Methods and systems for image-guided radiation therapy

Inventors

Kuang, Yu • Wang, Hui

Abstract

A radiation therapy system is equipped with a combined imaging system, such as an imaging system combining computed tomography (CT), spectral CT, and single photon emission tomography imaging (SPECT), for guidance of radiation beams providing radiotherapy. The system can include at least one x-ray source that emits an x-ray beam at a low energy level for imaging and/or an x-ray beam at a high energy level for radiation therapy. The system can also include at least one imager, such as a cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) or cadmium telluride (CdTe) flat-panel imager that receives x-ray beams traversing a subject from the x-ray source and gamma rays emitted by radioisotope tracers injected into the subject. Based on the guidance of the triple images (CT, spectral CT, and SPECT), a computer system can control the radiation therapeutic beam delivery to target areas, such as lesions and/or tumors.

Core Innovation

The invention describes an image-guided radiotherapy platform that combines conventional CT, spectral-CT, and SPECT image types into a comprehensive image of a subject. A first radiation source emits a first radiation beam for imaging, and a first imager positioned opposite the first radiation source detects different types of images after the first radiation beam has traversed the subject. The first imager is configured to produce a conventional-CT image type, a spectral-CT image type, and a SPECT image type.

The system further includes a second radiation source that emits a second radiation beam to provide radiotherapy, and a second imager positioned opposite the second radiation source detects at least one image type after the second radiation beam has traversed the subject. A computer system combines the types of images into a comprehensive image of the subject. The comprehensive image is used to identify one or more target areas within the subject for treatment and to determine one or more treatment characteristics for the target areas.

According to the invention, the computer system controls delivery of the radiotherapy treatment to the target areas according to the treatment characteristics. The combining, the identifying, the determining, and the controlling are repeatedly performed while radiotherapy treatment is being delivered, supporting image-guided adaptation during treatment.

Claims Coverage

The independent claims are directed to a radiotherapy system with multi-type imaging integrated with radiotherapy control, a radiotherapy system definition using an imager capable of producing conventional CT, spectral CT, and SPECT image types, and a method for using such a radiotherapy system. Across the independent claims, the coverage centers on combining multiple image types into a comprehensive image, identifying target areas, determining treatment characteristics, and controlling radiotherapy delivery based on those characteristics, with an imaging capability specified to include conventional CT, spectral CT, and SPECT image types.

Across the independent claims, the inventive focus is on integrating multi-type imaging into a computer system that produces a comprehensive image, identifies target areas, determines treatment characteristics, and controls radiotherapy delivery based on those characteristics, with explicit inclusion of an imager capable of producing conventional CT, spectral-CT, and SPECT image types and, in one independent claim, repeatedly performing this workflow while radiotherapy treatment is being delivered.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications