# US 12,109,435 B2 · Patient marking and positioning in a radiation therapy system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,109,435 B2
- Document ID: US12109435B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/332,938
- Filed: 2021-05-27
- Published: 2022-12-01
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-05-27
- Assignees: Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
- Applicants: Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Sevelin Stanchev; Stephen Thompson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109435B2

## CPC

- A61N 5/1069: {Target adjustment, e.g. moving the patient support}
- A61B 6/102: {Protection against mechanical damage, e.g. anti-collision devices}
- A61B 6/465: {adapted to display user selection data, e.g. graphical user interface, icons or menus}
- A61B 6/469: {for selecting a region of interest [ROI]}
- A61B 6/548: {Remote control of the apparatus or devices}
- A61N 5/1049: {for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam}
- A61N 5/1081: {Rotating beam systems with a specific mechanical construction, e.g. gantries}
- A61N 2005/1062: {using virtual X-ray images, e.g. digitally reconstructed radiographs [DRR]}
- A61N 2005/1074: {Details of the control system, e.g. user interfaces}
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

An example method for a radiation therapy system that includes a movable couch to perform radiation therapy has been disclosed. One method includes based on the X-ray images of an anatomical region of the patient that includes a target volume, reconstructing a digital volume of the anatomical region and based on a user input indicating a location of a patient origin in the digital volume, determining one or more shift values for repositioning the patient origin at an isocenter of the radiation therapy system with respect to a coordinate system. The method also includes obtaining a treatment plan that is based on the location of the patient origin and is associated with the target volume, based on the treatment plan, repositioning the movable couch so that the patient origin is disposed at the isocenter, and while the patient origin is disposed at the isocenter, directing a treatment beam to the patient origin in accordance with the treatment plan associated with the target volume.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for a radiation therapy system that includes a movable couch to perform radiation therapy in a coordinate system, the method comprising:
based on X-ray images of an anatomical region of the patient that includes a target volume, reconstructing a digital volume of the anatomical region;
based on a user input indicating a location of a patient origin in the digital volume, determining one or more shift values for repositioning the patient origin at an isocenter of the radiation therapy system with respect to the coordinate system;
prior to transmitting the location of the patient origin in the digital volume to a treatment planning system, determining whether the movable couch can reposition the patient origin at the isocenter;
transmitting the location of the patient origin in the digital volume to the treatment planning system for generation of a treatment plan;
obtaining the treatment plan that is based on the location of the patient origin and is associated with the target volume;
based on the treatment plan, repositioning the movable couch so that the patient origin is disposed at the isocenter; and
while the patient origin is disposed at the isocenter, directing a treatment beam to the patient origin in accordance with the treatment plan associated with the target volume.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the location of the patient origin in the digital volume to the treatment planning system external to the radiation therapy system occurs prior to obtaining the treatment plan.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that the movable couch cannot reposition the patient origin at the isocenter, generating an alert via a user interface of the radiation therapy system.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, while the patient is disposed on the movable couch, generating the X-ray images of the anatomical region.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the patient origin is disposed within the target volume.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to determining the one or more shift values for repositioning the patient origin, displaying a portion of the digital volume that includes the target volume.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the portion of the digital volume comprises at least one of a sagittal slice of the digital volume, a transversal slice of the digital volume, and a coronal slice of the digital volume.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the user input indicates the location of the patient origin within the digital volume with respect to the coordinate system.

### Claim 9

A method for a radiation therapy system that includes a movable couch to perform radiation therapy, the method comprising:
based on X-ray images of an anatomical region of a patient disposed on the movable couch, wherein the anatomical region includes a target volume, reconstructing a digital volume of the anatomical region;
based on a user input indicating a location of a patient origin in the digital volume, determining one or more shift values for repositioning the patient origin at an isocenter of the radiation therapy system;
prior to transmitting the location of the patient origin in the digital volume to a treatment planning system, determining whether the movable couch can reposition the patient origin to the isocenter based on the one or more shift values;
transmitting the location of the patient origin in the digital volume to the treatment planning system for generation of a treatment plan; and
in response to determining that the movable couch cannot reposition the patient origin at the isocenter, generating an alert.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to determining that the movable couch cannot reposition the patient origin at the isocenter, disabling a function associated with selecting the shift values.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein disabling the function associated with selecting the shift values includes disabling one or more user interface elements of a user interface of the radiation therapy system that are being displayed.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein generating the alert includes at least one of modifying a user interface element of a user interface of the radiation therapy system, adding a user interface element of the user interface, causing a visual indicator of the radiation therapy system to be activated, and causing an audible indicator of the radiation therapy system to be activated.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein each of the one or more shift values for repositioning the patient origin at the isocenter references a location in a coordinate system associated with the movable couch.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising, while the patient is disposed on the movable couch, generating the X-ray images of the anatomical region.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising, prior to receiving the user input, displaying a portion of the target volume within the digital volume.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein displaying the portion of the target volume within the digital volume comprises displaying the portion of the target volume with a display device associated with the radiation therapy system.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the patient origin is disposed within the target volume.

### Claim 18

A radiation therapy system, comprising:
a movable couch; and
a processor configured to:
based on X-ray images of an anatomical region of a patient disposed on the movable couch, wherein the anatomical region includes a target volume, reconstruct a digital volume of the anatomical region;
based on a user input indicating a location of a patient origin in the digital volume, determine one or more shift values for repositioning the patient origin at an isocenter of the radiation therapy system;
prior to transmitting the location of the patient origin in the digital volume to a treatment planning system, determine whether the movable couch can reposition the patient origin to the isocenter based on the one or more shift values;
transmit the location of the patient origin in the digital volume to the treatment planning system for generation of a treatment plan; and
in response to a determination that the movable couch is unable to reposition the patient origin at the isocenter, generate an alert.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The radiation therapy system of claim 18, wherein the process is further configured to, in response to the determination that the movable couch is unable reposition the patient origin at the isocenter, disable a function associated with selecting the shift values.