Tracking Indicator Body Parts in Radiation Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods face challenges in accurately tracking indicator body parts during radiation therapy, as they move due to vital functions like respiration and heartbeats, making it difficult to correlate their position with the treatment body parts, especially when different body parts exhibit varying movements.
Innovation Solution
A method that analyzes a sequence of analytical images to identify and extract sections showing similar movements, allowing for robust tracking of indicator body parts by correlating their changes in position with those of treatment body parts, using image recognition techniques and similarity measures to filter out interfering movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If analytical images are used to track indicator body parts during radiation therapy, then the position of treatment body parts can be determined, but the tracking accuracy deteriorates due to varying vital movements of different body parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image sequence analysis into multiple sections, each tracking specific indicator body parts with similar movement patterns. By segmenting the tracking task into multiple specialized sections rather than attempting to track all body parts uniformly, the system achieves higher tracking accuracy for each specific indicator while accounting for their distinct vital movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different tracking parameters and movement compensation strategies to different sections of the image sequence based on the local characteristics of each indicator body part. Each section is optimized for its specific indicator's movement pattern, allowing the system to handle varying vital movements effectively while maintaining high tracking accuracy.
2Manufacturing precision
If the treatment beam position is continuously adjusted to follow treatment body parts, then treatment accuracy is improved, but the complexity of the radiation therapy system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary tracking of indicator body parts throughout the treatment process to predict the future position of treatment body parts. By proactively determining indicator positions and using correlation data to predict treatment body part locations before actual treatment delivery, the system achieves high treatment accuracy while reducing the need for complex real-time adjustments during radiation delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the tracked position of indicator body parts is continuously monitored and used to adjust the treatment beam position. The system correlates indicator movement with treatment body part movement, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains treatment accuracy while managing complexity through intelligent feedback-based adjustments rather than purely reactive control.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for tracking image sections which represent indicator body parts of a body in a process sequence of images, wherein changes in the position of the indicator body parts are used as an indicator for changes in the position of a treatment body part of the body which is to be treated using a treatment beam, said method comprising the following steps: providing advance image data which describe an advance sequence of images representing a result of an advance analysis of the body; providing process image data which describe the process sequence of images, wherein the process sequence of images represents a result of a process analysis of the body which is performed after the advance analysis; determining, on the basis of the advance image data, sub-images which undergo similar changes in position in the advance sequence; extracting, on the basis of the process image data and the determined sub-images, image sections from the images of the process sequence which have an image content which corresponds to the image content of the determined sub-images; and tracking the extracted image sections in the process sequence.