Coordinated Gantry and Couch Motion for Helical Radiation Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation therapy methods lack efficient integration of motion trajectories for radiation sources, multi-leaf collimators, and patient support systems, which limits treatment precision and delivery efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dynamic motion of multi-leaf collimators, gantry rotation, and patient support systems, allowing for advanced motion trajectories such as helical paths and simultaneous imaging during treatment, enabling precise and efficient radiation delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If static blocks are inserted into the radiation beam to shape the beam, then beam shaping is achieved, but treatment delivery efficiency is reduced due to static positioning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces static blocking devices with dynamic MLC leaves that can move independently during radiation delivery. The MLC leaves transition from fixed positions to continuous motion, enabling real-time beam shaping adaptation without interrupting treatment, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The radiation beam is divided into multiple segments controlled by individual MLC leaves. Each leaf can be independently positioned and moved, allowing complex beam shapes to be created through coordinated motion of multiple segments rather than requiring a single static block, improving both precision and delivery efficiency
2Productivity
If dynamic MLC or sliding-window technique is used to improve delivery efficiency, then treatment delivery efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to coordinated motion requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The MLC system is designed to perform multiple functions: beam shaping, beam modulation, and dynamic tracking of moving targets. By integrating these functions into a single coordinated system rather than separate devices, the patent reduces overall system complexity while maintaining high delivery efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates real-time feedback mechanisms that monitor patient motion and automatically adjust MLC leaf positions and gantry movement accordingly. This closed-loop control simplifies the coordination complexity by using adaptive feedback rather than pre-programmed complex trajectories
3Manufacturing precision
If gantry rotation and couch movement are used to achieve helical radiation therapy, then treatment precision is improved through dynamic positioning, but treatment time increases due to multiple motion coordinates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous helical motion of the gantry and couch during radiation delivery, eliminating the need for intermittent stopping and repositioning. The radiation beam continuously tracks the moving target through synchronized gantry rotation and couch translation, maintaining treatment precision while reducing total treatment time through uninterrupted delivery
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from two-dimensional gantry rotation to three-dimensional helical motion by adding continuous couch translation along the patient's longitudinal axis. This additional dimension enables the radiation source to follow a helical trajectory that maintains optimal positioning throughout treatment, improving precision without time penalty
Data Source
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AI summary
A radiation delivery device comprising a gantry, a multi-leaf collimator coupled to the gantry, a radiation source coupled to the gantry, a support moveable along x, y, and z axes; and a computer processor configured to execute a software program, the software program operable to receive at least one image, generate a radiation therapy treatment plan including a plurality of fractions and a radiation dose for each of the plurality of fractions based on the at least one image, prior to delivering one of the plurality of fractions, determine operational parameters based on the radiation therapy treatment plan, wherein the operational parameters include changing a speed and changing movement of the support in the x, y, or z directions of the support during delivery of the radiation therapy treatment plan; and move the support at varying speeds and varying directions in accordance with the operational parameters.