Systems and methods for cargo scanning and radiotherapy using a traveling wave linear accelerator based X-ray source using pulse width to modulate pulse-to-pulse dosage
Granted: January 27, 2015
Patent Number:
8942351
Provided herein are systems and methods for operating a traveling wave linear accelerator to generate stable electron beams at two or more different intensities by varying the number of electrons injected into the accelerator structure during each pulse by varying the width of the beam pulse, i.e., pulse width. The electron beams may be used to generate x-rays having selected doses and energies, which may be used for cargo scanning or radiotherapy applications.
Gantry image guided radiotherapy system and related treatment delivery methods
Granted: January 13, 2015
Patent Number:
8934605
Systems, methods, and related computer program products for image-guided radiation treatment (IGRT) are described. Provided according to one preferred embodiment is an IGRT apparatus including a barrel-style rotatable gantry structure that provides high mechanical stability, versatility in radiation delivery, and versatility in target tracking. Methods for treatment radiation delivery using the IGRT apparatus include conical non-coplanar rotational arc therapy and cono-helical…
Gantry image guided radiotherapy system and related treatment delivery methods
Granted: December 23, 2014
Patent Number:
8917813
Systems, methods, and related computer program products for image-guided radiation treatment (IGRT) are described. Provided according to one preferred embodiment is an IGRT apparatus including a barrel-style rotatable gantry structure that provides high mechanical stability, versatility in radiation delivery, and versatility in target tracking. Methods for treatment radiation delivery using the IGRT apparatus include conical non-coplanar rotational arc therapy and cono-helical…
Dynamic tracking of moving targets
Granted: October 28, 2014
Patent Number:
8874187
Treatment targets such as tumors or lesions, located within an anatomical region that undergoes motion (which may be periodic with cycle P), are dynamically tracked. A 4D mathematical model is established for the non-rigid motion and deformation of the anatomical region, from a set of CT or other 3D images. The 4D mathematical model relates the 3D locations of part(s) of the anatomical region with the targets being tracked, as a function of the position in time within P. Using…
Method and apparatus for selecting a tracking method to use in image guided treatment
Granted: September 30, 2014
Patent Number:
8849633
A treatment delivery system or a simulation system simulates treatment of a patient, including testing the ability of one or more tracking methods to track a target position during the simulation. The system then presents simulation results to a user, the simulation results indicating whether any of the one or more tracking methods will successfully track the target position during treatment delivery.
Systems and methods for cargo scanning and radiotherapy using a traveling wave linear accelerator based x-ray source using current to modulate pulse-to-pulse dosage
Granted: September 16, 2014
Patent Number:
8836250
Provided herein are systems and methods for operating a traveling wave linear accelerator to generate stable electron beams at two or more different intensities by varying the number of electrons injected into the accelerator structure during each pulse by varying the electron beam current applied to an electron gun. The electron beams may be used to generate x-rays having selected doses and energies, which may be used for cargo scanning or radiotherapy applications.
Fiducial-less tracking of a volume of interest
Granted: September 9, 2014
Patent Number:
8831706
A method and an apparatus for fiducial-less tracking of a volume of interest (VOI) have been presented. In some embodiments, a pair of intra-operative images of a portion of a patient is generated during treatment of a target region in the patient to show a bony structure of the patient. The bony structure shown is movable responsive to respiration of the patient. Then the pair of intra-operative images is compared with a set of digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) pairs, generated…
Method and apparatus for treating a target's partial motion range
Granted: September 2, 2014
Patent Number:
8824630
A computing system determines a full motion range of a target, wherein the full motion range of the target defines an internal target volume (ITV). The computing system identifies a partial motion range of the target, wherein the partial motion range is a subset of the full motion range of the target. The computing system generates a partial-ITV based on the identified partial motion range, wherein the partial-ITV is a volume swept by the target as the target moves through the partial…
Collimator changer
Granted: September 2, 2014
Patent Number:
8822934
An automatic collimator changer of a radiation treatment system.
Treatment planning in a virtual environment
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8819591
A method and apparatus for treatment planning are described. A treatment planning system provides a computer-simulated virtual environment including a virtual artifact that is a three-dimensional simulation of a patient anatomy, wherein the three-dimensional simulation is generated from one or more diagnostic images taken of the patient anatomy. The treatment planning system performs a treatment planning operation associated with the virtual artifact in response to a user interaction…
Image registration for image-guided surgery
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8818105
An image registration process for detecting a change in position of a surgical target, such as a tumor, within a patient is disclosed. A pre-operative model of the target and surrounding area is generated, then registered to live patient images to determine or confirm a location of the target during the course of surgery. Image registration is based on a non-iterative image processing logic that compares a similarity measure for a template of the target (generated from the pre-operative…
Imaging methods for image-guided radiation treatment
Granted: August 12, 2014
Patent Number:
8804901
Systems, methods, and related computer program products for medical imaging and image-guided radiation treatment (IGRT) are described. In one embodiment, an IGRT system selectively integrates x-ray source arrays, dual-energy imaging, stereoscopic imaging, static and dynamic source collimation, and/or inverse geometry tomosynthesis imaging to acquire and/or track a target during radiation treatment. Advantages include reduced patient x-ray dose and/or reduced treatment delivery margins.
Interleaving multi-energy X-ray energy operation of a standing wave linear accelerator using electronic switches
Granted: July 22, 2014
Patent Number:
8786217
The disclosure relates to systems and methods for fast-switching operating of a standing wave linear accelerator (LINAC) for use in generating x-rays of at least two different energy ranges with advantageously low heating of electronic switches. In certain embodiments, the heating of electronic switches during a fast-switching operation of the LINAC can be kept advantageously low through the controlled, timed activation of multiple electronic switches located in respective side cavities…
Seven or more degrees of freedom robotic manipulator having at least one redundant joint
Granted: June 24, 2014
Patent Number:
8761337
A robotic treatment delivery system including a linear accelerator (LINAC), and a robotic manipulator coupled to the LINAC. The robotic manipulator is configured to move the LINAC along seven or more degrees of freedom, at least one of the seven degrees of freedom being a redundant degree of freedom.
Robotic arm for patient positioning assembly
Granted: June 10, 2014
Patent Number:
8745789
A robotic patient positioning assembly including a patient treatment couch, and a robotic arm coupled to the patient treatment couch. The robotic arm is configured to move the patient treatment couch along five rotational degrees of freedom and one substantially vertical, linear degree of freedom.
Adaptive X-ray control
Granted: April 8, 2014
Patent Number:
8693632
Controlling the timing of acquiring x-ray images based on target movement.
Robotic arm for a radiation treatment system
Granted: February 18, 2014
Patent Number:
8655429
A robotic treatment delivery system including a linear accelerator (LINAC), and a robotic arm coupled to the LINAC. The robotic arm is configured to move the LINAC along at least four rotational degrees of freedom and one substantially linear degree of freedom.
Frameless radiosurgery treatment system and method
Granted: January 21, 2014
Patent Number:
8634898
A method of compensating for breathing and other motions of a patient during treatment includes periodically generating internal positional data about an internal target region. The method further includes continuously generating external positional data about external motion of the patient's body using an external sensor and generating a correlation model between the position of the internal target region and the external sensor using the external positional data of the external sensor…
Target Tracking for image-guided radiation treatment
Granted: October 15, 2013
Patent Number:
8559596
Systems, methods, and related computer program products for medical imaging and image-guided radiation treatment (IGRT) are described. In one preferred embodiment, an IGRT system provides intrafraction target tracking based on a comparison of intrafraction x-ray tomosynthesis image data with initial x-ray tomosynthesis image data acquired with the patient in an initial treatment position, the initial x-ray tomosynthesis image data having an inherent registration with co-acquired image…
Systems and methods for generating X-rays and neutrons using a single linear accelerator
Granted: September 24, 2013
Patent Number:
8541756
Systems and methods for generating X-rays and neutrons using a single linear accelerator are disclosed. Such system and methods may interrogate an object at times with X-rays and at other times with neutrons, e.g., after suspicious material is detected based on the X-rays. A system may include a single linear accelerator for generating first and second electron beams; first and second targets; a magnet configured to control irradiation of the first and second targets by the first and…
