Method for use with an actuation system of a radiotherapy device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method of determining whether repair or replacement of an actuation system of a radiotherapy apparatus comprising a rotatable gantry rotatable to define a plurality of rotational configurations and at least one component coupled to the gantry, the actuation system configured to control movement of the at least one component, the actuation system also includes a current sensing device configured to generate a signal indicative of a current supplied to a motor of the actuation system; the method includes: receiving a first signal from a current sensing device, the first signal being recorded when the gantry is in a first rotational configuration; processing the first signal; and determining whether repair or replacement of the actuation system should be planned based on the processing. The disclosure also relates to a computer readable medium and a radiotherapy system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of predictive maintenance, and in particular, to a method of determining whether a repair or replacement of an actuation system of a radiotherapy device should be planned. Background Art

[0002] Radiation therapy is a vital tool in modern cancer treatment. Radiotherapy equipment is a large, complex machine with many moving parts and interoperating mechanisms. Despite precise engineering and rigorous testing, some components of radiotherapy equipment may begin to degrade during their lifetime. This can lead to poor operation.

[0003] If at any point during treatment, a radiotherapy device begins operating outside of its normal operating parameters, a safety failure or "break" occurs, causing the machine to stop delivering radiation to ensure patient safety. Components can also begin operating outside of their normal operating parameters before or after treatment. Unplanned equipment downtime can disrupt planned treatment plans and be costly to the machine owner, whether through lost revenue, service and repair costs, or both.

[0004] It has been speculated that predictive maintenance and / or remote diagnostic techniques could be applied to radiotherapy machines. However, given the complexity of the machines and the sheer volume of data that can be collected during operation, it is difficult to analyze any available data to inform predictive maintenance techniques. For example, a particular data pattern may indicate a specific fault, or that a particular component has degraded to the point where it will soon begin operating outside of its optimal operating parameters. However, identifying the association between these data patterns and specific faulty or degraded components is often not intuitive, even for experienced maintenance engineers. Even if a problematic machine is identified, it can be difficult to determine the nature of the fault given the large amount of data and the complex interrelationships between the machine's components. In other words, even if a large amount of data from a radiotherapy device were available, predictively or remotely determining the nature of the fault or assessing the condition of a component is not a simple task.

[0005] The present disclosure generally relates to identifying an actuating system (e.g., an imaging arm forming part of a radiotherapy machine) that is operating in a suboptimal manner, shows signs of soon operating in a suboptimal manner, or is approaching a point in time at which it should be replaced or repaired. To date, no viable method of prediction has existed, and existing maintenance and repair methods have involved scheduling regular (e.g., annual) maintenance checks, which involve dispatching a field maintenance engineer to inspect the machine and diagnose and repair any problems. Often, the type of problem is not known in advance, and therefore time-consuming diagnostic tests must be performed on site. As a result, existing methods result in significant machine downtime. Furthermore, in existing methods, field maintenance engineers are not aware of potential problems until components have degraded to the point at which the radiotherapy machine experiences a safety interruption, or even until the point at which the radiotherapy machine is completely unable to operate within its safety parameters. This means that service of the radiotherapy machine is often scheduled at times when it would be inconvenient or inefficient to utilize the resources of the field maintenance engineer and the resources of the hospital or other machine owner.

[0006] The present invention seeks to address these and other shortcomings encountered in the prior art by providing a method of determining, preferably remotely, whether repair or replacement of an imaging arm of a radiotherapy apparatus should be planned. Summary of the Invention

[0007] A computer-implemented method for determining whether repair or replacement of an actuation system of a radiotherapy device should be planned is provided, the radiotherapy device comprising a rotatable gantry rotatable to define a plurality of rotational configurations and at least one component coupled to the gantry, the actuation system configured to control movement of the at least one component, the actuation system further comprising a current sensing device configured to generate a signal indicative of current supplied to a motor of the actuation system; the method comprising: receiving a first signal from the current sensing device, the first signal being recorded when the gantry is in a first rotational configuration; processing the first signal; and determining whether repair or replacement of the actuation system should be planned based on the processing.

[0008] There is also provided a computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method described above.

[0009] A radiotherapy system is also provided, comprising: a radiotherapy device comprising an actuation system, a gantry, and at least one component connected to the gantry, wherein the gantry is rotatable to define a plurality of rotational configurations, wherein the actuation system is configured to control the movement of the at least one component, the actuation system comprising at least one motor and a current sensing device configured to generate a signal, the signal indicating a current supplied to the at least one motor; the radiotherapy system also comprising a processor configured to execute the method described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Specific embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 depicts a radiation therapy apparatus according to the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 2 An actuation system according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0013] Figure 3 A method according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0014] Figure 4 Different but related methods according to the present disclosure are depicted.

[0015] Figures 5a to 5d A graph showing the motor current of an actuation system versus time when the actuation system is under different operating conditions is shown.

[0016] Figure 6 A radiation therapy system according to the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Until now, it has been extremely difficult to identify patterns in data associated with the actuation systems of radiotherapy equipment, where the actuation systems are coupled to the rotatable gantry of the radiotherapy equipment. An example of such a component is the detector of an imaging system, in which case the actuation system may take the form of an "imaging arm" configured to adjust the position of the detector. The current supplied to the motor of such an actuation system can be monitored, but until now, this data has not yielded patterns or trends that could enable the development of prognostic or remote diagnostic methods. These signals exhibit significant variations depending on the degree to which the components and actuation systems are rotated by the gantry. For example, the typical current characteristics associated with deploying an imaging panel at 90° differ from those associated with deploying the imaging panel at 180°. The present inventors have developed a prognostic method that processes signals recorded when the gantry is in a specific rotational configuration and ignores signals received and recorded when the gantry is in other rotational configurations. This eliminates variations introduced by gantry rotation and enables the development and implementation of prognostic and remote diagnostic methods for radiotherapy equipment.

[0018] Figure 1A radiation therapy system 100 is shown. The radiation therapy system 100 includes a rotatable gantry 102 that is configured to rotate about a gantry rotation axis and to which a treatment device and an imaging device are mounted. The treatment device and the imaging device are attached to the gantry 102 so that they can rotate with the gantry 102. In the example shown, the treatment device and the imaging device are mounted on the gantry so that the treatment beam travels in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of the imaging beam. Figure 1 Also schematically depicted is a patient positioning device 116 on which the patient 112 may lie during radiation treatment.

[0019] The treatment device includes a treatment beam source 114 and a portal imaging panel 116. The treatment beam source 114 is configured to emit or direct treatment radiation, such as MV energy radiation. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the treatment beam source 114 may include other components, such as a collimator configured to shape the treatment beam. Once the treatment radiation has passed from the source 114 and optionally through the patient 112, the radiation continues toward the portal imaging panel 116 where it is detected by the imaging panel 116 and an image may be formed. The portal imaging panel 116 may be an electronic portal imaging device (EPID).

[0020] The imaging device includes an imaging beam source 118 and an imaging panel 120. The imaging beam source 118 is configured to emit or direct imaging radiation, such as X-rays and / or kV energy radiation. The imaging beam source 118 may include an X-ray tube or other suitable X-ray source. Once the imaging radiation has passed from the imaging beam source 118 and optionally through the patient 112, the imaging radiation continues toward the imaging panel 120. The imaging panel 120 may be described as a radiation detector or a radiation intensity detector. The imaging panel 120 is configured to generate a signal indicative of the intensity of the radiation incident on the imaging panel 120. These signals may be processed to form an image of the patient 112. By taking images at multiple angles around the patient, a 3D image of the patient may be generated, for example using tomographic reconstruction techniques.

[0021] The portal imaging panel 116 is configured and adapted to form an image using the detected therapeutic radiation beam, and the imaging panel 120 is configured and adapted to form an image using the detected imaging radiation beam. Both imaging panel detectors 116, 120 are movable actuation systems in the form of imaging arms. Each imaging arm is used to couple its imaging panel detector to the gantry 102. The imaging arms are also used to adjust the position of the imaging panel detectors 116, 120, such as to extend the panel when needed and retract the panel when not needed. The imaging arms can also ensure that the panel is positioned in the optimal position for imaging.

[0022] Figure 2An actuation system 220 is depicted that is configured to control the movement of a component 227. In the depicted example, the actuation system 220 takes the form of an imaged arm assembly that is configured to reposition the imaging detector 227. The actuation system includes three main structural components, including a chassis 222, an extendable arm 224, and a bracket assembly configured to support and hold the flat panel detector 227. The structural components, along with one or more motors (not shown), form two subsystems of the actuation system. Figure 1 , the imaging panel 120 and the portal imaging panel 116 have similar mechanical structures, and Figure 2 The imaging arm assembly 200 depicted in FIG. 1 is suitable for use with the imaging panel 120 or the portal imaging panel 116 .

[0023] The actuation system 220 is configured to be movable in at least two axes. The actuation system 220 is configured to be movable in two directions along the first longitudinal axis. Figure 2 The longitudinal axis is represented by GT (using standard radiation therapy axis terminology with which those skilled in the art will be familiar). Figure 1 The actuation system 220 is also configured to be able to move in two directions along a second transverse axis. The transverse axis is approximately perpendicular to the gantry rotation axis and approximately parallel to the plane defined by the flat panel detector 227. The standard radiation therapy axis defines the AB axis, which is Figure 1 and Figure 2 The double-headed arrow is used to mark the horizontal "left-right" axis. When the imaging panel is positioned at the lowest point of its gantry rotation, that is, at Figure 1 Where the mid-field detector panel 116 is positioned, the second transverse axis is parallel to the AB axis of the radiation therapy system 100 .

[0024] The first subsystem includes a chassis 222 and an extendable arm 224. The second subsystem includes a bracket 226. Component 227 is coupled to the second subsystem, in particular to the bracket 226. The subsystems may share a motor, or may have independent motors that provide power and control for the movement of component 227. The chassis 222 is mounted to the gantry, and the first subsystem is configured to control the movement of the second subsystem relative to the gantry. This defines a first range of motion of the component in the GT direction (e.g., in the longitudinal axis). The movement caused by the first subsystem in the longitudinal axis can be described as a first "phase" of motion. The second subsystem is configured to control the movement of component 227 relative to the first subsystem (e.g., relative to the chassis). This defines a second range of motion of the component in the GT direction, and the movement caused by the second subsystem in the longitudinal axis can be described as a second "phase" of motion.

[0025] The second subsystem is further configured to control movement of component 227 along the transverse axis of motion in a first direction and a second direction.

[0026] In more detail, about Figure 2 In the depicted embodiment, the gantry 222 is rigidly fixed to the gantry of the radiotherapy system. The chassis 222 is configured to allow the extendable arm 224 to be deployed and retracted along the longitudinal axis. The chassis 222 has a receiving structure that is configured to slidably receive the extendable arm 224. The movement of the extendable arm 224 relative to the chassis 222 is controlled by a DC (direct current) motor (not shown). The DC motor may be referred to as a chassis motor herein. The transmission from the chassis motor is achieved by a drive mechanism that may include, for example, a belt or a pair of screws.

[0027] The extendable arm 224 is configured to move the support 226 in two different dimensions along the transverse and longitudinal axes. The movement is driven by one or more DC motors, which may be referred to herein as one or more extendable arm motors. Similarly, the transmission can be achieved using suitable means (e.g., by a belt or screw or any suitable linear actuation mechanism).

[0028] In use, the actuation system 220 can be used to move the detector plate 227 from a retracted, withdrawn position to an extended, deployed position. For example, the chassis motor can "deploy" (i.e., extend) the extendable arm 224 into the treatment volume of the radiotherapy device. One or more extendable arm motors can also extend the bracket 226 in the same direction until the imaging arm assembly 220 has reached maximum extension / deployment. The bracket 226 can then be moved in a lateral direction by means of one or more extendable arm motors to position the detector 227 for optimal imaging. These movements can be reversed to return the detector to the retracted, withdrawn position.

[0029] The actuation system 220 is configured so that actuation of at least one of its motors causes movement of the imaging panel 227. This allows the imaging panel 227 to be moved from a stored position to an optimal position for imaging. However, the actuation system 220 has various failure modes, including lack of lubrication and belt and drive assembly issues, which can impact patient care through increased machine downtime.

[0030] Figure 3 A computer-implemented method 300 for determining whether a repair or replacement of an actuation system of a radiotherapy device should be planned in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted. The method 300 may be performed at a processor associated with the radiotherapy device (e.g., an on-site computer at a hospital). Alternatively, the method 300 may be performed at a remote computer configured to receive or access signals from the radiotherapy device, for example, via the Internet.

[0031] The method is particularly applicable to radiotherapy equipment that includes a rotatable gantry rotatable about a gantry rotation axis, wherein at least one component is coupled to the gantry and is movable relative to the gantry. This can be achieved by means of an actuation system that is also coupled to the gantry and is configured to control the movement of the component. The actuation system includes a current sensing device configured to generate a signal indicative of a current supplied to a motor of the actuation system. The actuation system is configured to move the component in at least one axis of motion, preferably in each of a transverse and a longitudinal axis, with the longitudinal axis being parallel to the gantry rotation axis and the transverse axis being perpendicular to the gantry rotation axis. The gantry can be rotated to define a plurality of rotational configurations, for example, the component can be positioned at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°.

[0032] At block 310, a signal is received. The signal is a current signal received from a current sensing device of the actuator. The signal may be a first signal, i.e., a signal recorded when the gantry is in a first rotational configuration. In one example, the first rotational configuration is a configuration in which the component is located at the bottom of the gantry, i.e., at the lowest available point of all rotational configurations. If the signal received at block 310 is recorded for more than one rotational configuration, the method 300 may include filtering the received signal so that only the first signal associated with the preferred first rotational configuration is processed in the remaining blocks of the method 300. Thus, the block may include filtering the received signal to remove signals recorded when the gantry is in the second or third rotational configuration, as considered, and identifying the first signal for further processing. Depending on the implementation, the method 300 may include actively recording the first signal by means of the current sensing device when the gantry is in the first rotational configuration.

[0033] At block 320, a determination is made as to whether the received first signal is associated with lateral motion or longitudinal motion. That is, a determination may be made as to whether the first signal is associated with motion along the lateral axis of motion or along the longitudinal axis of motion. At block 320, method 300 may include filtering the first signal to identify a first subset of signals associated with motion of the component along the lateral axis of motion and a second subset of signals associated with motion of the component along the longitudinal axis of motion. The first subset of signals is evaluated according to the criteria at blocks 344 and 346, and the second subset of signals is evaluated according to the criteria at blocks 336 and 334, depending on the direction of travel of the component.

[0034] At block 342, a determination is made as to whether the signals (e.g., the first subset of signals) are associated with traveling along the lateral axis of motion in the first direction or the second direction. Figure 1And assuming that the component can be the portal imaging panel 116, the lateral movement axis can be the AB axis, the first direction can be the A direction, and the second direction can be the B direction.

[0035] At block 346, the signals recorded while the component is traveling in a first direction along the transverse axis are evaluated according to at least one "first direction" criterion. This may be a "first direction" threshold criterion. At block 344, the signals recorded while the component is traveling in a second direction along the transverse axis are evaluated according to at least one "second direction" criterion. This may be a "second direction" threshold criterion. The criteria used at blocks 346 and 344 may be the same, and this may be the case. Figure 4 Shown in.

[0036] At block 332, a determination is made as to whether the signals (eg, the second subset of signals) are associated with traveling along the longitudinal axis of motion in the "deploy" or "retract" direction. Figure 1 And considering that the component can be the portal imaging panel 116, the expansion direction can be out of the page and the retraction direction can be in the page. Figure 2 , the expansion direction may be the “T” direction, and the retraction direction may be the “G” direction.

[0037] At block 336, signals recorded while the component is traveling along the longitudinal axis in a deployment direction are evaluated according to at least one "deployment criterion." At block 334, signals recorded while the component is traveling along the longitudinal axis in a retraction direction are evaluated according to at least one "retraction criterion."

[0038] The criteria at blocks 346 and 344 may be described as “lateral motion” threshold criteria that are applied only to a first subset of signals (i.e., those signals recorded when the gantry is in the first rotational configuration and when the component is moving along the lateral axis of motion). The criteria at blocks 334 and 336 may be described as “longitudinal motion” threshold criteria that are applied only to a second subset of signals (i.e., those signals recorded when the gantry is in the first rotational configuration and when the component is moving along the longitudinal axis of motion).

[0039] The criteria used to evaluate the signal at box 346, box 344, box 336, and box 334 may be the same criteria, or may be different. The evaluation at each box may include the evaluation of a single criterion or the evaluation of multiple criteria. For example, there may be multiple "first direction" criteria, forming a "first direction" criterion. The criteria may include comparing the signal at each box to a threshold amount and determining whether the signal has exceeded one or more threshold amounts. If the relevant one or more criteria are met, for example, if the signal exceeds one or more threshold amounts, then it is determined that repair or replacement of the actuation system should be planned. The following provides information about Figure 4 exemplary standards.

[0040] Figure 4 Depicted is a method 400 of determining whether repair or replacement of an actuation system of a radiotherapy apparatus should be planned in accordance with the present disclosure. Figure 4 The method 400 depicted in Figure 3 However, the method 400 is particularly suitable for including an actuation system (such as the one described above with respect to Figure 2 Method 400 is applicable to a radiotherapy device including an actuation system that is configured to enable movement of a component in two phases by means of a first subsystem (e.g., including a chassis 222 and an extendable or "intermediate" arm 224) and a second subsystem (e.g., including a bracket 226), wherein the component is coupled to the second subsystem. The first subsystem is configured to control movement of the second subsystem relative to the gantry during the first phase of movement. The second subsystem is configured to control movement of the component relative to the first subsystem during the second phase of movement. Movement of the component along an axis of motion (e.g., a longitudinal axis of motion) can be controlled by any of: using the first subsystem to cause the component to move along the axis, using the second subsystem to cause the component to move along the axis, or using both the first and second subsystems to cause the component to move along the axis to a maximum extent along the axis of motion.

[0041] At block 410, signals are received in a manner similar to that described above with respect to block 310. At block 420, the signals are separated into two subsets based on whether the motion is associated with a lateral or longitudinal axis of motion, in a manner similar to that described above with respect to block 320. For example, the process may include filtering the signals received at block 410 to identify a first subset of signals associated with motion of the component along the lateral axis of motion and to identify a second subset of signals associated with motion of the component along the longitudinal axis of motion.

[0042] Block 442 contains an evaluation similar to that described above with respect to block 342. In this example, the signal is judged according to the same criteria regardless of the direction of motion. Thus, regardless of the direction, the signal associated with lateral motion is evaluated at block 446 according to one or more specific criteria, labeled "Criteria 5" in block 446.

[0043] A second subset of signals associated with movement of the component along the longitudinal axis of motion is determined based on different criteria, such as whether they are associated with longitudinal motion provided by the first subsystem (e.g., by deployment or retraction of the intermediate arm, or by deployment or retraction of the second subsystem, i.e., via the bracket). Thus, at block 430, method 400 further includes filtering the signals to identify signals associated with the first subsystem and signals associated with the second subsystem. At blocks 434 and 436, signals associated with movement of the component by the first subsystem are determined based on criteria 1 and 2, depending on the direction of motion along the longitudinal axis. At blocks 454 and 452, signals associated with movement of the component by the second subsystem are determined based on criteria 3 and 4, depending on the direction of motion along the longitudinal axis.

[0044] In other words, the method 400 may include filtering the signals received at block 410 to identify signals that are associated with longitudinal motion (at block 420), associated with the first or second subsystem for implementing longitudinal motion (at block 430), and associated with a particular direction of motion along the longitudinal axis (at blocks 432 and 450). The method 400 then includes applying at least one "first subsystem criterion" to the identified signals associated with the first subsystem at blocks 434 or 436, and / or applying at least one "second subsystem" criterion to the identified signals associated with the second subsystem at blocks 452 or 454. The criterion may be a threshold criterion, such that applying the criterion includes comparing the current signal to a threshold.

[0045] about Figure 4Examples of criteria 1-5 are described in Table 1 below. If the relevant criteria are met, repair or replacement of the drive system should be planned. For example, Table 1 shows the first criterion (Criterion 1), which involves three "contents" or ranges defined by threshold values. This first criterion (Criterion 1) can be used to evaluate signals associated with the movement of a component by deploying an extendable intermediate arm along its longitudinal axis. In this example, the received signal is a current value. If the current value is within the range of 0.7A-1.2A, the radiotherapy device's actuation system is determined to be within normal operating range. If the current value is within the range of 1.2A-2.5A, the radiotherapy device's actuation system is determined to be experiencing lubrication-related issues. For example, lubrication of the intermediate arm's guide rails may be necessary for continued optimal operation. It is then determined that repair or replacement of the actuation system, particularly the intermediate arm, should be planned. For example, lubrication of the actuation system may be flagged. Finally, if the current value is greater than 2.5A, it is determined that the actuation system is at risk of seizure in the near future or is currently experiencing this type of issue. This problem may be intermittent and would not be quickly flagged or noticed by hospital staff without the currently disclosed predictive methods. The present method not only allows for a determination that repair or replacement of the actuation system should be planned, but also allows for the identification of the types of repair issues that field maintenance engineers should test for upon arrival on site.

[0046]

[0047] Table 1

[0048] Those skilled in the art will recognize from Table 1 that the other criteria 2-5 can be applied in a similar manner to the first criterion, and that these criteria need not be discussed in further detail here. Table 1 provides examples of application and suitability for specific types of radiotherapy machines, and therefore the specific thresholds defining the range should not be considered limiting. In certain implementations, only one or more of these criteria may be applied. For example, in a more simplified version of the method, Criterion 1 can be adjusted to a single criterion of "Is the signal above 1.2A?" If so, then repair or replacement is determined to be necessary.

[0049] In addition to or as an alternative to the criteria described in Table 1, other criteria may be used. For example, criteria designed to identify certain current characteristics associated with different operating conditions may be used. For example, if the intermediate arm is operating under normal conditions, the motor current is stable and within a reasonable range. However, when the intermediate arm is operating suboptimally, significant differences from the normal motor current may occur. For example, if the lubrication performance of the intermediate arm or the guide rails of the bracket has degraded, the motor current may be greater than the normal range, but the motor current trend will be stable. If the arm is stuck, the motor current may suddenly increase. However, if the arm is able to overcome the sticking problem, the motor current will recover. This condition may not always be detected during normal use of the radiotherapy equipment, but if not corrected, the problem will become more serious over time. If the motor current shows relatively large irregularities, it may indicate a problem with the lead screw assembly.

[0050] When the application of one or more of these criteria results in a determination that a repair or replacement of the actuation system should be planned, the determination can be output. Outputting the determination can include displaying an indication of the determination on a display screen. For example, the problem can be displayed on a display screen of a computer associated with the radiotherapy equipment, where the problem can be received by hospital staff. Hospital staff can plan repairs or replacements as needed. Outputting the determination can also include issuing an alert to an on-site maintenance engineer (i.e., an expert) detailing the determination, who can then schedule a visit to the radiotherapy equipment to repair and / or replace the actuation system. The determination can also trigger an automatic notification to the owner of the radiotherapy equipment to plan the repair or replacement.

[0051] Figures 5a to 5d A graph comparing motor current when the actuation system of a radiotherapy apparatus is in a normal operating state and when it is in a state where the actuation system should be repaired or replaced is shown. The graph shows motor current (mA) on the Y-axis and time on the X-axis. Figure 5a Depicted is the current supplied to the motor of the actuation system when the actuation system is in a normal operating state.

[0052] Figure 5b The current supplied to the motor of the actuation system is depicted when the actuation system is in the same normal operating state, and the current supplied to the motor is also depicted when the actuation system is experiencing problems related to lack of lubrication. As can be appreciated, the current required to move the component is higher, and this will be captured by the relevant threshold ranges described above and shown in Table 1.

[0053] Figure 5cThe current supplied to the motor of the actuation system when the actuation system is in the same normal operating state is depicted, and additionally the current supplied to the motor during the same time period when the intermediate arm of the first actuation system subsystem is stuck is depicted.

[0054] Figure 5d The current supplied to the motor of the actuator system is depicted when the actuator system is in normal operating conditions, and also depicted when the actuator system is experiencing a problem with the lead screw. It can be understood that the current is irregular and unstable, and is higher than the typical current under normal operating conditions. Evaluation criteria can be designed to assess such problems.

[0055] The implementation of the method of the present disclosure is advantageous for several reasons. For example, before a radiotherapy device experiences a safety interruption, when the actuation system needs to be repaired or replaced, the method and system of the present disclosure can generate an alert email to an engineer through data analysis. This gives the engineer time to communicate with the hospital so that the repair can be organized while the radiotherapy device is still able to operate within safe operating parameters. This reduces machine downtime and improves the efficiency of the maintenance process. The method can also provide an indication of the type of fault (such as a lubrication problem, or the actuation system is temporarily or permanently stuck). Compared to the known method that requires an engineer to go to the hospital site and complete a checklist in sequence, the checklist includes, for example, checking the lubrication of the guide rails, checking the lead screw, belt tightness, and the drive assembly. This again reduces machine downtime.

[0056] Figure 6 A block diagram of one implementation of a radiation therapy system 700 is shown. The radiation therapy system 700 includes a computing system 710 in which a set of instructions for causing the computing system 710 to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein may be executed. The radiation therapy system includes a radiation therapy apparatus including a treatment device 750 and an imaging device 740. The imaging device includes an actuation system 741 configured to control movement of a component 742 (e.g., an imaging detector). The actuation system 741 also includes a current sensing device and a motor (not shown). The radiation therapy apparatus may employ Figure 1 The form of the device depicted.

[0057] The computing system 710 may include any number of machines or collections of machines, such as computing devices that individually or collectively execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to implement any one or more of the methods discussed herein. The computing system 710 includes a controller circuit 711 and a memory 713. The controller circuit 711 represents one or more general-purpose processors configured to execute processing logic for implementing the operations and steps discussed herein.

[0058] The computing system 710 may also include network interface circuitry 718. The computing system 710 may be communicatively coupled to an input device 720 and / or an output device 730 via input / output circuitry 717. The output device 730 may include an audio device such as a speaker and / or a display. The computing system 710 may be configured to access or obtain treatment data 760, planning data 770, and / or image data 780.

[0059] The various methods described above may be implemented by a computer program. The computer program and / or code for executing such a method may be provided to a device such as a computer, on one or more computer-readable media, or more generally as a computer program product. The computer-readable media may be transitory or non-transitory.

[0060] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. For those skilled in the art, many other implementations will be apparent after reading and understanding the above description. Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific exemplary implementations, it will be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to the described implementations, but can be practiced by modification and change within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the description and drawings should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should be determined with reference to the appended claims and the full scope of equivalents to these claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining whether repair or replacement of an actuation system of a radiotherapy apparatus should be planned, the radiotherapy apparatus comprising a rotatable gantry rotatable to define a plurality of rotational configurations and at least one component coupled to the gantry, the actuation system configured to control movement of the at least one component, the actuation system further comprising a current sensing device configured to generate a signal indicative of a current supplied to a motor of the actuation system; The method includes: receiving a first signal from the current sensing device, the first signal being recorded when the gantry is in a first rotational configuration; processing the first signal; and Based on the processing, it is determined whether repair or replacement of the actuation system should be planned.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: The first signal is recorded by means of the current sensing device while the gantry is in the first rotational configuration.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that Also includes: receiving a second signal from the current sensing device, the second signal being recorded when the gantry is in a second rotational configuration; and filtering the received first and second signals to identify the first signal.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The radiotherapy apparatus comprises an imaging device, and the at least one component comprises a detector of the imaging device.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The actuation system is configured to control movement of the at least one component in at least one axis of motion.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that Processing the first signal includes filtering the first signal to identify: a signal associated with movement of the at least one component in a first direction along the at least one axis of motion; and a signal associated with movement of the at least one component in an opposite second direction along the at least one axis of motion; and Wherein processing the first signal further comprises: applying at least one "first direction" criterion to the identified signal associated with movement of the at least one component in the first direction; as well as applying at least one "second direction" criterion to the identified signal associated with movement of the at least one component in the second direction; Wherein the at least one “first direction” standard is different from the at least one “second direction” standard.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that The actuation system further comprises a first subsystem and a second subsystem; Wherein processing the first signal further comprises filtering the first signal to identify: a signal associated with the first subsystem; a signal associated with the second subsystem; And wherein processing the first signal further comprises: applying at least one "first subsystem" criterion to the identified signal associated with the first subsystem; and applying at least one "second subsystem" criterion to the identified signal associated with the second subsystem, Wherein the at least one “first subsystem” standard is different from the at least one “second subsystem” standard.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The actuation system is configured to control movement of the at least one component in each of a lateral motion axis and a longitudinal motion axis, wherein the longitudinal motion axis is parallel to the gantry rotation axis and the lateral motion axis is perpendicular to the gantry rotation axis.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The movement axes are perpendicular to each other.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that Processing the first signal includes filtering the first signal to identify: a first subset of signals associated with movement of the at least one component along the lateral axis of motion; and a second subset of signals associated with movement of the at least one component along the longitudinal axis of movement; The processing of the first signal further comprises: applying a "lateral motion" criterion to the identified first subset of signals; as well as A "longitudinal motion" criterion is applied to the identified second subset of signals.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The "lateral movement" criteria include at least a first "lateral movement" criterion that applies when the movement is in a first lateral direction along the lateral movement axis, and at least a second "lateral movement" criterion that applies when the movement is in a second lateral direction along the lateral movement axis.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The "longitudinal movement" criteria include at least a first "longitudinal movement" criterion that applies when the movement is in a first longitudinal direction along the longitudinal movement axis, and at least a second "longitudinal movement" criterion that applies when the movement is in a second longitudinal direction along the longitudinal movement axis.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that Processing the first signal further includes: filtering a first subset of the signals to identify signals associated with movement of the at least one component in the first lateral direction; filtering a first subset of the signals to identify signals associated with movement of the at least one component in the second lateral direction; and Wherein processing the first signal further comprises: applying at least a first "lateral motion" threshold criterion to identified signals associated with motion of the at least one component in the first lateral direction; and At least a second "lateral motion" threshold criterion is applied to the identified signal associated with motion of the at least one component in the second lateral direction.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that Processing the first signal further includes: filtering a second subset of the signals to identify signals associated with movement of the at least one component in a first longitudinal direction; filtering a second subset of the signals to identify signals associated with movement of the at least one component in a second longitudinal direction; and Wherein processing the first signal further comprises: applying the at least first "longitudinal movement" criterion to identified signals associated with movement of the at least one component in the first longitudinal direction; and The at least second "longitudinal motion" criterion is applied to identified signals associated with motion of the at least one component in the second longitudinal direction.

15. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that Also included is outputting the determination.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that Outputting the determination includes at least one of: displaying an indication of the determination on a display screen; issuing an alert to a field maintenance engineer to refine the determination; and / or automatically issuing a notification to an owner of the radiotherapy device to plan a repair or replacement.

17. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of any preceding claim.

18. A radiotherapy system comprising: A radiation therapy apparatus comprising an actuation system, a gantry, and at least one component coupled to the gantry, wherein the gantry is rotatable to define a plurality of rotational configurations, wherein the actuation system is configured to control movement of the at least one component, the actuation system comprising at least one motor and a current sensing device configured to generate a signal indicative of current supplied to the at least one motor; The radiation therapy system further comprises a processor configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 16.

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