Radiation therapy systems and methods with tumor tracking
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Publication Number
US-11904184-B2
Publication Date
2024-02-20
Expiration Date
Abstract
A radiation therapy system comprising a therapeutic radiation system (e.g., an MV X-ray source, and/or a linac) and a co-planar imaging system (e.g., a kV X-ray system) on a fast rotating ring gantry frame. The therapeutic radiation system and the imaging system are separated by a gantry angle, and the gantry frame may rotate in a direction such that the imaging system leads the MV system. The radiation sources of both the therapeutic and imaging radiation systems are each collimated by a dynamic multi-leaf collimator (DMLC) disposed in the beam path of the MV X-ray source and the kV X-ray source, respectively. In one variation, the imaging system identifies patient tumor(s) positions in real-time. The DMLC for the imaging radiation source limits the kV X-ray beam spread to the tumor(s) and/or immediate tumor regions, and helps to reduce irradiation of healthy tissue (e.g., reduce the dose-area product).
Core Innovation
A radiation therapy system includes a rotatable gantry with an imaging system and a therapeutic radiation system both mounted on the gantry. The imaging system includes an imaging radiation source mounted at a first location on the gantry and a first multi-leaf collimator in a radiation beam path of the imaging radiation source. The therapeutic radiation system includes a therapeutic radiation source mounted at a second location on the gantry and a second multi-leaf collimator in a radiation beam path of the therapeutic radiation source.
A controller sends instructions to acquire image data of a region-of-interest (ROI) and then apply radiation to a real-time location of the ROI during the same treatment session. The approach performs real-time tracking by computing a real-time location of the ROI from the acquired image data and applying therapeutic radiation to that real-time location in the same session.
The imaging radiation is shaped by an imaging system multi-leaf collimator aperture having a shape defined by an imaging system MLC template, and the controller acquires image data using this aperture. The therapeutic radiation is shaped using a therapeutic radiation system multi-leaf collimator aperture whose shape is defined by a therapeutic MLC template that is updated based on the real-time location of the ROI.
Claims Coverage
The document provides two independent claims with multiple dependent refinements. Across the independent claims, there are two primary inventive feature areas: gantry-mounted imaging and therapeutic subsystems with multi-leaf collimators controlled by a controller to acquire image data and apply treatment to a real-time ROI location, and MLC template-defined apertures with template-driven updating and/or shifting based on the real-time ROI location and ROI projections at imaging firing positions.
Rotatable gantry with imaging and therapeutic multi-leaf collimators
A rotatable gantry with an imaging system mounted on the gantry, the imaging system including an imaging radiation source mounted at a first location on the gantry and a first multi-leaf collimator located in a radiation beam path of the imaging radiation source; and a therapeutic radiation system mounted on the gantry, the therapeutic radiation system including a therapeutic radiation source mounted at a second location on the gantry and a second multi-leaf collimator located in a radiation beam path of the therapeutic radiation source.
Controller acquiring image data to compute a real-time location and applying radiation in the same session
A controller configured to send instructions to the imaging system and the therapeutic radiation system to acquire image data of a region-of-interest (ROI) using the imaging system to compute a real-time location of the ROI during a treatment session, and apply radiation to the real-time location of the ROI during the same treatment session using the therapeutic radiation source.
Imaging aperture defined by an imaging system MLC template
Acquiring image data of a region-of-interest (ROI) using radiation emitted by an imaging radiation source through an imaging system multi-leaf collimator aperture, wherein the aperture has a shape defined by an imaging system MLC template.
Real-time ROI location computation from acquired image data and applying therapeutic radiation
Computing a real-time location of the ROI based on the acquired image data; and applying therapeutic radiation to the real-time location of the ROI.
Claim coverage centers on using a controller to compute a real-time ROI location from imaging data acquired via an MLC-defined imaging aperture and then applying therapeutic radiation to that computed real-time ROI location in the same session, with MLC template-defined apertures and updates tied to the ROI location.
Stated Advantages
Improve image contrast, including reducing scattered radiation and dose to healthy tissue, by keyholing an imaging field to an ROI/motion envelope with a kV DMLC.
Enable MV irradiation of the real-time ROI with smaller margins by updating or shifting therapeutic MV DMLC templates based on computed real-time tumor centroid or contour.
Documented Applications
Real-time tracking of lung tumors during radiation therapy using gantry-based imaging and therapeutic radiation with dynamic MLC templates and processing including limited-angle digital tomosynthesis and shift-and-add.
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