Collimator Switching Mechanism for Radiosurgery Head
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiosurgery robotic systems face inefficiencies and safety hazards due to time delays and inaccurate collimator replacements, which affect treatment precision and patient safety during radiotherapy.
Innovation Solution
A secondary collimator apparatus with multiple collimators mounted on a treatment head, enabling automatic and quick switching through a primary and secondary position feedback mechanism, ensuring accurate motion control and real-time position correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple collimators are mounted on a treatment head with automatic switching mechanism, then collimator replacement speed is improved and treatment efficiency is enhanced, but device complexity increases due to additional mounting structures and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment head is segmented into multiple collimator mounting positions (first collimator mounting position, second collimator mounting position, etc.), allowing multiple collimators to be mounted simultaneously on the same treatment head. This segmentation enables quick switching between different collimators during treatment without requiring manual replacement, thereby improving productivity while distributing the complexity across modular positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment head is designed with universal mounting structures that can accommodate multiple different collimators at different positions. The mounting mechanism provides multi-functional capability to hold and switch between various collimator types, reducing the need for separate treatment heads for different collimators and managing device complexity through standardized interfaces.
2Loss of time
If collimators are replaced automatically during treatment, then treatment continuity is improved and time delay is reduced, but positioning accuracy may deteriorate due to motion control errors
Solution Approach 1:
A position feedback mechanism is implemented in the motion control system to monitor and correct the positions of collimators during automatic switching. The feedback system detects position deviations and provides correction signals to maintain accurate collimator alignment, thereby preserving positioning accuracy while enabling continuous automatic replacement during treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary positioning and alignment of collimators before treatment begins, and maintains pre-set positions during treatment. The motion control system is pre-calibrated with accurate position data for each collimator mounting position, allowing quick switching without compromising positioning accuracy since the system returns to predetermined accurate positions.
3Productivity
If multiple collimators are mounted on the same treatment head, then collimator switching efficiency is improved, but the size and weight of the treatment head increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple collimators are mounted in a nested or compact arrangement on the treatment head, with collimators positioned at different radial distances or angles from the central axis. This nesting strategy allows multiple collimators to share the same treatment head space efficiently, improving switching efficiency while minimizing the increase in overall treatment head weight compared to using separate treatment heads.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a collimator apparatus and a motion control method. The collimator apparatus includes a transmission assembly and at least two collimators. The transmission assembly is connected to the at least two collimators. The transmission assembly is configured to implement automatic switching of different collimators through rotation action.