Boron neutron capture therapy system and method of operation

Abstract

The present application relates to a boron neutron capture therapy system and an operation method thereof, the boron neutron capture therapy system including: a boron concentration acquisition module for acquiring blood boron concentration data of an irradiated subject; a neutron beam irradiation module for generating a neutron beam; a treatment planning module for generating a treatment plan; a setup module for calculating at least a setup position of the irradiated subject; a loading module for moving the irradiated subject to the setup position; and a data management module, wherein the data management module stores information data generated by at least one of the above modules and / or exchanges information with at least one of the above modules, thereby avoiding resource waste and radiation damage due to unnecessary startup, improving the operation efficiency of each device, simplifying the data processing flow, improving the degree of system automation, and reducing the operation complexity of the system.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION This application relates to the field of radiation therapy, and more particularly to boron neutron capture therapy systems and methods of operation thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of atomic science, radiation therapy using cobalt-60, linear accelerators, electron beams, etc. has become one of the main means of cancer treatment. However, conventional photon or electron therapy kills tumor cells due to the limitations of the physical conditions of the radiation itself, while damaging many normal tissues along the beam path. In addition, tumor cells have different degrees of sensitivity to radiation, so conventional radiation therapy is not very effective in treating malignant tumors with high radiation resistance (e.g., glioblastoma multiforme, melanoma).

[0003] To reduce radiation damage to normal tissues surrounding tumors, the concept of targeted therapy in chemotherapy has been applied to radiotherapy, and for tumor cells with high radiation resistance, radiotherapy with high relative biological effectiveness (RBE), such as proton therapy, heavy ion therapy, and neutron capture therapy, is currently being actively developed. Among these, boron neutron capture therapy, a type of neutron capture therapy, provides a better cancer treatment option than conventional radiotherapy by specifically collecting boron-containing drugs in tumor cells, which, combined with highly precise neutron beam control, provides a better cancer treatment option than conventional radiotherapy.

[0004] Boron neutron capture therapy (BNC) is an effective cancer treatment, and its application has been gradually increasing in recent years. However, in clinical practice, the entire treatment process involves many steps and a corresponding number of devices. Specifically, treatment steps include image acquisition, treatment plan creation, simulation setup, pre-irradiation setup, and irradiation implementation, and the related devices include image acquisition devices, data management devices, control systems, and setup systems, with different steps involving different devices. During the treatment process, the information acquired by these devices must be integrated to control the treatment process. However, these devices are usually provided by different suppliers, and each device operates as an independent operating unit and cannot exchange information with each other, making them unable to work together. Furthermore, some devices are not suitable for operating throughout the entire treatment process, which creates obstacles to information exchange between these devices during the treatment process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, in order to address the above technical issues, it is necessary to provide a boron neutron capture therapy system and an operation method thereof that can facilitate information exchange and improve the degree of automation of the system.

[0006] A boron neutron capture therapy system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a boron concentration acquisition module, a neutron beam irradiation module, a treatment planning module, a setup module, a placement module, and a data management module, the boron concentration acquisition module acquires blood boron concentration data of the irradiated subject; the neutron beam irradiation module generates a neutron beam; the treatment planning module generates a treatment plan; the setup module calculates a setup position for at least the object; the placement module moves the object to the setup position; The data management module stores information data generated by at least one of the boron concentration acquisition module, the neutron beam irradiation module, the treatment planning module, the setup module, and the placement module, and / or exchanges information with at least one of the boron concentration acquisition module, the neutron beam irradiation module, the treatment planning module, the setup module, and the placement module.

[0007] Furthermore, the boron neutron capture therapy system further includes an image acquisition module that acquires medical image data of the irradiated subject, and the treatment planning module generates the treatment plan based on the medical image data, and the treatment planning module exchanges information data with the data management module and stores the treatment plan in the data management module.

[0008] Furthermore, the treatment planning module obtains a voxel prosthetic tissue model based on medical image data of the irradiated object, and simulates and generates the treatment plan based on the voxel prosthetic tissue model.

[0009] Additionally, the setup module retrieves the treatment plan from the data management module and calculates predetermined setup positions based on the treatment plan.

[0010] Additionally, the setup module retrieves the treatment plan from the data management module and calculates simulation setup positions based on the treatment plan.

[0011] Furthermore, the setup module calculates setup movement parameters based on the simulation setup position, and the positioning module moves the subject to a treatment setup position based on the setup movement parameters.

[0012] Furthermore, after the irradiated object is moved to the treatment setup position, the placement module generates information that the object has been set up in a predetermined position and transmits the information that the object has been set up in a predetermined position to the data management module.

[0013] Furthermore, the boron neutron capture therapy system further includes an irradiation control module, which obtains the information that the treatment plan has been set up in a predetermined position from the data management and controls the neutron beam irradiation module to generate a neutron beam based on the treatment plan.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of operating a boron neutron capture therapy system includes: generating a treatment plan based on the medical image data by a treatment planning module; storing the treatment plan in a data management module; obtaining the treatment plan from the data management module by a setup module, and calculating a setup position of the irradiated object based on the treatment plan; moving the object to the setup position by a placement module; and a step of acquiring the treatment plan from the data management module by an irradiation control module, and controlling a neutron beam irradiation module to generate a neutron beam based on the treatment plan.

[0015] Furthermore, the treatment planning module defines tissue boron concentration information in the medical image data of the irradiated body, obtains a voxel prosthesis tissue model having tissue type and the tissue boron concentration information, and simulates and generates the treatment plan based on the voxel prosthesis tissue model.

[0016] Further, the setup module obtains the treatment plan from the data management module, obtains a predetermined setup position based on the treatment plan, evaluates whether the predetermined setup position satisfies a predetermined condition, and if the predetermined setup position does not satisfy the predetermined condition, updates the treatment plan and stores it in the data management module.

[0017] Furthermore, the setup module acquires the treatment plan from the data management module, acquires a simulation setup position based on the treatment plan, and further calculates setup movement parameters based on the simulation setup position, and the setup module controls the placement module to move the irradiated object to a treatment setup position based on the setup movement parameters.

[0018] Furthermore, the setup module acquires the treatment plan from the data management module, acquires a simulation setup position based on the treatment plan, then calculates setup movement parameters based on the simulation setup position, and stores the setup movement parameters in the data management module, and the placement module acquires the setup movement parameters from the data management module and moves the irradiated object to a treatment setup position based on the setup movement parameters.

[0019] The boron neutron capture therapy system of the present invention includes a data management module that stores information generated by at least one of the following modules: a boron concentration acquisition module, a treatment planning module, a neutron beam irradiation module, a setup module, a mounting module, and a simulation mounting module. During the operation of the boron neutron capture therapy system, at least one of the remaining modules can transmit relevant data to the data management module and obtain necessary data from the data management module to perform corresponding calculations and / or controls. After a relevant module completes its corresponding operation, it can shut down or perform the next operation. This avoids resource waste and radiation damage caused by unnecessary startup and improves the operating efficiency of each device. Furthermore, the data management module receives and stores information generated by at least one of the following modules: a boron concentration acquisition module, a neutron beam irradiation module, a setup module, a treatment planning module, a mounting module, and an irradiation control module 9, and / or exchanges information with at least one of these modules. This simplifies the data processing flow, improves the automation level of the boron neutron capture therapy system, and reduces the operational complexity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a boron neutron capture therapy system of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic layout diagram of a boron neutron capture therapy system of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a beam shaper of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of a mounting module and a positioning module in an irradiation chamber of a boron neutron capture therapy system of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] In order to clarify the purpose, technical means and advantages of the present application, the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and examples. Note that the specific examples described herein are only for the purpose of interpreting the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0022] Preferably, neutron capture therapy systems, and in particular boron neutron capture therapy systems, will be described in more detail below as embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] 1 , the boron neutron capture therapy system in this embodiment includes an image acquisition module 1, a boron concentration acquisition module 2, a neutron beam irradiation module 3, a setup module 4, a treatment planning module 5, a data management module 6, a mounting module 7, and an irradiation control module 9. The image acquisition module 1 acquires a three-dimensional medical image including a lesion in the irradiated subject S, the boron concentration acquisition module 2 detects the boron concentration in the blood of the irradiated subject S, the neutron beam irradiation module 3 generates a therapeutic neutron beam, the treatment planning module 5 performs a dose simulation calculation based on the three-dimensional medical image of the irradiated subject S and generates a treatment plan including information such as the irradiation position, irradiation direction, and irradiation time, the setup module 4 calculates the setup position of the irradiated subject S based on at least the treatment plan generated by the treatment planning module 5, and the mounting module 7 mounts the irradiated subject S at the setup position. The irradiation control module 9 controls the entire treatment process based on the treatment plan, and the data management module 6 receives and stores information data generated by at least one module among the boron concentration acquisition module 2, the neutron beam irradiation module 3, the setup module 4, the treatment planning module 5, the placement module 7, and the irradiation control module 9, and / or exchanges information with at least one module among the concentration acquisition module 2, the radiation irradiation module 3, the setup module 4, the treatment planning module 5, the placement module 7, and the irradiation control module 9.

[0024] The main principle of boron neutron capture therapy is as follows: the irradiated body S is doped with boron ( 10After taking or injecting the boron-containing drug, the boron-containing drug selectively accumulates in tumor cells, and then the boron ( 10 B) Utilizing the property that the contained drug has a high capture cross section for thermal neutrons, 10 B(n,α) 7 Li neutron capture and fission reactions 4 He and 7 Two types of heavy charged particles of Li are generated, with an average energy of approximately 2.33 MeV, a high linear energy transfer (LET), and a short range. The total range of the two particles is equivalent to the size of a single cell, so the radiation damage to the living body is limited to the cellular level, and the goal of locally killing tumor cells can be achieved without causing significant damage to normal tissue.

[0025] The device for acquiring the three-dimensional medical image may be an imaging device such as CT, MRI, PET, or ultrasound, and in the present application, preferably, a CT device image acquisition module 1 is used to acquire medical image data of the irradiated body S using electronic computed tomography (CT). The medical image data of the irradiated body S includes a coordinate matrix in a medical image coordinate system of a medical image voxel model of the irradiation target site (lesion, i.e., tumor cells) and a CT value matrix, and the image acquisition module 1 transmits the medical image data to the data management module 6.

[0026] The detection of boron concentration can be realized by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy, high-resolution alpha autoradiography, charged ion spectroscopy, neutron capture camera, nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, prompt gamma ray spectrometry, etc., and the device related to the above detection methods is called a boron concentration acquisition module 2. 10 B) After a certain period of time has passed since the drug containing the substance is taken or injected, the boron concentration acquisition module 2 acquires the boron concentration of the irradiated subject S, and the boron concentration acquisition module 2 transmits the detected boron concentration information to the data management module 6.

[0027] 2 and 3 , in the embodiment disclosed herein, the neutron beam irradiation module 3 includes a neutron generator 31, a beam shaper 32, and a collimator 33. The neutron generator 31 includes an accelerator 311 and a target 312. The accelerator 311 accelerates charged particles (e.g., protons, deuterons, etc.) to generate a charged particle beam such as a proton beam, and the charged particle beam is irradiated onto the target 312, which interacts with the target 312 to generate a neutron beam (neutron beam). The target 312 is preferably a metal target 312. An appropriate nuclear reaction is selected depending on the required neutron yield and energy, the energy and current magnitude of the accelerated charged particles that can be provided, the physicochemical properties of the metal target 312, and other characteristics. Well-studied nuclear reactions include: 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be and 9 Be(p,n) 9 B, both of which are endothermic reactions. In an embodiment of the present invention, a target 312 made of lithium metal is used. However, as is well known to those skilled in the art, the target 312 may be made of a metal material other than lithium or beryllium, such as tantalum (Ta) or tungsten (W). The target 312 may be disk-shaped, have another solid shape, or be in a liquid state (liquid metal). The accelerator 311 may be a linear accelerator, a cyclotron, a synchrotron, or a synchrocyclotron. In another embodiment, the neutron generator 31 may be a nuclear reactor without an accelerator 311 or a target 312.

[0028] Whether the neutron source for boron neutron capture therapy is a nuclear reactor or a nuclear reaction between accelerated charged particles and the target 312, the generated beam actually contains a mixed radiation field, i.e., neutrons and photons ranging from low to high energy. For boron neutron capture therapy of deep-seated tumors, the higher the content of other radiation, except for epithermal neutrons, the greater the proportion of non-selective dose deposition in normal tissues. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the content of these radiations that cause unnecessary dose deposition. The beam shaper 32 adjusts the beam quality of the neutron beam generated by the neutron generator 31 to reduce unnecessary dose deposition, and the collimator 33 focuses the neutron beam, ensuring high targetability during treatment.

[0029] The beam shaper 32 includes a moderator 321, a reflector 322, a thermal neutron absorber 323, a radiation shield 324, and a beam outlet 325. The moderator 321 adjusts the energy of fast neutrons (>40 keV) emitted from the neutron generator 31 to the epithermal neutron energy range (0.5 eV to 40 keV) and can reduce the content of thermal neutrons (<0.5 eV) as much as possible. The moderator 321 is made of a material that has a large cross section of interaction with fast neutrons and a small cross section of interaction with epithermal neutrons. In a preferred embodiment, the moderator 321 is made of at least one of D2O, AlF3, Fluental (registered trademark), CaF2, Li2CO3, MgF2, and Al2O3. The reflector 322 surrounds the moderator 321. The reflector 322 is made of a material with high neutron reflectivity, and in a preferred embodiment, the reflector 322 is made of at least one of Pb and Ni. In the neutron beam transport path, a thermal neutron absorber 323 is installed at the rear of the moderator 321, and absorbs the thermal neutrons that have passed through the moderator 321 to reduce the content of thermal neutrons in the neutron beam. The thermal neutron absorber is made of a material with a large cross section that interacts with thermal neutrons. In a preferred embodiment, the thermal neutron absorber 323 is made of Li. -6 In another embodiment, the material of the moderator 321 is Li. -6Therefore, it is not necessary to install the thermal neutron absorber 323 alone, and the moderator 321 may be the thermal neutron absorber 323, and the radiation shielding body 324 blocks neutrons and photons leaking from portions other than the beam exit 325, and the material of the radiation shielding body 324 includes at least one of a photon shielding material and a neutron shielding material, and in a preferred embodiment, the material of the radiation shielding body 324 includes lead (Pb) as a photon shielding material and polyethylene (PE) as a neutron shielding material.

[0030] A collimator 33 is installed behind the beam exit 325, and the epithermal neutron beam emitted from the collimator 33 is irradiated onto the irradiated subject S, passes through the superficial normal tissue of the irradiated subject S, and is then slowed down to thermal neutrons, reaching the tumor cells and achieving the therapeutic objective.

[0031] As can be understood, the beam shaper 32 may have other structures as long as it can obtain an epithermal neutron beam that meets treatment requirements. In the present invention, the collimator 33 may not be provided, and the beam is directly irradiated onto the irradiated object S after exiting the beam exit 325 of the beam shaper 32. For convenience of explanation, when the collimator 33 is installed, the exit of the collimator 33 may be interpreted as the beam exit 325.

[0032] The treatment planning module acquires image data from the image acquisition module 1, performs dose simulation calculations to generate a treatment plan, and transmits the treatment plan to the data management module 6. Specifically, the treatment planning module 5 converts the CT value matrix in the medical image data into a tissue type information matrix to obtain a voxel prosthesis tissue model having tissue types; further, the treatment planning module 5 can define tissue boron concentration information in the medical image data of the irradiated body S, thereby obtaining a voxel prosthesis tissue model having tissue types and tissue boron concentration information, and performs simulation calculations based on the voxel prosthesis tissue model having tissue types and tissue boron concentration information to generate a treatment plan. As can be understood, the data processing processes of converting the CT value matrix in the medical image data into a tissue type information matrix, defining tissue boron concentration information in the medical image data of the irradiated body S, and obtaining a voxel prosthesis tissue model having tissue types and tissue boron concentration information may be performed in the data management module 6.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the mounting module 7 includes a mounting table 71 on which the irradiated object S is placed, a robot arm 72 connected to the mounting table 71 and driving the movement of the mounting table 71, and a driving member 73 that drives the robot arm 72 to move.

[0034] The entire boron neutron capture therapy system is housed in a concrete building, and specifically, the boron neutron capture therapy system further includes a preparation room 30 and an irradiation room 20. The subject S is placed on a mounting table 71 and treated with neutron beam irradiation in the irradiation room 20. One preparation room 30 is provided for each irradiation room 20 or for multiple irradiation rooms 20, and preparatory work such as preliminary setup of the subject S before irradiation treatment and injection of a boron-containing drug is performed in the preparation room 30. By performing the preparatory setup in the preparation room 30, it is possible to save time in setting up the subject S before irradiation treatment in the irradiation room 20, and it is possible to perform preparation work in the preparation room 30 while performing irradiation treatment on another subject S in the irradiation room 20, thereby improving the utilization rate of the equipment. Furthermore, the boron neutron capture therapy system further includes a simulation mounting module 8 installed in the preparation room 30, and the simulation mounting module 8 includes a simulation mounting table 82, a simulation robot arm (not shown), a simulation drive unit (not shown), and a simulation beam exit 81.

[0035] The beam exit 325 of the neutron beam irradiation module 3 is at least partially installed within the irradiation chamber 20, the mounting table 71, robot arm 72 and drive unit are installed within the irradiation chamber 20, and the simulation beam exit 81, simulation mounting table 82, simulation robot arm and simulation drive unit are installed within the preparation chamber 30, and the structure and relative positions of the simulation beam exit 81, simulation mounting table 82 and simulation robot arm are the same as the structure and relative positions of the beam exit 325, mounting table 71 and robot arm 72 within the irradiation chamber 20, respectively.

[0036] In the embodiment disclosed in the present invention, the mounting table 71 and the robot arm 72, and the simulation mounting table 82 and the simulation robot arm are firmly connected using a detachable connection method. After the simulation setup of the irradiated subject S is completed on the simulation mounting table 82 in the preparation room 30, the simulation mounting table 82 is detached from the simulation robot arm while ensuring that the relative positional relationship between the irradiated subject S and the simulation mounting table 82 does not change. Then, the simulation mounting table 82 with the irradiated subject S restrained is transported to the irradiation chamber 20 using equipment such as a dolly and attached to the robot arm 72 of the setup module 4. This allows the relative positional relationship between the irradiated subject S and the mounting table 71 at the time of preliminary setup in the irradiation chamber 20 to be maximally and easily restored, thereby saving time for surgery preparation. In addition, since the mounting table 71 and the simulation mounting table 82 use the same material, equipment costs can be saved and the number of times the irradiated subject S needs to be restrained on the mounting table 71 can be reduced.

[0037] 2 and 4, to improve the accuracy of the setup, the irradiation chamber 20 and the preparation chamber 30 are equipped with the same number of first positioning devices 21 and second positioning devices 31, respectively. In the embodiment disclosed in the present invention, the first positioning device 21 and the second positioning device 31 are configured with three laser light emitters. Specifically, a laser light emitter is attached to each of the three sides of the beam outlet 325 and the simulation beam outlet 81, respectively, and the three laser beams generated by the three laser light emitters intersect at a certain point. Furthermore, laser light positioning assistance devices are installed at the beam outlet 325 and the simulation beam outlet 81, respectively, and the laser beams of the laser light positioning assistance devices overlap with the central axes of the beam outlet 325 and the simulation beam outlet 81, respectively. The intersection points of the three laser beams of the first positioning device 21 and the second positioning device 31 are located on the central axes of the beam outlet 325 and the simulation beam outlet 81, respectively. In the embodiment disclosed in the present invention, the three laser light emitters are respectively installed on the left and right sides and above the beam outlet 325, specifically, on the left and right walls of the beam outlet 325 and on the ceiling above it, and of course, their installation positions are not limited thereto.

[0038] The present invention further discloses a method of operating a boron neutron capture therapy system, the method comprising the steps of:

[0039] In the step of generating a treatment plan, The treatment planning module 5 generates a treatment plan by performing dose simulation calculations based on the medical image data. Specifically, the image acquisition module 1 acquires medical image data of the irradiated target 3 and transmits it to the treatment planning module 5. The treatment planning module 5 performs simulations and calculations based on the medical image data to generate a treatment plan, and the treatment plan includes information such as irradiation position, irradiation direction, and irradiation time for at least one set of predetermined boron concentrations. Of course, in other preferred embodiments, the treatment plan includes information such as irradiation position, irradiation direction, and irradiation time for multiple sets of different predetermined boron concentrations.

[0040] More specifically, before treatment, the image acquisition module 1 performs image scanning on the irradiated subject S to acquire 3D medical image data of the irradiated subject S, including at least the lesion. The image acquisition module 1 transmits the medical image data of the irradiated subject S to the treatment planning module 5. The treatment planning module 5 then constructs a voxel prosthetic tissue model containing information on tissue type and tissue boron concentration based on the medical image data. A Monte Carlo simulation program is used to simulate the collision trajectories and energy distribution of nuclear particles in the internal 3D space when the irradiated subject S is irradiated with a neutron beam. The Monte Carlo simulation program samples and simulates the neutron beam at different irradiation angles to calculate the dose distribution at different irradiation angles and irradiation times in the 3D voxel prosthetic tissue model. Finally, a treatment plan is generated by combining the dose distribution, dose index (e.g., prescription dose), and dose limit values ​​(e.g., average dose, maximum dose). The treatment planning module 5 is equipped with a neutron beam model constructed based on the radiation source data of the neutron irradiation module 3.

[0041] In another preferred embodiment, before treatment, the irradiated subject S is given a boron-containing drug orally or by injection, and after a predetermined time has passed and the drug has been deposited, the image acquisition module 1 is used to perform image scanning on the irradiated subject S to obtain three-dimensional medical image data of the irradiated subject S including at least the lesion, and the boron concentration acquisition module 2 is used to acquire the boron concentration of the irradiated subject S, and the image acquisition module 1 transmits the medical image data of the irradiated subject S to the treatment planning module 5, and the boron concentration acquisition module 2 transmits the boron concentration data to the data management module 6, and the treatment planning module 5 receives the boron concentration data from the data management module 6. The data is acquired and combined with medical image data to construct a voxel prosthetic tissue model containing information on tissue type and tissue boron concentration. A Monte Carlo simulation program is used to simulate the collision trajectories and energy distribution of nuclear particles in the internal three-dimensional space when the irradiated subject S is irradiated with a neutron beam. Samples are taken at different irradiation angles and simulations are performed to calculate the dose distribution at different irradiation angles and irradiation times in the three-dimensional voxel prosthetic tissue model. Finally, a treatment plan is generated by combining the dose distribution situation, dose indicators (e.g., prescription dose), and dose limit values ​​(e.g., average dose, maximum dose). The treatment planning module 5 is equipped with a neutron beam model constructed based on the radiation source data of the neutron irradiation module 3.

[0042] Storing the treatment plan in a data management module includes: The treatment planning module 5 transmits the treatment plan to the data management module 6, the data management module 6 stores the treatment plan, the setup module 4 obtains the treatment plan from the data management module 6, calculates the setup position corresponding to the treatment plan (in this step, the setup position is a predetermined setup position), and then transmits the predetermined setup position information to the data management module 6.

[0043] The simulation mounting module 8 obtains the predetermined setup position from the data management module 6, and drives the movement of the simulation mounting table 82 to drive the movement of the simulation robot arm to move the irradiated object S to the predetermined setup position. During the movement, if there is interference between the simulation mounting table 82, the simulation robot arm, or the irradiated object S and the equipment, and the irradiated object S cannot reach a certain predetermined setup position, the simulation mounting module 8 transmits information that the predetermined setup position cannot be reached to the data management module 6, and the data management module 6 transmits information that the predetermined setup position cannot be reached to the treatment planning module 5, and then the treatment planning module 5 updates the treatment plan. This step is repeated until the irradiated object S reaches the predetermined setup position corresponding to the treatment plan, thereby realizing coordination of multi-system equipment and automatically adjusting the treatment plan. In a more preferred embodiment, when the irradiated object S cannot reach the predetermined setup position, the setup module 4 calculates and transmits setup adjustment information to the data management module 6, the data management module 6 transmits the setup adjustment information to the treatment planning module 5, and the treatment planning module 5 updates the treatment plan based on the setup adjustment information, thereby realizing fast and efficient automatic adjustment of the treatment plan. Of course, in another preferred embodiment, when the irradiated object S cannot reach the predetermined setup position, the operator directly updates the treatment plan and transmits the latest treatment plan to the data management module 6.

[0044] In this embodiment, the verification of the feasibility of the treatment plan is performed in the preparation room 20 by the simulation loading module 8, while in other embodiments, this step may be performed in the irradiation room 30 by the loading module 7, and the specific steps are referred to above and will not be described again here. As can be understood, the boron concentration information may be predetermined boron concentration information or may be the actual boron concentration detected by the boron concentration acquisition module 2.

[0045] Setup the step to obtain movement parameters. The setup module 4 acquires the treatment plan from the data management module, calculates the setup position where the irradiated object S should reach during the irradiation treatment based on the treatment plan, calculates setup movement parameters based on the setup position, and transmits the setup movement parameters to the data management module 6; In the simulation setup step, The simulation placement module 8 acquires setup movement parameters from the data management module 6, and controls the movement of the simulation robot arm based on the setup movement parameters to drive the simulation placement table 82 and move the irradiated object S to the setup position (in this step, the setup position is the simulation setup position), and then places a marker at the position where the intersection of the three laser beams of the first positioning device 21 and the irradiated object S intersects.

[0046] The steps for setting up for treatment include: The placement module 4 obtains the setup movement parameters from the data management module 6, and controls the driving unit according to the setup movement parameters to drive the operation of the robot arm 72, move the placement table 71, and move the irradiated object S to the setup position, and generates information that the irradiated object S has been set up at the predetermined position. The placement module 4 transmits the information that the irradiated object S has been set up at the predetermined position to the data management module 6. In this step, the setup position is the treatment setup position, and specifically, After the simulation setup is completed, the simulation mounting table 82 and the simulation robot arm are separated while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the irradiated object S and the simulation mounting table 82 unchanged, and the simulation mounting table 82 with the irradiated object S restrained thereon is transported into the irradiation chamber 20 using equipment such as a cart, and the simulation mounting table 82 is attached to the robot arm 72.In the embodiment disclosed in the present invention, the mounting table 71 in the irradiation chamber 20 is the simulation mounting table 82 transported from the preparation room 30 into the irradiation chamber 20.

[0047] In this embodiment, in the preparation room 30 and the irradiation room 20, the relative positional relationship between the simulation robot arm and the first positioning device 21 and the simulation beam outlet 81 is completely consistent with the relative positional relationship between the robot arm 72 and the second positioning device 31 and the beam outlet 325. Therefore, when the intersection of the laser light of the second positioning device 31 overlaps with the marker of the irradiated object S, it is determined that the mounting module 7 has been set up in the specified position, and information that it has been set up in the specified position is generated by the mounting module 7 and transmitted to the data management module 6. When the intersection of the laser light of the second positioning device 31 does not overlap with the marker of the irradiated object S, it is determined that the mounting module 7 has not been set up in the specified position, and the position of the mounting table 71 must be adjusted based on the marker until the intersection of the laser light of the second positioning device 31 overlaps with the marker of the irradiated object S.

[0048] In other embodiments, the first positioning device 21 and the second positioning device 3 do not need to be installed, and when performing a simulation setup, the setup module 4 calculates simulation setup movement parameters, and compensates for the difference between the relative positional relationship between the simulation robot arm and the simulation beam outlet 81 and the relative positional relationship between the robot arm 72 and the beam outlet 325 in the preparation room 30 and the irradiation room 20 to calculate the setup movement parameters, and when the robot arm 72 moves to a predetermined position based on the setup movement parameters, it implicitly recognizes that the loading module 7 has been set up at a predetermined position.

[0049] In the step of performing irradiation, The irradiation control module 9 obtains confirmation from the data management module 6 that the device has been set up in the designated position, and after determining that the device has been set up in the designated position, it performs other safety inspections and, once the requirements are met, activates the relevant equipment and performs neutron beam irradiation treatment.

[0050] Furthermore, during the process of performing neutron beam irradiation therapy on the irradiated subject S, boron needs to be continuously supplied to the irradiated subject S, and as the boron concentration in the body of the irradiated subject S changes, the neutron dose that generates the nuclear reaction changes accordingly. At this time, the irradiation time needs to be adjusted based on the actual boron concentration in the body of the irradiated subject S. Specifically, the boron concentration acquisition module 2 acquires the boron concentration in real time or periodically and transmits the detection results to the data management module 6. The data management module 6 combines the final treatment plan and the current boron concentration to adjust the remaining irradiation time and transmits the remaining irradiation time to the data management module 6. The irradiation control module 9 acquires the remaining irradiation time from the data management module 6 and controls the operating time of the equipment based on the remaining irradiation time. When the remaining irradiation time is zero, the equipment is turned off to stop neutron beam irradiation and end the treatment.

[0051] Furthermore, the boron neutron capture therapy system further includes a display module that displays a treatment plan including at least the irradiation time throughout the treatment process, and the display module may be installed independently or may be integrated with the irradiation control module 7 or the data management module 6.

[0052] The boron neutron capture therapy system may further include a control room (not shown) and other spaces for treatment support, where an operator controls the radiation treatment process.

[0053] In another embodiment, the irradiation control module 7 is not installed separately, but the irradiation control module 9 may be integrated into the data management module 6, i.e., the data management module 6 combines the functions of data storage, data integration and system control.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the setup module 4 calculates the setup movement parameters and transmits them to the data management module 6. The placement module 7 and / or the simulation placement module 8 acquire the setup movement parameters from the data management module 6 and control the movement of the robot arm 72 and the simulation robot arm. In another embodiment, the setup module 4 directly controls the movement of the robot arm 72 and the simulation robot arm to move the irradiated object S to the treatment setup position and the simulation setup position. In another embodiment, the preparation room 30 may not be installed, and accordingly, the simulation setup is not performed. The placement module 4 acquires the setup movement parameters from the data management module 6 and performs setup in the irradiation chamber 20 based on the setup movement parameters. After the target object is set up in the predetermined position, the setup module 4 transmits information that the target object has been set up in the predetermined position to the data management module 6. The irradiation control module 7 acquires a confirmation result from the data management module 6 that the target object has been set up in the predetermined position. After determining that the target object has been set up in the predetermined position, the irradiation control module 7 performs other safety inspections and, if necessary, starts up related equipment to perform neutron beam irradiation treatment.

[0055] The above-mentioned predetermined setup positions, simulation setup positions, and treatment setup positions are all setup positions acquired based on a treatment plan by the setup module 4. For ease of distinction, they are given different names according to the setup position acquisition step and the space in which they are located, and the predetermined setup positions, simulation setup positions, and treatment setup positions are collectively referred to as setup positions. Unless otherwise emphasized, the placement module may be understood as the placement module 7 or the simulation placement module 8.

[0056] The boron neutron capture therapy system of the present invention includes a data management module 6 that stores information generated by at least one of the following modules: boron concentration acquisition module 2, treatment planning module 5, neutron beam irradiation module 3, setup module 4, mounting module 7, and simulation mounting module 8. During the radiation irradiation treatment process, at least one of the remaining modules transmits relevant data to the data management module 6 and obtains necessary data from the data management module 6 to perform corresponding calculations and / or controls. After the module completes its corresponding operation, it can shut down or perform the next operation, thereby avoiding resource waste and radiation damage caused by unnecessary startup. This improves the operating efficiency of each device. For example, the boron concentration acquisition module 2 can complete one concentration acquisition and transmit the detection data to the data management module 6, after which the boron concentration of another irradiated subject S can be acquired, greatly improving the utilization rate of the devices. Furthermore, the data management module 6 receives, stores, and / or exchanges information with at least one of the boron concentration acquisition module 2, the neutron beam irradiation module 3, the setup module 4, the treatment planning module 5, the placement module 7, and the irradiation control module 9, thereby simplifying the data processing flow, improving the degree of automation of the boron neutron capture therapy system, and reducing operational complexity.

[0057] Furthermore, during operation of the boron neutron capture therapy system, the boron concentration acquisition module 2 detects the boron concentration in the body of the irradiated subject S in real time or periodically, and adjusts the irradiation time based on the detected boron concentration to ensure consistency between the actual irradiation treatment and the treatment plan.

[0058] As described above, the boron neutron capture therapy system of the present invention improves the degree of automation of the treatment process, improves the operating efficiency of each device, ensures consistency between the actual radiation treatment and the treatment plan, reduces the possibility of human error, and shortens the operator's radiation exposure time.

[0059] Although the steps in the flowcharts according to the above-described embodiments are displayed in order according to the direction of the arrows, it should be understood that these steps are not necessarily performed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in this specification, the execution of these steps is not limited to a strict order, and these steps may be performed in other orders. Furthermore, at least some of the steps in the flowcharts according to the above-described embodiments may include multiple steps or multiple stages, and these steps or stages may not necessarily be performed at the same time but may be performed at different times. These steps or stages may not necessarily be performed sequentially, but may be performed in order or alternately with other steps or at least some of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0060] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any manner, and for the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, any combination should be considered to be within the scope of the present specification.

[0061] The above examples merely illustrate some embodiments of the present application, and although the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be understood as limiting the scope of the claims of the present application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present application, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be determined based on the scope of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1. Image Acquisition Module 2. Boron concentration acquisition module 3 Neutron beam irradiation module 31 Neutron Generator 311 Accelerator 312 Target 32 Beam shaper 321 Reducer 322 Reflector 323 Thermal Neutron Absorber 324 Radiation Shield 325 Beam Exit 33 Collimator 4 Setup Module 5 Treatment Planning Module 6 Data Management Module 7 Mounting module 71 Mounting table 72 Robot Arm 73 Driving member 8 Simulation Mounting Module 82 Simulation stage 81 Simulation beam exit 9. Irradiation Control Module 20 Irradiation room 21 First positioning device 30 Preparation room 31 Second positioning device S Irradiated object

Claims

1. a boron concentration acquisition module, a neutron beam irradiation module, a treatment planning module, a setup module, a placement module, and a data management module; the boron concentration acquisition module acquires blood boron concentration data of the irradiated subject; the neutron beam irradiation module generates a neutron beam; the treatment planning module generates a treatment plan; the setup module calculates a setup position for at least the object; the placement module moves the object to the setup position; A boron neutron capture therapy system characterized in that the data management module stores information data generated by at least one of the boron concentration acquisition module, the neutron beam irradiation module, the treatment planning module, the setup module, and the installation module, and / or exchanges information with at least one of the boron concentration acquisition module, the neutron beam irradiation module, the treatment planning module, the setup module, and the installation module.

2. 2. The boron neutron capture therapy system of claim 1, further comprising an image acquisition module that acquires medical image data of the irradiated object, wherein the treatment planning module generates the treatment plan based on the medical image data, and the treatment planning module exchanges information data with the data management module and stores the treatment plan in the data management module.

3. The boron neutron capture therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the setup module retrieves the treatment plan from the data management module and calculates simulation setup positions based on the treatment plan.

4. 4. The boron neutron capture therapy system of claim 3, wherein the setup module calculates setup movement parameters based on the simulation setup position, and the placement module moves the irradiated object to a treatment setup position based on the setup movement parameters.

5. 5. The boron neutron capture therapy system of claim 4, wherein after the irradiated object is moved to the treatment setup position, the placement module generates information that the object has been set up in a predetermined position and transmits the information that the object has been set up in a predetermined position to the data management module.

6. generating a treatment plan based on the medical image data by a treatment planning module; storing the treatment plan in a data management module; obtaining the treatment plan from the data management module by a setup module, and calculating a setup position of the irradiated object based on the treatment plan; moving the object to the setup position by a placement module; acquiring the treatment plan from the data management module by an irradiation control module, and controlling a neutron beam irradiation module to generate a neutron beam based on the treatment plan.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the treatment planning module defines tissue boron concentration information in the medical image data of the irradiated body, obtains a voxel prosthesis tissue model having tissue types and the tissue boron concentration information, and simulates and generates the treatment plan based on the voxel prosthesis tissue model.

8. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the setup module obtains the treatment plan from the data management module, obtains predetermined setup positions based on the treatment plan, evaluates whether the predetermined setup positions satisfy predetermined conditions, and if the predetermined setup positions do not satisfy the predetermined conditions, updates the treatment plan and stores it in the data management module.

9. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the setup module acquires the treatment plan from the data management module, acquires a simulation setup position based on the treatment plan, and calculates setup movement parameters based on the simulation setup position, and the setup module controls the placement module to move the irradiated object to a treatment setup position based on the setup movement parameters.

10. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the setup module acquires the treatment plan from the data management module, acquires a simulation setup position based on the treatment plan, calculates setup movement parameters based on the simulation setup position, and stores the setup movement parameters in the data management module, and the placement module acquires the setup movement parameters from the data management module and moves the irradiated object to a treatment setup position based on the setup movement parameters.

Images