3D Patient Alignment Using Radiation Path and Irradiation Direction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiation treatment methods struggle to accurately align the position of a patient's body during treatment, particularly in areas other than the tumor's surroundings, leading to potential misalignment of radiation energy application and energy loss through tissues, which affects the precision of tumor irradiation.
Innovation Solution
A medical image processing device that includes a first image acquirer, a second image acquirer, a direction acquirer, and a movement amount calculator, which aligns the patient's position using three-dimensional CT images and room coordinate information to ensure accurate alignment of radiation beams with the tumor, considering the path of radiation through the patient's body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If template matching process is performed to align tumor surroundings, then tumor position alignment is improved, but alignment accuracy in areas other than tumor surroundings deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the alignment process into two distinct stages: first aligning the tumor region using template matching, then aligning the remaining body regions using the aligned tumor position as a reference. This segmentation allows each stage to focus on its specific alignment task, improving overall accuracy while maintaining tumor position precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional template matching in the tumor region to three-dimensional alignment of the entire patient body. By using the aligned tumor position as a reference point, the system extends alignment accuracy from the local tumor region to the global patient position, effectively adding a dimensional aspect to the alignment process.
2Ease of operation
If fluoroscopic image is used for position alignment, then alignment process is simplified, but tumor position detection accuracy deteriorates due to tumor transparency to X-rays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces template matching as an intermediary process that bridges the gap between simple fluoroscopic imaging and accurate tumor detection. By creating a template from the treatment planning CT image and matching it with the fluoroscopic image, the system enables accurate tumor position detection while maintaining the simplicity of fluoroscopic imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the tumor and surrounding tissues from the treatment planning CT image as a template. This template is then matched with the fluoroscopic image to detect tumor position, effectively copying the anatomical structures that are not directly visible in the fluoroscopic image and using them as a reference for alignment.
3Measurement precision
If CT image is used instead of fluoroscopic image to confirm tumor position, then tumor detection accuracy is improved, but image collation complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary tumor region information from the full CT image to create a template. By focusing only on the relevant tumor area rather than processing the entire CT volume, the system maintains high detection accuracy while significantly reducing the complexity and computational load of the image collation process.
4Manufacturing precision
If patient position is aligned based on tumor surroundings only, then tumor irradiation accuracy is improved, but radiation energy application accuracy to the tumor deteriorates due to misalignment of tissues in the radiation path
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary alignment of the entire patient body position and posture before radiation delivery. By aligning all tissues in the radiation path in advance, not just the tumor surroundings, the system ensures that the radiation energy travels through the correct tissue paths, preventing energy loss and ensuring accurate energy application to the tumor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the alignment parameters from local tumor region coordinates to global patient body coordinates. By transforming the alignment reference from the tumor center to the overall patient position and posture, the system ensures that all tissues along the radiation path are correctly positioned, maintaining radiation energy integrity from source to target.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment, a medical image processing device includes a first image acquirer, a second image acquirer, a direction acquirer, and a movement amount calculator. The first image acquirer acquires a three-dimensional first image obtained by photographing the inside of a body of a patient. The second image acquirer acquires a three-dimensional second image of the inside of the body of the patient imaged at a timing different from that of the first image. The direction acquirer acquires information about an irradiation direction of radiation to the patient in a treatment room. The movement amount calculator outputs a movement amount signal indicating the amount of movement of the second image to be moved to align the position of the patient shown in the second image with the position of the patient shown in the first image based on the path of the radiation set in the first image and the information about the irradiation direction.