Radioactive implant planning system and placement guide system
Inventors
Fram, Evan K. • Brachman, David
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9821174-B1
Publication Date
2017-11-21
Expiration Date
Abstract
An implant planning system aids delivery of radiation to tumor sites of a patient. The system allows a user to test various combinations of virtual implants, each associated with a corresponding physical implant (e.g., a carrier with an embedded radioactive seed), and to view the dosage area of the virtual implants so that adjustments to the virtual implants may be made until a prescribed dose of radiation to a treatment area is achieved. A treatment plan developed based on the virtual implants may then be used in surgical implantation of the corresponding physical implants. For example, the implant configuration of the treatment plan may be projected onto a treatment surface of a patient, such as in a surgical room, so that physical implants may be placed according to the projected image of the virtual implants.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a computing system for developing a treatment plan for placement of radioactive implants on a treatment surface of a patient. The system uses a medical imaging device configured to obtain live medical images, including the treatment surface to receive radioactive therapy, and a planning user interface with a display frame for viewing anatomical images. The interface includes a virtual implant toolbar with selectable tools that allow adding virtual implants to the display frame and displaying the planning user interface on a display device of the computing system while live medical images are received and shown in the display frame.
The system receives, via user interaction with the virtual implant toolbar, selection of virtual implant characteristics that define physical implant characteristics, including implant shape, implant size, and a radiation characteristic of a radioactive seed associated with each virtual implant. The radioactive seed is embedded within the physical implant at a position wherein the radioactive seed does not directly contact the treatment surface of the patient when the physical implant is placed on the treatment surface. The system displays multiple virtual implants at non-overlapping positions on the depicted treatment surface, with at least partially transparent virtual implants such that the live images underneath are visible through the virtual implants.
The invention further enables interactive movement of virtual implants within the display frame, including receiving movement inputs that cause a first virtual implant to contact a second virtual implant. A physics algorithm determines movement of the second virtual implant in response to a virtual force exerted by the first virtual implant, maintaining non-overlapping positions on the treatment surface. The system calculates and depicts a radiation isodose plan as expected radiation dosage from combination of radiation from the physical implants, where the isodose plan includes isodose curves and fill patterns between adjacent isodose curves, with a transparency of less than one hundred percent so both the virtual implants and the live medical images underneath the radiation isodose plan remain visible, and it generates treatment plan data in response to a treatment plan generation command.
Claims Coverage
The provided partial content includes three independent claims. Across these independent claims, the coverage focuses on a planning user interface that overlays non-overlapping, at least partially transparent virtual implants onto live treatment-surface images, where virtual implants correspond to physical implants with embedded radioactive seeds that do not directly contact the treatment surface, and where a physics algorithm maintains non-overlapping placement during virtual movement while computing a radiation isodose plan defined by isodose curves and fill patterns.
Live medical images treatment surface planning user interface
A computing system generates a planning user interface including at least a display frame for viewing anatomical images and a virtual implant toolbar including at least a first selectable tool configured to allow adding of virtual implants to the display frame, and displays the planning user interface while receiving and displaying live medical images of a treatment surface of a patient in the display frame.
Virtual implant characteristics define physical implant characteristics with embedded seeds
The system receives, via user interaction with the first selectable tool, selection of first and second virtual implant characteristics for first and second virtual implants that define first and second physical implant characteristics, including implant shape, implant size, and a radiation characteristic of a radioactive seed associated with each virtual implant, wherein the radioactive seed is embedded within the physical implant at a position wherein the radioactive seed does not directly contact the treatment surface of the patient when the physical implant is placed on the treatment surface.
Non-overlapping partially transparent virtual implant display
The system displays the first and second virtual implants at non-overlapping positions on the treatment surface of the patient depicted in the display frame, wherein the first and second virtual implants are at least partially transparent such that a portion of the live medical images whereupon the first and second virtual implants are placed is visible through the at least partially transparent virtual implants.
Physics algorithm for virtual implant movement maintaining non-overlap
The system receives, via user interaction with the virtual implant toolbar, selection of a second selectable tool configured to initiate movement of a selected one or more virtual implants within the display frame, receives movement inputs causing a first virtual implant to contact a second virtual implant, and applies a physics algorithm, based on the movement of the first virtual implant into the second virtual implant, to determine movement of the second virtual implant in response to a virtual force exerted by the first virtual implant while maintaining non-overlapping positions on the treatment surface.
Radiation isodose plan from combined physical implants with isodose curves and fill patterns
The system calculates a radiation isodose plan indicative of expected radiation dosage from combination of first radiation from the first physical implant and second radiation from the second physical implant, wherein the radiation isodose plan includes a plurality of isodose curves each indicative of a particular radiation level along the respective isodose curve and a plurality of fill patterns between adjacent isodose curves, and depicts the radiation isodose plan in the display frame with transparency less than one hundred percent such that at least a portion of the virtual implants and the live medical images underneath are visible.
Treatment plan data generation command
In response to a treatment plan generation command from a user of the computing system, the system generates treatment plan data including at least some of the first physical implant characteristics and at least some of the second physical implant characteristics.
The independent claim set consistently covers interactive, live-image-based implant planning using virtual implants corresponding to physical implants with embedded radioactive seeds that avoid direct contact with the treatment surface, maintaining non-overlapping placement via a physics algorithm during virtual movement, and generating and visually depicting a radiation isodose plan defined by isodose curves and fill patterns with transparency that preserves visibility of the virtual implants and underlying live images.
Stated Advantages
Enables visualization of live medical images through at least partially transparent virtual implants.
Maintains non-overlapping virtual implant positions during virtual movement using a physics algorithm.
Provides a radiation isodose plan visualization with transparency of less than one hundred percent so the virtual implants and underlying live medical images remain visible.
Documented Applications
Developing a treatment plan for placement of radioactive implants on a treatment surface of a patient using live medical images for radioactive therapy and generating treatment plan data for physical implants.
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