55 results about "Image-guided radiation therapy" patented technology

Apparatus for generating multi-energy x-ray images and systems and methods for processing and using multi-energy x-ray images are provided for treating a target, e.g., a tumor, for image-guided radiation therapy. An image-guided radiation therapy system is provided including a treatment delivery system, a multi-energy imaging system, and a system processor. The treatment delivery system includes a radiation source configured to generate treatment radiation beams. The multi-energy imaging system is configured to generate a first set of image data of the patient using imaging radiation at a first energy level and a second set of image data of the patient using imaging radiation at a second energy level. The system processor is configured to process the first and second sets of image data to generate an enhanced image of the patient and to direct the treatment delivery system based on information obtained from the enhanced image.

Radiation therapy of a lesion in a part of a patient is carried out by maintaining the patient on a patient support table in fixed position using an immobilization device while the table is rotated between a magnetic resonance imaging system, a CT imaging system for generating a 360 degree scanned image of the patient at the location of the lesion and the radiation therapy system for generating a beam of radiation for treatment of the lesion and for scanning the beam 360 degrees around the lesion. The MR image locates the lesion and the CT system is used to calculate the treatment. Registration between the MR image, the CT image and the radiation treatment is provided by the fixed position of the part of the patient on the table which is held fixed using an immobilization system suitable for the part concerned which may include a molded head mask where the head is involved.

The invention discloses image-guided radiation therapy equipment, which comprises a radiation therapy equipment body and a treatment table, wherein the radiation therapy equipment body further comprises a slip ring frame structure, a radiation therapy device and a computed tomography (CT) scanner; the CT scanner and the radiation therapy device are both arranged on the slip ring frame structure; the radiation therapy device comprises a ray source body; and the CT scanner comprises an X-ray tube and an X-ray detector which are arranged to be in front of and behind the ray source body by 90 degrees respectively. The image-guided radiation therapy equipment provided by the invention can realize the real-time positioning of focal points of rays and gross target volumes to realize real-time tracking, extract two-dimensional images and display in real time the variations of lesion target volumes.

Systems, methods, and related computer program products for image-guided radiation treatment (IGRT) are described. For one preferred embodiment, an IGRT apparatus is provided comprising a ring gantry having a central opening and a radiation treatment head coupled to the ring gantry that is rotatable around the central opening in at least a 180 degree arc. For one preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a gantry translation mechanism configured to translate the ring gantry in a direction of a longitudinal axis extending through the central opening. Noncoplanar radiation treatment delivery can thereby be achieved without requiring movement of the patient. For another preferred embodiment, an independently translatable 3D imaging device distinct from the ring gantry is provided for further achieving at least one of pre-treatment imaging and setup imaging of the target tissue volume without requiring movement of the patient.

The disclosed systems and methods for Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), utilises an iterative approach which adjusts a treatment plan based on inter- or intra-fraction images to improve the accuracy of the radiation delivered during the overall treatment. The prescribed dose of radiotherapeutic radiation is mapped onto the patient's anatomy using an image acquired of the region, which is to be the target for radiotherapeutic radiation. Following beam-angle-optimisation, fluence optimisation and segmentation, the efficiency of delivery of each segment is determined using an objective function, and the segments ranked according to their efficiency. The plan proceeds with the choice of the most efficient segment (or segments) to be delivered first. When this radiation has been delivered, having been tracked to establish its distribution, this delivered distribution can be subtracted from the original prescribed dose and the process repeated so that the delivered radiation gradually converges on the original prescribed dose.

The invention provides image-guided radiation treatment equipment. The image-guided radiation therapy equipment comprises an installation base, a treatment couch which is fixedly arranged on the installation base and a treatment equipment main body, wherein the treatment equipment main body comprises a shield body roller, a source body roller and a collimation body roller component which are coaxially sleeved together and can rotate relative to one another, wherein the source body roller is provided with a detachable radioactive source component; the collimation body roller component is provided with a collimator; rays emitted from the radioactive source component emit into the treatment equipment main body after the beam limiting of the collimator; the treatment equipment main body surrounds the whole circumference of the treatment couch at 360 degrees; an image guide device is fixedly arranged on the source body roller and can rotate along with the source body roller, so that the image tracking of a patient in a 360-degree range and the real-time monitoring in a treatment process are realized, and a target spot follows up; and therefore, the aim of image-guided precise radioactive treatment is fulfilled.

A radiation therapy system includes a radiation source capable of generating a beam of radiation; a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising at least one radiofrequency detector coil; and an electrically grounded dielectric material between the radiation source and the radiofrequency detector coil for shielding the at least one radiofrequency detector coil from the beam of radiation. Also disclosed is a radiofrequency detector coil for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus sheathed at least in part by a dielectric material that is adapted to be electrically grounded.

The invention relates to a non-linear fusion method for internal and external radiotherapy doses of a cervical cancer. The method comprises: obtaining internal and external irradiation radiotherapy CT images and internal and external irradiation radiotherapy dose distribution of a to-be-detected cervical cancer; on the basis of non-linear image registration, mapping the internal irradiation radiotherapy CT image to the external irradiation radiotherapy CT image to obtain a transformation relationship between the internal and external irradiation radiotherapy CT images of the to-be-detected cervical cancer; according to the transformation relationship between the internal and external irradiation radiotherapy CT images, transforming internal irradiation radiotherapy dose distribution into equivalent external irradiation radiotherapy dose distribution; and carrying out fusion of the equivalent external irradiation radiotherapy dose distribution and external irradiation radiotherapy dose distribution after transformation by image fusion, rebuilding a distribution curve of internal and external radiotherapy doses, and obtaining a total practically subjected dose of a tumor target region of the to-be-detected cervical cancer and surrounding organs at risks during the comprehensive internal and external irradiation radiotherapy process. The non-linear fusion method is applied to an image-guided radiation therapy of a cervical cancer, thereby improving accuracy of radiotherapy dose evaluation.

A method and system to “pump” radiation therapy (RT) images and associated patient information on an Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) system to a Record and Verify (R&V) system via a standard DICOM connection to allow remote image viewing. Targeted image files in IGRT systems are searched for and transferred automatically. The user identifies the “inlet,” i.e. the source from which the image files are searched, and the “outlet,” i.e., the DICOM server to which the “pumped” imaged are directed. The images can be sent in their original form or fused. The “input” source is scanned periodically at a user-determined time interval. In order not to send the same image multiple time, a time filter skips images generated before a user-selected time and date.

A magnetic resonance (MR)-radiotherapy (RT) hybrid system for treating a patient is disclosed. The MR-RT hybrid system includes a radiation source for supplying a radiation beam to treat the patient and an MR imaging (MRI) apparatus for generating a divergent gradient field shaped to match a divergent geometry of the radiation beam of the radiation source.

Reconstruction of projection images of a CBCT scan is performed by generating simulated projection data, comparing the simulated projection data to the projection images of the CBCT scan, determining a residual volume based on the comparison, and using the residual volume to determine an accurate reconstructed volume. The reconstructed volume can be used to segment a tumor (and potentially one or more organs) and align the tumor to a planning volume (e.g., from a CT scan) to identify changes, such as shape of the tumor and proximity of the tumor to an organ. These changes can be used to update a radiation therapy procedure, such as by altering a radiation treatment plan and fine-tuning a patient position.

A method and apparatus for precisely reproducing the position of a vaginal cylinder in relation to a patient to ensure that a planned radiation dose can be delivered with high precision to the intended treatment target volumes. In order to properly define the treatment volume, a vaginal cylinder with proper diameter is inserted into the patient's vagina. This invention addresses two potential errors: one, the incorrect vaginal cylinder position in relation to the radiation beams, and second, the inconsistent positional correlation between the vaginal cylinder and the patient's body. These two geometric errors will cause dosimetric errors. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for minimizing the geometric error and dosimetric error associated with conventional external beam radiation therapy or radiosurgery used in treating gynecological tumors. First a treatment plan is carried out to determine the treatment target volume. Second, treatment delivery is carried out by using an image-guided system to locate the position of the vaginal cylinder and comparing it relative to the treatment delivery system coordinate system and the patient's coordinate system. The displacement in the position of the vaginal cylinder from the treatment plan is corrected by calculating the transformation matrix and entering the resulting value into a position adjusting assembly. The position adjusting assembly adjusts the vaginal cylinder to exactly reproduce its location relative to the patient's coordinate system. This ensures that the image-guided system locates the precise radiation delivery position and that the radiation dose is delivered precisely to the treatment target volume.

A radiation system may include a treatment assembly including a first radiation source, a second radiation source, and a first radiation detector. The first radiation source may be configured to deliver a treatment beam covering a treatment region of the radiation system, and the treatment region may be located in a bore of the radiation system. The second radiation source may be configured to deliver a first imaging beam covering a first imaging region of the radiation system, and may be mounted rotatably on a first side of the treatment assembly. The first radiation detector may be configured to detect at least a portion of the first imaging beam, and may be mounted rotatably on a second side of the treatment assembly. The treatment assembly, the second radiation source, and the first radiation detector may be positioned such that the treatment region is addressable for the radiation system.

A system for coordinating radiation therapy and imaging processes includes a radiation therapy system an radiation source mounted on a robotically-controlled system to move the radiation source abouta subject to direct radiation to a target area in the subject according to a treatment plan. The system also includes an imaging system configured to acquire imaging data from a subject. The imaging system and the radiation therapy system are independently movable. The system also includes a coordination system configured to coordinate operation of the imaging system to acquire the imaging data from the subject during movement of the radiation source about the subject according to the treatment plan to avoid collisions of the radiation therapy system with the imaging system.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for guiding the delivery of therapeutic radiation using incomplete or partial images acquired during a treatment session. A partial image does not have enoughinformation to determine the location of a target region due to, for example, poor or low contrast and/or low SNR. The radiation fluence calculation methods described herein do not require knowledge or calculation of the target location, and yet may help to provide real-time image guided radiation therapy using arbitrarily low SNR images.