Methods, systems, and apparatuses for optimizing transducer array placement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12115381-B2
Application number	US-202017109918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2020
Priority date	Dec 2, 2019
Publication date	Oct 15, 2024
Grant date	Oct 15, 2024

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for optimizing placement of transducer arrays on a patient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for determining one or more candidate transducer array layout maps, comprising:
determining, by one or more processors, a region-of-interest (ROI) within a 3D model of a portion of a subject's body, wherein the 3D model is configured to determine distribution of an externally applied electric field throughout the portion of the subject's body;
determining, by the one or more processors and based on a center of the ROI, a plane that transverses the portion of the subject's body, wherein the plane comprises a plurality of pairs of positions along a contour of the plane;
adjusting, by the one or more processors and based on an anatomical restriction of the 3D model of the portion of the subject's body, one or more positions of the plurality of pairs of positions to generate a modified plane;
determining, by the one or more processors and for each pair of positions of the plurality of pairs of positions on the modified plane, a simulated electric field distribution of the 3D model of the portion of the subject's body;
determining, by the one or more processors and based on the simulated electric field distributions, a dose metric for each pair of positions of the plurality of pairs of positions;
determining, by the one or more processors, one or more sets of pairs of positions of the plurality of pairs of positions that satisfy an angular restriction between pairs of transducer arrays; and
determining, by the one or more processors and based on the dose metrics and the one or more sets of pairs of positions that satisfy the angular restriction, one or more candidate transducer array layout maps.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting a simulated orientation or a simulated position for at least one transducer array at least one position of the one or more candidate transducer array layout maps; and
determining, based on adjusting the simulated orientation or the simulated position for the at least one transducer array, a final transducer array layout map.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anatomical restriction comprises an anatomical feature of the portion of the subject's body.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the angular restriction comprises an orthogonal angle between the plurality of pairs of transducer arrays.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the angular restriction comprises a range of an angle between the plurality of pairs of transducer arrays.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, for each pair of positions of the plurality of pairs of positions on the modified plane, the simulated electric field distribution comprises:
simulating, at a first position, a first electric field generated by a first transducer array;
simulating, at a second position opposite the first position, a second electric field generated by a second transducer array; and
determining, based on the first electric field and the second electric field, the simulated electric field distribution.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
simulating, at a third position, a third electric field generated by the first transducer array;
simulating, at a fourth position opposite the third position, a fourth electric field generated by the second transducer array; and
determining, based on the third electric field and the fourth electric field, the simulated electric field distribution.

8. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
determine a region-of-interest (ROI) within a 3D model of a portion of a subject's body, wherein the 3D model is configured to determine distribution of an externally applied electric field throughout the portion of the subject's body;
determine, based on a center of the ROI, a plane that transverses the portion of the subject's body, wherein the plane comprises a plurality of pairs of positions along a contour of the plane;
adjust, based on an anatomical restriction of the 3D model of the portion of the subject's body, one or more positions of the plurality of pairs of positions to generate a modified plane;
determine, for each pair of positions of the plurality of pairs of positions on the modified plane, a simulated electrical field distribution of the 3D model of the portion of the subject's body;
determine, based on the simulated electrical field distributions, a dose metric for each pair of positions of the plurality of pairs of positions;
determine one or more sets of pairs of positions of the plurality of pairs of positions that satisfy an angular restriction between pairs of transducer arrays; and
determine, based on the dose metrics and the one or more sets of pairs of positions that satisfy the angular restriction, one or more candidate transducer array layout maps.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to:
adjust a simulated orientation or a simulated position for at least one transducer array at least one position of the one or more candidate transducer array layout maps; and
determine, based on adjusting the simulated orientation or the simulated position for the at least one transducer array, a final transducer array layout map.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the anatomical restriction comprises an anatomical feature of the portion of the subject's body.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the angular restriction comprises an orthogonal angle between the plurality of pairs of transducer arrays.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the angular restriction comprises a range of an angle between the plurality of pairs of transducer arrays.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine, for each pair of positions of the plurality of pairs of positions on the modified plane, the simulated electrical field distribution comprise processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
simulate, at a first position, a first electrical field generated by a first transducer array;
simulate, at a second position opposite the first position, a second electrical field generated by a second transducer array; and
determine, based on the first electrical field and the second electrical field, the simulated electrical field distribution.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processor executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to:
simulate, at a third position, a third electrical field generated by the first transducer array;
simulate, at a fourth position opposite the third position, a fourth electrical field generated by the second transducer array; and
determine, based on the third electrical field and the fourth electrical field, the simulated electrical field distribution.

Assignees

• Novocure Gmbh

Inventors

• Urman Noa
• Shamir Reuven Ruby
• Bomzon Zeev
• Fedorov Eduard G
• Wasserman Yoram

Classifications

• G16H50/20

  for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems · CPC title

• G16H20/40

  relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture · CPC title

• A61B2034/105

  Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones · CPC title

• A61B34/10

  Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations · CPC title

• A61N1/0476

  Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities) · CPC title