Electronic shutter in a radiation therapy system
AssigneeVarian Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorsSimon Keller, Daniel Morf, Peter Munro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a radiation therapy system, treatment X-rays are delivered to a target volume at the same time that imaging X-rays are also delivered to the target volume for generating image data of the target volume. That is, during an imaging interval in which imaging X-rays are delivered to the target volume, one or more pulses of treatment X-rays are also delivered to the target volume. In each pixel of an X-ray imaging device of the radiation therapy system, image signal is accumulated during portions of the imaging interval in which only imaging X-rays are delivered to the target volume and is prevented from accumulating in each pixel during the pulses of treatment X-rays.
Claims20
A radiation treatment system comprising:
- an X-ray imaging device;
- a treatment-delivering X-ray source configured to direct treatment X-rays to a target volume;
- an imaging X-ray source configured to direct imaging X-rays through the target volume and toward the X-ray imaging device;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- direct a pulse of imaging X-rays through a target volume and onto the X-ray imaging device for an imaging interval, so that a portion of the imaging X-rays is incident on a photodetector included in a pixel detector element of the X-ray imaging device;
- while directing the pulse of imaging X-rays onto the X-ray imaging device during a first portion of the imaging interval, enabling an image signal output by the photodetector to accumulate in a signal integrator disposed within the pixel detector element;
- while directing the pulse of imaging X-rays onto the X-ray imaging device during a second portion of the imaging interval, prevent the image signal from accumulating in the signal integrator;
- and
- while the image signal is prevented from accumulating in the signal integrator, direct a pulse of treatment X-rays through the target volume.
A computer-implemented method of performing radiation therapy with a radiation treatment system that includes an X-ray imaging device, the method comprising:
- directing a pulse of imaging X-rays through a target volume onto the X-ray imaging device, so that a portion of the imaging X-rays is incident on a photodetector included in a pixel detector element of the X-ray imaging device;
- while directing the pulse of imaging X-rays onto the X-ray imaging device during a first portion of the imaging interval, enabling an image signal output by the photodetector to accumulate in a signal integrator disposed within the pixel detector element;
- while directing the pulse of imaging X-rays onto the X-ray imaging device during a second portion of the imaging interval, preventing the image signal from accumulating in the signal integrator;
- and
- while the image signal is prevented from accumulating in the signal integrator, directing a pulse of treatment X-rays through the target volume.
A computer-implemented method of performing radiation therapy with a radiation treatment system that includes an X-ray imaging device that includes at least one pixel detector element configured to convert incident X-ray photons to electrical charge, the method comprising:
- determining a time interval during which a pulse from a series of pulses of treatment X-rays is directed at a target volume;
- and
- throughout the time interval, preventing an image signal from accumulating in a signal integrator included in the at least one pixel detector element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.