Stereotactic system and method for defining a tumor treatment region
AssigneeImQuant, Inc.
InventorTimothy E. Sawyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An instrument is used to mark locations in tissue that define the boundary of a three-dimensional treatment zone. The position of the instrument is recorded by a tracking system and a treatment zone image is produced which depicts the treatment zone along with patient reference points also marked by the instrument. The treatment zone image is exported to a radiation treatment system which uses the patient reference points to align the treatment zone image with the patient and uses the treatment zone image to aim the radiation.
Claims15
A method for planning the treatment of a region in a patient, the steps comprising:
- a) producing a treatment zone image by
- i) moving an instrument over a portion of a patient to establish a set of patient reference points using a tracking system that records the location of an instrument;
- and
- ii) moving the instrument over a portion of the patient to mark a set of treatment zone boundary points using the instrument, wherein the boundary points define a three-dimensional region in the patient that is to receive treatment;
- b) aligning the patient in a treatment system;
- c) registering the treatment zone image with the patient using the set of patient reference points;
- and
- d) displaying the registered treatment zone image to indicate where in the patient the treatment is to be directed.
A system for producing a treatment zone image indicative of a region in a patient to receive treatment, which comprises:
- an instrument configured to be moved about the region in the patient to mark locations in the patient;
- a tracking system for recording locations marked by the instrument;
- means for storing patient reference points;
- means for storing as a plurality of boundary points a plurality of locations marked by the instrument which define a region of tissues in the patient for treatment;
- and
- means for producing a treatment zone image which depicts the region of tissues to be treated and the patient reference points.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.