Upright Patient Positioning With Dynamic Radiation Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current patient positioning systems for medical imaging and radiation therapy have limitations in acquiring upright imaging data, leading to reduced reproducibility and effectiveness of upright radiotherapy methods.
Innovation Solution
A patient positioning system that includes a support structure with actuation assembly, allowing for customizable configurations to stabilize and support patients in upright positions, and a processor with deflection correction table to maintain precise alignment with a radiation source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If patients are positioned in upright positions for radiation therapy, then patient comfort and diagnostic effectiveness are improved, but positional reproducibility and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patient positioning system employs dynamic adjustment mechanisms including motorized tables, adjustable support members, and real-time positioning corrections that allow the system to adapt to patient movements and maintain optimal positioning throughout the treatment process, thereby improving both comfort and positional reproducibility
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates imaging feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor patient position and provide real-time corrections, allowing the positioning system to maintain high positional reproducibility while accommodating patient comfort needs in upright configurations
2Adaptability or versatility
If patients are positioned in upright positions for radiation therapy, then diagnostic and therapeutic advantages are improved, but image quality deteriorates due to patient movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary positioning and immobilization procedures before treatment begins, including custom support configuration and pre-positioning verification through imaging, to ensure optimal image quality is achieved before any treatment-related movements occur
Solution Approach 2:
Real-time imaging feedback systems monitor patient position during treatment and trigger corrective actions when movement is detected, maintaining image quality standards throughout the upright treatment process
3Reliability
If conventional horizontal positioning is used, then positional stability is maintained, but patient comfort and treatment effectiveness for certain indications deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system transitions from static horizontal configurations to dynamically adjustable upright configurations, enabling the system to adapt to different treatment requirements and patient needs while maintaining positional stability through active control mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key positioning parameters including table angle, support member positions, and patient orientation to enable upright treatment positions, thereby expanding treatment versatility while compensating for potential stability issues through coordinated parameter adjustments
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is technology relating to medical imaging and radiation therapy and particularly, but not exclusively, to devices, methods, and systems for positioning a patient with respect to a radiation source to image the patient and/or to treat the patient by exposing the patient to a radiation beam produced by the radiation source.