Intraoperative Radiation Therapy Applicator Navigation via 3D Wound Cavity Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical radiation therapy methods lack precision in targeting and irradiating wound cavities post-tumor removal during intraoperative radiation therapy, leading to potential under or over-treatment due to reliance on human estimation and limited positional accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize three-dimensional measurement data from surgical microscopes or probe-based registration devices to navigate and select x-ray applicators for intraoperative radiation therapy, ensuring accurate placement and customization based on the wound cavity's geometry, allowing for precise irradiation planning and execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If human estimation and conventional methods are used to target wound cavities during intraoperative radiation therapy, then the procedure can be performed with simple equipment, but positional accuracy and treatment precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The wound cavity is three-dimensionally measured and documented before the radiation therapy procedure. This preliminary measurement allows the x-ray applicator to be pre-configured and navigated to the exact position, eliminating the need for complex real-time measurement during treatment and improving positional accuracy without requiring overly complex equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
A navigation system acts as an intermediary between the surgical microscope/registration device and the x-ray applicator. This intermediary system processes the three-dimensional measurement data and guides the applicator to the correct position, achieving high precision while keeping the individual components relatively simple.
2Adaptability or versatility
If standardized x-ray applicators are used without customization, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different wound cavity geometries deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows dynamic adjustment of the x-ray applicator position and orientation based on the specific wound cavity geometry measured during surgery. The applicator can be navigated to different positions and angles to match the actual cavity shape, providing adaptability without requiring custom-designed applicators for each case.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positional parameters (location, orientation, angle) of the x-ray applicator to match the measured wound cavity geometry. By adjusting these parameters rather than changing the physical applicator design, the system achieves adaptability while maintaining device simplicity.
3Reliability
If three-dimensional measurement and navigation systems are implemented, then treatment precision and safety are improved, but measurement and detection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical microscope or probe-based registration device performs multiple functions: it measures the wound cavity three-dimensionally, documents the geometry, and provides data for applicator navigation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate complex measurement systems while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the three-dimensional measurement data as feedback to guide the x-ray applicator positioning. The measured geometry is continuously referenced to ensure accurate applicator placement, improving safety through verification while using straightforward measurement principles rather than complex detection systems.
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
Enhances positional accuracy and safety of irradiation by enabling targeted selection and placement of x-ray applicators, reducing the risk of under or over-treatment and improving the fit of applicators within the wound cavity, thereby optimizing radiation therapy outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
Methods which are known per se, such as triangulation, can be used in this case in order to determine, in the case of known poses and imaging properties of cameras of a stereoscopic camera of the surgical microscope, positions of mutually corresponding image elements in captured stereoscopic image representations in the reference system.
Implementation Method 2
an intraoperative radiation therapy device having an x-ray applicator
Data Source
AI summary
A method for operating a medical radiation therapy arrangement is disclosed, wherein a wound cavity in the patient from which a tumor has been surgically removed is measured three-dimensionally in a reference coordinate system via a surgical microscope of the medical radiation therapy arrangement and/or via a probe-based registration device of the medical radiation therapy arrangement, wherein an x-ray applicator of an intraoperative radiation therapy device of the medical radiation therapy arrangement is selected and/or arranged in the wound cavity on the basis of three-dimensional measurement data generated during the measurement, with the x-ray applicator being navigable in the reference coordinate system. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a medical radiation therapy arrangement.