Patient positioning and monitoring system

Apparatus for monitoring and sensing changes in position of a patient from a prior position at a prior time to current position at a current time, which apparatus comprises:

• a plurality of individual phosphorescent targets adapted to be releasably affixed to the patient at both the current time and the prior time, for generating radiation;
• camera and computer means for detecting the radiation from individual ones of the targets, uniquely identifying individual ones of said targets from which radiation was detected, and for individually determining current and prior positions of the uniquely identified targets in three-dimensional space, based on the target fixation at the current and prior times;
• data storage means for storing data representative of at least the prior position of the uniquely identified targets;
• computer means for comparing the current position of the uniquely identified targets with the prior position stored in the data storage means for those identified targets, and developing from said comparing position signals representative of a difference in position of said identified targets, and therefore said patient, from said prior time to said current time;
• and
• display means responsive to said position signals for displaying indicators representative of said difference in the position of said patient.

Apparatus for monitoring and sensing changes in position of a patient from a prior position at a prior time to a current position at a current time, which apparatus comprises:

• a source of radiation for applying radiation to a patient;
• a plurality of targets adapted to be releasably affixed at both a current time and a prior time to the patient, for reflecting radiation impinging thereon;
• camera and computer means for detecting the reflected radiation from the targets and for determining current and prior positions of the targets in three-dimensional space, based on the target fixation at the current and prior times, respectively;
• data storage means for storing data representative of at least the prior position of the targets;
• computer means for comparing the current position of the targets with the stored prior position data for those targets, and developing from said comparing position signals representative of a difference in position of said patient from said prior time to said current time;
• user means for causing input to and storage by said data storage means of user-set tolerances;
• and
• display means responsive to said position signals for displaying indicators which are representative of said difference in position of said patient by causing the indicators to have a size which is proportional to the magnitude of the difference, and a color which is dependent upon the magnitude that the difference exceeds a percentage of the user-set tolerance stored in the data storage means.

Apparatus for monitoring and sensing changes in the position of a patient from a prior position at a prior time to a current position at a current time, which apparatus comprises:

• a source of radiation for directing a predetermined narrow spectral bandwidth of radiation towards a patient;
• a plurality of targets adapted to be releasably affixed at both a current time and a prior time to the patient, said targets having a reflecting surface thereon for reflecting the predetermined narrow spectral bandwidth of radiation directed to the patient and impinging thereon;
• camera means having an optical bandpass filter at its optical input which passes substantially only said predetermined narrow bandwidth, and which is directed to said targets for detecting the reflected radiation from the targets and providing at an output an image signal representative of said detection;
• position determining means coupled to said camera means and responsive to said image signal for determining current and prior positions of the targets in three-dimensional space, based on the target fixation at the current and prior times, respectively;
• data storage means for storing at least the prior position data of the targets;
• computer means for comparing the current position of individual ones of the uniquely identified targets with the prior position data stored in the data storage means for those targets, and developing from said comparing position signals representative of a difference in position of said patient from said prior time to said current time;
• and
• display means responsive to said position signals for displaying indicators which are representative of said difference in position of said patient.

A method for monitoring and sensing changes in the position of a patient from a prior time to a current time, said method comprising the following steps:

• applying a plurality of indicating marks to a surface portion of a patient whose position is to be monitored, said applying being done before the prior time;
• releasably affixing a plurality of individual radiation reflecting targets to the patient so that each target of said plurality is aligned with an indicating mark at the current time and prior time;
• directing radiation towards the patient;
• detecting radiation reflected from individual ones of the targets at the current time and prior times, uniquely identifying individual ones of said targets from which radiation was detected, and determining current and prior positions for individual ones of the uniquely identified targets in three-dimensional space, based on the target fixation at the current and prior times, respectively;
• storing data representative of at least the prior position of the targets;
• comparing the current position of the targets with the prior data stored for those identified targets, and developing from said comparing position signals representative of a difference in position of said patient from said prior time to said current time;
• and
• displaying said position signals as an indication of the difference in position of the patient from said prior time to said current time, thereby monitoring the position of the patient.