US 7,405,407 B2 · Ion beam therapy system and its couch positioning method

Abstract

A therapy system using an ion beam, which can shorten the time required for positioning a couch (patient). The therapy system using the ion beam comprises a rotating gantry provided with an ion beam delivery unit including an X-ray tube. An X-ray detecting device having a plurality of X-ray detectors can be moved in the direction of a rotation axis of the rotating gantry. A couch on which a patient is lying is moved until a tumor substantially reaches an extension of an ion beam path in the irradiating unit. The X-ray tube is positioned on the ion beam path and the X-ray detecting device is positioned on the extension of the ion beam path. With rotation of the rotating gantry, both the X-ray tube emitting an X-ray and the X-ray detecting device revolve around the patient. The X-ray is emitted to the patient and detected by the X-ray detectors after penetrating the patient. Tomographic information of the patient is formed based on signals outputted from the X-ray detectors. Information for positioning the couch is generated by using the tomographic information.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A therapy system using an ion beam, in which an ion beam for treatment is delivered to an irradiation target, said therapy system comprising:

a rotating gantry;
a beam generator for generating said ion beam;
a beam delivery unit mounted to said rotating gantry and delivering said ion beam;
an X-ray generator revolving about a rotation axis of said rotating gantry with rotation of said rotating gantry and emitting X-ray at a plurality of rotation angles of said rotating gantry;
a plurality of X-ray detectors revolving about the rotation axis of said rotating gantry with rotation of said rotating gantry for detecting the X-ray emitted from said X-ray generator and outputting X-ray detection signals;
and
an image information forming unit for forming three-dimensional image information of said irradiation target by using information obtained based on the X-ray detection signals from said plurality of X-ray detectors obtained upon rotation of said rotating gantry, position information of said X-ray generator emitting the X-ray and position information of said plurality of X-ray detector outputting the X-ray detection signals.

4 more elements

A couch positioning system comprising:

a rotating gantry;
a beam delivery unit mounted to said rotating gantry and delivering an ion beam for treatment;
an X-ray generator revolving about a rotation axis of said rotating gantry with rotation of said rotating gantry and emitting X-ray at a plurality of rotation angles of said rotating gantry;
a plurality of X-ray detectors revolving about the rotation axis of said rotating gantry with rotation of said rotating gantry for detecting said X-ray emitted from said X-ray generator and outputting X-ray detection signals;
and
a controller for positioning a couch based on three-dimensional image information of said irradiation target formed by using information obtained based on X-ray detection signals from said plurality of X-ray detectors obtained upon rotation of said rotating gantry, position information of said X-ray generator emitting the X-ray and position information of said plurality of X-ray detectors outputting the X-ray detection signals, and three-dimensional tomographic information of said irradiation target used at a treatment plan.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ion beam therapy system and its couch positioning method

Life of this patent

Ion beam therapy system and its couch positioning method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16