MR-RT Hybrid System Gantry Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Radiotherapy systems face challenges in positioning peripheral tumors, such as breast or lung tumors, at the isocentre without colliding with the magnet, limiting gantry angles and treatment effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic resonance (MR)-radiotherapy hybrid system with bi-planar magnets and a rotating gantry, coupled with a motorized treatment support, allows for the precise positioning of patients to avoid collisions and align peripheral tumors with the radiation beam at various gantry angles, using a controller to move the support and adjust the treatment plan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the patient is positioned to place a peripherally located tumour at the isocentre, then the tumour can be irradiated from multiple gantry angles, but the patient comes into contact with the magnet which limits the gantry angles and reduces treatment effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment support is made dynamically movable by a motor mechanism, allowing it to shift position during gantry rotation. This enables the system to adapt the patient's position in real-time to avoid magnet contact while maintaining isocentric irradiation from multiple gantry angles, resolving the contradiction between positioning capability and gantry angle range.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a larger bore or pole-to-pole spacing is used in the MRI apparatus, then peripheral tumors can be positioned at the isocentre without collision, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the static bore size of the MRI apparatus, the invention employs a dynamic treatment support that can move during gantry rotation. This allows peripheral tumors to be treated without requiring a larger bore, maintaining the original compact MRI apparatus design while achieving the same positioning flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves the problem from the spatial dimension (increasing bore size) to the temporal dimension (dynamic positioning during rotation). By introducing time-dependent position adjustment, the system achieves tumour accessibility without expanding the physical footprint of the MRI apparatus.
3Reliability
If the treatment support is moved dynamically during gantry rotation, then collision between the MRI apparatus and patient is avoided, but the control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller receives real-time feedback about gantry position and treatment support position, automatically calculating and executing the necessary movements to maintain safe clearance between the patient and magnet. This closed-loop feedback system manages the complexity by automating the coordination between gantry rotation and treatment support movement, ensuring reliable collision avoidance.
Data Source
AI summary
A magnetic resonance (MR)-radiotherapy (RT) hybrid system for treating a patient is disclosed. The MR-RT hybrid system comprises: an MR imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising bi-planar magnets configured to generate a magnetic field; a radiation source configured to supply a radiation beam to treat the patient; a gantry configured to couple the MR apparatus at a first end and the radiation source so that they can rotate in unison; a treatment support configured to support the patient; a motor configured to move the treatment support; and a controller. The controller comprises a processor and memory having stored thereon instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the motor to move the treatment support in order to avoid collision between the MRI apparatus and the patient when the MRI apparatus is rotated. A method for positioning the treatment support within the MR-RT hybrid system is also disclosed.