Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Steffen Seeber

Klaus Schewiola

Gernot Echner

Petra Juschka-Lenz, Legal Representative

Rene Schramm

Stefan Goelz

John Juschka

Johannes Reger

Joerg Stein

Martin Kolb

Joao Graca

Carlos Murillo

A test system () for testing a system () for radiologic treatment. The test system () comprises: A • at least one anthropomorphic phantom () for simulating motion of at least one part of a human body (); and B • a control device () for controlling the phantom (), comprising •• a programmable logic controller (), •• a plurality of controller nodes (), •• a plurality of device controllers () configured for controlling the actuators (), and •• at least one real-time bus interface () connecting the controller nodes () to the programmable logic controller () and to the device controllers (). The programmable logic controller () is configured to act as a master device with respect to the controller nodes (), specifically with respect to each of the controller nodes (). The controller nodes () are configured to act as master devices with respect to the device controllers ().

Test system for testing a system for radiologic treatment

A control device () for controlling at least one collimator is disclosed, wherein the collimator has a plurality of parts being designed for collimating and shaping rays, wherein the rays are generated for treating a predefined body part of a patient, wherein the control device () comprises a programmable logic controller (), a plurality of controller nodes (), a plurality of device controllers (), and a plurality of real-time bus interfaces (). Herein, the programmable logic controller () is designated as a first master device () with respect to each of the controller nodes (), wherein the programmable logic controller () is designed for superordinate control of the plurality of parts of the collimator. Further, each of the controller nodes () is designated as a first slave device () with respect to the programmable logic controller (), wherein the controller node () is designated as a second master device () with respect to at least one corresponding device controller (), wherein the controller node () is designed for controlling at least one corresponding part of the collimator, wherein the controller node () is connected to the programmable logic controller () by one of the real-time bus interfaces (). Further, each of the device controllers () is designated as a second slave device () with respect to a corresponding controller node (), wherein each of the device controllers () is designed for controlling at least one of an actuator () and a sensor (), wherein the actuator () is designed for adjusting a corresponding part of the collimator, and wherein the sensor () is designed for providing data related to position and/or velocity information with respect to the corresponding part of the collimator, wherein the device controller () is connected to the corresponding controller node () by one of the real-time bus interfaces ().

Control device for controlling at least one collimator

The invention relates to a contour collimator for radiotherapy, comprising a plurality of plate-shaped diaphragm elements provided in a guiding block and movably arranged with respect to one another to form a contour diaphragm for a radiation beam emitted by a radiation source towards the collimator, and at least one drive for moving the diaphragm elements, wherein a drive of its own is associated with each diaphragm element, the drives of a group of diaphragm elements are arranged substantially adjacent to one another, and the drive is a linear motor, wherein each linear motor comprises a linearly movable rod directly fixed to the associated diaphragm element. The invention facilitates a design of a contour collimator with a shape being as compact as possible, and wherein both precise and stable adjustability of the diaphragm elements is achieved without a backlash. In this way improvements to contour collimators are provided.

Contour collimator for radiotherapy

A leaf module for a multi-leaf collimator comprises a leaf unit and a leaf drive unit. The leaf unit comprises a leaf for shielding beams from a selected area. The leaf unit is mounted displaceably in an adjusting direction with relation to the leaf drive unit. The leaf drive unit is designed to displace the leaf unit linearly in the adjusting direction. The leaf drive unit comprises at least one drive mechanism which operates based on piezoelectric actuation, being designed such that the leaf drive unit thoroughly encloses the leaf unit within a plane being oriented substantially perpendicularly related to the adjusting direction. The multi-leaf collimator can comprise a plurality of leaf modules while being shaped as compact as possible. Both precise and stable adjustability of the leaf unit is achieved with the leaf module.

Leaf module for a multi-leaf collimator and multi-leaf collimator

A multileaf collimator is provided. The multileaf collimator may be used for radiotherapy. The multileaf collimator may include a plurality of leaves that are adjustable along a displacement direction for the absorption of rays propagated along a direction of radiation, with opposing leaves relative to the displacement direction with front faces oriented toward each other being displaceable into a closed position. The multileaf collimator may also include a shielding-intensifying planar shape, which in closed position, is characterized by an at least partial overlapping of the front faces relative to the direction of radiation.

Multileaf collimator

The invention relates to a leaf () for a multi-leaf collimator () for delimiting a high-energy beam (&#x2033;) of an irradiation device, in particular for conformational radiation therapy. According to the invention, the multi-leaf collimator () comprises a plurality of opposing leaves (), which can be brought into the beam path (&#x2033;) by means of drives (), in such a way that the contour () of said path can be shaped in accordance with the volume to be irradiated. The need for beam-absorbent material () is reduced, as the leaf () essentially only comprises a beam-absorbent material () of an appropriate thickness () in a region () that is brought into the path (&#x2033;) of the high-energy beam () during the course of all possible positional displacements (). The invention also relates to a corresponding multi-leaf collimator (), a device () for delimiting beams, and an irradiation device.

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Heidelberg, Germany

Steffen Seeber