Radiation treatment system, and control device and control method for radiation treatment system

Abstract

Provided is a control device for a radiation treatment system in which treatment transitions through steps in a workflow format, the control device comprising a storage unit, a processing unit, and an interface having at least one display area. The storage unit stores association information between a predetermined step and an image that is displayed in the display area when the treatment transitions to the predetermined step. The processing unit switches images in the display area on the basis of the association information when the treatment transitions to the predetermined step. The processing unit can display an image different from the image associated with the predetermined step in the display area on the basis of a specifying operation from an operator. The interface has a function of accepting the specifying operation and a function of accepting an operation for returning to the display of the image associated with the predetermined step.

Description

Radiation therapy system, control device and control method for radiation therapy system

[0001] The present invention relates to a radiotherapy system, a control device and a control method for a radiotherapy system.

[0002] Conventionally, there is a technology for controlling radiation therapy described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2015-083068 (Patent Document 1). This publication states that "a radiation therapy system 1 generally includes a radiation irradiation system 10, a treatment planning device 101, an image server 102, a three-dimensional tomographic imaging device 103, a positioning system 104, etc. The radiation irradiation system 10 generally includes a radiation generation device 12 for generating radiation, a transport system 13 for transporting the radiation generated by the radiation generation device 12 to the irradiation device 14, the irradiation device 14 including an irradiation head (irradiation nozzle) that emits radiation and a gantry, etc., a control unit 11 for controlling the radiation generation device 12, the transport system 13, the irradiation device 14, etc., a bed 15 on which a patient rests, a bed driving device 105, etc."

[0003] JP 2015-083068 A

[0004] In the above-described conventional technology, there are a screen for a treatment planning device and a screen for a positioning system. Furthermore, there may be additional screens for displaying images of the irradiation area acquired by an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) or images of the state of a multileaf collimator (MLC). Because a radiation therapy system includes various devices, if each device has its own display screen, there is a problem that the number of screens becomes too large, resulting in reduced operability.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve the operability of a radiotherapy system.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one representative control device of a radiation therapy system of the present invention is a control device of a radiation therapy system that has a memory unit, a processing unit, and an interface having one or more display areas, and in which treatment steps transition in a workflow format, wherein the memory unit stores correspondence information between an image to be displayed in the display area when transitioning to a predetermined step and the predetermined step, the processing unit switches the image in the display area based on the correspondence information when transitioning to a predetermined step, the processing unit is capable of displaying an image different from the image associated with the predetermined step in the display area based on a specified operation from an operator, and the interface has a function of accepting the specified operation and a function of accepting an operation to return to displaying the image associated with the predetermined step. Furthermore, one representative control method for a radiation therapy system of the present invention is a control method for a radiation therapy system in which treatment steps transition in a workflow format using a control device having a memory unit, a processing unit, and an interface having one or more display areas, wherein the memory unit stores correspondence information between an image to be displayed in the display area when transitioning to a predetermined step and the predetermined step, the processing unit switches the image in the display area based on the correspondence information when transitioning to a predetermined step, the processing unit displays an image in the display area that is different from the image associated with the predetermined step based on a first operation from an operator received by the interface, and the processing unit returns to displaying the image associated with the predetermined step based on a second operation from the operator received by the interface.

[0007] According to the present invention, the operability of a radiotherapy system can be improved. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0008] An explanatory diagram of a screen display according to the embodiment. An explanatory diagram of a control device according to the embodiment. A flowchart explaining the processing operation of the control device. A flowchart showing display control within a step. An explanatory diagram of a screen of a display operation unit.

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a screen display according to an embodiment. The display operation unit 53 is, for example, a touch panel display, and is an example of an interface. The display operation unit 53 has a display area A1 and a display area A2. The display operation unit 53 displays patient information acquired from the database 10 in the display area A1. The patient information includes the name of the person who is the subject of radiation therapy. In addition, the display operation unit 53 can acquire a treatment plan for the patient from the database 10 and display it in the display area A1. The status of the couch and gantry can also be displayed in the display area A1.

[0011] The display operation unit 53 displays a flow operation image in the display area A2. In a radiation therapy system in which treatment steps transition in a workflow format, the flow operation image indicates information required for each step and accepts operations to move to the next step. The flow operation image displays a basic image that the operator uses when performing processing at each step. For example, in the positioning step described below, a patient image acquired during treatment planning and a patient image acquired immediately before treatment are displayed side by side. As such, the basic image displayed to the operator typically differs depending on the step. Furthermore, the flow operation image may include multiple images, providing the operator with an appropriate image for each step. As will be described in detail later, the operator can sequentially proceed through steps such as the step of acquiring and displaying patient information from the database 10, the step of acquiring patient images using the imaging device 30 to confirm the patient's position, and the step of irradiating radiation using the radiation irradiation device 20 while controlling the MLC using the MLC control device 40, mainly by referring to the flow operation image.

[0012] Furthermore, the display operation unit 53 can switch the image displayed in the display area A2 to a confirmation image. The confirmation image is, for example, an image generated from the output of the radiation irradiation device 20, the image capturing device 30, or the MLC control device 40. After displaying the confirmation image based on the operator's designation, the display operation unit 53 can accept an operation to return to the flow operation image.

[0013] In other words, the operator can proceed with the treatment steps using the flow operation image, and if necessary, can switch to the confirmation image of the desired device to check the status of the device, and then return to the flow operation image to proceed with the treatment steps.

[0014] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a control device 50 according to an embodiment. The control device 50 communicates with a database 10, a radiation irradiator 20, an imaging device 30, and an MLC control device 40. The database 10 stores patient information and treatment plans. The radiation irradiator 20 includes a couch and a gantry, and irradiates a predetermined region of a patient lying on the couch with therapeutic radiation. The imaging device 30 captures images of the patient lying on the couch. The imaging device 30 is a device capable of capturing images of the affected area of ​​a patient, such as a CT (Computed Tomography) device or an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) device. The MLC control device 40 controls each leaf of the MLC installed in the radiation irradiator 20, thereby changing the shape of the radiation irradiated by the radiation irradiator 20 to match the shape of the region to be treated. The radiation irradiating device 20 and the imaging device 30 are installed in a treatment room, and the radiation irradiating device 20 and the imaging device 30 may be integrated.

[0015] The control device 50 is placed, for example, in an operation room adjacent to the treatment room and is connected to an operation console 60 in the operation room. The operation console 60 has various buttons, etc., but may be operated using a touch panel. The control device 50 has therein a processing unit 51, a memory unit 52, and a display operation unit 53. The processing unit 51 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The memory unit 52 is, for example, a storage device such as a hard disk drive. The display operation unit 53 is, for example, a touch panel display.

[0016] The storage unit 52 stores correspondence information indicating the correspondence between an image (flow operation image) to be displayed in the display area of ​​the display operation unit 53 when a transition to a predetermined step occurs and the predetermined step. The processing unit 51 switches the image in the display area based on the correspondence information when a transition to a predetermined step occurs. Furthermore, the processing unit 51 can display an image (confirmation image) different from the image associated with the current step (flow operation image) in the display area based on a designation operation from the operator. To switch between the display of the flow operation image and the display of the confirmation image, the display operation unit 53 has a function for accepting a designation operation and a function for accepting an operation for returning to the display of the flow operation image associated with the current step.

[0017] The processing unit 51 generates a flow operation image to be displayed in the display area when a transition to a predetermined step is made from the output of a device that performs an operation related to the step based on the correspondence information. When one of a plurality of devices is designated by a designation operation, the processing unit 51 displays a confirmation image generated from the output of the designated device in the display area.

[0018] The display operation unit 53 has a first display area A1 and a second display area A2. The processing unit 51 uses the first display area A1 to constantly display a predetermined type of information and the second display area A2 to display a flow operation image and a confirmation image. The predetermined type of information displayed in the display area A1 is information that is desirable to display at any step, such as patient information and gantry status. The information displayed in the display area A2 is information related to the current step. The information related to the current step includes a flow operation image indicated by the corresponding information as corresponding to the current step and a confirmation image for which the operator has performed a specified operation in the current step. If a portion of the flow operation image or confirmation image requires a larger area than other flow operation images or confirmation images, part of the information in the display area A1 may be temporarily hidden and the display area A2 may be expanded accordingly. By enlarging the display area for an image displayed in response to the operator's request, the operator can view the displayed image in greater detail.

[0019] The display operation unit 53 provides multiple tab areas near the display area A2. Each tab area corresponds to multiple targets that can be specified by a specifying operation and a flow operation image, and the tab area has the function of accepting the specifying operation and returning to the flow operation image. Therefore, the operator can easily switch the display content of the display area A2 by selecting a tab. Whereas the operator previously had to shift his or her gaze to the display screen of each device each time, as described above, the operator can now access the desired image (flow operation image or confirmation image) as needed by operating the same display area, improving operability when progressing through treatment steps.

[0020] 3 is a flowchart illustrating the processing operation of the control device 50. The processing operation of FIG. 3 corresponds to the workflow of the treatment steps of radiation therapy, and transitions in order from step S101 to S105. Step S101 is a treatment information acquisition step. In this step, the control device 50 acquires treatment information from the database 10. The treatment information includes patient information, a treatment plan, and the like.

[0021] Step S102 is a patient placement step. The operator places the patient on the couch in a predetermined position. The operator then moves from the treatment room to the operation room. The control device 50 locks the door of the treatment room, and the subsequent steps are executed only when the door is locked.

[0022] Step S103 is a positioning step. The control device 50 causes the image capturing device 30 to capture an image of the patient and compares it with an image captured in advance. The image may be included in the treatment information acquired in step S101, or may be acquired separately. The control device 50 adjusts the position of the couch and the gantry based on the image comparison result.

[0023] Step S104 is a position matching step. The control device 50 again causes the image capturing device 30 to capture an image of the patient, compares the image with the previously captured image, and checks whether the position has been adjusted properly. If further adjustment is necessary, the position of the couch or the gantry can be adjusted during the position matching step.

[0024] Step S105 is a radiation irradiation step. The control device 50 controls the radiation irradiation device 20 to irradiate radiation, while causing the MLC control device 40 to control each leaf of the MLC. For example, the gantry is rotated to sequentially irradiate radiation from different positions.

[0025] 4 is a flowchart showing display control within a step. When a certain step starts, the processing unit 51 of the control device 50 references the corresponding information in the storage unit 52 and generates a flow operation image corresponding to the current step (S201).

[0026] The processing unit 51 displays the generated flow operation image on the display operation unit 53 (S202). Thereafter, the processing unit 51 determines whether the display operation unit 53 has received a designation operation for designating the target of the check image (S203).

[0027] If a designation operation is accepted (S203; Yes), the processing unit 51 generates a confirmation image corresponding to the designation operation (S204). The processing unit 51 displays the generated confirmation image on the display operation unit 53 (S205). Thereafter, the processing unit 51 determines whether the display operation unit 53 has accepted an operation to return to the flow operation image (S206).

[0028] If an operation to return to the flow operation image has not been received (S206; No), the process proceeds to S207. If an operation to return to the flow operation image has been received (S206; Yes), the process returns to S201.

[0029] If no designation operation has been received in S203 (S203; No), the processing unit 51 proceeds to S207. In S207, the processing unit 51 determines whether or not an operation to transition to the next step has been received. If an operation to transition to the next step has been received (S207; Yes), the processing unit 51 proceeds to generating a flow operation image corresponding to the next step. If an operation to transition to the next step has not been received (step S207; No), the processing unit 51 returns to S203.

[0030] 5 is an explanatory diagram of the screen of the display operation unit 53. The screen of the display operation unit 53 has display areas A11 to A15 as a display area A1. The screen of the display operation unit 53 also has a display area A2 and a tab area A5. Furthermore, the screen of the display operation unit 53 has a progress status display A4 that shows the progress status of the step.

[0031] Display area A11 displays, for example, the patient's name, gender, age, etc. Display area A12 displays, for example, the status of the couch and gantry. Display area A13 displays, for example, the treatment plan. Display area A14 displays, for example, the progress of radiation irradiation. Display area A15 displays, for example, the control status of the multi-leaf collimator.

[0032] Of the display areas A11 to A15, display areas A11 to A12 always display the same content at every step. Display areas A13 to A15 display the same content at every step, but depending on the display content of display area A2, display areas A13 to A15 are temporarily hidden and display area A2 is expanded accordingly.

[0033] The progress status display A4 includes "Select Patient," "Pre Positioning," "Positioning," "Verification," and "Treatment." "Select Patient" corresponds to step S101 (treatment information acquisition step). "Pre Positioning" corresponds to step S102 (patient placement step). "Positioning" corresponds to step S103 (positioning step). "Verification" corresponds to step S104 (position matching step). "Treatment" corresponds to step S105 (radiation irradiation step). By differentiating the display mode of the current step from the others, the progress status of the workflow can be shown.

[0034] Display area A2 is an area that displays flow operation images and confirmation screens. Near display area A2 is tab area A5. Tab area A5 includes tabs that display confirmation images, such as a "Function" tab, an "EPID" tab, an "Imager" tab, and an "MLC" tab, as well as an "Abnormal" tab and an "Device Details" tab. Furthermore, items displayed in tab area A2 may be deleted, added, or changed depending on the operator.

[0035] The "Function" tab corresponds to the flow operation image. When the operator operates this tab while the confirmation image is being displayed, the display area A2 returns to displaying the flow operation image. The "EPID" tab corresponds to the image acquired by the EPID provided by the radiation irradiation device 20. When the operator operates this tab, the display area A2 displays the confirmation image corresponding to the irradiation area acquired by the EPID. The "Imager" tab corresponds to the image acquired by the imaging device 30. When the operator operates this tab, the display area A2 displays the confirmation image, which is the patient image acquired by the imaging device 30. The "MLC" tab corresponds to the MLC control device 40. When the operator operates this tab, the display area A2 displays the confirmation image of the MLC control device 40 related to the MLC opening.

[0036] The "Abnormality" tab relates to the notification of abnormalities that occur in the radiation therapy system. When the operator operates this tab, the display area A2 displays details of the abnormality that has occurred. Note that this tab may be automatically selected when an abnormality occurs. The "Device Details" tab relates to the system configuration of the radiation therapy system. When the operator operates this tab, the display area A2 displays the system configuration of the radiation therapy system and displays a screen that accepts input for configuration changes.

[0037] As described above, the disclosed control device 50 is a control device for a radiotherapy system in which treatment steps transition in a workflow format, and includes a storage unit 52, a processing unit 51, and a display operation unit 53 which is an interface having one or more display areas. The storage unit 52 stores correspondence information between an image to be displayed in the display area upon transition to a predetermined step and the predetermined step. The processing unit 51 switches the image in the display area based on the correspondence information upon transition to a predetermined step. The processing unit 51 can display an image different from the image associated with the predetermined step in the display area based on a designation operation from an operator. The interface has a function to accept the designation operation and a function to accept an operation to return to displaying the image associated with the predetermined step. This allows the operator to appropriately check necessary information and proceed with the treatment steps, improving the operability of the radiotherapy system.

[0038] The disclosed control device 50 is connected to multiple devices related to the treatment, and the processing unit 51 generates an image to be displayed in the display area when a transition to a predetermined step is made from the outputs of the multiple devices that perform operations related to the step. When one of the multiple devices is designated by the designation operation, the processing unit 51 displays the image generated from the output of the designated device in the display area. As an example, the multiple devices include a radiation irradiation device, an imaging device, a multi-leaf collimator control device, and a treatment planning device. This allows the operator to check the outputs of multiple devices related to the treatment in a single display area.

[0039] The interface also has a first display area and a second display area, and the processing unit uses the first display area to constantly display a predetermined type of information and the second display area to display an image associated with the step and to display information based on the specified operation. For example, the interface displays at least one of patient information and information indicating the status of the gantry in the first display area. This allows the operator to view some of the information in common for all steps. For example, when displaying information based on the specified operation, the processing unit can hide a portion of the first display area and expand the second display area. By enlarging the display area for an image displayed in response to a request from the operator, the operator can view the displayed image in greater detail.

[0040] The interface also has a plurality of tab areas, one of which has a function of accepting an operation to return to the display of the image associated with the predetermined step, and the other plurality of tabs respectively corresponding to a plurality of devices that can be designated by the designation operation, allowing the operator to easily switch screens by selecting a tab.

[0041] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, not only can the configurations be deleted, but also replacements and additions of configurations are possible.

[0042] 1: Radiation therapy system, 10: Database, 20: Radiation irradiation device, 30: Imaging device, 40: MLC control device, 50: Control device, 51: Processing unit, 52: Storage unit, 53: Display operation unit, 60: Operation console, A1, A2: Display area

Claims

1. A control device for a radiation therapy system having a memory unit, a processing unit, and an interface with one or more display areas, and in which treatment steps transition in a workflow format, wherein the memory unit stores correspondence information between an image to be displayed in the display area when a transition to a specified step is made and the specified step, the processing unit switches the image in the display area based on the correspondence information when a transition to a specified step is made, the processing unit is capable of displaying an image in the display area different from the image associated with the specified step based on a designation operation from an operator, and the interface has a function of accepting the designation operation and a function of accepting an operation to return to displaying the image associated with the specified step.

2. A control device for a radiation therapy system as described in claim 1, connected to a plurality of devices related to the treatment, wherein the processing unit generates an image to be displayed in the display area when a transition is made to a specified step from the output of the plurality of devices performing an operation related to the step, and when any one of the plurality of devices is designated by the designation operation, the processing unit displays in the display area an image generated from the output of the designated device.

3. A control device for a radiation therapy system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of devices include a radiation irradiation device, an image capturing device, a multi-leaf collimator control device, and a treatment planning device.

4. A control device for a radiation therapy system as described in claim 1, wherein the interface has a first display area and a second display area, and the processing unit uses the first display area for the constant display of a predetermined type of information, and uses the second display area for displaying an image associated with the predetermined step and for displaying information based on the specified operation.

5. A control device for a radiation therapy system as described in claim 4, characterized in that the interface displays at least one of information about a patient and information indicating the status of a gantry in the first display area.

6. A control device for a radiation therapy system as described in claim 4, characterized in that the processing unit is capable of hiding a part of the first display area and enlarging the second display area when performing a display based on the specified operation.

7. A control device for a radiation therapy system as described in claim 2, wherein the interface has a plurality of tab areas, one of the plurality of tab areas has a function of accepting an operation to return to the display of an image corresponding to the specified step, and the other plurality of tabs respectively correspond to a plurality of devices that can be designated by the designation operation.

8. A method for controlling a radiation therapy system in which treatment steps transition in a workflow format using a control device having a memory unit, a processing unit, and an interface with one or more display areas, wherein the memory unit stores correspondence information between an image to be displayed in the display area when a transition is made to a predetermined step and the predetermined step, the processing unit switches the image in the display area based on the correspondence information when a transition is made to a predetermined step, the processing unit displays an image in the display area different from the image associated with the predetermined step based on a first operation from an operator received by the interface, and the processing unit returns to displaying the image associated with the predetermined step based on a second operation from the operator received by the interface.

9. A radiation therapy system comprising a radiation irradiation device, an image capturing device, a multi-leaf collimator control device, a treatment planning device, and a control device, wherein the control device has a memory unit, a processing unit, and an interface having one or more display areas, and transitions between treatment steps in a workflow format, wherein the memory unit stores correspondence information between an image to be displayed in the display area upon transition to a specified step and the specified step, wherein the processing unit switches the image in the display area based on the correspondence information upon transition to a specified step, and wherein the processing unit is capable of displaying an image in the display area different from the image associated with the specified step based on a designation operation from an operator, and wherein the interface has a function of accepting the designation operation and a function of accepting an operation to return to displaying the image associated with the specified step.

Images