Radiation treatment systems
Granted: March 31, 2015
Patent Number:
8992404
Disclosed are radiation treatment systems with enhanced control architectures that enable more complex treatment plans to be implemented, and radiation treatment systems with enhanced resistance to the effect of neutrons. An exemplary control architectures comprises: a digital packet network; a supervisor electrically coupled to the digital packet network and having a treatment plan; and a plurality of nodes, each node coupled to digital packet network and controlling one or more…
Method and apparatus pertaining to using imaging information to identify a spectrum
Granted: March 17, 2015
Patent Number:
8983234
A control circuit operably couples to a non-invasive imaging system that utilizes a particular corresponding effective spectrum and receives imaging information as pertains to an object being imaged. The control circuit uses that information to identify the particular corresponding spectrum for the corresponding source of radiation by, at least in part, evaluating candidate spectra as a function, at least in part, of physical likelihood (for example, by identifying a spectrum that is…
System and method for measuring X-ray beam profile using an area detector
Granted: March 17, 2015
Patent Number:
8983165
The claimed subject matter describes a novel technique to measure the beam profile using an area detector. In one embodiment, a set of one-dimensional beam profile measurements is performed by taking two images under the same source conditions but at two different positions of the detector, with each position of the detector shifted by a certain distance in the direction corresponding to the direction of the one-dimensional profile measurement. In further embodiments, a set of…
Automatic correction method of couch-bending in sequence CBCT reconstruction
Granted: March 17, 2015
Patent Number:
8983161
A method for correcting a volumetric image to address error due to deflection of a patient support is provided. The method includes obtaining a first set of projection data and a second set of projection data. The first and second sets of projection data are generated when the patient is at a first position and a second position, respectively, and are usable to reconstruct a first volumetric image and a second volumetric image, respectively. A corrected volumetric image is then…
Multiple output cavities in sheet beam klystron
Granted: March 10, 2015
Patent Number:
8975816
A RF generator includes a structure having an input section, an output section, and an opening extending between the input section and the output section, wherein the output section has a first cavity and a second cavity, and wherein the first and second cavities are spaced apart from each other so that they are electromagnetically uncoupled from each other. A method of providing RF energy, includes receiving an electron beam, providing a first RF energy through a first cavity, wherein…
Scheduling image recognition tasks based on task dependency and phase
Granted: March 3, 2015
Patent Number:
8973010
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to techniques for providing an environment for the efficient execution of recognition tasks. A novel environment is provided which automatically and efficiently executes a recognition program on as many computer processors as available. This program, deconstructed into separate tasks, may be executed by constructing a dependency network from known inputs and outputs of the tasks, applying project planning methods for scheduling these…
Computation of radiating particle and wave distributions using a generalized discrete field constructed from representative ray sets
Granted: March 3, 2015
Patent Number:
8972227
The present system and method for simulating particles and waves is useful for calculations involving nuclear and full spectrum radiation transport, quantum particle transport, plasma transport and charged particle transport. The invention provides a mechanism for creating accurate invariants for embedding in general three-dimensional problems and describes means by which a series of simple single collision interaction finite elements can be extended to formulate a complex…
Couch top pitch and roll motion by linear wedge kinematic and universal pivot
Granted: March 3, 2015
Patent Number:
8966686
A couch top includes a top, a base, a universal joint coupling the top and the base, and actuators mounted on the base to pitch and roll the top. Feedback devices may be fitted on the rotating ends of the universal joint to provide feedback for a control loop. Each actuator has an actuated end that translates vertically to lift or lower the top. The vertical movement may be derived from a carriage riding in place on a translating inclined plane. When the actuated ends move in the same…
Method and apparatus pertaining to radiation-treatment plan optimization
Granted: February 24, 2015
Patent Number:
8961382
A control circuit optimizes a radiation-treatment plan to provide an initially-optimized radiation-treatment plan and then modifies that initially-optimized radiation-treatment plan to reduce corresponding monitor units (MU's) to provide a radiation-treatment plan that is further optimized for monitor units. This modification can comprise, at least in part, imposing a stronger smoothing constraint with respect to fluence. Optimizing a radiation-treatment plan to provide an…
System and method for automated cyclotron procedures
Granted: February 10, 2015
Patent Number:
8952343
Systems and methods are provided to perform efficient, automatic cyclotron initialization, calibration, and beam adjustment. A process is provided that allows the automation of the initialization of a cyclotron after overnight or maintenance imposed shutdown. In one embodiment, five independent cyclotron system states are defined and the transition between one state to another may be automated, e.g., by the control system of the cyclotron. According to these embodiments, it is thereby…
Systems and methods for adaptive filtering
Granted: January 20, 2015
Patent Number:
8938104
A system for obtaining an image includes a processor for receiving a projection image, processing the projection image to obtain a filtered image, applying a first factor for the projection image to obtain a first weighted image, applying a second factor for the filtered image to obtain a second weighted image, and obtaining a corrected image using the first and second weighted images, and a medium for storing the corrected image. A method of processing an image includes receiving a…
Method and system for identifying, assessing, and managing cancer growth rates and potential metastasis
Granted: January 13, 2015
Patent Number:
8935099
Techniques described herein generally relate to identifying, assessing, and managing cancer growth rates and potential metastasis. Some example methods may include constructing one or more quantitative metrics for the potential metastasis in a selected population of other patients, acquiring a first set of numeric biomarker data for the patient before having placed a biomarker in the patient, acquiring a second set of numeric biomarker data for the patient after having placed the…
Halo monitor in rotatable gantry for particle beam positioning
Granted: January 13, 2015
Patent Number:
8933421
A particle beam therapy system including an accelerator for making a beam of charged particles available, a beam guiding unit supplying the beam to a treatment location starting from the accelerator, and at least one beam property monitor arranged along the beam path. A control unit communicates with the beam property monitor and guiding unit and determines deviations of actual properties from desired properties of the beam and transmits control signals for adapting the beam properties…
Dose calculation method for multiple fields
Granted: December 16, 2014
Patent Number:
8913717
Systems and methods for developing a treatment plan for irradiating a treatment volume within a patient are disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, control points used to calculate a dose of radiation delivered to the treatment volume may be combined to result in a smaller number of control points. The smaller number of control points may allow more efficient calculation of dose distributions resulting in a treatment plan that can be delivered to the patient earlier or may…
Truncation correction imaging enhancement method and system
Granted: December 16, 2014
Patent Number:
8913710
In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, a process for enhancing an image is presented. The process may include receiving a first plurality of projections, wherein the first plurality of projections contain computed tomography (CT) data obtained in multiple motion phases and also image data attributable to a first portion of a scanned object. The process may include expanding the first plurality of projections to cover at least the first portion of the…
Filtration imaging enhancement method and system
Granted: December 2, 2014
Patent Number:
8903150
In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, a process for enhancing a motion-blurred image is presented. The process may include obtaining a prior image based on a plurality of projections, wherein the plurality of projections are computed tomography (CT) images obtained in multiple motion phases. The process may further include performing an enhancement operation based on the prior image to generate an enhanced prior image, generating a plurality of…
Motion-blurred imaging enhancement method and system
Granted: November 25, 2014
Patent Number:
8897527
In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, a process for enhancing a motion-blurred image is presented. The process may include receiving a plurality of projections, wherein the plurality of projections contain computed tomography (CT) data obtained in multiple motion phases. The process may include generating an enhanced multi-phase image by performing an enhancement operation based on the plurality of projections. The process may further include generating…
Internally mounted collimators for stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy
Granted: November 18, 2014
Patent Number:
8890100
A beam filter positioning device includes a first and a second axes operable to move a body supporting one or more collimators, one or more photon flattening filters, one or more electron foils, and field light mirror etc. The collimators may be configured to collimate radiation to define a treatment beam suitable for radiosurgery. A controller is programmed to control the servo motor of the first and second axes to accurately position the beam filters. Radiation apparatuses and systems…
X-ray matrix imager
Granted: November 11, 2014
Patent Number:
8884238
An X-Ray matrix imager includes a matrix, a plurality of gate line sets, and a plurality of data lines. The matrix includes a plurality of rows of pixels configured to accumulate charges in response to light or radiation. Each of the gate line sets includes a first gate line coupled to a first pixel among a first row of pixels of the matrix, and a second gate line coupled to a second pixel among the first row of pixels of the matrix, wherein the first pixel is adjacent to the second…
Photo detector of an X-ray imager
Granted: November 4, 2014
Patent Number:
8878137
An X-ray imager includes a photo detector, a pixel array, a scan line and a data line. The photo detector includes a plurality of X-ray sensitive particles that are configured to be electrically isolating and to generate charge carriers upon absorption of X-ray photons. In one example embodiment, the photo detector includes a layer of an electrically isolating material, within which the plurality of X-ray sensitive particles are distributed. The pixel array includes multiple pixels each…
