Radiotherapy Treatment Table Position Tracking for Precise Image Registration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiotherapy systems face challenges in accurately tracking the movement of treatment tables due to operational errors, leading to discrepancies between planned and actual moving paths, which can affect the precision of image registration and treatment delivery.
Innovation Solution
A radiotherapy system with a movable table featuring a positioning line that extends along a first direction, having a positioning feature with multiple feature values, allowing for precise determination of the table's position using imaging components and processors to register images accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If markers are placed on the patient for position tracking, then the accuracy of table movement tracking is improved, but the patient comfort and treatment safety deteriorate due to potential damage from inaccurate radiation delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a positioning line as an intermediary object attached to the treatment table instead of placing markers on the patient. This positioning line serves as a mediator that enables accurate tracking of table movement through imaging systems without requiring direct marking or implantation on the patient's body, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and patient safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy or representation of the table's position through the positioning line that can be imaged and tracked. Instead of directly tracking the table's mechanical position, the system uses the positioning line as a visual surrogate that can be captured by imaging components, enabling indirect but accurate position measurement without physical markers on the patient
2Measurement precision
If a positioning line with positioning features is added to the table, then the precision of image registration is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning line is divided into multiple cross sections along its length, with each cross section containing discrete positioning features. This segmentation allows the system to determine the table's position at multiple locations simultaneously, improving image registration precision while keeping each individual feature simple and manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning features on the positioning line are designed to have distinct imaging characteristics that allow them to be easily identified and differentiated by imaging systems. The features create visible variations that can be detected and used for precise position determination without requiring complex structural modifications to the table
3Reliability
If the table movement tracking system is enhanced with positioning lines and features, then the reliability of treatment delivery is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to more complex positioning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning line is designed to be self-contained and automatically provides position information through its inherent structure. The positioning features on the line self-generate the necessary tracking information that imaging systems can detect, eliminating the need for manual intervention or complex operational procedures to establish positioning references
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning line is pre-installed and configured on the treatment table before treatment sessions begin. The positioning features are预先 arranged in specific patterns and locations, so that when imaging is performed, the system can immediately detect and use these pre-established references for accurate position determination without requiring setup during operation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A radiotherapy system is provided. The radiotherapy system may include a treatment component, an imaging component, and a table being movable between the treatment component and the imaging component along a first direction in a first coordinate system. The table may have a plurality of cross sections perpendicular to the first direction. The table may include a positioning line that extends along the first direction and have a positioning feature. The positioning feature may have a plurality of feature values. Each feature value may correspond to one of the plurality of cross sections.