Multi-Leaf Collimator Double-Detection Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiotherapy technologies face challenges in minimizing radiation dose to healthy tissues while ensuring cancer tissues receive a detrimental radiation dose, with existing multi-leaf collimators lacking precise control over leaf motion, leading to potential overshoot and inefficiencies in forming desired irradiation fields.
Innovation Solution
A control system for a multi-leaf collimator in a medical electronic linear accelerator that includes trolleys, screw rods, motors, encoders, displacement sensors, and switches, enabling double-detection checks for precise motion control of leaves to avoid overshoot and form accurate irradiation fields, ensuring safety and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a multi-leaf collimator is used to form irradiation fields in radiotherapy, then the ability to concentrate radiation on cancer sites is improved, but the risk of leaf motion overshoot and potential harm to healthy tissues increases due to insufficient position control precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system using encoders on motors to detect trolley position and potentiometers on leaves to detect leaf position. The control system continuously compares actual positions with target positions and adjusts motor movements accordingly, preventing overshoot and ensuring precise positioning of the multi-leaf collimator components during radiotherapy treatment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary detection devices (encoders and potentiometers) between the motor/leaf components and the control system. These intermediaries provide real-time position information to the control system, enabling precise control and preventing direct overshoot of the leaves, thereby ensuring both precision and reliability
2Adaptability or versatility
If the multi-leaf collimator uses motor-driven trolleys to position leaves, then the ability to form complex irradiation fields is improved, but the complexity of the control system increases with multiple motors, encoders, and sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a control system that serves multiple functions: it controls motor movements for trolley positioning, monitors encoder feedback for position detection, adjusts potentiometer readings for leaf positioning, and coordinates the movement of multiple leaves simultaneously. This multi-functional control system manages the complexity by integrating various control tasks into a unified system that can adapt to different irradiation field requirements
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for controlling a motion position of a multi-leaf collimator are provided. An example device includes a control system and two trolleys connected with the control system. The multi-leaf collimator includes two rows of leaves arranged in opposite sides, and each of the trolleys carries one row of the leaves. Each trolley is movably connected with a first screw rod and driven by a first motor connected with the first screw rod. A first encoder is arranged on the first motor and operable to feed back first position information of the trolley to the control system. A displacement sensor is arranged on the first screw rod and operable to feed back second position information of the trolley to the control system. The control system is operable to control the motion position of the trolley based on the first position information and the second position information.