Accuray Inc.

Varian Medical Systems, Inc.

Stryker Leibinger Gmbh & Co Kg

Varian Medical Systems Particle Therapy Gmbh

Other

Universität Zu Lübeck

Achim Schweikard

John R Adler

Agam Sharda

Ralf Bruder

Floris Ernst

Manfred Doetter

Michael Roth

José-Luis Moctezuma De La Barrera

Stefan Burkhardt

Gerd Bruder

A method and system are disclosed for radiosurgical treatment of moving tissues of the heart, including acquiring at least one volume of the tissue and acquiring at least one ultrasound data set, image or volume of the tissue using an ultrasound transducer disposed at a position. A similarity measure is computed between the ultrasound image or volume and the acquired volume or a simulated ultrasound data set, image or volume. A robot is configured in response to the similarity measure and the position of the transducer, and a radiation beam is fired from the configured robot.

Apparatus and method for real-time tracking of tissue structures

A method for measuring skin thickness. The method includes at a first 3D point on an outer surface of a patient, exposing the first point to near infrared (NIR) energy from an NIR source. The method includes measuring reflected energy emanating near the first 3D point, or beam incident point. The method includes determining a pattern of the reflected energy based on a distance from a center of the reflected energy, wherein the center is approximated by the first 3D point. The method includes determining a skin thickness measurement based on the pattern.

Apparatus and method for real-time tracking of bony structures

A method of compensating for breathing and other motions of a patient during treatment includes periodically generating internal positional data about an internal target region. The method further includes generating external positional data about external motion of the patient's body using an external sensor and generating a correlation between one or more positions of the internal target region and one or more positions of an external region using the external positional data of the external sensor and the internal positional data of the internal target region. The method further includes predicting the position of the internal target region at some later time based on the correlation model.

Frameless radiosurgery treatment system and method

A method of compensating for breathing and other motions of a patient during treatment includes periodically generating internal positional data about an internal target region. The method further includes continuously generating external positional data about external motion of the patient's body using an external sensor and generating a correlation model between the position of the internal target region and the external sensor using the external positional data of the external sensor and the internal positional data of the internal target region. The method further includes predicting the position of the internal target region at some later time based on the correlation model.

A method and apparatus for selectively and accurately localizing and treating a target within a patient are provided. A three dimensional mapping of a region surrounding the target is coupled to a surgical intervention. Two or more diagnostic beams at a known non-zero angle to one another may pass through the mapping region to produce images of projections within the mapping region in order to accurately localize and treat the target wherein the images are captured using one or more image recorders.

An apparatus and method for performing treatment on an internal target region while compensating for breathing and other motion of the patient is provided in which the apparatus comprises a first imaging device for periodically generating positional data about the internal target region and a second imaging device for continuously generating positional data about one or more external markers attached to the patient's body or any external sensor such as a device for measuring air flow. The apparatus further comprises a processor that receives the positional data about the internal target region and the external markers in order to generate a correspondence between the position of the internal target region and the external markers and a treatment device that directs the treatment towards the position of the target region of the patient based on the positional data of the external markers.

Apparatus and method for compensating for respiratory and patient motion during treatment

A method and apparatus for locating an internal target region during treatment without implanted fiducials is presented. The method comprises producing a plurality of first images that show an internal volume including the internal target region, then producing a live image of the internal volume during treatment and matching this live image to one of the plurality of first images. Since the first images show the internal target region, matching the live image to one of the first images identifies the position of the target region regardless of whether the second image itself shows the position of the target region. The first images may be any three-dimensional images such as CT scans, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound. The live image may be, for example, an x-ray image. The invention may be used in conjunction with a real-time sensor to track the position of the target region on a real-time basis.

Method and apparatus for tracking an internal target region without an implanted fiducial

A method is described for navigating in the interior of the body using three-dimensionally visualized structures. In a first step of the method, at least two two-dimensional images of the same anatomical object are provided from different perspectives, and also items of information that make it possible to draw conclusions about the respective spatial position of an imaging system relative to the anatomical object. The projections of a geometrical structure to be visualized are then created in every two-dimensional image, wherein a geometrical structure to be visualized is created in each two-dimensional image, wherein the geometrical structure to be visualized is different from the anatomical object. A cone surface is then generated in space for each image wherein the spatial positions of the cone vertex and cone directrix are determined from the respective spatial position of the imaging system and the shape of the cone directrix is determined from the shape of the projection of the geometrical structure to be visualized on the image. Finally, a spatial intersection of the individual cone surfaces is formed to determine the geometrical structure and the geometrical structure determined and/or an intersection of a plurality of geometrical structures determined are/is represented and the representation is used for navigation.

Method for navigating in the interior of the body using three-dimensionally visualized structures

A method is disclosed for controlling the delivery of radiation therapy to a tumor of a patient from one or more beams of ionizing radiation, to conform to a prescribed dosage of radiation for each of predetermined plural respectively shaped portions of the tumor according to the shape and other characteristics of the tumor. A radiation beam is selectively generated from different directions with respect to travel of the beam along a plurality of spatial paths including oscillating and arcuate movements. Parameters of the beam are calculated from conditions of distribution of a target dose, and the cross-section of the beam is adjusted so as to deliver the prescribed dosage of radiation to each of the respectively shaped portions of the tumor on which the beam impinges. The cross-section of the beam is constantly adjusted according to a predetermined area of the tumor which is to receive radiation therapy, and adjusted cross-sections of the beam are moved along selected individual ones of the spatial paths at least one time. Also, movements of the beam along individual spatial paths are split according to the plural portions of the tumor which are to receive different radiation doses. Travel of the beam is controlled along the selected individual paths so as to deliver radiation therapy within the prescribed dosage to each of the plural portions of the tumor in a minimum amount of time. In one embodiment, a micro multi-leaf collimator is placed between the beam and the tumor, and the collimator leaves are adjusted to change the cross-section of the beam impinging on a specified portion of the tumor according to the shape of the specified portion.

Method to control delivery of radiation therapy

A method of correcting distortions in magnetic resonance (MR) data is described. The method comprises providing distorted MR data of an object of interest and distortion parameters for one or more generic objects, determining transformation parameters correlating the object of interest and one or more of the generic objects, and processing the distorted MR data taking into account the distortion parameters and the transformation parameters to obtain corrected MR data.

Correcting geometry and intensity distortions in MR data

Apparatus and method for compensating for respiratory and patient motions during treatment

An apparatus and method for performing treatment on an internal target region while compensating for breathing and other motion of the patient is provided in which the apparatus comprises a first imaging device for periodically generating positional data about the internal target region and a second imaging device for continuously generating positional data about one or more external markers adapted to be attached to the patient's body or any external sensor such as a device for measuring air flow. The apparatus further comprises a processor that receives the positional data about the internal target region and the external markers in order to generate a correspondence between the position of the internal target region and the external markers and a treatment device that directs the treatment towards the position of the target region of the patient based on the positional data of the external markers.

Growing community of inventors

Hamburg, Germany

Achim Schweikard