System, method and apparatus for tracking targets during treatment using a radar motion sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9314648-B2
Application number	US-201213726199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2012
Priority date	Dec 23, 2011
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus tracks targets (e.g., tumors) during treatment (e.g., radiation therapy) using a radar motion sensor by generating a microwave signal, radiating the microwave signal to a subject, and receiving a modulated microwave signal from the subject. The modulated microwave signal is processed to provide a subject motion information using a sensor having an arctangent-demodulation microwave interferometry mode. A location of a target on or within the subject is determined based on the subject motion information and a three-dimensional model for the subject and the target. One or more control signals are generated based on the location of the target, and the treatment device is controlled using the one or more control signals to treat the target on or within the subject.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a treatment device comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a radar sensor comprising: (i) a microwave signal source, (ii) a first amplifier connected to the microwave signal source, (iii) one or more transmitting antennas connected to the first amplifier, (iv) one or more receiver antennas, (e) a second amplifier connected to the one or more receiver antennas, (v) a DC offset course-tuning circuit connected to the one or more transmitter antennas and the one or more receiver antennas, (vi) a signal mixer connected to the microwave signal source and the second amplifier, (vii) a DC coupling circuit connected to the signal mixer, (viii) a baseband amplifier connected to the DC coupling circuit, (ix) a DC offset fine-tuning circuit connected to the baseband amplifier, and (x) one or more processors connected to the baseband amplifier, the DC offset course-tuning circuit and the DC offset fine-tuning circuit;
(b) generating a microwave signal;
(c) radiating the microwave signal to a subject;
(d) receiving a modulated microwave signal from the subject;
(e) processing the modulated microwave signal to provide a subject motion information using an arctangent-demodulation microwave interferometry mode;
(f) determining a location of a target on or within the subject based on the subject motion information and a three-dimensional model for the subject and the target;
(g) generating one or more control signals based on the location of the target;
(h) controlling the treatment device using the one or more control signals to treat the target on or within the subject; and
wherein steps (b)-(h) are performed using the radar sensor.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the treatment device comprises a radiation beam device or a laser.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human or an animal.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the target comprises a tumor, a growth, a tissue, or a skin cancer.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the subject motion information comprises a chest wall motion information and an abdomen motion information.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the subject motion information and the three-dimensional model for the subject and the target are used to determine an exact location of the target on or within the subject.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more control signals start and stop a beam of the treatment device or steer the beam of the treatment device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the beam comprises an electron beam, a gamma beam, a photon beam, a proton beam or an X-ray beam.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein all the steps are performed in real-time.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
scanning the subject and the target to collect a subject and target geometrical information; and
generating the three-dimensional model for the subject and the target based on the subject and target geometrical information.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the scanning step is performed using a computed tomography device, a magnetic resonance imaging device, a magnetic resonance tomography device, a positron emission tomography device, a single photon emission computed tomography device or an ultrasound device.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional model also includes one or more organs.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of designing a treatment plan for the subject using the three-dimensional model.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the arctangent-demodulation microwave interferometry mode provides the subject motion information by demodulating the modulated microwave signal using ψ(t)=tan −1 [B(t) Q /B(t) I ]+F=θ+4πx(t)/λ+Δφ(t).

15. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a DC offset calibration.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the DC offset calibration produces an I channel defined by B(t) I =A I cos [θ+4πx(t)/λ+Δφ(t)]+DC I and a Q channel defined by B(t) Q =A Q sin [θ+4πx(t)/λ+Δφ(t)]+DC Q .

17. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of adaptively pulling up both an I channel and a Q channel to a specified levels.

18. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of adjusting both an I channel and a Q channel to a specified levels.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the DC offset course-tuning circuit comprises:
a first coupler connected between the first amplifier and the one or more transmitter antennas;
a second coupler connected between the second amplifier and the one or more receiver antennas; and
a voltage-controlled attenuator and a voltage-controlled phase shifter connected between the first coupler and the second coupler.

20. A radar sensor comprising:
a microwave signal source;
a first amplifier connected to the microwave signal source;
one or more transmitting antennas connected to the first amplifier;
one or more receiver antennas;
a second amplifier connected to the one or more receiver antennas;
a DC offset course-tuning circuit connected to the one or more transmitter antennas and the one or more receiver antennas;
a signal mixer connected to the microwave signal source and the second amplifier;
a DC coupling circuit connected to the signal mixer;
a baseband amplifier connected to the DC coupling circuit;
a DC offset fine-tuning circuit connected to the baseband amplifier; and
one or more processors connected to the baseband amplifier, the DC offset course-tuning circuit and the DC offset fine-tuning circuit, wherein the one or more processors provides an arctangent-demodulation microwave interferometry mode and a subject motion information.

21. The radar sensor as recited in claim 20 , wherein the microwave signal source further comprises a low-dropout regulator.

22. The radar sensor as recited in claim 20 , wherein the first amplifier comprises a first variable gain amplifier or the second amplifier comprises a second variable gain amplifier.

23. The radar sensor as recited in claim 20 , wherein the second amplifier further comprises a signal processor.

24. The radar sensor as recited in claim 20 , wherein the arctangent-demodulation microwave interferometry mode provides the subject motion information by demodulating the modulated microwave signal using ψ(t)=tan −1 [B(t) Q /B(t) I ]+F=θ+4πx(t)/λ+Δφ(t).

25. The radar sensor as recited in claim 20 , wherein the one or more processors further provide a DC offset calibration using the DC offset fine-tuning circuit.

26. The radar sensor as recited in claim 25 , wherein the DC offset calibration produces an I channel defined by B(t) I =A I cos [θ+4πx(t)/λ+Δφ(t)]+DC I and a Q channel defined by B(t) Q =A Q sin [θ+4πx(t)/λ+Δφ(t)]+DC Q .

27. The radar sensor as recited in claim 20 , wherein the DC offset course-tuning circuit adaptively pulls up both an I channel and a Q channel to a specified levels.

28. The radar sensor as recited in claim 20 , wherein the DC offset course-tuning circuit comprises:
a first coupler connected between the first amplifier and the one or more transmitter antennas;
a second coupler connected between the second amplifier and the one or more

Assignees

• Univ Texas Tech System

Inventors

• Li Changzhi
• Gu Changzhan

Classifications

• A61N5/1067 Primary

  in real time, i.e. during treatment · CPC title

• A61B5/1127

  using markers · CPC title

• A61N5/0613

  Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment · CPC title

• A61B5/113

  occurring during breathing · CPC title

• A61N5/1049

  for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam · CPC title