Radiotherapy Source Tilting With Angled Rails for Bunker Space Limits
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiotherapy devices that provide both coplanar and non-coplanar treatment are large, heavy, complex, and inefficient in space utilization, often requiring significant height increases and complex counterweight systems, making them unsuitable for hospital radiotherapy bunkers.
Innovation Solution
A radiotherapy device with a tilting apparatus featuring angled guide rails and carriages that allow the radiation source to be tilted between coplanar and non-coplanar configurations, using linear actuators for translation along guide rails to adjust the tilt, enabling efficient use of space and reducing the need for complex counterbalancing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a large curved rail is used to enable non-coplanar radiation delivery, then the radiation source can be moved outside the gantry plane, but the device height increases significantly and space utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional curved rail path to a three-dimensional tilting mechanism. The radiation source is tilted about an axis perpendicular to the gantry rotation axis, creating non-coplanar beam angles without requiring vertical space. This dimensional change allows the beam to exit at oblique angles while maintaining a compact device footprint suitable for hospital bunkers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic tilting mechanism that can adjust the radiation source angle during gantry rotation. The tilting apparatus includes actuators that dynamically change the beam angle, allowing the system to deliver both coplanar and non-coplanar treatments with a single compact structure rather than requiring fixed large-scale mechanical arrangements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex counterweight systems are implemented to balance the tilting mechanism, then non-coplanar treatment becomes possible, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical counterweight systems with electrical actuators that directly control the tilting mechanism. The actuation system uses motors or other electromechanical devices to tilt the radiation source, eliminating the need for gravity-based counterbalancing mechanisms and significantly reducing overall system complexity while maintaining non-coplanar treatment capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the radiation source is tilted to deliver non-coplanar radiation, then the number of treatment angles increases, but the device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a lightweight dynamic tilting mechanism with actuators that can quickly adjust the radiation source angle. This dynamic system replaces heavy static structures, allowing the same radiation source to deliver both coplanar and non-coplanar beams without requiring additional weight for structural support, thereby maintaining beam angle variability while controlling device weight.
Data Source
AI summary
A radiotherapy device can include a tilting apparatus for tilting a source of radiation, the tilting apparatus comprising: a plurality of guide rails comprising a first guide rail and a second guide rail and a plurality of carriages comprising a first carriage and a second carriage. The first carriage being translatable along the first guide rail and the second carriage being translatable along the second guide rail. The radiotherapy device can also include a support structure for supporting the source of radiation. The support structure being rotatably coupled to each of the first carriage and the second carriage. The first guide rail and the second guide rail can be angled with respect to one another such that translation of the first carriage and the second carriage along the first guide rail and the second guide rail causes tilting of the support structure.