Automated Couch Position Sync for Surface Guidance Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT) systems require additional user inputs to synchronize the operations of treatment delivery systems and surface guidance systems, leading to increased treatment time and potential human errors due to misinterpretation of couch position changes and manual acquisition of reference surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The synchronization of multiple independent systems involved in SGRT is achieved by transmitting position information from the treatment delivery system to the surface guidance system during couch position changes and indicating the start of radiation delivery, allowing the surface guidance system to automatically adjust the planned patient surface and acquire reference surfaces without user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual user inputs are required to synchronize treatment delivery system and surface guidance system, then system reliability can be maintained through user control, but treatment time increases and human errors occur
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment delivery system automatically transmits couch position information to the surface guidance system without requiring manual user input. The surface guidance system autonomously processes this information to adjust the planned patient surface position, eliminating the need for manual synchronization operations while maintaining accuracy through automated data exchange between systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment delivery system provides real-time feedback to the surface guidance system by transmitting couch position information automatically. This feedback mechanism enables the surface guidance system to continuously update the planned patient surface position based on actual couch movements, ensuring synchronization without manual intervention and preventing errors from manual input delays.
2Ease of operation
If manual acquisition of reference surface is required, then system operation can be controlled, but treatment workflow complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surface guidance system automatically acquires the reference surface in advance by receiving couch position information from the treatment delivery system before treatment begins. This preliminary action eliminates the need for manual reference surface acquisition during the treatment workflow, reducing both time loss and operational complexity while ensuring the reference is ready when needed.
3Device complexity
If couch position changes are not communicated to surface guidance system, then system independence is maintained, but misinterpretation of patient motion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment delivery system acts as an intermediary by automatically transmitting couch position information to the surface guidance system. This intermediary communication mechanism ensures that the surface guidance system receives accurate couch position data without requiring deep system integration or complex interconnections, thereby maintaining system independence while preventing misinterpretation of patient surface position changes.
Data Source
AI summary
An example computer-implemented method for a treatment delivery system is disclosed. The method includes receiving an input requesting movement of a couch of the treatment delivery system from a first position to a second position, and in response to the input, transmitting, to a surface guidance system, position information for the couch, wherein the position information is for modifying a reference patient surface, and causing the couch to move from the first position to the second position.