Varian Medical Systems International Ag

Siemens Healthineers International Ag

Varian Medical Systems Particle Therapy Gmbh & Co Kg

Xinhui Yang

Martin Sabel

Armel C Rosselet

Janne Iimari Nord

Daniel Von Büren

Armel Rosselet

By one approach, a control circuit accesses planning computed tomography image information for a particular patient. The control circuit also accesses two-dimensional digital subtraction angiography image information for the particular patient. The control circuit then fuses the planning computed tomography image information with the two-dimensional digital subtraction angiography image information to provide fused image information of the patient target volume.

Patient volume segmentation apparatus and method

A three-dimensional model for a patient fixation device that serves to immobilize at least a portion of a particular patient when capturing CT image information of that patient is accessed and then registered with the pixels that correspond to the patient fixation device in the CT image. The model can specify rules of movement for each of a plurality of structural elements that comprise the patient fixation device and that are capable of movement relative to one another. By one approach the aforementioned registration occurs on a part-by-part basis for each of the structural elements. Following registration, the CT image can be automatically segmented.

Automatically-registered patient fixation device images

A control circuit accesses topograms of a patient that include patient content that is beyond the portion of the patient that appears in the three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) images for that patient. The control circuit uses those topograms to derive a virtual volumetric structure representing at least some of the patient content that is beyond the aforementioned portion of the patient that appears in the 3D CT images. That virtual volumetric structure can then be used to predict potential collisions when assessing a radiation treatment plan for the patient that utilizes the aforementioned radiation treatment platform. By one approach the topograms include at least two substantially orthographic views of the aforementioned patient content.

Method and apparatus to derive and utilize virtual volumetric structures for predicting potential collisions when administering therapeutic radiation

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Oberrohrdorf, Switzerland

Xinhui Yang