System and method for patient-specific motion management for treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10500418-B2
Application number	US-201715398683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2017
Priority date	Jan 4, 2017
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for assisting a selection of motion management technique for use with a treatment machine having an energy source, comprises: one or more input for obtaining motion trace of a target to be treated, and/or for obtaining motion data of a fiducial; and a motion management processor configured to determine motion management data based at least in part on at least a portion of the motion trace of the target and/or at least a portion of the motion data of the fiducial, wherein the motion management data indicates desirability and/or undesirability of one or more motion management option(s); wherein the motion management processor is also configured to output the motion management data for assisting the selection of the motion management technique for use with the treatment machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for assisting a selection of motion management technique for use with a treatment machine having an energy source, the apparatus comprising:
one or more input for obtaining a motion trace of a target in a patient to be treated, and/or for obtaining motion data of a fiducial; and
a motion management processor configured to determine motion management data based at least in part on at least a portion of the motion trace of the target and/or at least a portion of the motion data of the fiducial, wherein the motion management data indicates desirability and/or undesirability of one or more motion management option(s);
wherein the motion management processor is also configured to output the motion management data for assisting the selection of the motion management technique for use with the treatment machine; and
wherein the apparatus comprises a synchronous motion detector, a visibility detector, a distance analyzer, or a combination of the foregoing, coupled upstream with respect to the motion management processor to provide information to the motion management processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a target motion analyzer configured to determine whether a motion of the target is more than a prescribed amount.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the motion management data indicates that no motion management option is desirable if the motion of the target is less than the prescribed amount.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial comprises a surrogate inside the patient.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a surrogate motion analyzer configured to determine whether a motion of the surrogate is more than a prescribed amount, wherein the motion management data indicates that motion management is desirable if the motion of the surrogate is less than the prescribed amount.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial comprises a surrogate inside the patient, and wherein the synchronous motion detector is configured to determine whether the surrogate moves synchronously with the target.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the motion management data indicates motion management based on surrogate is undesirable if the surrogate does not move synchronously with the target.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial comprises a marker coupled to the patient, and wherein the synchronous motion detector is configured to determine whether the marker moves synchronously with the target.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the motion management data indicates that motion management based on the marker is undesirable if the marker does not move synchronously with the target.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial comprises a marker, and wherein the visibility detector is configured to determine whether a motion of the marker is visible from an imaging direction; and
wherein the motion management processor is configured to determine whether the motion management data based at least in part on the motion of the marker is visible from the imaging direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a target motion analyzer configured to determine whether the target stays at an inhale phase for more than a prescribed duration, wherein the motion management processor is configured to determine the motion management data based at least in part on whether the target stays at the inhale phase for more than the prescribed duration.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the motion management data indicates that gating-at-inhale and breath-hold-at-inhale are desirable motion management options if the target stays at the inhale phase for more than the prescribed duration.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a target motion analyzer configured to determine whether the target stays at an exhale phase for more than a prescribed duration, wherein the motion management processor is configured to determine the motion management data based at least in part on whether the target stays at the exhale phase for more than the prescribed duration.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the motion management data indicates that gating-at-exhale and breath-hold-at-exhale are desirable motion management options if the target stays at the exhale phase for more than the prescribed duration.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the distance analyzer is configured to determine whether a distance between the target and a critical organ is more than a first threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the motion management data indicates that field-tracking and/or couch-tracking is desirable motion management option(s) or not if the distance between the target and the critical organ is not more than the first threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the distance analyzer is configured to determine whether the distance between the target and the critical organ is more than a second threshold that is larger than the first threshold.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the motion management data indicates that field-tracking or couch-tracking is a desirable motion management option if the distance between the target and the critical organ is not more than the second threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the motion management data indicates that field-tracking in combination with couch-tracking is a desirable motion management option if the distance between the target and the critical organ is more than the second threshold.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display for displaying the motion management data.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion trace comprises a segmentation of the target.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion management processor is configured to provide the motion management data to a treatment planning module.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more input is also configured to obtain a signal input representing a change of one or more parameters involved in a treatment planning; and
wherein the motion management processor is configured to perform calculation using the input to obtain new motion management data.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion trace of the target comprises a video formed by CT image data, MRI data, PET, ultrasound or x-ray image data.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion data represents a real motion or a simulated motion.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion trace, the motion data, or both, are data generated during a treatment session.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion management processor is configured to determine the motion management data based also on data generated during the treatment session.

28. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising dosimetry analyzer configured to determine dosimetry impact of one or more of the motion management option(s).

29. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion management processor is configured to analyze the motion trace and the motion data to determine whether a plurality of criteria is met;
wherein the motion management processor is configured to determine the motion management data based on a result of the analyzing.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the motion management processor is co

Assignees

• Varian Medical Systems Int Ag

Inventors

• Filiberti Reto W
• Scheib Stefan G
• Huber Michael

Classifications

• A61B2090/3937

  Visible markers · CPC title

• A61N2005/1059

  using cameras imaging the patient · CPC title

• A61N2005/1061

  using an x-ray imaging system having a separate imaging source · CPC title

• A61B5/1135

  by monitoring thoracic expansion · CPC title

• A61N2005/1052

  using positron emission tomography [PET] single photon emission computer tomography [SPECT] imaging · CPC title