Transport cart, information processing device, and system

Abstract

To make it easier to incorporate transport carts to medical field systems.SOLUTION: A transport cart for transporting a patient is provided, comprising a first reception unit for locally receiving a first instruction regarding operation of the transport cart, and a second reception unit for receiving a second instruction regarding operation of the transport cart from a host device. The second reception unit starts receiving the second instruction once the transport cart is fixed at a given location through a given fixing operation in a control target area of the host device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport vehicle, an information processing device, and a system. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known transport carts for transporting patients in medical settings, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a patient transport cart that can transport patients between a positioning room and a particle beam therapy room, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6899172 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When introducing the above-described conventional transport cart into an actual medical site, it is desirable to be able to more easily incorporate the transport cart into the system of the medical site. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention includes the following aspects. [Aspect 1] A transport cart for transporting patients, a first receiving unit that locally receives a first instruction related to an operation of the transporting vehicle; a second receiving unit that receives a second instruction related to the operation of the transporting vehicle from a higher-level device; Equipped with the second reception unit starts receiving the second instruction in response to the transporting vehicle being fixed at a predetermined position by a predetermined fixing operation in an area controlled by the higher-level device. Transport cart. [Aspect 2] The transport vehicle according to aspect 1, the second receiving unit receives the second instruction from the higher-level device via wireless communication; Transport cart. [Aspect 3] The transport vehicle according to any one of aspects 1 and 2, A tabletop on which the patient rests, a change unit that changes the posture of the tabletop; a first control unit that controls the change unit; a transport unit that transports the patient placed on the tabletop; a second control unit that controls the transport unit; Equipped with the first control unit and the second control unit confirm a control state with each other so that the operation of the change unit and the operation of the transport unit are exclusively performed. Transport cart. [Aspect 4] The transport vehicle according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, the second receiving unit is capable of receiving, as the second instruction, an instruction regarding an operation of the change unit. Transport cart. [Aspect 5] The transport vehicle according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, a transmitter that transmits a status of the transporting vehicle to the host device when the transporting vehicle is fixed at the predetermined position by the predetermined fixing operation, Transport cart. [Aspect 6] The transport vehicle according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, Further provided is a notification unit that notifies the state of the transporting carriage. Transport cart. [Aspect 7] An information processing device that functions as the host device capable of communicating with the transporting platform according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, when the information processing device establishes communication with one transporting vehicle for transmitting the second instruction, the information processing device does not establish communication with another transporting vehicle for transmitting the second instruction; Information processing device. [Aspect 8] The transport vehicle according to any one of aspects 1 to 6; a host device capable of communicating with the transport vehicle; Equipped with system. [Aspect 9] 9. The system of claim 8, further comprising: the host device corrects the position of the top plate of the transporting carriage fixed at the predetermined position. system. [Aspect 10] 9. The system of claim 8, further comprising: an irradiation control device that controls the irradiation of the radiation therapy beam by the radiation therapy device; the at least one higher-level device transmits a second status to the interlock system of the irradiation control device and / or the radiation therapy device, the second status being generated based on the first status received from the transport vehicle fixed at the predetermined position, for sharing with the irradiation control device a status of the treatment room in which the transport vehicle is fixed; the irradiation control device controls the irradiation of the radiation therapy beam by the radiation therapy device based on the second status. system. [Aspect 11] 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising: the irradiation control device enables the irradiation of the radiation therapy beam by the radiation therapy device on at least one condition that a status indicating that the treatment room to which the transport cart is fixed is ready is received as the second status. system. [Aspect 12] 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising: the at least one host device includes a plurality of host devices, the plurality of host devices are provided corresponding to the plurality of treatment rooms, the irradiation control device controls the irradiation of the radiation therapy beam to the treatment room corresponding to the host device that is the sender of the second status, on at least one condition that the irradiation control device has received a status indicating that the treatment room to which the transport cart is fixed is ready. system. [Aspect 13] 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising: the irradiation control device limits the irradiation of the radiation therapy beam by the radiation therapy device when at least one condition is that the second status has transitioned from a status indicating a situation in which the radiation therapy beam can be irradiated in the treatment room to which the transport cart is fixed to a status in which irradiation is not permitted. system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating an overview of a treatment system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2-1] (a) is an explanatory diagram of the exchange of information between each element of the system. [Figure 2-2] (b) is an explanatory diagram of the exchange of information between each element of the system. [Figure 2-3] (c) is an explanatory diagram of the exchange of information between each element of the system. [Figure 2-4] (d) is an explanatory diagram of the exchange of information between each element of the system. [Figure 3] Flowchart showing an example of communication control of a transport platform [Figure 4] Flowchart showing an example of transport control of a transport platform [Figure 5] Flowchart showing an example of controlling the top plate of a transport platform [Figure 6-1] 10A and 10B are flowcharts showing an example of control by the control unit of the integrated control device and the irradiation control system. [Figure 6-2] 10A and 10B are flowcharts showing an example of control by the control unit of the integrated control device and the irradiation control system. [Figure 7](a) is a front view of the transport vehicle, (b) is a plan view of the transport vehicle, and (c) is a cross-sectional view of the transport vehicle. [Figure 8] (a) to (c) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the fixing mechanism. [Figure 9] (a) is a partial enlargement of the dashed line area in Figure 8(b), and (b) is a partial enlargement of the dashed line area in Figure 8(c). [Figure 10] FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing a state in which the transport vehicle is transporting a patient, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram showing a state in which the operation bar 141 is stored. [Figure 11] Illustration of the movement of the top plate in the head-to-tail direction (Y direction) [Figure 12] Illustration of the top plate's horizontal movement (X direction) [Figure 13] Illustration of the top plate's vertical movement (Z direction) [Figure 14] Illustration of top plate movement in non-coplanar irradiation [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a comparison example of the posture of the transporting vehicle of this embodiment and another transporting vehicle; [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a positioning device; [Figure 17] A diagram showing an example of a radiation irradiation system installed in a facility where radiation therapy is performed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0008] [Treatment System] <Summary> 1 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an overview of a treatment system (hereinafter referred to as system SY) according to one embodiment. The system SY is a system for performing radiation therapy such as particle beam therapy.

[0009] The system SY includes a transport cart 100, a treatment table control device 200, a positioning device 230, and a general control device 300. These devices can communicate with each other via a network. The network may be, for example, a local area network (LAN) or the Internet. For example, the system SY can be configured by incorporating the transport cart 100 and the treatment table control device 200 into an existing radiation therapy system installed in a medical facility or the like. Therefore, the configuration of devices included in the system SY other than the transport cart 100 and the general control device 300 can be changed as appropriate. It is also possible to introduce a new system SY including the transport cart 100 and the treatment table control device 200 into a medical facility or the like.

[0010] <Explanation of each element> (Transport vehicle) The transport vehicle 100 includes an interface unit 101, a storage unit 102, and a control unit 103, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus (not shown).

[0011] The interface unit 101 includes various interfaces such as a communication interface, an input / output interface, etc. The interface unit 101 transmits and receives various information to and from the treatment unit control device 200 via a network.

[0012] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the interface unit 101 can receive operation inputs for operational instructions through local communication with the local controller 400. That is, a user of the transport vehicle 100 can locally control the transport vehicle 100 using the local controller 400. In this specification, control that does not involve a higher-level device (here, the treatment unit control device 200) is referred to as local control. That is, local control is not limited to the transport vehicle 100 receiving operational instructions through communication via a wired connection or a wireless direct connection. For example, even if the transport vehicle 100 is connected to a network via an access point, the transport vehicle 100 also receives operational instructions through communication between the transport vehicle 100 and the local controller 400 without involving a higher-level device. Note that even during local control, information other than operational instructions may be exchanged between the transport vehicle 100 and the higher-level device as appropriate.

[0013] It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the local controller is provided as a part of the transporting carriage 100. Two local controllers 400 may be provided corresponding to the transport control unit 1031 and the top board control unit 1032, or a common local controller 400 may be provided for the transport control unit 1031 and the top board control unit 1032.

[0014] On the other hand, the interface unit 101 can also receive operational instructions from a higher-level device via a network. In this specification, the control that receives operational instructions from a higher-level device is referred to as higher-level control. In this embodiment, the treatment table control device 200 corresponds to the higher-level device, but any device that can give operational instructions to the transport cart 100 can also correspond to the higher-level device. In addition, in this embodiment, the interface unit 101 can receive operational instructions for the transport cart 100 from the treatment table control device 200 via wireless communication.

[0015] The memory unit 102 stores various types of information. This can be implemented, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs related to the transport vehicle 100 executed by the control unit 103, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information related to program calculations (arguments, arrays, etc.). Alternatively, it can be a combination of these.

[0016] In this embodiment, the memory unit 102 includes a shared memory that can be referenced by both the transport control unit 1031 and the top board control unit 1032, and the transport control unit 1031 and the top board control unit 1032 write the status of the transport unit 130 and the change unit 120, respectively, to the shared memory as appropriate.

[0017] The control unit 103 controls various operations of the transporting vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the control unit 103 includes a transport control unit 1031 and a top board control unit 1032.

[0018] The transport control unit 1031 performs processing and control related to the transport of the transporting vehicle 100. The transport control unit 1031 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The transport control unit 1031 realizes various functions related to the transport of the transporting vehicle 100 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 102. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 102 is specifically realized by the transport control unit 1031, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the transport control unit 1031. Note that the transport control unit 1031 is not limited to being a single unit, and may be implemented so as to have multiple control units for each function. Alternatively, a combination of these may be used.

[0019] The top board control unit 1032 performs processing and control related to the top board 110 of the transporting vehicle 100. The top board control unit 1032 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The top board control unit 1032 realizes various functions related to the transporting vehicle 100 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 102. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 102 is specifically realized by the top board control unit 1032, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the top board control unit 1032. Note that the top board control unit 1032 is not limited to being a single unit, and may be implemented by having multiple control units 103 for each function. Alternatively, a combination of these may be used.

[0020] Also, here, the transport control unit 1031 and the top board control unit 1032 are described as separate pieces of hardware, but at least a part of these may be configured as a single piece of hardware.

[0021] (treatment table control device) The treatment table control device 200 controls various operations of the treatment table. For comparison, consider a case where the treatment table is installed indoors, unlike in this embodiment. In this case, the treatment table control device has a tabletop control unit, which performs servo control to drive the robot arm connected to the treatment tabletop according to the tabletop movement amount from the input unit, and also performs interference checks with devices and equipment in the room.

[0022] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the transport cart 100 has a tabletop control unit. Therefore, the treatment table control device 200 converts input / output signals from input units (such as the positioning device 230 and other indoor input units) and drives the transport cart 100 based on a tabletop drive request within the system SY. In addition, the treatment table control device 200 may determine whether movement is possible or not based on the status of other indoor devices obtained from a higher-level device such as the overall control device 300, and then issue a tabletop movement request to the tabletop control unit 1032. In other words, the treatment table control device 200 issues a tabletop movement request to the tabletop control unit 1032 of the transport cart 100, but the drive control (such as servo control) of the motors and the like for positioning the tabletop 110 at the target coordinates is performed by the tabletop control unit 1032.

[0023] The treatment unit control device 200 includes an interface unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a control unit 203, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus (not shown). Although the treatment unit control device 200 is shown here as a single device, the treatment unit control device 200 may be configured by multiple information processing devices connected to each other via a network.

[0024] The interface unit 201 transmits and receives various information via a network between the transporting vehicle 100, the positioning device 230, the overall control device 300, and an indoor input / output unit (such as the indoor operation unit 204). For example, the interface unit 201 can establish wireless communication with the interface unit 101 of the transporting vehicle 100.

[0025] The memory unit 202 stores various information. This can be implemented as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs related to the treatment unit control device 200 executed by the control unit 203, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to program calculations. Alternatively, it can be a combination of these.

[0026] The control unit 203 processes and controls the overall operations related to the treatment unit control device 200. The control unit 203 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 203 realizes various functions related to the treatment unit control device 200 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 202. In other words, information processing by the software stored in the storage unit 202 is specifically realized by the control unit 203, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 203. Note that the control unit 203 is not limited to being single, and may be implemented with multiple control units 203 for each function. Also, a combination of these may be used.

[0027] When the transport vehicle 100 is introduced into a medical site with an existing system, the treatment table control device 200 converts signals input and output from the transport vehicle 100 and other devices constituting the system SY into signals compatible with each other. As a result, the transport vehicle 100 can be operated from the input section of an existing device in the system SY, and the operation results can be output to the output section (described later) of an existing device in the system SY. In addition, the equipment status of the transport vehicle 100 is converted into a signal compatible with the system SY and transmitted to a higher-level device such as the overall control device 300.

[0028] The top 110's three-dimensional movement range may be preset by the top control unit 1032 based on the movement ranges of other indoor devices, the operation flow, the patient's treatment range, or the position adjustment range. Furthermore, in cases where the irradiation device has limited space around the patient, medical staff at the treatment site may require as much freedom as possible for minute movements during patient positioning. Therefore, the treatment table control device 200 may have a function for checking interference between other indoor devices and the transport cart 100. When a top movement amount is transmitted from an input unit in the room (such as the positioning device 230 or other indoor input unit), a top movement request may be sent to the top control unit 1032 after determining whether movement is possible based on the status of other indoor devices obtained from a higher-level device such as the overall control device 300. Furthermore, even when a top movement request is received from the local controller 400, the top movement amount may be transmitted to the treatment table control device 200, and an interference check with other indoor devices may be performed. As another method, the interference position with other indoor devices may be calculated from images taken by a three-dimensional camera installed on the ceiling or wall around the fixed position of the transport cart 100, and the treatment table control device 200 may perform an interference check.

[0029] The transport cart 100 can be operated by input units within the system SY, such as the positioning device 230 and the indoor operation unit 204, in addition to the local controller 400. The input units within the system SY may be input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, or may be information processing devices such as a PC or tablet terminal capable of communicating with the treatment table control device 200. The output units within the system SY may be an indoor panel or a display portion within the patient positioning app of the positioning device 230, and may display the current treatment table coordinates and the operation status of the treatment table in real time. Furthermore, if an abnormality occurs in the transport cart 100, the transport cart 100 may transmit an abnormality signal to the treatment table control device 200, and the control unit 203 may determine the importance of the abnormality, and the control unit 203 may output details of the abnormality and the importance to an appropriate output unit within the system SY (for example, an irradiation control system screen).

[0030] (positioning device) The positioning device 230 is a device for performing patient positioning to confirm whether the position of the target (tumor) during each treatment is reproduced within a tolerance value relative to a reference image created based on a treatment planning CT. At this time, the amount of deviation between the reference image and an X-ray image captured for each treatment is calculated, and the position of the tabletop 110 is adjusted based on the deviation amount, thereby performing patient positioning. The positioning device 230 includes an interface unit 231, a storage unit 232, a control unit 233, and a calculation unit 234, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus (not shown). Note that although the positioning device 230 is shown here as a single device, the positioning device 230 may also be configured by multiple information processing devices connected to each other via a network.

[0031] The interface unit 231 transmits and receives various information between the treatment unit control device 200 and the general control device 300 via the network.

[0032] The memory unit 232 stores various types of information. This may be implemented, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs related to the positioning device 230 executed by the control unit 233, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to program calculations. Alternatively, a combination of these may be used. For example, the memory unit 232 may store information such as X-ray images used for positioning and the amount of deviation allowed during positioning.

[0033] The control unit 233 processes and controls the overall operations related to the positioning device 230. The control unit 233 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 233 realizes various functions related to the positioning device 230 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 232. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 232 is specifically realized by the control unit 233, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 233. Note that the control unit 233 is not limited to being single, and may be implemented with multiple control units 233 for each function. Alternatively, a combination of these may be used.

[0034] The calculation unit 234 calculates the amount of deviation between the reference image and the X-ray image captured for each treatment. For example, the control unit 233 adjusts the position of the tabletop 110 based on the amount of deviation calculated by the calculation unit 234, thereby performing patient positioning. The calculation unit 234 may be a processor such as a CPU, or may be configured to include hardware such as an integrated circuit typified by an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) instead of or in addition to a CPU.

[0035] 16 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the positioning device 230. In addition to the above-mentioned control unit 233, the positioning device 230 includes multiple X-ray tubes 235a, 235b and multiple detectors 236a, 236b that detect X-rays. In the treatment room, the positioning device 230 identifies the amount of deviation from a reference value based on the X-ray detection results from the multiple detectors 236a, 236b. The positioning device provided in the treatment room and the positioning device provided in the positioning room may have the same configuration.

[0036] (Overall control device) The overall control device 300 is a device that comprehensively controls the equipment in the room, such as the treatment table, the X-ray imaging device of the positioning device 230, the irradiation angle drive mechanism, the shielding door, etc. It includes an interface unit 301, a storage unit 302, and a control unit 303, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus (not shown). Note that although the overall control device 300 is shown here as a single device, the overall control device 300 may also be configured by multiple information processing devices connected to each other via a network.

[0037] The interface unit 301 transmits and receives various information between the treatment table control device 200 and the positioning device 230 via the network.

[0038] The memory unit 302 stores various types of information. This can be implemented, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs related to the overall control device 300 executed by the control unit 303, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information related to program calculations (arguments, arrays, etc.). Alternatively, it can be a combination of these.

[0039] The control unit 303 processes and controls the overall operations related to the overall control device 300. The control unit 303 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 303 realizes various functions related to the overall control device 300 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 302. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 302 is specifically realized by the control unit 303, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 303. Note that the control unit 303 is not limited to being single, and may be implemented with multiple control units 303 for each function. Alternatively, a combination of these may be used.

[0040] <Transmission of information from each element and system operation> Fig. 2(a) is an explanatory diagram of the exchange of information between the elements of the system SY. As will be described in detail later, the transport cart 100 establishes communication with the treatment table control device 200, which is a higher-level device, when it is fixed at a predetermined fixed position. Fig. 2(a) shows the exchange of information when communication between the transport cart 100 and the treatment table control device 200 is established. Fig. 2(a) shows an example of a treatment room, but it may also be a room where the transport cart 100 is fixed and control is performed via the treatment table control device 200, such as a positioning room, a CT room where CT scans for treatment planning are taken, a fixture creation room, etc.

[0041] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a system SY (radiation irradiation system) installed in a facility (e.g., a hospital) where radiation therapy is performed. The facility where radiation therapy is performed includes at least one or more radiation treatment rooms in which radiation irradiation devices that irradiate patients with radiation are installed, and one or more positioning rooms in which positioning processing is performed to align the position of the patient's affected area with the irradiation position (isocenter IC) of the radiation irradiation device. A treatment table control device 200 and a positioning device 230 are installed corresponding to each radiation treatment room and positioning room. The examples of FIGS. 2(a) and 17 are assumed to be particle beam therapy facilities. The irradiation control system 310 shown in FIG. 2(b) is a system that controls an accelerator and a beam transport system installed in an accelerator room. In particle beam therapy facilities, it is common for a single accelerator, which is a beam source, to supply beams to multiple irradiation devices. Therefore, information from each treatment room is aggregated from the central control device 300 in each treatment room where each irradiation device is installed to a single irradiation control system 310. In the case of an X-ray therapy device or a particle therapy device in which one accelerator is installed in one irradiation device, the overall control device 300 and the irradiation control system 310 have a one-to-one correspondence.

[0042] 2(a) shows the transmission and reception of treatment position tabletop coordinates in the room. The movement amount of the tabletop 110 is transmitted to the tabletop control unit 1032 by inputting an instruction value (tabletop movement amount) from an input unit such as the local controller 400, a positioning application (not shown) of the positioning device 230, and the room operation unit 204. The input units of the existing systems in the system SY other than the local controller 400 are not directly connected to the transport cart 100, so the instruction value is transmitted via the treatment table control device 200.

[0043] The top control unit 1032 receives the amount of top movement and controls the change unit 120 to move the top 110. The current position of the top 110 (top coordinate values) is transmitted from the top control unit 1032 to each output unit in the system SY. The top coordinate values ​​are displayed on output units such as the local controller 400, a positioning application (not shown) of the positioning device 230, and the indoor operation unit 204. The output units of the existing systems in the system SY other than the local controller 400 are not directly connected to the transport cart, and therefore the top coordinate values ​​are transmitted via the treatment table control device 200. The top coordinates may be transmitted at regular intervals, or the current position may be transmitted even while the top is moving and updated as the current position at regular intervals in the output unit.

[0044] 2(b) shows the status notification of the indoor devices in the treatment room. The transport control unit 1031 periodically transmits the equipment status of the transport unit 130 to the treatment table control device 200. The table control unit 1032 periodically transmits the equipment status of the change unit 120 to the treatment table control device 200. The transport control unit 1031 and the table control unit 1032 may each transmit the equipment status to the treatment table control device 200, or the interlock information in the shared memory included in the storage unit 102 may be transmitted as the equipment status of the transport cart 100.

[0045] The treatment table control device 200 converts the equipment status of the transport cart 100 into a status signal (basic status) that is compatible with the system SY and transmits it to the overall control device 300. In addition, the status of the positioning device 230 in the room, the driving mechanism for the irradiation angle, the shielding door, etc. are also transmitted to the overall control device 300 using the same unified basic status.

[0046] The overall control device 300 transmits the basic status of the treatment room equipment to the irradiation control system 310. This basic status may be different from the basic status transmitted from each device in the treatment room to the overall control device 300. The equipment that uses the treatment beam (e.g., irradiation system equipment and room equipment) manages each equipment individually and independently. On the other hand, the equipment that supplies the treatment beam (e.g., accelerator system and beam transport system equipment) cannot emit the beam unless it is consistent with other equipment. Therefore, the method of generating the status differs depending on the equipment, system, etc., and therefore depends on the configuration of the system SY.

[0047] (Example 1 of information exchange) (1) Positioning in the positioning chamber An example 1 of information exchange will be described below in accordance with a specific treatment flow. The general control devices 300 in each of the positioning room, treatment room, etc., obtain information about the treatment (patient information) for the patient receiving treatment that day from a treatment information management device 320 (see FIGS. 2(c) and 2(d)), such as a RIS (Radiology Information System) 340 or a treatment schedule management device 350. The patient, fixed to the tabletop 110 of the transport cart 100, is positioned in the positioning room so that the irradiation center determined in the treatment plan coincides with the isocenter of the room (patient positioning). In the positioning room, it is desirable that the position of the isocenter is the same as in the treatment room, and the equipment configuration in the positioning room may also be similar to that of the treatment room shown in FIG. 2(a). The patient loaded onto the transport cart 100 in the positioning room or another treatment room is fixed to the tabletop 110 using an appropriate fixture. When the transport section 130 of the transport cart 100 is fixed in a predetermined position and communication begins between the treatment table control device 200 and the transport cart 100, the equipment status of the transport cart 100 is converted to a basic status by the treatment table control device 200 and transmitted to the general control device 300 in the system SY in the positioning room. If there are no abnormalities in the status information of the transport cart 100, patient positioning can begin.

[0048] Before patient positioning begins, the positioning device 230 transmits the patient table coordinates associated with the patient information to the tabletop control unit 1032 via the treatment table control device 200. The "tabletop coordinates associated with the patient information" differ depending on the room in which the transport cart 100 is fixed. When fixed in a treatment room, the "tabletop coordinates associated with the patient information" are the patient-specific treatment position tabletop coordinates obtained when patient positioning is completed in the positioning room. Alternatively, for example, when the transport cart 100 is fixed in a CT room where CT scans for treatment planning are taken, the "tabletop coordinates" may be a pre-set tabletop coordinate position, such as a CT imaging position. When fixed in a positioning room, the "tabletop coordinates" may be the tabletop coordinate position obtained by adding the deviation of the isocenter, the irradiation center set by the planner in the treatment planning CT scan, from the center of the CT image to the tabletop coordinate position during treatment planning CT scan. Alternatively, the "tabletop coordinates associated with the patient information ... for the treatment beam at the same irradiation angle as in the previous treatment. The change unit 120 of the transport cart 100 reproduces the received tabletop coordinates from a predetermined position (the home position, described below), and patient positioning begins.

[0049] The positioning device 230 positions the tabletop 110 relative to the treatment center (isocenter). Specifically, the positioning device 230 compares a reference image of the patient's irradiation position with an X-ray image captured during patient positioning to calculate the amount of deviation and transmits the calculated amount of deviation to the treatment table control device 200 as a tabletop movement amount. The treatment table control device 200 transmits the tabletop movement amount to the tabletop control unit 1032. At this time, the amount of deviation calculated by the positioning device 230 is the amount of movement in the image coordinate system, so the treatment table control device 200 may recalculate the amount of movement in the room coordinate system and transmit it to the tabletop control unit 1032. Remote control can be performed using the treatment table operation button on the positioning device 230. However, if the amount of movement is too large and repeated inching operations are required, the positioning device 230 switches to movement from the local controller 400, the room operation unit 204, or the like. The positioning device 230 may not accept the amount of movement, or the treatment table control device 200 may switch to each control unit.

[0050] When the local controller 400 transmits the amount of top movement to the top control unit 1032, the top control unit 1032 controls the change unit 120 based on the received amount of top movement to move the top 110. After that, the top control unit 1032 returns the coordinate values ​​of the top 110 after movement to the local controller 400. The top control unit 1032 also returns the top coordinate values ​​to the treatment table control device 200.

[0051] On the other hand, when the indoor operation unit 204 or the positioning device 230 transmits the amount of top movement to the treatment table control device 200, the amount of top movement is transmitted to the top control unit 1032 via the treatment table control device 200. The top control unit 1032 moves the top 110 based on the received amount of top movement, and then returns the current top coordinate values ​​to the indoor operation unit 204 and the positioning device 230 via the treatment table control device 200.

[0052] By using the treatment table control device 200, no matter which input device in the system SY, such as the local controller 400, the positioning device 230, or the indoor operation unit 240, receives the tabletop movement amount and tabletop coordinates, the input amount is reflected in all input units and all input units can operate. As a result, the current tabletop position can be reflected in these output units. Therefore, depending on the structure of the treatment room (for example, the placement of the X-ray imaging device table and the indoor operation unit), it is possible to flexibly accommodate the operator's movement line and the treatment flow of each facility.

[0053] When transmitting the amount of tabletop movement from the indoor operation unit 204 or the positioning device 230, the coordinate system may differ from the coordinate system used by the tabletop control unit 1032. In this case, the treatment table control device 200 may convert the value into a value used by the tabletop control unit 1032 and transmit it to the tabletop control unit 1032.

[0054] When the movement of the tabletop 110 to the target coordinates (for example, the irradiation position of the treatment beam) is completed and the tabletop coordinate values ​​are returned from the tabletop control unit 1032 to the treatment table control device 200, the treatment table control device 200 notifies the overall control device 300 of the basic status (here, a notification indicating that the basic status has become "movement completed"). The overall control device 300 is, for example, a system that monitors all devices in the room. The overall control device 300 receives and monitors the status from the devices in the room so that each device can move on to the next operation, and if there are no problems, it can allow the device to move on to the next operation.

[0055] After the basic status becomes "movement complete," the positioning device 230 determines whether positioning to the irradiation position is complete. For example, the positioning device 230 moves the tabletop 110 to a predetermined position and then irradiates X-rays to confirm the position. If the deviation from the reference image is within the tolerance, the operator presses the positioning completion button, and a positioning completion signal is transmitted to the overall control device 300. If the deviation is outside the tolerance, the operator manually or the positioning device 230 automatically controls the change unit 120 to adjust the position so that the deviation falls within the tolerance. The positioning completion signal corresponds to a basic status notification. That is, a notification indicating that the basic status has become "positioning complete" is transmitted to the overall control device 300 as the positioning completion signal. The positioning device 230 performs a final image check and determines whether to complete the patient positioning operation. The positioning completion button is part of the positioning device 230, but may be an independent system. At this time, the positioning completion signal may be transmitted via the treatment table control device 200.

[0056] Here, the basic statuses "movement complete" and "positioning complete" will be explained again. "Movement complete" refers to the state in which the positioning device 230 has finished moving the tabletop 110 to the target coordinate position. "Positioning complete" refers to the state in which the amount of deviation from the reference position has been checked in the "movement complete" state, and it has been confirmed that the deviation between the actual position of the tabletop 110 and the reference position is within the tolerance.

[0057] (2) Positioning in the treatment room The positioning device 230 transmits the tabletop coordinates at the time of completion of positioning in the positioning room as treatment position tabletop coordinates, linked to the patient information, to the treatment information management device 320. When the change unit 120 of the transport cart 100 returns from the treatment position tabletop coordinates to a predetermined position (a home position, described later), the transport unit 130 is released from its fixed position, and the transport cart 100 becomes movable. The transport cart 100 then transports the patient toward the treatment room where treatment will be performed. The treatment information management device 320 transmits the treatment position tabletop coordinates to the positioning device 230 in the treatment room. When the transport cart 100 arrives at the treatment room and the transport unit 130 is fixed in a predetermined position, it starts communication with the treatment couch control device 200 in the treatment room. The treatment couch control device 200 then transmits the treatment position tabletop coordinates to the tabletop control unit 1032 of the transport cart 100, and the change unit 120 recreates the treatment position of the tabletop 110. 2(c) shows an example in which there are multiple positioning rooms and treatment rooms. In this example, after the patient is positioned in positioning room B, the transport cart 100 is transported to treatment room A.

[0058] In the treatment room, the recreated treatment position is finally checked. The method used for this check may be image check using an X-ray imaging device with the same configuration as in the positioning room, or a simple check of the position information on the body surface. Alternatively, a simple check combining these may be performed, followed by detailed checks using X-ray images, if necessary. If the treatment position is clinically unacceptable due to a change in the patient's condition during transport, the patient positioning work performed in the positioning room is performed again. Once the treatment position tabletop coordinates have been finally determined, a "positioning complete" message is sent to the general control device 300.

[0059] (3) Initiation of treatment When all the room devices are ready, the central control device 300 transmits a basic status notification to the irradiation control system 310 indicating that the treatment room is ready. The irradiation control system 310 is a system for controlling the accelerator and beam transport system devices, and may be composed of one or more control devices. The devices constituting the irradiation control system 310 may include, for example, components corresponding to the interface unit 301, memory unit 302, and control unit 303 of the central control device 300. The irradiation control system 310 may be capable of communicating with multiple central control devices 300 corresponding to multiple treatment rooms, respectively, and can receive the status of each treatment room as a basic status notification.

[0060] For example, when the irradiation control system 310 receives the basic status notification indicating the above-mentioned "positioning completed" and confirms that the accelerator and beam transport system are ready, it starts irradiation control of the treatment beam in the treatment room corresponding to the overall control device 300 that sent the basic status notification.

[0061] In this embodiment, an "equipment status notification" is sent from the transport cart 100 to the treatment table control device 200. In addition, a "basic status notification" is sent from the treatment table control device 200 and the positioning device 230 to the overall control device 300, and from the overall control device 300 to the irradiation control system 310. In this embodiment, the "equipment status notification" notifies the status of the device in more detail than the "basic status notification."

[0062] For example, the transport cart 100 notifies the treatment table control device 200 of the current stage of preparation for treatment beam irradiation, or, if an error has occurred, the specific details of the error, as detailed equipment status. This allows the treatment table control device 200 to grasp the status of the transport cart 100 in more detail. On the other hand, the treatment table control device 200 notifies the overall control device 300 of basic status with a granularity that allows the user to determine whether the treatment beam is ready to be irradiated, such as "top moving," "top movement completed," or "error occurring."

[0063] In other words, the treatment table control device 200 generates a basic status as information that can be shared with the overall control device 300 based on the equipment status received from the transport cart 100. With this configuration, for example, when incorporating the transport cart 100 into an existing treatment system, the treatment table control device 200 can be updated so that the "equipment status" can be converted to the "basic status" in the treatment table control device 200. Therefore, the positioning device 230, the overall control device 300, and the irradiation control system 310 do not need to be configured to be able to receive the "equipment status notification," making it easy to incorporate the transport cart 100 into an existing treatment system. Furthermore, even when the transport cart 100 is used in a new medical system, information can be shared using a simple basic status notification except between the transport cart 100 and the treatment table control device 200, simplifying information exchange throughout the system.

[0064] (Example 2 of information exchange) Generally, patient positioning takes several minutes to several tens of minutes, accounting for the majority of treatment time. Treatment time, on the other hand, is completed in about one minute. Long-term patient positioning not only places a significant psychological burden on patients, but also increases the time each patient occupies a treatment room, which in turn hinders an increase in the number of patients receiving treatment and increases the burden on medical staff. Therefore, by installing multiple positioning rooms and treatment rooms and using multiple transport carts 100, patient positioning can be performed in the positioning rooms, and treatment can begin simply by transporting the patient to the treatment room and confirming the correct treatment position, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the treatment rooms.

[0065] When the transport cart is fixed to a room, deviation of the fixed position of the transport cart 100 may occur due to the fitting member 137c of the transport cart that fits into the receiving portion 225 of the room (see Figures 8 and 9). The fixing method will be described later, but by adopting a fixing method that has good reproducibility of the fixed position and correcting the deviation amount in advance, it is possible to reproduce the treatment position tabletop coordinates in the specified treatment room regardless of the room in which the transport cart 100 is positioned for the patient.

[0066] If the amount of deviation between rooms is not taken into consideration, for example, after the transport cart 100 is fixed in a predetermined position, it moves from the home position to the isocenter position of the transport cart 100, and then moves to the treatment position tabletop coordinates transmitted from the overall control device 300 in the positioning room to the overall control device 300 in the treatment room via the treatment information management device 320. At this time, the isocenter position of the transport cart 100 is a position where, for a specific transport cart 100 and its tabletop 110, a specific position of the tabletop 110 (for example, a predetermined position on the long axis on the tabletop, or a point indicated by an alignment device mounted on the tabletop) coincides with the isocenter of the room.

[0067] On the other hand, when the amount of deviation between rooms is taken into consideration, the top 110 moves from the home position to the isocenter position of the transport cart 100, and then moves to the treatment position top coordinates that take into account the amount of correction between rooms. At this time, the amount of correction is saved in the treatment table control device 200 or the memory unit of the transport cart 100, and the amount of correction is taken into account only when moving via the isocenter position of the transport cart 100. After the top position coordinates in the other room are reproduced, it is determined on the image whether the amount of deviation is below the allowable value until the treatment position is determined, and the top is moved repeatedly, so there is no need to consider the amount of correction.

[0068] For example, the memory unit 202 of the treatment table control device 200 stores the amount of deviation from the reference fixed position for each room as a table, as shown in Table 1. Also, for example, the memory unit 202 stores the amount of deviation from the reference fixed position for each transport cart 100 as a table, as shown in Table 2. The treatment table control device 200 receives an ID that identifies the fixed transport cart 100 from the transport cart 100, and obtains information from a higher-level device about which positioning room the cart has been positioned in. Therefore, the treatment table control device 200 can make appropriate corrections taking into account the amount of deviation between the fixed positions of the positioning room and the treatment room, and transmit the treatment position tabletop coordinates to the input / output unit of the system SY.

[0069] [Table 1]

[0070] [Table 2]

[0071] In this embodiment, the storage unit 202 of the treatment couch control device 200 has the table as described above, but the transport couch 100 may have information about the amount of deviation. For example, consider a case where the transport couch 100 (transport couch a) performs positioning in the positioning room 1 and then performs treatment in the treatment room 1. The transport couch 100 (transport couch a) stores in advance information about the amount of deviation from the reference value (ΔXa, ΔYa, ΔZa, Δψa, Δφa, Δθa) caused by itself, and information corresponding to the table shown in Table 1 above. When the transport couch 100 performs positioning for treatment in the treatment room 1, it transfers the information about the amount of deviation (ΔXa, ΔYa, ΔZa, Δψa, Δφa, Δθa) that it has stored in advance and information about the amount of deviation in the positioning room 1 (ΔX1, ΔY1, ΔZ1, Δψ1, Δφ1, Δθ1) to the treatment couch control device 200 in the treatment room 1. Based on the received information, the treatment couch control device 200 in the treatment room 1 can correct the target position of the tabletop 110, taking into account the deviation between the positioning chamber and the fixed position in the treatment room. Alternatively, the transport cart 100 may receive information on the deviation amount (ΔX1, ΔY1, ΔZ1, Δψ1, Δφ1, Δθ1) from the reference value in the positioning chamber 1 from the treatment couch control device in the positioning chamber 1 when positioning is performed in the positioning chamber 1, rather than pre-storing information corresponding to the table shown in Table 1 above. Therefore, the treatment couch control device 200 can make appropriate corrections taking into account the deviation between the positioning chamber and the fixed position in the treatment room, and transmit the treatment position tabletop coordinates to the input / output unit of the system SY. The "reference value" here refers to a coordinate value that does not deviate when an ideal transport cart is fixed in the room according to the design drawings, using the ideal fitting member 137c of the transport cart that fits into the receiving part 225 of the ideal room according to the design drawings.

[0072] The method for determining the reference is set for each facility. In addition to the ideal reference position described above, the reference may be the isocenter of the room or the reference coordinates of the room. When measuring the amount of deviation relative to the receiver 225 of the room, the deviation may be measured by installing a QA device relative to the receiver 225 and imaging the target QA device with an X-ray imaging device aligned with the isocenter of the room. Alternatively, the deviation may be obtained by measuring the position of the target QA device or the receiver 225 of the room relative to the reference coordinates of the room using an optical measuring device. The deviation of the fitting member 137c of the transport vehicle may also be measured in a similar manner using a common QA device having the receiver 225. Alternatively, the deviation of each transport vehicle 100 from its fixed position in each room may be measured using a QA device or an optical measuring device to measure the deviation from the isocenter or the reference coordinates of the room. The table in the storage unit can be registered or updated after confirming the reproducibility of the fixed position by measuring during commissioning at the time of installation at the facility, during annual regular inspections, or by taking new measurements due to aging or component replacement. In addition, the treatment top coordinate position after positioning in the positioning room can be marked as corrected, and the corrected treatment top coordinate position can be sent to the treatment information management device 320, allowing only correction to be performed in the treatment room, simplifying management.

[0073] If the amount of deviation between rooms or the amount of deviation related to the specific fixation of multiple transport carts is not taken into consideration, it becomes difficult to seamlessly reproduce the treatment tabletop coordinate position positioned in the positioning room in the treatment room. Because these deviations are systematic errors, it is possible for the operator to correct them via the input unit, but this takes time and effort and there is a risk of inputting incorrect values. Therefore, by correcting them automatically without human intervention, treatment can be performed efficiently regardless of the combination of rooms or transport carts.

[0074] (Example 3 of information exchange) When there are multiple transport vehicles, if the destination is determined based on the experience of medical personnel when transporting patients from the positioning room to the treatment room, the rooms may not be used efficiently. This is because treatment times for patients do not all require the same fixed amount of time; treatment times vary depending on the patient's case and condition on that day. Therefore, for example, by combining the treatment schedule management device 350 shown in Patent No. 6632015 with the transport vehicle 100, room utilization efficiency can be further improved.

[0075] The treatment schedule management device 350 predicts treatment times for each patient using a prediction model of symptoms and conditions similar to those of patients being treated that day, and can create a treatment schedule for each room for that day. It also has the function of re-predicting treatment times and updating the treatment schedule as needed, even if treatment delays occur during treatment due to problems such as a change in the patient's condition or equipment failure. Meanwhile, the operation of multiple transport vehicles is monitored by the transport vehicle control device 330, which constantly transmits to the transport vehicle control device 330 via wireless communication the location of each transport vehicle within the system SY, along with its ID. Therefore, the treatment schedule management device 350 can re-predict treatment times as needed based on the patients admitted, their condition for that day, the location of each positioning room transmitted from the transport vehicle, and the utilization status of each treatment room (elapsed time, etc.), update the treatment schedule, and instruct the transport vehicle 100 to a destination that will reduce the gap in each room. In this case, if it is difficult to incorporate it into the LAN within the system SY, it is easier to introduce it by separately providing a network such as a wireless LAN 360 (not shown) between the transport vehicle control device 330 and each transport vehicle 100. The treatment schedule management device 350 on the LAN within the system SY may be connected via a gateway, and the transport control unit 1031 of the transport vehicle 100 may acquire the next destination from the treatment schedule management device 350 over the wireless LAN 360.

[0076] FIG. 2(d) shows an example in which a treatment schedule management device 350 and a transport cart control device 330 are further incorporated into the system SY incorporating the transport cart. Here, the treatment information management device 320 is, for example, composed of a RIS 340 and the treatment schedule management device 350. A treatment control system 370 (not shown) may be present, connecting the treatment information management device 320, which is a storage device for treatment-related data (images, patient information, etc.), to the system SY. The schedule management device updates the room allocation with the most efficient utilization based on the room usage status (e.g., positioning completion, irradiation completion) obtained from the RIS 340. The transport control unit 1031 of each transport cart is triggered by an action such as the release of the cart from the room, and proceeds to obtain the next destination. For example, after the positioning of a patient on transport cart C in positioning room A is completed, the treatment schedule management device 350 determines the usage status of each treatment room and selects treatment room B as the next destination. The treatment position table coordinates, once positioned in positioning room A, are transmitted from the positioning device 230 to the RIS 340. When the transport unit is released, the transport control unit 1031 of transport vehicle C obtains the destination from the transport vehicle command device 330 or the treatment schedule management device 350, and transport vehicle C moves toward treatment room B. When patient information is registered in treatment room B, the treatment position top coordinates are sent to the positioning device 230 in treatment room B. Therefore, when transport vehicle C is fixed to treatment room B, the top control unit 1032 of transport vehicle C obtains the amount of top movement through the treatment couch control device 200 in treatment room B, and the treatment position top coordinates can be reproduced. Meanwhile, in positioning room B, the patient on transport vehicle B is being positioned, and the transport vehicle command device 330 receives the operating position of transport vehicle B (located in positioning room B). In order to start treatment for the next patient, available transport vehicle A obtains available positioning room A from the treatment schedule management device 350 as its destination and begins moving. Therefore, a treatment schedule management device that can reduce the idle time in each room and schedule each room to perform treatment that optimizes the utilization efficiency of the treatment room, and a patient positioning flow that uses a transport cart that allows patient positioning to be performed outside the treatment room, can contribute to more efficient treatment time.

[0077] <Control example> (Communication control of transport vehicles) 3 is a flowchart showing an example of control by the control unit 103 of the transporting cart 100. Specifically, this flowchart shows an example of control by the transport control unit 1031 and the tabletop control unit 1032 after the transporting cart 100 reaches the fixing position and the fixing operation of the transport unit 130 is started, until wireless communication is established between the transporting cart 100 and the treatment table control device 200.

[0078] In step S101 (hereinafter simply referred to as S101, and the same applies to other steps), the transport control unit 1031 performs a fixing operation. Thereafter, the transport control unit 1031 sets a bit indicating the result after the fixing operation. In S102, the tabletop control unit 1032 checks information regarding the fixing state of the transport cart 100. Specifically, the tabletop control unit 1032 checks whether the information indicates that the transport cart 100 is fixed to a predetermined fixing position by a predetermined fixing operation, or whether the fixation to the predetermined fixing position is released. In this embodiment, the information regarding the fixing state is held by the transport control unit 1031, and the tabletop control unit 1032 checks, for example, a shared memory for the information regarding the fixing state from the transport control unit 1031. The predetermined fixing position may be, for example, a predetermined position determined in an area controlled by the treatment table control device 200.

[0079] If the transport vehicle 100 is properly fixed at the predetermined fixed position in S102, the process proceeds to S103, where the transport control unit 1031 and the table control unit 1032 establish communication with the upper control device (treatment table control device 200). Once communication is established, the table control unit 1032 can receive operation instructions for the change unit 120 from not only the local controller 400 but also the input units of the system SY (such as the positioning device 230 and the indoor operation unit 204) (S104). For example, the table control unit 1032 establishes wireless communication with the treatment table control device 200 via the interface unit 101. In this embodiment, the establishment of wireless communication between the transport vehicle 100 and the treatment table control device 200 allows the interface unit 101 of the transport vehicle 100 to receive operation instructions for the operation of the transport vehicle 100 from the treatment table control device 200. In other words, the transport vehicle 100 can operate under the above-mentioned upper control.

[0080] If the transport vehicle 100 is not properly secured in the predetermined position, the process proceeds to S105, where an error message is displayed on the local controller or the like. At this time, since the transport vehicle 100 is locally controlled and does not communicate with the system SY, no notification is sent to the output unit of the indoor device (such as the indoor panel or the display unit in the patient positioning app of the positioning device 230). In S106, only the transport control unit can receive operational instructions. In S107, a determination is made as to whether recovery is possible, but this determination may be made by the operator. If recovery is possible, such as if the transport vehicle 100 can be properly re-secured in the fixed position by manual operation or if the transport vehicle 100 is secured in the correct position over time, the error is cleared (S108), and the transport control unit 1031 sets a bit indicating the secured state by resetting the securing operation (S109), and repeats the flow (S101). If recovery is not possible, such as if the fitting member cannot be fully protruded or the vehicle body is floating (S107: No), the process is forcibly terminated.

[0081] As described above, when the transporting vehicle 100 is fixed at a predetermined fixed position, it becomes possible to perform upper-level control of the transporting vehicle 100. In other words, when the transporting vehicle 100 is fixed at a predetermined fixed position, the interface unit 101 of the transporting vehicle 100 becomes able to receive operation instructions related to the operation of the transporting vehicle 100 from a higher-level device. This also allows the transporting vehicle 100 to operate under local control when it is not fixed at a predetermined fixed position. Therefore, the transporting vehicle 100 is disconnected from the higher-level device during transportation and driven under local control. On the other hand, when the transporting vehicle 100 is fixed at a predetermined fixed position, it operates under either local control or upper-level control.

[0082] This allows for easy integration of the transport vehicle 100 into a system at a medical site when it is introduced thereto. Specifically, because the movement of the transport vehicle 100 between rooms is controlled locally, there is no need to establish a system for managing or remotely controlling the transport vehicle 100. Furthermore, communication between the host device and the transport vehicle 100 is established when the transport vehicle 100 is secured to a predetermined fixed position, such as a treatment table. This allows the transport vehicle 100 to be automatically integrated into the system at the required timing. In other words, a smooth transition from local control to host control can be achieved. Furthermore, in this embodiment, communication is established between the treatment table control device 200 and the transport vehicle 100. Therefore, since the transport vehicle 100 does not directly communicate with a higher-level device, the transport vehicle 100 can be introduced by converting signals defined within the system SY so that the treatment table control device 200 can support the transport vehicle 100. Therefore, the transport vehicle 100 can be more easily introduced into an existing system at a later time.

[0083] According to the flowchart in Fig. 3, the treatment table control device 200 is triggered when the transport vehicle 100 is normally fixed at a predetermined position, and starts wireless communication only with that transport vehicle 100, so even if a transport vehicle 100 other than the transport vehicle 100 enters the room, wireless communication will not be established with multiple transport vehicles 100 at the same time. This makes it possible to establish wireless communication only with the transport vehicle 100 fixed at the predetermined fixed position.

[0084] (Exclusive control of transport vehicles) In this embodiment, in the local control, the transport control unit 1031 and the top board control unit 1032 exclusively control the operations of the transport unit 130 and the change unit 120.

[0085] Specifically, only when the tabletop 110 is in the home position, can the fixed state of the transport unit 130 be released and the transport cart 100 be moved by the transport unit 130. Here, the home position is a position of the tabletop 110 where the arm 121 of the change unit 120 is folded on the base 131 and the center of gravity is stable. Also, only when the transport unit 130 is in the fixed state can the change unit 120 change the posture of the tabletop 110.

[0086] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control by the control unit 103 of the transporting vehicle 100. Specifically, this is a flow in which the transporting unit 130 is released from its fixed position and the transporting vehicle 100 starts transporting.

[0087] In S201, the tabletop 110 moves to the home position in response to an instruction from the input unit (local controller 400, positioning device 230, indoor operation unit 204, etc.).

[0088] In S202, the tabletop control unit 1032 sets a bit indicating the position of the tabletop 110. The transport control unit 1031 checks the status of the change unit 120 by referring to the shared memory of the storage unit 102. Information relating to the position of the tabletop 110 includes coordinate information of the tabletop 110 or the name of the position such as the home position or boarding / exiting position, but here it is only whether or not it is the home position.

[0089] In S203, if it is determined based on the information confirmed in S202 that the tabletop 110 is in the home position, the transport control unit 1031 becomes able to accept operation instructions regarding the transport unit 130, and the process proceeds to S204; if not, the process proceeds to S206.

[0090] In S204, the transport control unit 1031 receives an operation instruction for releasing the fixation from the local controller 400. In S205, the transport control unit 1031 operates the transport unit 130 based on the received operation instruction.

[0091] In S206, the transport control unit 1031 notifies that the top 110 has not reached the home position. For example, the transport control unit 1031 transmits an instruction via the interface unit 101 to cause an output unit (such as an indoor panel or a display portion in the patient positioning app of the positioning device 230) to display a message such as "The top is not located at the home position, so transport operation cannot be performed."

[0092] In S207, only the tabletop control unit 1032 is in a state where it can accept operation instructions, so the tabletop 110 can be moved to the home position in response to an instruction from an input unit (such as the local controller 400, the positioning device 230, or the indoor operation unit 204). In S208, the tabletop 110 is moved to the home position in response to an instruction to move the tabletop, and the process returns to S201 and repeats the flow.

[0093] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of control by the control unit 103 of the transporting cart 100. Specifically, this is a flow in which the change unit 120 starts moving the tabletop after the transporting unit 130 is normally fixed at a predetermined position and communication between the transporting cart 100 and the treatment table control device 200 is started.

[0094] 3 starts, in S301, the tabletop control unit 1032 checks the state of the transport unit 130. For example, the tabletop control unit 1032 checks the information on the fixed state of the transport unit 130 by referring to the shared memory of the storage unit 102.

[0095] In S302, if the tabletop control unit 1032 determines that the transport unit 130 is in a fixed state based on the information confirmed in S301, the tabletop control unit 1032 proceeds to S303, where the tabletop control unit 1032 becomes able to accept instructions from the input unit (the local controller 400, the positioning device 230, the indoor operation unit 204, etc.). If not, the tabletop control unit 1032 proceeds to S306.

[0096] When an instruction to move the top is received in S304, the top control unit 1032 operates the change unit 120 based on the operation instruction in S305.

[0097] In S306, the top control unit 1032 notifies the local controller 400 that the fixation state is not normal. For example, the top control unit 1032 sends an instruction to the local controller 400 via the interface unit 101 to display a message such as "The transport unit is not fixed, so the posture of the top cannot be changed" on the display unit or the like of the local controller 400.

[0098] In S307, only the transport control unit 1031 is able to accept operation instructions. In S104, once the tray is fixed, the transport control unit 1031 transmits the fixed state and the top plate control unit 1032 transmits the home position status to the upper control device as statuses. However, if an abnormality occurs in the fixing state for some reason, in S308, it is determined that the tray can be manually re-fixed to the correct fixed position, and if recovery is possible, the error is cleared (S309). On the other hand, if recovery is not expected, the process is forced to terminate. After that, by resetting the operation instructions (S310), the transport control unit 1031 is able to check information about the fixing state again (S301).

[0099] According to the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 and 5, the transport control unit 1031 and the top board control unit 1032 can exclusively perform the operations of the transport unit 130 and the change unit 120 while mutually monitoring the control states.

[0100] (Example of irradiation control) Once wireless communication is established between the treatment table control device 200 and the transport cart 100 in the treatment room, patient positioning in the treatment room is performed. At this time, the treatment position table coordinates in the positioning room are reproduced in the treatment room, and if there are no problems with the treatment position, the positioning complete button is pressed.

[0101] FIG. 6(a) is a flowchart showing an example of control by the irradiation control system 310 from when the positioning completion button is pressed until preparation for irradiation is completed.

[0102] After the positioning completion button is pressed, the control unit 303 of the overall control device 300 operates as follows: The control unit 303 receives the basic status of the devices in the treatment room, including the positioning device 230. At this time, the transport cart 100 transmits its basic status to the overall control device 300 via the treatment table control device 200, and the other devices also transmit their basic status to the overall control device 300 via the control unit or the like. Based on the received status of each device, the control unit 303 checks whether each device in the treatment room is ready and has no abnormalities. If all devices in the treatment room are properly prepared, the control unit 303 transmits a basic status indicating that irradiation preparation is complete to the irradiation control system 310. If even one device is not yet ready, the control unit 303 transmits a status indicating that irradiation preparation is not yet complete (abnormal) to the irradiation control system 310. The control unit 303 repeats this check and does not consider the irradiation preparation to be complete until the problem is resolved. Preparation of other devices includes, for example, preparation of an X-ray imaging device, an irradiation angle drive mechanism, a shielding door, etc. Furthermore, the control unit 303 may issue an error notification if the device remains in an incomplete state for a predetermined time. If an abnormality occurs, the device will not be ready for irradiation until the abnormality is resolved and the device returns to normal.

[0103] After the positioning completion button is pressed, the irradiation control system 310 receives the basic status of the devices (accelerator and beam transport system) in the system as appropriate. If the basic status of all the devices in the system is normal (ready), the irradiation control system 310 sets the status of the irradiation control system 310 as normal (ready).

[0104] In S401, the irradiation control system 310 checks whether the status of the overall control device 300 is normal and whether the status of the devices within the irradiation control system 310 is normal. If both statuses are normal, the irradiation control system 310 proceeds to S402; if not, it repeats the check in S401.

[0105] When both the basic status transmitted from the central control device 300, indicating that all devices in the treatment room are ready for irradiation, and the basic status indicating that all devices in the accelerator and beam transport system related to the irradiation of the treatment beam are ready for irradiation, are satisfied (logical AND) (S401: Yes), the patient selected for treatment in that treatment room is ready for irradiation (S402). Note that the beam is assigned to the next treatment room at the same time as the irradiation in the previous treatment room ends, and preparation of the accelerator and beam transport system devices begins at that time. Therefore, the timing of preparation of the devices in the treatment room and preparation of the accelerator and beam transport system devices may differ or start simultaneously. Furthermore, if either of the basic statuses is not normal (S401: No), an error message is displayed on the display of the central control device or the irradiation control system (S403). If recovery is possible through manual operation or other means in S404, the error is cleared (S405), and the process is reset (S406). The process returns to the flow of checking the status of the central control device and the irradiation control system. If recovery is not expected in S404, the irradiation preparation is forcibly terminated.

[0106] When irradiation preparation is complete, for example, pressing an irradiation start button starts irradiation control of the treatment beam. Fig. 6(b) is a flowchart showing an example of control by the irradiation control system 310 from pressing the irradiation start button to completing irradiation. For example, when the irradiation start button is pressed, the irradiation control system 310 sends an extraction request to the treatment beam supply device, a treatment beam extraction permission signal is generated, the treatment beam is extracted, and irradiation of the treatment beam to the isocenter O begins.

[0107] While the flowchart of FIG. 6(b) is being executed, the control unit 303 of the overall control device 300 operates as follows. The control unit 303 of the overall control device 300 receives the basic status of the devices in the treatment room even during irradiation of the treatment beam. For example, the equipment status of the transport cart 100 is continuously transmitted to the overall control device 300 via the treatment table control device 200. The control unit 303 checks whether the received basic status includes an abnormality and, if so, the severity of the abnormality. In this embodiment, the treatment table control device 200 determines the severity of the abnormality occurring in the transport cart 100 based on the equipment status of the transport cart 100. The basic status transmitted from the treatment table control device 200 to the overall control device 300 includes a signal indicating the severity of an abnormality occurring in the transport cart 100. The control unit 303 transmits the basic status to the irradiation control system 310. Here, if the basic status received from the control device of each device includes a signal indicating a severe abnormality, the control unit 303 transmits a severe abnormality signal as the basic status to the irradiation control system 310. On the other hand, if no serious abnormality is confirmed, the control unit 303 transmits a signal indicating normality or a signal indicating a minor or moderate abnormality as the basic status. Note that, since a minor or moderate abnormality does not particularly affect the control of the irradiation control system 310, the control unit 303 may transmit a signal indicating normality to the irradiation control system 310.

[0108] Irradiation from the irradiation device must be performed safely, so irradiation control is performed, for example, as follows: First, the irradiation control system 310 starts irradiation in response to pressing of an irradiation start button. While irradiation control is being performed, the irradiation control system 310 receives basic status information from the accelerator and beam transport system devices and the control unit 303.

[0109] In S501, the irradiation control system 310 checks whether the status of the overall control device 300 and the status of the devices within the irradiation control system 310 are normal. If both statuses are normal, the irradiation control system 310 proceeds to S502; otherwise, it proceeds to S505. For example, if the basic status transmitted from the control device of each device contains a signal indicating a serious abnormality, the irradiation control system 310 proceeds to S505, turns off the irradiation permission, and suspends the irradiation. Specifically, the irradiation control system 310 transmits an irradiation request OFF signal to the accelerator control unit, and irradiation is halted. The same applies to abnormalities in indoor devices; if the basic status received from the control unit 303 contains a signal indicating a serious abnormality, irradiation is halted in S505. Although not shown, a flow for directly stopping the beam from the interlock system may be provided.

[0110] If neither the basic status received from the overall control device 300 nor the basic status received from the accelerator / beam transport system contains a signal indicating the occurrence of a serious abnormality (logical AND) (S501: Yes), the irradiation control system 310 continues irradiation in S502. If the beam irradiation has completed in S503, the irradiation control system 310 proceeds to S504; if not, it returns to S501 and continues checking the status until the irradiation is completed. In S504, the irradiation control system 310 performs irradiation completion processing. For example, the irradiation control system 310 sends a signal indicating that the beam irradiation in the target treatment room has been completed to each device.

[0111] If the transport carriage 100 is released from its fixed position during irradiation or the tabletop 110 moves from the irradiation position, for example, the interlock information in the shared memory of the storage unit 102 of the transport carriage 100 may be sent to the treatment table control device 200 as an abnormality signal indicating an excess of a tolerance. Based on this abnormality signal, the treatment table control device 200 determines the severity of the abnormality. If the abnormality signal is a severe abnormality, the treatment table control device 200 sends an interlock signal to the interlock system, immediately suspending irradiation. Serious abnormalities include the above-mentioned cases where the transport carriage 100 is released from its fixed position during irradiation or where the tabletop 110 moves from the irradiation position. The interlock will not be released until the cause of the abnormality is resolved and the device is reset. On the other hand, in the case of a moderate or mild abnormality, irradiation can be continued. For example, an abnormality that allows irradiation to continue (i.e., a moderate or mild abnormality) is when the remaining battery power falls below the warning level. In this case, irradiation continues with only a message (or status). That is, in the case of a moderate or minor abnormality, the status of the irradiation control system 310 may be considered normal in the determination of S501.

[0112] Even in the case of a severe abnormality, treatment must be resumed as quickly as possible to ensure uniformity of the irradiation field. Therefore, in S506, a determination is made as to whether recovery from the abnormal state is possible. If recovery from the abnormal state is achieved and the interlock is released in S507, a reset process is performed (S508), and irradiation resumes in S509. The irradiation control system monitors the device status during irradiation (S501). These monitoring functions ensure that the treatment beam is not irradiated to a location other than the target tumor location due to changes in the tabletop position. Even if irradiation is interrupted, the continuity of irradiation is maintained as much as possible, ensuring the safety of irradiation. Furthermore, in the case of a minor abnormality, irradiation continues without interruption, preventing prolonged patient restraint and reducing patient burden. While the case where the status from the central control device 300 indicates an abnormality has been described here, the same applies when an abnormality occurs in a device monitored by the irradiation control system 310.

[0113] In this way, the general control device 300 and the irradiation control system 310, which are higher-level devices than the treatment unit control device 200, manage the irradiation timing of the treatment beam according to the status of other devices.

[0114] In the above description, when an abnormality occurs in the treatment room, an abnormality signal is included in the basic status transmitted from the control unit 303 to the irradiation control system 310. However, the basic status may not be transmitted from the control unit 303 (or another device) to the irradiation control system 310 while the normal state continues, and an abnormality signal may be transmitted to the irradiation control system 310 when a serious abnormality occurs.

[0115] As described above, according to this embodiment, the irradiation control system 310 enables irradiation of a radiotherapy beam when at least one condition is met that the basic status indicates that the treatment room to which the transport vehicle 100 is fixed is ready (FIG. 6(a)). In addition, the irradiation control system 310 restricts irradiation of a radiotherapy beam when at least one condition is met that the status of the treatment room to which the transport vehicle 100 is fixed has changed from a status indicating that irradiation of a radiotherapy beam is possible to a status indicating that irradiation is not permitted (for example, the occurrence of a serious abnormality) (FIG. 6(b)).

[0116] [Transport cart 100] <Configuration> Next, a specific configuration of the platform vehicle 100 will be described. Fig. 7(a) is a front view of the platform vehicle 100, and Fig. 7(b) is a plan view of the platform vehicle 100.

[0117] The transport vehicle 100 includes a tabletop 110 on which a patient is placed, a changing unit 120 that changes the position of the tabletop 110, and a transport unit 130 that transports the patient placed on the tabletop 110.

[0118] (Tabletop 110) The tabletop 110 is equipped with fixtures (not shown) for fixing the patient's body. For example, the fixtures include a device for fixing the patient's head, a device for fixing the patient's limbs, a device for fixing the patient's torso, and / or a cushion material formed to fit the shape of the patient's body. The tabletop 110 may be configured so that a portion of the tabletop 110, such as the portion corresponding to the patient's head, legs, and / or torso, can be tilted. The tabletop 110 may also be provided with a breathing hole or the like so that the patient can be fixed even when lying face down on the tabletop 110. Depending on the irradiation area, a partial tabletop shaped to prevent interference between the tabletop and the beam may be attached.

[0119] (Modification section 120) The changer 120 includes an arm 121 , a three-axis rotation mechanism 122 , a vertical rotation mechanism 123 , a horizontal rotation mechanism 124 , and a slide mechanism 125 .

[0120] The arm 121 is driven by a vertical rotation mechanism 123, a horizontal rotation mechanism 124, and a slide mechanism 125 to move the top plate 110. A three-axis rotation mechanism 122 is provided between the arm 121 and the top plate 110. In addition, the vertical rotation mechanism 123, the horizontal rotation mechanism 124, and the slide mechanism 125 are provided between the arm 121 and the transport unit 130.

[0121] In one embodiment, the arm 121 is a robot arm with a parallel link mechanism. In this case, the three-axis rotation mechanism 122 connected to the tip of the arm 121 can be mechanically kept horizontal. That is, opposing links of the parallel linkages constituting the arm 121 are of equal length, and the arm 121 always rotates while maintaining symmetry. Therefore, even when the arm 121 is rotated by the vertical rotation mechanism 123 and its height changes, the three-axis rotation mechanism 122 connected to the tip of the arm 121 can be kept horizontal. Note that in this embodiment, the arm 121 is not an arm in which multiple links of a predetermined length are connected in series, such as an arm having an upper arm and a forearm, but is composed of only one link in the series direction. Furthermore, the arm 121 does not have to be a parallel linkage.

[0122] The three-axis rotation mechanism 122 adjusts the angle of the tabletop 110 at the tip of the arm 121. The three-axis rotation mechanism 122 can rotate the tabletop 110 around the left-right axis (pitch), the long axis (roll), and the up-down axis (yaw).

[0123] The vertical rotation mechanism 123 rotates the arm 121 around a horizontal axis so that the arm 121 moves in a vertical direction. The vertical rotation mechanism 123 is connected to the end of the arm 121 opposite to the end connected to the three-axis rotation mechanism 122. The horizontal rotation mechanism 124 rotates the arm 121 around the vertical axis. The slide mechanism 125 translates the arm 121 in the longitudinal direction of the tabletop 110.

[0124] (Transport unit 130) The transport unit 130 transports a patient placed on the tabletop 110. The transport unit 130 has sufficient space to accommodate not only various devices related to transport but also the changing unit 120, its connecting units, and devices related to the changing unit 120. For example, the transport unit 130 includes a base 131 on which the changing unit 120 is provided, a plurality of wheels 132 attached to the base 131, a tabletop control unit 1032 and a transport control unit 1031 placed within the base 131, one or more sensors 136 provided therein, and a fixing mechanism 137 provided on the base 131. The tabletop control unit 1032 and the transport control unit 1031 are as described above. For example, the tabletop control unit 1032 and the transport control unit 1031 are accommodated in an accommodation space 131a provided in the base 131. A battery 140 for driving the changing unit 120 and the transport unit 130 is provided in the accommodation space 131a. In this embodiment, instead of providing a battery for each of the changing unit 120 and the transport unit 130, both units share the battery 140. This makes it possible to reduce the space required to accommodate the battery.

[0125] (Fixing mechanism 137) Figures 8(a) to 8(c) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the fixing mechanism 137. Figure 9(a) is a partial enlarged view of the dashed line portion of Figure 8(b), and Figure 9(b) is a partial enlarged view of the dashed line portion of Figure 8(c).

[0126] The fixing mechanism 137 is a mechanism for fixing the position of the transport unit 130 by engaging with a receiving portion 225, which is an example of an engaging portion, provided on the floor of the radiation therapy room and the positioning room, and fixing the transport cart 100 so that it does not move relative to the floor. The fixing mechanism 137 includes a fitting member 137c that fits with the receiving portion 225, and a drive motor (not shown).

[0127] The engaging member 137c is provided at the bottom of the base 131. The number of engaging members 137c can be set as appropriate, but for example, four engaging members are provided. The engaging member 137c is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat from the base 131 relative to the floor surface by a drive motor (not shown). As a specific mechanism for advancing and retreating the engaging member 137c, known techniques such as a rack and pinion mechanism or a ball screw mechanism can be used as appropriate.

[0128] When the engaging member 137c is not engaged with the receiving portion 225 (unlocked state), it is stored in the base 131 so as not to get in the way of the transporting vehicle 100 when it is moving (storage position, FIG. 8(a)). When the engaging member 137c is engaged with the receiving portion 225, the engaging member 137c protrudes downward from the base 131 by a drive motor (not shown). For example, when the transporting vehicle 100 reaches the end of a guide portion indicating the fixed position or a marker portion designated as the fixed position, the engaging member 137c protrudes from the base 131 toward the receiving portion 225 on the floor surface (FIG. 8(b)). Then, when the engaging member 137c is engaged with the receiving portion 225, the position of the transporting vehicle 100 is fixed (fixed position, FIG. 8(c)).

[0129] As an example, the fitting member 137c of the fixing mechanism 137 has a tapered shape (a truncated cone shape), and the receiving portion 225 is a recessed portion having a shape corresponding to the tapered shape of the fitting member 137c. As a result, even if the transporting vehicle 100 stops at a position slightly deviated from the target position and the fitting member 137c is caused to protrude downward based on an instruction from the fixed transport control unit 1031, the fitting member 137c is guided along the tapered shape of the recessed portion of the receiving portion 225 (FIG. 9(a)), and its position is uniquely determined (FIG. 9(b)). Note that the shape of the fitting member 137c may be a hemispherical shape or the like in addition to a tapered shape. Furthermore, it is sufficient that the receiving portion 225 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the fitting member 137c. In other words, it is sufficient that the fitting member 137c is guided along the receiving portion 225 when the fitting member 137c comes into contact with the receiving portion 225 at a position slightly deviated from the target position. Alternatively, the fitting member 137c and the receiving portion 225 may have a relationship in which their relative positions are uniquely determined by annular line contact or surface contact along the circumferential direction when fitted together.

[0130] The fitting member 137c may protrude laterally instead of or in addition to protruding downward. In this case, the receiving portion 225 may be provided on the side of the wall of the positioning room and the radiation therapy room or other structure.

[0131] While it is conceivable to adjust the position of the transport cart 100 using a displacement sensor or the like, it may be difficult to ensure positioning accuracy. On the other hand, in this embodiment, positioning is performed using a simple fitting member 137c, so positioning accuracy can be ensured while simplifying the configuration of the transport cart 100. In addition, no large-scale equipment is required on the floor, and the receiving part 225 can be easily installed in the positioning room and the radiation therapy room.

[0132] (Local Controller 400) In this embodiment, the transporting vehicle 100 travels under the control of the local controller 400. The local controller 400 is, for example, a deadman's switch type controller, and the transporting vehicle 100 travels only while a button is pressed. At this time, the transporting vehicle 100 may be capable of automatic travel along a predetermined route. For example, a tape-shaped guide section incorporating a marker (for example, a magnetic marker) may be installed as the predetermined route. While the button for automatic travel of the local controller 400 is pressed, the transport control section 1031 reads the marker with a sensor (for example, a magnetic induction sensor) (not shown) provided in the transporting section 130, and travels along the route while determining the current position.

[0133] For example, the transporting vehicle 100 receives in advance information about a room to which the transporting vehicle 100 is to be moved from an external system. Then, while the button for self-propelled travel on the local controller 400 is pressed, the transport control unit 1031 controls the transport unit 130 so that the transporting vehicle 100 moves toward the room corresponding to the received information. Alternatively, the operator may directly specify the room to which the transporting vehicle 100 is to be moved on the local controller 400. The transporting vehicle 100 is configured to be manually movable in an emergency, for example.

[0134] In this way, by realizing movement within a facility through local control, the overall system can be simplified compared to, for example, a case where the movement of the transport vehicle 100 is fleet-controlled by an external host control device, making it easier to introduce the device into medical facilities.

[0135] In addition to the automatic driving described above, the local controller 400 may be capable of manual operation. For example, the local controller 400 may be capable of operating the transporting vehicle 100 to move forward, backward, turn, etc.

[0136] With respect to the operation of the transport section 130, the local controller 400 may include the following buttons: ●Automatic operation: It is a deadman switch type, and automatic operation is performed only while the button is pressed. ●Specifying the destination: If you want to change the destination or if the destination cannot be received from the upper device, you can specify the destination locally. Forced operation: When the sensor 136 of the transporting vehicle 100 detects an obstacle in the surrounding area, the operation of the transporting vehicle 100 stops, but by sending this signal, the transporting vehicle 100 can be forced to move. During forced operation, the transporting vehicle 100 can move in any eight directions, for example, forward, backward, left, right, and diagonally. Emergency stop: The local controller 400 is a deadman switch type controller. Therefore, the transporting vehicle 100 will basically stop when the button is no longer pressed, but if the transporting vehicle 100 does not stop for some reason, the local controller 400 can forcibly stop the operation of the transporting vehicle 100.

[0137] Furthermore, with regard to the operation of the fixing mechanism 137 of the transport section 130, the local controller 400 can perform the following operations. Emergency release operation: When the target button is pressed, the transport unit 130 is forcibly released from the fixed state regardless of the position of the top panel 110. ● Fixing operation: Fix the transport unit 130 to a predetermined fixed position in a treatment room, etc. When the target button is pressed while the transport cart 100 is in a predetermined position and the tabletop 110 is in the home position, the transport control unit 1031 automatically performs the fixing operation. ● Unlocking operation: When the target button is pressed, the locked state of the transport unit 130 is unlocked. This can be executed when the position of the top board 110 satisfies a predetermined condition. The fixing and unlocking operations during the treatment flow may be performed automatically. The fixing is performed automatically when the transport cart reaches the fixing position, and the fixing is automatically unlocked when positioning is completed or irradiation is completed and the top position returns to the home position. However, because the engaging member 137c protrudes, from the perspective of ensuring the safety of caregivers and operators, there may be a fixing operation button that fixes the transport unit 130 to a predetermined fixing position in the treatment room, etc., and a lock-release operation button that releases the fixed state of the transport unit 130.

[0138] Furthermore, with regard to the operation of the change unit 120, the following operations can be performed by the local controller 400. Movement of the tabletop 110 to a specified coordinate position: The tabletop 110 is moved to a coordinate position received from a higher-level device, etc. The movement operation is a deadman switch type, similar to the travel operation. Note that the movement of the tabletop 110 can be controlled remotely in addition to being controlled by the local controller 400. Movement of the tabletop 110 to a predetermined registered position: The registered positions include the "home position," "boarding / exiting position," "0-degree reference position," "180-degree reference position," "90-degree reference position" for non-coplanar irradiation, "CT scanning position," etc. These registered positions can be input and registered by the operator. ● Arbitrary movement operation: The top plate 110 is moved by any amount in six axis directions (X, Y, Z, ψ, φ, θ). The amount of movement can be input by the operator, but the range is within the preset movable range of the arm 121. The movement speed of the top plate can be switched between high speed, medium speed, and low speed. ● Forced operation: Forcibly moves the arm 121. This can be used when it is necessary to change the top board 110 to a position other than the predetermined position. For example, this is operated when it is necessary to remove the patient on the spot due to a sudden change in the patient's condition, or when a collision or interference is likely to occur. Emergency stop: This may be the same button as the emergency stop button for the transport unit 130.

[0139] The local controller 400 is also provided with a display unit that displays the status of the transport unit 130. For example, the status display unit displays whether the transport unit 130 is in a normal state or an abnormal state. The notification unit 142, which will be described later, changes the display mode of the LED lights 1421 and 1422 in conjunction with this status. This status may correspond to a status that the transport control unit 1031 or the tabletop control unit 1032 transmits to the treatment table control device 200 at regular intervals.

[0140] (Operation bar 141) 10(a) is a diagram showing a state in which the transport vehicle 100 is transporting a patient. With the top plate 110 in the home position, the patient is fixed to the top plate 110 so that the patient's feet are in the direction of travel of the transport vehicle 100 and the patient's head is in the opposite direction (rearward) to the direction of travel of the transport vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the local controller 400 is disposed on the side of the patient's head. This arrangement makes it easier for the caregiver to check the traveling status and operate the transport vehicle 100 while checking the patient's facial expression, condition, etc.

[0141] The transport vehicle 100 also has an operation bar 141. The operation bar 141 is attached to a joint portion (vertical rotation mechanism 123) of the arm 121, and a handle portion extends rearward. The operation bar 141 may be provided so that the rear end of the base 131 and the handle portion of the operation bar 141 are spaced a predetermined distance (for example, approximately the average stride length of an adult) from each other so that the caregiver's feet do not interfere with the base 131. The operation bar 141 may also be configured so that a deadman's switch is pressed when the handle is gripped. In other words, the handle portion of the operation bar 141 may constitute at least a part of the local controller 400.

[0142] Fig. 10(b) shows the state in which the operation bar 141 is stored. As can be seen by comparing with the state in which the operation bar 141 is usable (Fig. 10(a)), the operation bar 141 is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the transport unit 130. The operation bar 141 is also extendable, and interference with other devices, operators, etc. can be suppressed when stored. The extension of the operation bar 141 can also be used to adjust the length of the bar according to the body type of the caregiver when transporting.

[0143] (Sensor 136) The transport unit 130 also includes a sensor 136 that detects surrounding objects. The sensor 136 is provided at a position (front, rear, four corners, etc.) where it can detect obstacles when the transporting vehicle 100 moves. As an example, the obstacle sensor is a non-contact type that detects surrounding obstacles within a predetermined range (for example, several centimeters to several meters) from the transporting vehicle 100, and may be, for example, a two-dimensional or three-dimensional optical sensor, a laser measurement sensor, an acoustic sensor, a magnetic field sensor, an electric field sensor, an induction sensor, a radio wave sensor, or a combination of these. Furthermore, a contact type sensor may be provided as a sensor for detecting obstacles.

[0144] For example, if the sensor 136 detects an obstacle during automatic travel, the transport control unit 1031 temporarily stops the transport unit 130. When the operator manually operates the transporting platform 100 to avoid the obstacle and then presses the automatic travel switch again, the transport control unit 1031 restarts the travel of the transport unit 130.

[0145] (Notification unit 142) 7(a) and 7(b) again, the transporting vehicle 100 includes a notification unit 142 that notifies the state of the transporting vehicle 100. In this embodiment, when the patient is lying on his / her back in the home position state, the notification unit 142 includes an LED light 1421 provided on the head side (+Y side) of the base 131 of the patient, and an LED light 1422 provided on the tail side (-Y side) of the base 131 of the patient.

[0146] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the base 131 is slightly larger than the tabletop 110 in a plan view. Therefore, the light from the LED lights 1421 and 1422 can be seen from above. A caregiver standing near the patient's head can see the illuminating state of the base while checking the patient's face. As shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(c), the shape of the portion of the base 131 where the LED lights are installed is inclined, making it easier to capture the light from above. Because the light is dazzling if it directly hits the eyes, the LED lights 1421 and 1422 may be provided with an opaque cover such as a diffuser 1423 to soften the light. The LED lights are installed on the head-tail side of the base 131. However, if the tip of the base 131 has an arc shape, they are installed over a 180-degree angle. By installing the LED lights 1421 and 1422 on the head-tail side, they can be seen from all directions. Figure 7(c) shows the cross section A-A of the LED light unit as seen from the direction of travel. While only the upper portion of the base 131 where the LED lights 1421 and 1422 are installed is inclined to facilitate light capture, other portions do not need to be inclined to ensure the capacity of the base 131. Using dot-shaped LED lights 1421 and 1422 (composed of multiple light sources) makes them easier to install on the curved tip for driving safety, as shown in Figure 7(b). The previously mentioned diffuser 1423 also has the effect of seamlessly distributing the dot-shaped light. Installing the LED lights 1421 and 1422 a few centimeters inward from the diffuser 1423 enhances the dot-less lighting effect. The LED lights 1421 and 1422 may also illuminate the floor side to provide indirect light. Furthermore, by simply displaying the status of the LED lights 1421 and 1422 using their color and display mode (e.g., lit or flashing), the caregiver can more easily grasp the status of the transport vehicle 100.

[0147] The notification unit 142 notifies the traveling state of the transport unit 130 when it is traveling, but may also notify the operating state of the top plate 110 when it is being driven. These lightings comply with, for example, JIST0601-1.

[0148] Additionally, the transporting vehicle 100 is provided with an emergency stop button 143 that can stop the operations of the transport unit 130 and the change unit 120 simultaneously.

[0149] <Moving the tabletop> (craniocaudal movement) 11 is an explanatory diagram of the movement of the tabletop 110 in the craniocaudal direction (Y direction). The only difference between state ST1 and state ST2 is the craniocaudal position of the tabletop 110. The change unit 120 can transition between state ST1 and state ST2 by driving the slide mechanism 125. Here, the required range of motion in the craniocaudal direction can be assumed to be the range of motion (approximately 1000 mm) from the anatomical location of the tumor in the head and neck region to the pelvis.

[0150] 12 is an explanatory diagram of the movement of the tabletop 110 in the left-right direction (X direction). The only difference between state ST3 and state ST4 is the left-right position of the tabletop 110. The change unit 120 can transition between state ST3 and state ST4 by driving the horizontal rotation mechanism 124 and the slide mechanism 125. Here, the required range of movement in the left-right direction can be assumed to be about the shoulder width of an adult (approximately 500 mm).

[0151] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the movement of the top 110 in the vertical direction (Z direction). State ST5 is the state when a patient gets on or off the top 110. State ST6 is a state in which the tumor center position of the patient on the top is located at the isocenter, which is the irradiation center position. The change unit 120 can transition between state ST5 and state ST6 by driving at least the vertical rotation mechanism 123 and the horizontal rotation mechanism 124. The vertical movement range required here can be assumed to be a movement range (approximately 600 mm) that can change the height between the height of the isocenter (approximately 1200 mm) and the height at which the patient can get on and off (approximately 600 mm).

[0152] (Adjusting the angle of the tabletop) The three-axis rotation mechanism 122 adjusts the posture of the tabletop 110. The angle adjustment range of the tabletop 110, when rotating around the horizontal axis (pitch rotation, roll rotation), can be approximately ±20 degrees at most, even considering the support of a fixture. However, in reality, the need to tilt the patient's body is reduced because the treatment device is capable of multi-port irradiation from various directions around the patient's body axis. Therefore, the rotation range around the horizontal axis may be set to ±10 degrees or less. Furthermore, in actual clinical practice, the rotation range around the horizontal axis may be set to approximately ±3 degrees. By setting the rotation range around the horizontal axis to a small value, the three-axis rotation mechanism 122 can be made smaller. For example, when adjusting the tilt of the tabletop 110 within a range of ±10 degrees or less, adopting a tilt adjustment mechanism rather than a rotary joint structure can simplify and reduce the structure. The tilt adjustment mechanism can be a mechanism that can adjust the angle of the tabletop 110 by adjusting the tilt (relative angle) between a plate connected to the tabletop 110 and a plate connected to the arm 121 using a known mechanism such as a ball screw. On the other hand, the required rotation angle range for yaw rotation is relatively wide.

[0153] (0 degree and 180 degree irradiation) Furthermore, for organs located in the center of the body (such as the prostate) or tumors surrounded by important organs (such as tumors surrounded by the intestines), radiation is scattered from various directions to spare normal tissue. In this case, radiation may be performed from both the left and right sides in a single treatment day. In this case, it is necessary to invert the position of the top plate, and the top plate can be rotated by combining the horizontal rotation mechanism 124, the yaw direction rotation mechanism of the three-axis rotation mechanism 122, and the slide mechanism 125. In this case, the rotation range of the horizontal rotation mechanism 124 must be 180 degrees or more.

[0154] (Non-coplanar irradiation) FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the movement of the tabletop 110 in non-coplanar irradiation. Non-coplanar irradiation is an irradiation method in which a treatment beam is irradiated from a direction that is not parallel to a cross section perpendicular to the patient's body axis. Non-coplanar irradiation is an irradiation method that reduces the dose to normal tissue and important organs adjacent to the tumor, and the transport cart 100 must also be able to accommodate this irradiation method. For example, non-coplanar irradiation is often used to irradiate head and neck tumors while avoiding the complex bone structure and nervous system of the skull.

[0155] 14, irradiation can be performed at a position where the top plate is yaw-rotated 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal direction of the transport unit 130 (state ST7). Furthermore, irradiation can be performed, for example, at a position yaw-rotated 45 degrees from state ST7 (state ST8). The change unit 120 can set the transport vehicle 100 to state ST7 or state ST8 by combining the operations of the horizontal rotation mechanism 124, the three-axis rotation mechanism 122, and the slide mechanism 125. Furthermore, multi-port irradiation is possible by isocentrically rotating the top plate 110 around a position rotated 90 degrees.

[0156] 15 is a diagram showing a comparative example of the posture of the transporting vehicle 100 and other transporting vehicles. As a configuration for moving the top plate 110, a configuration using two robot arms without using the slide mechanism 125, like the transporting vehicle 900 shown as a comparative example, is conceivable.

[0157] States ST11 and ST12 show examples of the state of the transport vehicle 100 during counter-directional irradiation for prostate cancer. States ST11a and ST12a show examples of the state of the transport vehicle 900 during counter-directional irradiation for prostate cancer. State ST13 shows an example of the state of the transport vehicle 100 during non-coplanar irradiation for the head and neck. State ST13a shows an example of the state of the transport vehicle 900 during non-coplanar irradiation for the head and neck. In each state, a radiotherapy device, a half-gantry particle therapy device, or an irradiation device with a non-rotating gantry such as that described in Japanese Patent No. 6364141 is installed on the left side of the page. In the case of the transport vehicle 900 equipped with two robotic arms, the bases of the robotic arms are fixed to the base (because the robotic arms cannot slide), so the fixed position of the transport vehicle 900 needs to be changed depending on the treatment posture. For example, the fixed position differs in the left-right direction of the page between state ST11a and state ST12a, and in the up-down direction of the page between state ST12a and state ST13a. Furthermore, the existence of two robot arms provides a wide range of motion for the arms, and the distance La from the isocenter to the fixed position is greater than the distance L in the case of the transport vehicle 100, requiring more space indoors.

[0158] As shown in state ST13, when performing non-coplanar irradiation on the transport cart 100, the arm 121 must be pulled away from the irradiation device, and the tabletop 110 must be slightly extended toward the irradiation device. Non-coplanar irradiation is primarily performed on the head and neck. In clinical settings, a tabletop shaped to fit the shape of the head and shoulders may be used during head and neck irradiation to prevent beam interference or to prevent interference between the irradiation device and the tabletop. In this case, a head and neck tabletop may be partially overlapped with a standard treatment tabletop. Therefore, the patient's position can be adjusted to the isocenter using a separate tabletop, eliminating the need to adjust the fixed position as with the transport cart 900. On the other hand, if the fixed position is left at ST11a and the two robot arms are folded to reproduce the non-coplanar irradiation state, if the two robot arms are completely overlapped, the three-axis rotation mechanism at the base of the tabletop will be unable to adjust the position. In this way, by using one arm 121 and slide mechanism 125, the transport cart 100 does not need to be changed in its fixed position, thereby improving treatment efficiency. Also, since the space required to move the tabletop 110 during treatment is reduced, the transport cart 100 can be easily introduced into treatment rooms with limited space.

[0159] (Other tabletop movement operations) The transport vehicle 100 may be used for quality assurance of the device. Therefore, in consideration of cases where QA equipment (such as a solid phantom or a water tank) is mounted on the top plate 110 or where the top plate 110 is removed and the QA equipment is directly installed on the arm 121, a range of motion may be designed in addition to the above clinical range of motion.

[0160] The present invention has been described above based on the respective embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the techniques described in the respective embodiments may be appropriately combined, or the techniques of the above embodiments may be appropriately combined with known techniques. [Explanation of symbols]

[0161] 100: Transport cart, 103: Control unit, 200: Treatment table control device

Claims

1. A transport cart for transporting patients, a first receiving unit that locally receives a first instruction related to an operation of the transporting vehicle; a second receiving unit that receives a second instruction related to an operation of the transporting vehicle from a host device; Equipped with the second reception unit starts receiving the second instruction in response to the transporting vehicle being fixed at a predetermined position by a predetermined fixing operation in an area controlled by the higher-level device. Transport cart.

2. The transport vehicle according to claim 1, the second receiving unit receives the second instruction from the higher-level device via wireless communication; Transport cart.

3. The transport vehicle according to claim 1, A tabletop on which the patient rests, a change unit that changes the posture of the tabletop; a first control unit that controls the change unit; a transport unit that transports the patient placed on the tabletop; a second control unit that controls the transport unit; Equipped with the first control unit and the second control unit confirm a control state with each other so that the operation of the change unit and the operation of the transport unit are exclusively performed. Transport cart.

4. The transport vehicle according to claim 3, the second receiving unit is capable of receiving, as the second instruction, an instruction regarding an operation of the change unit; Transport cart.

5. The transport vehicle according to claim 1, a transmitter that transmits a status of the transporting vehicle to the host device when the transporting vehicle is fixed at the predetermined position by the predetermined fixing operation, Transport cart.

6. The transport vehicle according to claim 1, Further provided is a notification unit that notifies the state of the transporting carriage. Transport cart.

7. An information processing device that functions as the host device capable of communicating with the transporting vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, when the information processing device has established communication with one transporting vehicle for transmitting the second instruction, the information processing device does not establish communication with another transporting vehicle for transmitting the second instruction; Information processing device.

8. The transport vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, At least one host device capable of communicating with the transporting vehicle; Equipped with system.

9. 9. The system of claim 8, the at least one host device performs correction when positioning the top plate of the transporting carriage fixed at the predetermined position. system.

10. 9. The system of claim 8, an irradiation control device that controls the irradiation of the radiation therapy beam by the radiation therapy device; the at least one higher-level device transmits a second status to the interlock system of the irradiation control device and / or the radiation therapy device, the second status being generated based on the first status received from the transport vehicle fixed at the predetermined position, for sharing with the irradiation control device a status of the treatment room in which the transport vehicle is fixed; the irradiation control device controls the irradiation of the radiation therapy beam by the radiation therapy device based on the second status. system.

11. 11. The system of claim 10, the irradiation control device enables the irradiation of the radiation therapy beam by the radiation therapy device on at least one condition that a status indicating that a treatment room to which the transport cart is fixed is ready is received as the second status. system.

12. 11. The system of claim 10, the at least one host device includes a plurality of host devices, the plurality of host devices are provided corresponding to the plurality of treatment rooms, the irradiation control device enables irradiation of the radiation therapy beam to the treatment room corresponding to the host device that transmitted the second status, on at least one condition that the irradiation control device has received a status indicating that the treatment room to which the transport cart is fixed is ready. system.

13. 11. The system of claim 10, the irradiation control device limits the irradiation of the radiation therapy beam by the radiation therapy device when at least one condition is that the second status has transitioned from a status indicating a situation in which the radiation therapy beam can be irradiated in the treatment room to which the transport cart is fixed to a status in which irradiation is not permitted. system.

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