Volumetric imaging on a radiotherapy apparatus

A device for volumetric imaging on a radiotherapy apparatus, comprising:

• a radiotherapy apparatus to which a couch is assigned on which a body can be positioned, wherein a volumetric image data set of the body is to be produced, said radiotherapy apparatus comprising at least one radiation source/image recorder system which is separate from the radiotherapy apparatus and by which multiple x-ray images of the body or of a part of the body can be produced while the couch is rotated, wherein a radiation path of the radiation source/image recorder system is substantially not on the spatially fixed axis, including:
• a rotating device by which the couch or the bearing area of the couch is arranged such that the couch or bearing area can rotate about the spatially fixed axis;
• a tracking device which can detect the rotational position of the couch or the bearing area of the couch while the images are produced, and assign the rotational position to the corresponding image;
• and
• a computer system which stores the rotational position and image assignment and which reconstructs a volumetric image data set of the body from the x-ray images by image processing and assignment.

A program embodied in a computer-readable medium for volumetric imaging on a radiotherapy apparatus, wherein a body of which a volumetric image data set is to be produced is positioned on a couch of the radiotherapy apparatus, wherein at least one radiation source/image recorder system is separate from the radiotherapy apparatus and whose path is substantially not parallel to a spatially fixed axis, comprising:

• code that directs a rotation of the couch or a bearing area of the couch or the body itself about the spatially fixed axis;
• code that during rotation directs the radiation source/image recorder to acquire multiple x-ray images of the body or of a part of the body and;
• code that detects the rotational position of the couch or the bearing area of the couch or the body itself while the images are produced;
• code that assigns the rotational position to the corresponding image;
• and
• code that reconstructs a volumetric image data set of the body from the x-ray images by image processing and assignment by a computer system.

A system for volumetric imaging on a radiotherapy apparatus, wherein a body of which a volumetric image data set is to be produced is positioned on a couch of the radiotherapy apparatus, wherein at least one radiation source/image recorder system is separate from the radiotherapy apparatus and whose path is substantially not parallel to a spatially fixed axis, comprising:

• a processor circuit having a processor and a memory;
• a volumetric imaging subsystem stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the subsystem comprising:
• logic that directs a rotation of the couch or a bearing area of the couch or the body itself about the spatially fixed axis;
• logic that during rotation directs the radiation source/image recorder to acquire multiple x-ray images of the body or of a part of the body and;
• logic that detects the rotational position of the couch or the bearing area of the couch or the body itself while the images are produced;
• logic that assigns the rotational position to the corresponding image;
• and
• logic that reconstructs a volumetric image data set of the body from the x-ray images by image processing and assignment by a computer system.