Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors for Respiratory Motion Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current respiratory motion management techniques for imaging and radiotherapy are inadequate, leading to image degradation and reduced treatment efficacy due to the inability to effectively compensate for body deformation caused by respiratory motion.
Innovation Solution
The use of embedded fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) aligned along a cartesian coordinate system to detect effective shifts in Bragg wavelengths caused by body deformation, allowing for real-time correction of image data and adjustment of external beam treatment to compensate for these deformations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If breath hold CT scans are used to reduce respiratory motion, then image quality is improved, but radiation dose increases and scan time decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of respiratory motion phases using FBG sensors before each CT scan acquisition. By pre-determining the respiratory phase and predicting organ position, the system can schedule scan acquisitions at optimal respiratory phases, eliminating the need for breath-hold techniques and their associated radiation dose increases.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors respiratory motion through FBG sensor feedback during the scanning process. This real-time feedback allows dynamic adjustment of scan timing and positioning, enabling motion-compensated imaging without requiring breath-holding, thus reducing radiation dose while maintaining image quality.
2Reliability
If external beam radiotherapy with intensity modulation is used to deliver maximum dose to tumor, then treatment efficacy is improved, but treatment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates FBG-based respiratory motion monitoring with the radiotherapy delivery system, providing real-time feedback on tumor position and respiratory phase. This feedback enables automatic triggering and timing of radiation beams at optimal moments, simplifying the complexity of intensity-modulated radiation therapy while maintaining high treatment efficacy through precise tumor targeting.
3Measurement precision
If optical techniques with physical markers are used for respiratory motion detection, then motion detection capability is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates due to requirement to remain bare-bodied
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses FBG sensors embedded in a wearable garment as an intermediary medium between the patient's body and the motion detection system. This intermediary approach allows respiratory motion detection through the fabric material, eliminating the need for bare-bodied positioning and optical markers, thus maintaining patient comfort while preserving motion detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces optical detection methods with fiber optic-based FBG sensing technology. This substitution allows motion detection through non-optical means (strain measurement in the fiber), enabling measurement through clothing and thus improving patient comfort without sacrificing detection precision.
4Measurement precision
If X-ray sources and detection systems are used for motion management, then imaging capability is improved, but infrastructure requirements and radiation dose increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the motion detection function from the CT scanner infrastructure and implements it as a separate, portable FBG sensor system. By taking out the motion management capability from the imaging system, the solution reduces infrastructure requirements while maintaining imaging capability through the extracted sensor data that guides the scan acquisition.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables accurate compensation for body deformation during imaging and radiotherapy, improving image quality and treatment precision by maintaining focus on the target region while minimizing radiation dose and patient discomfort.
Implementation Method 1
acquires peak wavelength data from a plurality of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) disposed on the body... detects effective shifts of the Bragg wavelengths of the FBGs caused by body deformation
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system of compensating for body deformation during image acquisition or external beam treatment includes acquiring image data of a body and peak wavelength data from a plurality of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) disposed on the body aligned along a predetermined coordinate system on the body, such as a cartesian coordinate system. The method further comprises detecting effective shifts of the Bragg wavelengths of the FBGs caused by body deformation during image acquisition, and controlling the movement of the body through a cavity in a scanning device and controlling the acquisition of the image data or external beam treatment during body deformation based on the effective shifts of the Bragg wavelengths of the FBGs.