Utilization of a transportable ct-scanner for radiotherapy procedures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017340902-A1
Application number	US-201515534049-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2015
Publication date	Nov 30, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present application relates to a data processing method for determining the position of a soft tissue body part within a patient's body. The data processing method includes acquiring CT-image data including information about the position of the body part within a coordinate system assigned to a transportable CT-device, wherein the patient's body is positioned relative to the treatment device, and wherein the CT-device is configured to be positioned relative to the patient's body and/or relative to the treatment device, acquiring first transformation data including information about a first transformation between the coordinate system assigned to the CT-device and a coordinate system assigned to the treatment device, and determining, based on the CT-image data and the first transformation data, position data including information about the position of the body part within the coordinate system assigned to the treatment device.

First claim

1 . A data processing system comprising at least one computer having at least one processor configured to execute a computer-implemented medical data processing method for determining the position of a soft tissue body part within a patient's body, which is to be treated by radiotherapy with a treatment beam arrangement of at least one position of a treatment beam issued by a treatment device, the data processing method comprising:
a. acquiring, at the processor, CT-image data comprising information about the position of the soft tissue body part within a coordinate system assigned to a transportable CT-device having an undercarriage by which the CT-device can be freely moved in two dimensions on a floor of a medical treatment area, wherein the patient's body is positioned in a treatment position relative to the treatment device, and wherein the CT-device is configured to be positioned relative to the patient's body and/or relative to the treatment device; b. acquiring, at the processor, first transformation data comprising information about a first transformation between the coordinate system assigned to the CT-device- and a coordinate system assigned to the treatment device, wherein acquiring first transformation data includes using a guiding unit configured to guide the CT-device along a path between a first position of the CT-device and a second position of the CT-device allowing for acquiring the CT image data; and c. determining, by the processor and based on the CT-image data and the first transformation data, position data comprising information about the position of the body part within the coordinate system assigned to the treatment device.

2 . The data processing method according to claim 17 , wherein acquiring first transformation data includes using a position detection unit configured to determine the spatial position of the CT-device with respect to the treatment device, wherein the position detection unit comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of:
a. an optical tracking system; b. an EM-tracking system; c. an ultrasound tracking system; d. a sensor assigned to an actuating element configured to induce a transport movement of the CT-device, the sensor being configured to determine the current position of the actuating element relative to a known initial position of the actuating element; e. a sensor device assigned to the CT-device and configured to detect markings that define the guiding path; f. a tracking system comprising a 3D-range camera configured to determine three-dimensional surface structure.

3 . The data processing method according to claim 17 , wherein the guiding unit is configured to determine the spatial position of the CT-device with respect to the treatment device, and/or wherein the second position is predefined with respect to the treatment device.

4 . The data processing method according to claim 17 , the method further comprising:
a. acquiring positioning-image data comprising information about the position of the body part relative to the treatment device; b. determining, based on the positioning-image data and the CT-image data, said first transformation data; wherein a positioning imaging device assigned to the treatment device is used to acquire the positioning image data, and wherein the positioning image data is registered with the CT-image data.

5 . The data processing method according to claim 17 , for determining the consistency of registration of the position of the soft tissue body part within a patient's body, the method further comprising:
a. acquiring, at the processor and with the patient's body taking a position being different from a treatment position relative to the treatment device, planning-CT image data comprising information about the position of the body part; b. acquiring at the processor, second transformation data comprising information about a second transformation between the coordinate system assigned to the planning-CT image data and a coordinate system assigned to the treatment device; c. determining, by the processor and based on said second transformation data, said planning-CT image data and said CT-image data, consistency data comprising information about whether the positional registration of the soft tissue body part based on said planning-CT image data is valid for the patient's body taking the treatment position relative to the treatment device.

6 . The data processing method according to claim 5 , wherein acquiring said second transformation data includes:
a. registering the positioning image data with the planning-CT image data, or b. registering the CT-image data with the planning-CT image data.

7 . The data processing method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a. Acquiring, at the processor, treatment constraints data comprising information about treatment constraints for radiotherapy of the body part with the treatment beam arrangement, the treatment constraints being defined on the basis of the planning-CT image data; b. determining, by the processor and based on the treatment constraints data and the consistency data, constraint consistency data comprising information about whether the treatment constraints are fulfilled for the patient's body taking the treatment position relative to the treatment device.

8 . The data processing method according to claim 3 , wherein:
a. registering the positioning image data with the CT-image data or, b. registering the positioning image data with the planning-CT image data and/or, c. registering the CT-image data with the planning-CT image data includes an image registration procedure.

9 . The data processing method according to claim 8 , wherein registering image data includes an elastic image fusion.

10 . The data processing method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a. acquiring, at the processor, imaging-arrangement data including information about a spatial arrangement of the body part, the treatment device and the transportable CT-device, the spatial arrangement allowing for acquiring CT image data of the body part with the patient's body positioned on a patient couch of the treatment device; b. acquiring, at the processor, current-arrangement data including information about a current spatial arrangement of the body part, the treatment device and the transportable CT-device; c. determining, by the processor and based on the imaging-arrangement data and the current-arrangement data, rearrangement data including information about a rearrangement of the body part, the treatment device and/or the transportable CT-device, to reach the spatial arrangement allowing for acquiring CT image data.

11 . The data processing method according to claim 10 , wherein the rearrangement data is transmitted to at least one repositioning unit configured to automatically reposition the patient's body, the treatment device or the transportable CT-device.

12 . The data processing method according to claim 8 , wherein the data is transmitted to an output unit configured to provide rearrangement information to medical personnel regarding a necessary rearrangement of the patient's body, the treatment device and/or the transportable CT-device.

13 . A system for determining the position of a soft tissue body part within a patient's body, which is to be treated by radiotherapy with a treatment beam arrangement of at least one position of a treatment beam issued by a treatment device, the system comprising:
a. a treatment device configured to issue the treatment beam arrangement; b. a patient couch configured to support a patient's body during radiotherapy; c. a transportable CT-dev

Assignees

• Brainlab Ag

Inventors

• Vilsmeier Stefan
• Berlinger Kajetan

Classifications

• G16H50/30

  for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment · CPC title

• A61N5/1038

  taking into account previously administered plans applied to the same patient, i.e. adaptive radiotherapy · CPC title

• A61N2005/1059

  using cameras imaging the patient · CPC title

• A61B2090/378

  using ultrasound · CPC title

• A61B2090/364

  Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body · CPC title