary, current mainstream MLC-based beam shaping and intensity-modulated radiotherapy technologies, limited by their physical structure (blade size, motion precision) and optimization strategies (pursuit of overall uniformity), are unable to effectively, flexibly, and accurately create and control the required highly non-uniform point-shaped dose distribution within the three-dimensional space of the tumor. This lack of capability limits the potential of radiotherapy in leveraging local ultra-high dose effects.

[0012] In view of this, the present invention patent is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0013] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a double-layer beam control device, a radiotherapy system and a control method thereof, which can break through the limitations of existing technologies and realize refined and pixel-level control of the radiation field, thereby actively creating and precisely controlling highly uneven point dose distribution within the tumor target area, so as to achieve more efficient and selective killing of tumor tissue, while protecting the surrounding normal tissue to the greatest extent.

[0014] Specifically, the following technical solutions are adopted:

[0015] A double-layer beam control device, comprising:

[0016] Dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly for forming conformal radiation field layers;

[0017] a point field array assembly, mounted below the dynamic multileaf grating assembly, comprising an array unit support and array unit blocks arranged transversely and longitudinally on the array unit support, the array unit blocks being made of radiation shielding material and including solid array unit blocks and hollow array unit blocks;

[0018] a point field array driving assembly, driving the solid array unit blocks and the hollow array unit blocks to be arranged on the array unit support to form a point field layer;

[0019] The conformal field layer formed by the dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly is superimposed on the point field layer formed by the point field array assembly to form a final radiotherapy field.

[0020] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, in a double-layer beam steering device of the present invention, the array unit bracket supports the array units to be arranged in an M*N array, where M is a row and N is a column;

[0021] The point field array drive assembly includes a storage bin, a first push rod mechanism and a first conveying mechanism. The first push rod mechanism includes N push rods, and the N push rods correspond one-to-one to the N columns of the M*N array. The solid array unit blocks and hollow array unit blocks are stored in the storage bin. The first conveying mechanism is used to convey the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks to the push rods corresponding to the target columns in the M*N array, and push the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks to the target row and column positions in the M*N array through the push rods.

[0022] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, in a double-layer beam steering device of the present invention, a pushing path of the first push rod mechanism is parallel to the column direction of the M*N array;

[0023] The first conveying mechanism includes N rows of first conveyor belts arranged in the storage bin, the N rows of first conveyor belts are arranged in parallel and are all arranged in a direction perpendicular to the pushing path of the first push rod mechanism;

[0024] The target solid array unit block / hollow array unit block is transported to the push rod of the first push rod mechanism corresponding to the target column in the M*N array by controlling the first conveyor belt corresponding to the target solid array unit block / hollow array unit block.

[0025] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, a double-layer beam control device of the present invention, the point field array drive assembly includes a second conveying mechanism, the first push rod mechanism and the second conveying mechanism are respectively located at the two ends of the column direction of the M*N array, and the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block in the M*N array can be pushed out of the array unit bracket by the push rod, and is received by the second conveying mechanism and transported back to the storage warehouse.

[0026] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, in a double-layer beam manipulation device of the present invention, the second conveying mechanism includes a second conveyor belt, the first push rod mechanism and the second conveying mechanism are respectively located at two ends of the M*N array in a column direction, and the second conveyor belt moves in a direction perpendicular to the columns of the M*N array;

[0027] The second conveying mechanism includes a third conveyor belt, one end of which is connected to the second conveyor belt for receiving the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks on the second conveyor belt, and the other end of the third conveyor belt is connected to the storage warehouse entrance for transporting the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks to the first conveyor belt at the storage warehouse entrance, so as to realize the recovery of the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks to the storage warehouse.

[0028] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, in a double-layer beam control device of the present invention, the third conveyor belt is arranged perpendicularly relative to the second conveyor belt, and the third conveyor belt is arranged perpendicularly relative to the first conveyor belt;

[0029] The point field array drive assembly includes a second push rod mechanism. The second push rod mechanism and the third conveyor belt are respectively located on both sides of the second conveyor belt. The pushing path of the second push rod mechanism is arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction of the second conveyor belt. The second push rod mechanism pushes the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block on the second conveyor belt onto the third conveyor belt.

[0030] The point field array drive assembly includes a third push rod mechanism. The third push rod mechanism and the first conveyor belt are respectively located on both sides of the third conveyor belt. The pushing path of the third push rod mechanism is arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction of the third conveyor belt. The third push rod mechanism pushes the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block on the third conveyor belt to the first conveyor belt at the entrance of the storage bin.

[0031] A visual recognition mechanism is provided at the end of the second conveyor belt close to one end of the third conveyor belt, for identifying the structural feature information of the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block on the second conveyor belt and sending it to the control system. The control system controls the third conveyor belt and the third push rod mechanism to transport the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block to the corresponding first conveyor belt.

[0032] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, a double-layer beam control device of the present invention, the solid array unit block includes a first solid array unit block and a second solid array unit block, and the hollow array unit block includes a first hollow array unit block and a second hollow array unit block, the first hollow array unit block and the second hollow array unit block respectively having a hollow through hole extending vertically therethrough, the first hollow array unit block and the first solid array unit block have the same structural outline, both are first structural array unit blocks, and the middle portion of the first structural array unit block in the vertical direction has an annular convex portion, the second hollow array unit block and the second solid array unit block have the same structural outline, both are second structural array unit blocks, and the middle portion of the second structural array unit block in the vertical direction has an annular concave portion;

[0033] The array unit bracket is staggered with a row of first structure array unit blocks and a row of second structure array unit blocks, and the annular protrusions of the adjacent rows of first structure array unit blocks match the annular recesses of the adjacent rows of second structure array unit blocks.

[0034] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, in a dual-layer beam control device of the present invention, the point field array assembly includes an array unit bracket driving mechanism, the array unit bracket driving mechanism is used to drive the array unit bracket to reciprocate horizontally, extending into / out of the conformal field layer area formed by the dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly;

[0035] The point field array assembly includes a left point field array assembly and a right point field array assembly, which are arranged on the left and right sides below the dynamic multileaf grating assembly. The array unit bracket driving mechanism of the left point field array assembly and the right point field array assembly is controlled to drive the array unit bracket of the left point field array assembly and the array unit bracket of the right point field array assembly to alternately enter the conformal field layer area formed by the dynamic multileaf grating assembly.

[0036] The present invention also provides a radiotherapy system with the double-layer beam control device, comprising a gantry and a beam generating device, wherein the beam generating device and the double-layer beam control device are respectively arranged on the gantry, and the double-layer beam control device is located directly below the beam output end of the beam generating device.

[0037] The present invention also provides a control method for the radiotherapy system, comprising:

[0038] Controlling the dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly to form a conformal radiation field layer according to a radiotherapy plan;

[0039] Controlling the point-shaped radiation field array driving assembly according to a radiotherapy plan to drive the solid array unit blocks and the hollow array unit blocks of the point-shaped radiation field array assembly to be arranged on the array unit support to form a point-shaped radiation field layer;

[0040] The beam generating device is controlled to generate a beam according to a radiotherapy plan. The beam is superimposed on a conformal field layer formed by the dynamic multileaf grating component and a point field layer formed by the point field array component to form a final radiotherapy field.

[0041] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0042] The present invention proposes a dual-layer beam control device that controls the radiation field through a combination of a dynamic multi-leaf grating component and a point field array component. The dynamic multi-leaf grating component forms a conformal field layer that is adapted to the target tumor, and the point field array component forms a point field within the conformal field layer. The point field creates a highly non-uniform point dose distribution within the tumor, achieving efficient tumor destruction. Therefore, the dual-layer beam control device proposed by the present invention can break through the limitations of existing technologies and achieve refined, pixel-level control of the radiation field, thereby actively creating and precisely controlling a highly non-uniform point dose distribution within the tumor target area, achieving more efficient and selective destruction of tumor tissue while maximally protecting surrounding normal tissue.

[0043] This invention proposes a dual-layer beam steering device. By spatially decoupling the microbeam generation layer (a point-field array assembly) from the macrofield constraint layer (a dynamic multileaf grating assembly), this device physically addresses the challenge of achieving point-based dose distribution. Essentially, this technology upgrades radiotherapy dose sculpting from traditional "contour painting" to "pointillistic painting," providing the hardware foundation for targeted stimulation of radiobiological effects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a double-layer beam control device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the arrangement of a point field array assembly and a point field array drive assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 A front view and a top view of a solid array unit block according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 A front view and a top view of an empty array unit block in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the closed state of the left point-shaped radiation field array assembly and the right point-shaped radiation field array assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the left point-shaped radiation field array assembly and the right point-shaped radiation field array assembly in the open state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of a dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the arrangement of the point field array components in an M*N array according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0052] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the arrangement of the point field array components in an M*N array according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0053] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the superposition of the dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly and the point field array assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the modular structure of a radiotherapy system according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0055] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the modular structure of a radiotherapy system according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] To make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them.

[0057] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely represents some embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0058] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features and technical solutions therein may be combined with each other.

[0059] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0060] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper" and "lower" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientations or positional relationships in which the inventive product is typically placed when in use, or the orientations or positional relationships commonly understood by those skilled in the art. Such terms are intended solely to facilitate the description of the present invention and simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" and the like are used solely for distinction and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0061] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment provides a dual-layer beam control device, including:

[0062] Dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly 200, used to form conformal radiation field layers;

[0063] A point field array assembly (100A, 100B) is installed below the dynamic multileaf grating assembly 200, the point field array assembly comprising an array unit bracket 101 and array unit blocks 102 arranged horizontally and vertically on the array unit bracket 101, the array unit blocks 102 being made of radiation shielding material and including solid array unit blocks and hollow array unit blocks;

[0064] A point field array driving assembly drives the solid array unit blocks and the hollow array unit blocks to be arranged on the array unit support 101 to form a point field layer;

[0065] The conformal field layer (such as Figure 7 ) and the point field layer formed by the point field array assembly (as shown Figure 8 、 Figure 9 ) are superimposed to form the final radiotherapy field (as shown Figure 10 shown).

[0066] This embodiment proposes a dual-layer beam control device that controls the radiation field through the combined use of a dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly 200 and a point field array assembly. The dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly 200 forms a conformal field layer that is compatible with the target tumor. The point field array assembly forms a point field within the conformal field layer. The point field creates a highly non-uniform point dose distribution within the tumor, achieving efficient tumor destruction. Therefore, the dual-layer beam control device proposed in this embodiment can break through the limitations of existing technologies and achieve refined, pixel-level control of the radiation field, thereby actively creating and precisely controlling a highly non-uniform point dose distribution within the tumor target area, achieving more efficient and selective destruction of tumor tissue while maximally protecting surrounding normal tissue.

[0067] This embodiment proposes a dual-layer beam steering device. By spatially decoupling the microbeam generation layer (point-field array assembly) from the macrofield constraint layer (dynamic multileaf grating assembly 200), this device physically addresses the challenge of achieving point-based dose distribution. Essentially, this technology upgrades radiotherapy dose sculpting from traditional "contour painting" to "pointillism," providing the hardware foundation for targeted stimulation of radiobiological effects.

[0068] The dynamic multileaf collimator assembly 200 of this embodiment is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 300 via connecting screws 400 , and the point field array assembly ( 100A, 100B) is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 300 via connecting screws 400 .

[0069] As an optional implementation of this embodiment, this embodiment is a double-layer beam control device, the array unit bracket supports the array units to be arranged in an M*N array, where M is a row and N is a column; the point field array drive assembly includes a storage bin 104, a first push rod mechanism 106 and a first conveying mechanism 107, the first push rod mechanism 106 includes N push rods, and the N push rods correspond one-to-one to the N columns of the M*N array. The solid array unit block and the hollow array unit block are stored in the storage bin 104, and the first conveying mechanism 107 is used to convey the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block to the push rod corresponding to the target column in the M*N array, and push the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block to the target row and column position in the M*N array through the push rod.

[0070] In this embodiment, the array unit blocks are stored in the storage bin 104, and the array unit blocks in the storage bin 104 are pushed to the corresponding positions in the M*N array through the cooperation of the first push rod mechanism 106 and the first conveying mechanism 107. Specifically, the M*N array is generated based on the field plan in the radiotherapy plan, and the field plan is constructed based on the target tumor area. In this embodiment, hollow array unit blocks are designed for areas in the target tumor area that require high-intensity point dose distribution. The radiotherapy beam can directly pass through the hollow channel of the hollow array unit block without attenuation, maintaining high-intensity beam energy. Solid array unit blocks are used in other areas. The radiotherapy beam can pass through the solid array unit block, but attenuation will occur, so that the beam energy in other areas of the radiotherapy field is lower than that in the area where high-intensity point dose distribution is required.

[0071] Furthermore, in a double-layer beam control device of this embodiment, the pushing path 105 of the first push rod mechanism 106 is parallel to the column direction of the M*N array;

[0072] The first conveying mechanism 107 includes N rows of first conveyor belts arranged in the storage bin 104 , the N rows of first conveyor belts being arranged in parallel and all arranged in a direction perpendicular to the pushing path 105 of the first push rod mechanism 106 ;

[0073] The target solid array unit block / hollow array unit block is transported to the push rod of the first push rod mechanism 106 corresponding to the target column in the M*N array by controlling the first conveyor belt corresponding to the target solid array unit block / hollow array unit block.

[0074] As an optional implementation of this embodiment, a double-layer beam control device of this embodiment, the point field array drive assembly includes a second conveying mechanism, the first push rod mechanism 106 and the second conveying mechanism are respectively located at the two ends of the column direction of the M*N array, and the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block in the M*N array can be pushed out of the array unit bracket 101 by the push rod, and is received by the second conveying mechanism and transported back to the storage bin 104.

[0075] In this embodiment, the array unit block 102 is recovered to the storage bin 104 through the second conveying mechanism for the next M*N array arrangement.

[0076] In this embodiment, a retractable limit stop block is provided at the end of each column of the array unit bracket 101. When the array unit block is pushed onto the array unit bracket 101, the limit stop block is controlled to extend to stop the array unit block. When the array unit block is recovered, the limit stop block is controlled to retract.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second conveying mechanism includes a second conveyor belt 108, the first push rod mechanism 106 and the second conveying mechanism 108 are respectively located at both ends of the column direction of the M*N array, and the second conveyor belt 108 moves in a direction perpendicular to the column direction of the M*N array.

[0078] In this embodiment, the second conveying mechanism includes a third conveyor belt 111, one end of the third conveyor belt 111 is docked with the second conveyor belt 108, and is used to receive the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks on the second conveyor belt 108, and the other end of the third conveyor belt 111 is docked with the entrance of the storage warehouse 104, and is used to transport the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks to the first conveyor belt at the entrance of the storage warehouse 104, so as to realize the recovery of the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks to the storage warehouse 104.

[0079] Specifically, the third conveyor belt 111 of this embodiment is vertically arranged relative to the second conveyor belt 108, and the third conveyor belt 111 is vertically arranged relative to the first conveyor belt:

[0080] The point field array drive assembly includes a second push rod mechanism 109. The second push rod mechanism 109 and the third conveyor belt 111 are respectively located on both sides of the second conveyor belt 108. The pushing path of the second push rod mechanism 109 is arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction of the second conveyor belt 108. The second push rod mechanism 109 pushes the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block on the second conveyor belt 108 onto the third conveyor belt 111.

[0081] The point field array drive assembly includes a third push rod mechanism 112. The third push rod mechanism 112 and the first conveying mechanism 107 are respectively located on both sides of the third conveyor belt. The pushing path of the third push rod mechanism 112 is set perpendicular to the conveying direction of the third conveyor belt 111. The third push rod mechanism 112 pushes the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block on the third conveyor belt 111 to the first conveyor belt at the entrance of the storage warehouse 104.

[0082] At the same time, this embodiment needs to identify the structural characteristics of the array unit block and transport it back to the corresponding first conveyor belt in the storage warehouse 104. Therefore, in this embodiment, a visual recognition mechanism 110 is set at the end of the second conveyor belt 108 close to one end of the third conveyor belt 111, which is used to identify the structural feature information of the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block on the second conveyor belt 108 and send it to the control system. The control system controls the third conveyor belt 111 and the third push rod mechanism 112 to transport the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block to the corresponding first conveyor belt.

[0083] The third push rod mechanism 112 of this embodiment includes N rows of push rods, which correspond one-to-one to the N rows of first conveyor belts. By controlling a specific push rod in the N rows of push rods, the array unit block is pushed onto the corresponding first conveyor belt.

[0084] As an optional implementation of this embodiment, Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a double-layer beam control device of this embodiment, the solid array unit block includes a first solid array unit block 102A and a second solid array unit block 102B, and the hollow array unit block includes a first hollow array unit block 102C and a second hollow array unit block 102D. The first hollow array unit block 102C and the second hollow array unit block 102D respectively have a hollow through hole 102-3 running through from top to bottom. The first hollow array unit block 102C has the same structural outline as the first solid array unit block 102A, and both are first structural array unit blocks. The structural array unit block has an annular protrusion 102-1 in the middle of its vertical direction. The second hollow array unit block 102D and the second solid array unit block 102B have the same structural profile and are both second structural array unit blocks. The second structural array unit block has an annular recess 102-2 in the middle of its vertical direction. The array unit support 101 is arranged in a staggered arrangement of a row of first structural array unit blocks and a row of second structural array unit blocks. The annular protrusions 102-1 of adjacent rows of first structural array unit blocks mate with the annular recesses 102-2 of adjacent rows of second structural array unit blocks. Thus, the array unit blocks in adjacent rows of the M*N array of this embodiment are interlocked using a mortise and tenon structure, which can prevent radiation leakage between the gaps between the array unit blocks and enhance radiotherapy effectiveness.

[0085] Specifically, the solid array unit blocks and the hollow array unit blocks of this embodiment are both tungsten blocks. Two adjacent rows of tungsten blocks are interlocked with each other using a mortise and tenon structure, and can be smoothly pushed in the row direction.

[0086] As an optional implementation of this embodiment, Figure 1 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in a dual-layer beam control device of this embodiment, the point field array assembly includes an array unit support driving mechanism 103, which is used to drive the array unit support 101 to reciprocate horizontally, extending into / out of the conformal field layer area formed by the dynamic multi-leaf collimator assembly 200;

[0087] The point field array assembly includes a left point field array assembly 100A and a right point field array assembly 100B, which are disposed on the left and right sides below the dynamic multileaf collimator assembly 200. The array unit holder driving mechanisms 103 of the left point field array assembly 100A and the right point field array assembly 100B are controlled to drive the array unit holders 101 of the left point field array assembly 100A and the right point field array assembly 100B to alternately enter the conformal field layer region formed by the dynamic multileaf collimator assembly 200. This improves the efficiency of field shaping in the dual-layer beam steering device of this embodiment.

[0088] like Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, this embodiment also provides a radiotherapy system with the dual-layer beam control device, including a gantry and a beam generating device 1000. The beam generating device 1000 and the dual-layer beam control device are respectively arranged on the gantry, and the dual-layer beam control device is located directly below the beam output end of the beam generating device 1000.

[0089] Specifically, the rack of this embodiment includes a fixed rack 700 and a rotating rack 600 , and the beam generating device 1000 and the double-layer beam control device are respectively disposed on the rotating rack 600 .

[0090] The radiotherapy system of this embodiment includes a radiotherapy plan generation module 900 for generating a radiotherapy plan based on patient diagnosis and treatment information (such as CT images) and a radiotherapy control module 800 for controlling the radiotherapy process according to the radiotherapy plan.

[0091] This embodiment also provides a control method for a radiotherapy system, including:

[0092] Controlling the dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly to form a conformal radiation field layer according to a radiotherapy plan;

[0093] Controlling the point-shaped radiation field array driving assembly according to a radiotherapy plan to drive the solid array unit blocks and the hollow array unit blocks of the point-shaped radiation field array assembly to be arranged on the array unit support to form a point-shaped radiation field layer;

[0094] The beam generating device is controlled to generate a beam according to a radiotherapy plan. The beam is superimposed on a conformal field layer formed by the dynamic multileaf grating component and a point field layer formed by the point field array component to form a final radiotherapy field.

[0095] As a specific example of a control method for a radiotherapy system according to this embodiment, the specific implementation steps of the control method for a radiotherapy system according to this embodiment are as follows:

[0096] 1) The user uses the radiation therapy plan generation module to prepare a treatment plan;

[0097] 2) The radiotherapy control module 800 controls the treatment bed 500 to move to a designated position according to the treatment plan;

[0098] 3) The radiotherapy control module 800 controls the rotating gantry 600 to rotate to a designated position according to the treatment plan;

[0099] 4) The radiotherapy control module 800 controls the dynamic multileaf collimator assembly 200 to generate the first radiation field area according to the treatment plan;

[0100] 5) The radiotherapy control module 800 controls the left point-shaped beam array assembly 100A or the right point-shaped beam array assembly 100B to automatically arrange array elements to generate a designated point-shaped element array, thereby generating a second layer beam area, according to the treatment plan.

[0101] 6) The radiotherapy control module 800 controls the beam generation device 1000 to generate radiation of a specified energy and a specified dose rate for a specified duration according to the treatment plan;

[0102] 7) The above process completes the irradiation of the first radiation field, and the above process is repeated to carry out the irradiation of subsequent radiation fields.

[0103] This embodiment also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program. When the computer-executable program is executed, the control method of the radiotherapy system as described above is implemented.

[0104] The computer-readable storage medium described in this embodiment may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, which carries a readable program code. This propagated data signal may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. The computer-readable storage medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, which may send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or component. The program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0105] This embodiment further provides an electronic device, including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store a computer executable program. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes the control method of the radiotherapy system.

[0106] The electronic device is implemented as a general-purpose computing device. The processor may be one or multiple processors operating in concert. The present invention also does not exclude distributed processing, meaning the processors may be dispersed across different physical devices. The electronic device of the present invention is not limited to a single entity but may also be the sum of multiple physical devices.

[0107] The memory stores a computer executable program, typically a machine-readable code, which can be executed by the processor to enable the electronic device to perform the method of the present invention, or at least some of the steps in the method.

[0108] The memory includes a volatile memory, such as a random access memory unit (RAM) and / or a cache memory unit, and may also be a non-volatile memory, such as a read-only memory unit (ROM).

[0109] It should be understood that the electronic devices of the present invention may also include elements or components not shown in the above examples. For example, some electronic devices also include display units such as screens, and some electronic devices also include human-computer interaction elements such as buttons and keyboards. As long as the electronic device can execute a computer-readable program stored in its memory to implement the method of the present invention or at least some of the steps of the method, it can be considered an electronic device covered by the present invention.

[0110] Through the above description of the implementation mode, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the present invention can be implemented by hardware capable of executing a specific computer program, such as the system of the present invention, and the electronic processing unit, server, client, mobile phone, control unit, processor, etc. contained in the system. The present invention can also be implemented by computer software that executes the method of the present invention, such as control software executed by a microprocessor, an electronic control unit, a client, a server, etc. However, it should be noted that the computer software that executes the method of the present invention is not limited to being executed by one or a specific hardware entity, and it can also be implemented in a distributed manner by unspecified specific hardware. For computer software, the software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.), or it can be distributed and stored on a network, as long as it enables an electronic device to execute the method according to the present invention.

[0111] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical solutions described in the present invention. Although this specification has described the present invention in detail with reference to the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above specific implementation methods. Therefore, any modification or equivalent replacement of the present invention; and all technical solutions and improvements thereof that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A double-layer beam control device, characterized in that: include: Dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly for forming conformal radiation field layers; a point field array assembly, mounted below the dynamic multileaf grating assembly, comprising an array unit support and array unit blocks arranged transversely and longitudinally on the array unit support, the array unit blocks being made of radiation shielding material and including solid array unit blocks and hollow array unit blocks; a point field array driving assembly, driving the solid array unit blocks and the hollow array unit blocks to be arranged on the array unit support to form a point field layer; The conformal field layer formed by the dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly is superimposed on the point field layer formed by the point field array assembly to form a final radiotherapy field.

2. A double-layer beam control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The array unit bracket supports the array units to be arranged in an M*N array, where M is a row and N is a column; The point field array drive assembly includes a storage bin, a first push rod mechanism and a first conveying mechanism. The first push rod mechanism includes N push rods, and the N push rods correspond one-to-one to the N columns of the M*N array. The solid array unit blocks and hollow array unit blocks are stored in the storage bin. The first conveying mechanism is used to convey the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks to the push rods corresponding to the target columns in the M*N array, and push the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks to the target row and column positions in the M*N array through the push rods.

3. A double-layer beam control device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pushing path of the first push rod mechanism is parallel to the column direction of the M*N array; The first conveying mechanism includes N rows of first conveyor belts arranged in the storage bin, the N rows of first conveyor belts are arranged in parallel and are all arranged in a direction perpendicular to the pushing path of the first push rod mechanism; The target solid array unit block / hollow array unit block is transported to the push rod of the first push rod mechanism corresponding to the target column in the M*N array by controlling the first conveyor belt corresponding to the target solid array unit block / hollow array unit block.

4. A double-layer beam control device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The point field array drive assembly includes a second conveying mechanism. The first push rod mechanism and the second conveying mechanism are respectively located at the two ends of the column direction of the M*N array. The solid array unit block / hollow array unit block in the M*N array can be pushed out of the array unit bracket by the push rod and received by the second conveying mechanism and transported back to the storage warehouse.

5. The double-layer beam control device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second conveying mechanism includes a second conveying belt, the first push rod mechanism and the second conveying mechanism are respectively located at two ends of the column direction of the M*N array, and the second conveying belt moves in a direction perpendicular to the column direction of the M*N array; The second conveying mechanism includes a third conveyor belt, one end of which is connected to the second conveyor belt for receiving the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks on the second conveyor belt, and the other end of the third conveyor belt is connected to the storage warehouse entrance for transporting the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks to the first conveyor belt at the storage warehouse entrance, so as to realize the recovery of the solid array unit blocks / hollow array unit blocks to the storage warehouse.

6. The double-layer beam control device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The third conveyor belt is vertically arranged relative to the second conveyor belt, and the third conveyor belt is vertically arranged relative to the first conveyor belt; The point field array drive assembly includes a second push rod mechanism. The second push rod mechanism and the third conveyor belt are respectively located on both sides of the second conveyor belt. The pushing path of the second push rod mechanism is arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction of the second conveyor belt. The second push rod mechanism pushes the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block on the second conveyor belt onto the third conveyor belt. The point field array drive assembly includes a third push rod mechanism. The third push rod mechanism and the first conveyor belt are respectively located on both sides of the third conveyor belt. The pushing path of the third push rod mechanism is arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction of the third conveyor belt. The third push rod mechanism pushes the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block on the third conveyor belt to the first conveyor belt at the entrance of the storage bin. A visual recognition mechanism is provided at the end of the second conveyor belt close to one end of the third conveyor belt, for identifying the structural feature information of the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block on the second conveyor belt and sending it to the control system. The control system controls the third conveyor belt and the third push rod mechanism to transport the solid array unit block / hollow array unit block to the corresponding first conveyor belt.

7. A double-layer beam control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The solid array unit block includes a first solid array unit block and a second solid array unit block, and the hollow array unit block includes a first hollow array unit block and a second hollow array unit block. The first hollow array unit block and the second hollow array unit block respectively have a hollow through hole extending vertically therethrough. The first hollow array unit block has the same structural outline as the first solid array unit block, and both are first structural array unit blocks. The first structural array unit block has an annular convex portion in the middle in the vertical direction. The second hollow array unit block has the same structural outline as the second solid array unit block, and both are second structural array unit blocks. The second structural array unit block has an annular concave portion in the middle in the vertical direction. The array unit bracket is staggered with a row of first structure array unit blocks and a row of second structure array unit blocks, and the annular protrusions of the adjacent rows of first structure array unit blocks match the annular recesses of the adjacent rows of second structure array unit blocks.

8. A double-layer beam control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The point-shaped field array assembly includes an array unit support driving mechanism, which is used to drive the array unit support to reciprocate horizontally and extend into / out of the conformal field layer area formed by the dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly; The point field array assembly includes a left point field array assembly and a right point field array assembly, which are arranged on the left and right sides below the dynamic multileaf grating assembly. The array unit bracket driving mechanism of the left point field array assembly and the right point field array assembly is controlled to drive the array unit bracket of the left point field array assembly and the array unit bracket of the right point field array assembly to alternately enter the conformal field layer area formed by the dynamic multileaf grating assembly.

9. A radiotherapy system having a double-layer beam control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The system comprises a frame and a beam generating device. The beam generating device and the double-layer beam regulating device are respectively arranged on the frame. The double-layer beam regulating device is located directly below the beam output end of the beam generating device.

10. A control method for a radiotherapy system according to claim 9, characterized in that: include: Controlling the dynamic multi-leaf grating assembly to form a conformal radiation field layer according to a radiotherapy plan; Controlling the point-shaped radiation field array driving assembly according to a radiotherapy plan to drive the solid array unit blocks and the hollow array unit blocks of the point-shaped radiation field array assembly to be arranged on the array unit support to form a point-shaped radiation field layer; The beam generating device is controlled to generate a beam according to a radiotherapy plan. The beam is superimposed on a conformal field layer formed by the dynamic multileaf grating assembly and a point field layer formed by the point field array assembly to form a final radiotherapy field.

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