Adaptive linear accelerator (linac) isocenter based on individual treatment plan
AssigneeVarian Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorJoao SILVEIRA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radiation therapy (RT) system has a C-arm gantry that is rotationally movable to position the gantry at a plurality of gantry angles. At each gantry angle, a linear accelerator (LINAC) in the gantry generates a treatment beam having a central beam axis. Each treatment beam can be assigned a weight in accordance with at least one treatment plan. A controller can position a target relative to the treatment beam based at least in part on the weight assigned by the treatment plan. This positioning of the target based in accordance with the treatment plan provides an adaptive optimal isocenter for the RT system.
Claims20
A radiation therapy (RT) system, comprising:
- a gantry having a linear accelerator, wherein the gantry is rotationally movable to position the gantry at a plurality of gantry angles, wherein at any of the gantry angles, the linear accelerator is configured to generate a treatment beam having a central beam axis, and wherein each treatment beam is assigned a respective weight in accordance with at least one treatment plan;
- a couch that provides a target where the treatment beam is directed;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the couch and configured to position the target relative to the treatment beam based at least in part on the weight assigned by the at least one treatment plan, wherein the controller is further configured to maintain the target in a static position relative to the treatment beam during treatment.
A radiation therapy (RT) system, comprising:
- a gantry having a linear accelerator, wherein the gantry is rotationally movable to position the gantry at a plurality of gantry angles, wherein at any of the gantry angles, the gantry is configured to direct a treatment beam generated by the linear accelerator towards a target, and wherein the treatment beam at each of the plurality of gantry angles is associated with a weighting strategy specified in at least one treatment plan;
- a source of the treatment beam at the linear accelerator;
- a collimator at the gantry and having a field center, wherein a central beam axis of the treatment beam is defined by the source and the field center;
- a couch that provides the target where the treatment beam is directed;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the couch, wherein the controller is configured to position the couch to align the target with the central beam axis, wherein the alignment of the target with the central beam axis is based at least in part on the weighting strategy, and wherein the controller is further configured to statically maintain the alignment of the target with the central beam axis during treatment.
A computer-implemented method to adapt a location and size of an isocenter in a radiation therapy (RT) system, the method comprising:
- determining a weight assigned by at least one treatment plan to a central beam axis of a treatment beam that deviates relative to the isocenter, wherein the RT system includes a gantry having a linear accelerator configured to generate the treatment beam, wherein the gantry is rotationally movable to position the gantry at a plurality of gantry angles, and wherein at any particular gantry angle of the gantry angles, the gantry is configured to provide the treatment beam;
- positioning a target of the treatment beam relative to the central beam axis based at least in part on the weight assigned by the at least one treatment plan;
- and
- statically maintaining the positioning of the target relative to the central beam axis during treatment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.