Method and apparatus for brachytherapy featuring tracking via shape-sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10456594-B2
Application number	US-201013519201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2010
Priority date	Dec 28, 2009
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A brachytherapy method and apparatus include implanting an applicator having at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel (62) into soft tissue adjacent a target region (40) to be irradiated. A high resolution planning image (64) of the target region including the applicator is generated, wherein the high resolution planning image is used for determining a three-dimensional treatment plan (66). A position of the applicator is tracked relative to the target region (40) and the treatment plan (66). Tracking the position includes measuring, via shape-sensing, a location and shape of the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel (62).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A brachytherapy method, comprising:
implanting an applicator having at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel in soft tissue adjacent a target region to be irradiated;
generating a high resolution planning image of the target region including the applicator, the high resolution planning image for use in determining a three-dimensional treatment plan; and
tracking a position of the applicator relative to the target region and the treatment plan,
wherein tracking the position includes measuring, exclusively via a shape-sensing optic fiber, a location and shape of the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one selected from the group consisting of
(i) deploying at least one radiation source or seed into the target region via the at least one radiation source or seed channel, and
(ii) retrieving the at least one radiation source or seed out of the target region via the at least one radiation source or seed channel; and

wherein the at least one radiation source or seed traverses the channel within the target region according to the treatment plan.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein tracking the position includes:
at least one selected from the group consisting of
(i) deploying the shape-sensing optic fiber into the target region, and
(ii) retrieving the shape-sensing optic fiber out of the target region via the at least one radiation source or seed channel; and

acquiring measured location and shape information of the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel via the shape-sensing optic fiber.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein deploying and retrieving the at least one radiation source or seed into and out of the target region via the at least one radiation source or seed channel includes using a delivery device configured to deploy and retrieve the at least one radiation source or seed into and out of the target region via the at least one radiation source or seed channel.

5. The method of claim 4 ,
wherein the delivery device includes one or more source feed device, and
wherein the one or more source feed device includes a cable having a radiation source or seed coupled to a tip of the cable.

6. The method of claim 5 ,
wherein the delivery device further includes one or more simulation feed device, the one or more simulation feed device including the cable, wherein the cable comprises the shape-sensing optic fiber and
wherein the cable is configured to implement the measuring, exclusively via the shape-sensing optical fiber, the location and shape of the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel in response to at least one of
(i) being deployed into the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel to at least the target region, and
(ii) being retrieved through the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel from at least the target region.

7. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel comprises an array of channels,
wherein the one or more simulation feed device comprises a plurality of simulation feed devices, and
wherein the plurality of simulation feed devices are deployed into and retrieved through the array of channels according to one selected from the group consisting of (i) a sequential deployment and retrieval and (ii) a simultaneous deployment and retrieval.

8. The method of claim 5 ,
wherein the cable of the one or more source feed device comprises the shape-sensing optic fiber, and
wherein the cable is configured to implement during a treatment, measuring, exclusively via the shape-sensing optical fiber, the location and shape of (a)(i) the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel and (a)(ii) the radiation source or seed in response to at least one selected from the group consisting of
(b)(i) being deployed into the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel to at least the target region and
(b)(ii) being retrieved out of the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel from at least the target region.

9. The method of claim 8 ,
wherein the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel comprises an array of channels,
wherein the one or more source feed device comprises a plurality of source feed devices,
wherein the plurality of source feed devices are deployed into and retrieved through the array of channels according to the treatment plan, and
wherein deployment and retrieval of the plurality of source feed devices include one selected from the group consisting of (c)(i) a sequential deployment and retrieval and (c)(ii) a simultaneous deployment and retrieval.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the treatment plan,
wherein the treatment plan includes a number of fractions, wherein each fraction includes irradiating the target region by deploying and retrieving at least one radiation source or seed into and out of the target region via the at least one radiation source or seed channel,
wherein the at least one radiation source or seed traverses a respective channel within the target region according to the treatment plan fraction; and

verifying, prior to implementing each treatment plan fraction, the position of the applicator with respect to the target region, and
wherein (i) responsive to the position of the applicator with respect to the target region being verified to be within a threshold amount, then proceeding with the treatment plan fraction, and (ii) responsive to the position of the applicator with respect to the target region not being verified to be within the threshold amount, then modifying the treatment plan to implement corrective measures.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein modifying the treatment plan includes adaptively adjusting the corresponding fraction and any additional fractions of the brachytherapy treatment plan in accordance with a change in the position of the applicator.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein verifying includes measuring, exclusively via the shape-sensing optical fiber, the location and shape of the at least one radiation source or seed receiving channel of the applicator.

13. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the at least one radiation source or seed channel includes an array of channels, and
wherein verifying the position of the applicator includes (a)(i) verifying a respective position of the at least one radiation source or seed channel relative to one another and (a)(ii) verifying a respective position of the at least one radiation source or seed channel relative to the target region.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein verifying further includes tracking the position of the applicator relative to the target region and comparing the tracked position to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a prior tracking position and (ii) a treatment plan designated tracking position.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the high resolution planning image comprises using one or more selected from the group consisting of ultrasound, CT, MRI, X-ray, PET, and other medical imaging.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the three-dimensional treatment plan includes generating a radiation dose distribution map.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein tracking further includes measuring the location and shape, exclusively via the shape-sensing optical fiber, based on (i) Fiber Bragg Grating or (ii) Rayleigh scattering.

18. The method of clai

Assignees

• Verard Laurent
• Gutierrez Luis Felipe
• Binnekamp Dirk
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Verard Laurent
• Gutierrez Luis Felipe
• Binnekamp Dirk

Classifications

• A61N2005/1058

  using ultrasound imaging · CPC title

• A61N5/1039 Primary

  using functional images, e.g. PET or MRI · CPC title

• A61N5/1048

  Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods · CPC title

• A61B8/4245

  involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient · CPC title

• A61N5/1027 Primary

  Interstitial radiation therapy · CPC title