Radiation therapy systems and methods with tumor tracking
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Publication Number
US-12303717-B2
Publication Date
2025-05-20
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
The invention provides an imaging and radiotherapy system that interleaves a pulsed therapeutic radiation beam with a pulsed imaging radiation beam. A therapeutic radiation source generates the pulsed therapeutic radiation beam, and an imaging radiation source generates the pulsed imaging radiation beam with an imaging radiation detector located across from the imaging radiation source. The controller is in communication with both sources to acquire imaging data while delivering therapeutic radiation to a target region.
The controller is configured to generate an image of the target region from the acquired imaging data and to extract tumor contour data from the generated image. The described operation supports real-time tumor tracking radiotherapy in which tumor localization from the generated image is used to inform subsequent imaging and therapeutic collimation behavior.
The disclosed approach further includes dynamically generated and updated collimator templates for both imaging and therapeutic radiation. Dynamic multi-leaf collimators are configured so that leaf configurations update with gantry firing angles and templates to limit an imaging field-of-view to a tumor region and to shape the therapeutic beam based on real-time tumor localization.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim covers an imaging and radiotherapy system that interleaves pulsed imaging and pulsed therapeutic radiation beams, acquires imaging data during delivery, then generates an image of a target region and extracts tumor contour data from the generated image. Additional claim refinements introduce limited-angle digital tomosynthesis, extraction of tumor centroid and tumor motion data, and collimator leaf-position updating based on acquired imaging data and gantry firing angles.
Interleaving pulsed imaging and pulsed therapeutic radiation beams for real-time acquisition
An imaging and radiotherapy system comprising a therapeutic radiation source configured to generate a pulsed therapeutic radiation beam, an imaging radiation source configured to generate a pulsed imaging radiation beam, an imaging radiation detector located across from the imaging radiation source, and a controller in communication with the therapeutic radiation source and the imaging radiation source to acquire imaging data while delivering therapeutic radiation to a target region by interleaving the pulsed therapeutic radiation beam and the pulsed imaging radiation beam.
Generating a target-region image and extracting tumor contour data
The controller is configured to generate an image of a target region and to extract tumor contour data from the generated image.
Limited-angle digital tomosynthesis for image generation
The controller generates an image of a target region using limited-angle digital tomosynthesis.
Adjusting collimator leaf positions using acquired imaging data
A controller adjusts leaf positions of a second multi-leaf collimator using acquired imaging data.
Extracting tumor centroid data and tumor motion data from a generated image
A controller extracts tumor centroid data and tumor motion data from a generated image.
Across the independent claim and its refinements, the inventive focus is on interleaving pulsed imaging with pulsed therapy to acquire imaging data during delivery, generating an image of a target region, and extracting tumor contour data, with additional refinements for limited-angle digital tomosynthesis, extracting tumor centroid and motion data, and controller-based multi-leaf collimator leaf-position adjustment using acquired imaging data.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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