CN111686379B

CN111686379B - Radiotherapy system

Info

Publication number: CN111686379B
Application number: CN202010715162.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: S·博思
Original assignee: Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-23
Filing date: 2020-07-23
Publication date: 2022-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 2040-07-23
Also published as: CN111686379A

Abstract

The embodiment of the application discloses a radiation therapy system, this radiation therapy system includes: an ultrasound imaging device for acquiring ultrasound imaging data of a target region on a subject, the ultrasound imaging device comprising: a curved platform associated with an imaging coordinate system; and a plurality of ultrasound probes distributed on the curved platform for acquiring the ultrasound imaging data from a plurality of angles; and a radiotherapy device for applying treatment radiation to at least a portion of the target region, the radiotherapy device being associated with a treatment coordinate system, wherein the treatment coordinate system is identified by one or more first markers connected to the object or the treatment coordinate system; and the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system is identified by one or more second markers coupled to the curved platform.

Description

Radiotherapy system

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of radiation therapy, and more particularly, to a radiation therapy system and method that combines ultrasound imaging and radiation therapy techniques.

Background

Currently, in the course of radiation therapy of a target (e.g., a tumor) of an object (e.g., a patient), various imaging techniques may be applied to provide real-time images of the target before or during each treatment session. For example, ultrasound imaging techniques may be used to acquire ultrasound images of the target, which may be used for soft tissue identification, image guidance during radiotherapy, motion monitoring, and 3D dosimetry, among others. When an ultrasound probe is used to image a target, probe pressure typically causes movement of the target, which can affect the accuracy of the delivery of the radiotherapy radiation. In addition, in order to determine the target position before or during each treatment session, it is also often necessary to track the position of the ultrasound probe in the radiotherapy coordinate system. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a radiation therapy system and method that combines ultrasound imaging and radiation therapy techniques to avoid target movement due to probe pressure while more easily and efficiently locating the target, thereby improving the convenience and accuracy of radiation therapy.

Disclosure of Invention

One embodiment of the present application provides a radiation therapy system. The radiation therapy system includes an ultrasound imaging device for acquiring ultrasound imaging data of a target region on a subject. The ultrasound imaging device includes a curved platform associated with an imaging coordinate system. The ultrasound imaging device further includes a plurality of ultrasound probes distributed on the curved platform for acquiring the ultrasound imaging data from a plurality of angles. The radiation therapy system further includes a radiation therapy device for applying therapeutic radiation to at least a portion of the target region, the radiation therapy device being associated with a treatment coordinate system. Wherein the treatment coordinate system is identified by one or more first markers connected to the subject or the treatment coordinate system. And the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system is identified by one or more second markers coupled to the curved platform.

In some embodiments, the plurality of ultrasound probes comprises at least one of a curved arrangement of transducer probes or a stretchable transducer array.

In some embodiments, the imaging coordinate system comprises a rectilinear coordinate system or a curvilinear coordinate system.

In some embodiments, the treatment coordinate system comprises a linear accelerator coordinate system or a room coordinate system.

In some embodiments, the one or more first markers or the one or more second markers are radiopaque markers.

In some embodiments, the radiation therapy system further comprises a treatment couch for supporting the subject.

In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging device further comprises an adjustment device for adjusting the position of the curved platform relative to the treatment couch.

In some embodiments, the adjustment device comprises an adjustment arm for supporting the curved platform and adjusting the height of the curved platform relative to the treatment couch; and the rotating assembly is used for adjusting the angle between the adjusting arm and the treatment bed.

In some embodiments, the curved platform further comprises one or more semi-rigid fill bags.

In some embodiments, the curved platform provides a restraining force to the subject through the one or more semi-rigid fill bags when the curved platform is adjusted to a preset position.

Drawings

The present application will be further explained by way of exemplary embodiments, which will be described in detail by way of the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are not intended to be limiting, and in these embodiments like numerals refer to like structures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an application scenario of an exemplary radiation therapy system according to some embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary image guided radiation therapy device shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary ultrasound imaging device shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary image-guided radiation treatment process according to some embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of ultrasound imaging by moving an ultrasound probe according to some embodiments of the present application; and

FIG. 6 is an exemplary flow chart illustrating the application of radiation therapy radiation in a radiation therapy system according to some embodiments of the present application.

Detailed Description

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly described below. It is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only examples or embodiments of the application, from which the application can also be applied to other similar scenarios without inventive effort for a person skilled in the art. Unless otherwise apparent from the context, or otherwise indicated, like reference numbers in the figures refer to the same structure or operation.

It should be understood that "system", "device", "unit" and/or "module" as used herein is a method for distinguishing different components, elements, parts, portions or assemblies of different levels. However, other words may be substituted by other expressions if they accomplish the same purpose.

As used in this application and in the claims, the terms "a," "an," "the," and/or "the" are not intended to be inclusive in the singular, but rather are intended to include the plural, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In general, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" merely indicate that steps and elements are included which are explicitly identified, that the steps and elements do not form an exclusive list, and that a method or apparatus may include other steps or elements.

Flow charts are used herein to illustrate operations performed by systems according to embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the preceding or following operations are not necessarily performed in the exact order in which they are performed. Rather, the steps may be processed in reverse order or simultaneously. Meanwhile, other operations may be added to or removed from these processes.

The present application provides systems and components for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. In some embodiments, the system may include a radiation therapy system. The radiation therapy system may include a Treatment Planning System (TPS), an Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) system, and the like. By way of example only, an Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) system may include: such as CT guided radiation therapy systems, MRI guided radiation therapy systems, Ultrasound (US) guided radiation therapy systems, and the like. In some embodiments, the system may be an imaging system including one or a combination of Computed Tomography (CT) systems, Emission Computed Tomography (ECT) systems, radiography systems, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) systems, and the like. For ease of understanding, the systems and methods of radiation therapy are referred to herein. The term "image" as used in this application is used to generally refer to image data (e.g., scan data, projection data) and/or various forms of images. For example, the "image" may refer to a 2D image, a 3D image, or a 2D or 3D image of a series of time points, an image of a region of interest (ROI) of an object, or the like, or any combination thereof. For another example, the "image" may also refer to a CT image, an EPID (electronic portal imaging device) image, a fluoroscopic image, an ultrasound image, a PET image, or the like, or any combination thereof.

One aspect of the present application provides a radiation therapy system. The radiation therapy system includes an ultrasound imaging device for acquiring ultrasound imaging data of a target region on a subject. The ultrasound imaging device includes a curved platform that is associated with an imaging coordinate system (e.g., a rectilinear coordinate system or a curvilinear coordinate system). The ultrasound imaging device further comprises a plurality of ultrasound probes (e.g. curved arranged transducer probes or stretchable transducer arrays) distributed over the curved platform for acquiring the ultrasound imaging data from a plurality of angles. The radiation therapy system also includes a radiation therapy device for applying treatment radiation to at least a portion of the target region (e.g., a tumor), the radiation therapy device being associated with a treatment coordinate system (e.g., a linac coordinate system or a room coordinate system). Wherein the treatment coordinate system is identified by one or more first markers connected to the subject or the treatment coordinate system. And the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system is identified by one or more second markers connected to the curved platform.

According to the radiation therapy system of the present application, an ultrasound imaging device may acquire ultrasound imaging data of a target region on a subject for guiding a radiation therapy procedure. In one aspect, the curved platform of the ultrasound imaging device may be curved into any shape to conform to the surface contour of the object. Any one or more ultrasound probes on the curved platform can acquire ultrasound imaging data of a target region on the object from multiple angles (e.g., triggered by programming), without moving the ultrasound probes (e.g., by mechanical arm movement), while improving operational convenience and avoiding obstruction and/or interference of the radiation therapy beam when the mechanical arm is in the radiation therapy path. In another aspect, the curved platform may be adjusted to a preset position by an adjustment device and a restraining force may be provided to the object by one or more semi-rigid fill bags, enabling fixation of the object while avoiding movement of the object area caused by squeezing the object area on the object. In yet another aspect, the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system can be identified by the markers, thereby enabling tracking of the movement of the target region on the object relative to the treatment coordinate system based on the ultrasound image data, facilitating more accurate planning and/or delivery of the treatment.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary radiation therapy system 100 shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present application. As shown in fig. 1, radiation treatment system 100 may include an image-guided radiation treatment device 110, a processing device 120, a network 130, a storage device 140, and a terminal 150. In some embodiments, the image guided radiation therapy device 110, the processing device 120, the network 130, the storage device 140, and the terminal 150 may be connected to and/or communicate with each other by wired and/or wireless means.

The image guided radiation treatment device 110 may apply a treatment ray to at least a portion of a target region (e.g., a patient or a portion thereof) on a subject based on an image of the target region or track or monitor motion of the target region during radiation treatment based on the image of the target region. In some embodiments, the image of the target region may be generated by an imaging device such as a Computed Tomography (CT) device, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) device, a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) device, a Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) device, an Ultrasound (US) imaging device, or the like, or any combination thereof. For purposes of illustration, an ultrasound imaging device is described below as an imaging device or component. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the application is thereby intended. Other imaging devices may be incorporated into the image guided radiation therapy device 110.

The image of the target region may be used to determine and/or track the location of the target region on the object. In some embodiments, the target region may be a portion of a subject, e.g., a head, a breast, a lung, an abdomen, a large intestine, a small intestine, a bladder, a gall bladder, a pancreas, a prostate, a uterus, an ovary, a liver, etc., or a portion thereof, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the target region may include abnormal tissue, such as a tumor, polyp, or the like. In some embodiments, radiation may be delivered to the target region for radiation treatment based on the determined or tracked location of the target region. In some embodiments, the radiation used for radiotherapy may also be referred to as a treatment beam.

In some embodiments, the image guided radiation therapy device 110 may include an imaging device. For example only, the imaging device may include an ultrasound imaging device. The ultrasound imaging device may be used to acquire ultrasound imaging data of a target region on a subject. In some embodiments, an ultrasound imaging device may utilize the physical characteristics of ultrasound waves and differences in acoustic properties of a target area on a subject to acquire ultrasound imaging data of the target area on the subject, which may be displayed in the form of a waveform, curve, or image and/or record features related to the target area on the subject. For example only, the ultrasound imaging device may include one or more ultrasound probes for emitting ultrasound waves into the target region (e.g., a body organ or tissue). The ultrasound waves undergo different reflections and attenuations after passing through organs and tissues having different acoustic impedances and different attenuation characteristics, thereby forming echoes that can be received by the one or more ultrasound probes. The ultrasound imaging device may process (e.g., amplify, convert) and/or display the received echoes to generate ultrasound imaging data. In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging device may comprise a B-mode ultrasound device, a color doppler ultrasound device, a cardiac color ultrasound device, a three-dimensional color ultrasound device, or the like, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the image-guided radiation therapy device 110 may transmit the ultrasound imaging data over the network 130 to the processing device 120, the storage device 140, and/or the terminal device 150 for further processing. For example, ultrasound imaging data acquired by the ultrasound imaging device may be non-image form data that may be transmitted to the processing device 120 for generating ultrasound images. As another example, the ultrasound imaging data acquired by the ultrasound imaging device may be data in the form of an image that may be transmitted to the terminal device 150 for display. As another example, the ultrasound imaging data may be stored in the storage device 140.

In some embodiments, the image guided radiation therapy device 110 may also include a radiation therapy device. The radiotherapy apparatus may apply treatment radiation to at least a portion of the target region to perform radiotherapy. In some embodiments, the radiotherapy apparatus may comprise a single modality apparatus, such as an X-ray treatment device, a teletherapy device, a medical electron accelerator (e.g., a cyclotron, an induction accelerator, a linear accelerator (LINAC)), or the like. In some embodiments, the radiation therapy device can be a multi-modality (e.g., a dual-modality) device. The radiotherapy apparatus can both apply treatment radiation to at least a portion of the target region to perform radiotherapy and acquire a medical image (e.g., a scan image) related to the target region using the radiation or by changing an energy level of the radiation. For example, the radiation therapy device can include a Computed Tomography (CT) scanner that can perform a simulated scan of the target region during and/or prior to radiation therapy to acquire CT image data. The CT image data may be fused (e.g., by image registration) with the ultrasound imaging data to obtain a fused image for determining the location of the target region or at least a portion thereof (e.g., the target region). Alternatively, a CT scanner may be included as part of the imaging device for guiding radiation treatment.

In some embodiments, the image guided radiation therapy device 110 may also include other imaging devices 112. In some embodiments, the other imaging devices 112 may include X-ray imaging equipment, magnetic resonance imaging devices, nuclear medicine devices, thermal imaging devices, medical optics devices, and the like, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, other imaging devices 112 may be located on the treatment couch 111 or the image guided radiation therapy device 110 and removably connected with the treatment couch 111 or the image guided radiation therapy device 110. In some embodiments, a portion of the image guided radiation treatment apparatus 110 may be removably connected with the treatment couch 111. Removably attachable devices, such as the imaging device 112, the ultrasound imaging device in the image-guided radiation treatment device 110, may be installed or removed as appropriate, thereby enabling more versatile environments, facilitating patient set-up for imaging and/or treatment procedures, and facilitating use, maintenance, storage, and/or cleaning of the image-guided radiation treatment device 110. In some embodiments, other imaging devices 112 may also be provided independently with respect to the image-guided radiation therapy device 110. Further description of the image guided radiation therapy device 110 can be found elsewhere in this application (e.g., fig. 2 and its associated description).

The processing device 120 may process data and/or information obtained from the image guided radiation treatment device 110, the storage device 140, and/or the terminal 150. For example, the processing device 120 may process ultrasound imaging data acquired from an imaging device in the image-guided radiation therapy device 110 and generate an ultrasound image of the target region. As another example, the processing device 120 may determine the location of the application of the treatment radiation based on an ultrasound image of the target region. As another example, the processing device 120 may track the target region based on the ultrasound image of the target region and monitor movement of the target region in a treatment coordinate system associated with the radiation treatment device. In some embodiments, the ultrasound images may be transmitted to the terminal 150 and displayed on one or more display devices in the terminal 150. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may be a single server or a group of servers. The server groups may be centralized or distributed. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may be local or remote. For example, the processing device 120 may access information and/or data stored in the image guided radiation therapy device 110, the storage device 140, and/or the terminal 150 via the network 130. As another example, the processing device 120 may be directly connected to the image guided radiation therapy device 110, the storage device 140, and/or the terminal 150 to access information and/or data stored thereon. As another example, the processing device 120 may be integrated in the image guided radiation therapy device 110. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may be implemented on a cloud platform. By way of example only, the cloud platform may include a private cloud, a public cloud, a hybrid cloud, a community cloud, a distributed cloud, an internal cloud, a cloudy cloud, and the like, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may be a single processing device that communicates with and processes data received from the ultrasound imaging device and the radiotherapy device. Alternatively, processing device 120 may include at least two processing devices that may communicate with each other. One of the at least two processing devices may be in communication with the ultrasound imaging device and process data received from the ultrasound imaging device, and another processing device may be in communication with the radiation therapy device and process data received from the radiation therapy device. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may include a treatment planning system. The treatment plan may include a set of parameters describing how to apply treatment radiation to at least a portion of a target region on the subject, including, but not limited to, radiation dose, radiation rate (the amount of radiation delivered per unit time, also referred to as the radiation output rate), radiation time, and radiation target location, among others. In some embodiments, the treatment planning system may generate a treatment plan based at least in part on ultrasound imaging data acquired from an ultrasound imaging device. For example, during and/or prior to radiation treatment, the treatment planning system may analyze ultrasound imaging data and CT image data acquired from a CT scanner to generate a treatment plan. As another example, during radiation treatment, the treatment planning system may track the position of the target region based on the ultrasound imaging data and adjust the treatment plan based on changes in the position of the target region.

Network 130 may include any suitable network that may facilitate the exchange of information and/or data for radiation treatment system 100. In some embodiments, one or more components of the radiation therapy system 100 (e.g., the image-guided radiation therapy device 110, the processing device 120, the storage device 140, or the terminal 150) may be connected and/or in communication with other components of the radiation therapy system 100 through the network 130. For example, the processing device 120 may acquire ultrasound imaging data from the image-guided radiation therapy device 110 via the network 130. As another example, processing device 120 may obtain user instructions from terminal 150 via network 130 that may be used to instruct image-guided radiation treatment device 110 to perform imaging and/or radiation treatment. In some embodiments, the network 130 may be any form of wired or wireless network, or any combination thereof. The network 130 may include a public network (e.g., the internet), a private network (e.g., a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), etc.), a wired network (e.g., an ethernet network), a wireless network (e.g., an 802.11 network, a Wi-Fi network, etc.), a cellular network (e.g., a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network), a frame relay network, a virtual private network ("VPN"), a satellite network, a telephone network, a router, a hub, a switch, a server computer, and/or any combination thereof. By way of example only, network 130 may include a cable network, a wireline network, a fiber optic network, a telecommunications network, an intranet, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a bluetooth network, a zigbee network, a Near Field Communication (NFC) network, the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the network 130 may include one or more network access points. For example, the network 130 may include wired and/or wireless network access points, such as base stations and/or internet access points, through which one or more components of the radiation therapy system 100 may connect to the network 130 to exchange data and/or information.

Storage device 140 may store data and/or instructions. In some embodiments, the storage device 140 may store data obtained from the terminal 150 and/or the processing device 120. In some embodiments, storage device 140 may store data and/or instructions that processing device 120 may perform or be used to perform the exemplary methods described herein. In some embodiments, storage device 140 may include mass storage, removable storage, volatile read-write memory, read-only memory (ROM), and the like, or any combination thereof. Exemplary mass storage may include magnetic disks, optical disks, solid state disks, and the like. Exemplary removable memory may include flash drives, floppy disks, optical disks, memory cards, compact disks, magnetic tape, and the like. Exemplary volatile read-write memory can include Random Access Memory (RAM). Exemplary RAM may include Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), double data Rate synchronous dynamic random Access memory (DDR SDRAM), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), thyristor (T-RAM), and zero capacitor random Access memory (Z-RAM), among others. Exemplary read-only memories may include mask read-only memory (MROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (PEROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk read-only memory, and the like. In some embodiments, the storage device 140 may be implemented on a cloud platform. By way of example only, the cloud platform may include a private cloud, a public cloud, a hybrid cloud, a community cloud, a distributed cloud, an internal cloud, a cloudy, etc., or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, a storage device 140 may be connected to the network 130 to communicate with one or more components of the radiation therapy system 100 (e.g., the processing device 120, the terminal 150, etc.). One or more components of radiation treatment system 100 may access data or instructions stored in storage device 140 via network 130. In some embodiments, the storage device 140 may be directly connected to or in communication with one or more components of the radiation therapy system 100 (e.g., the processing device 120, the terminal 150, etc.). In some embodiments, the storage device 140 may be part of the processing device 120.

The terminal 150 may include a mobile device 151, a tablet 152, a laptop 153, etc., or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, mobile device 151 may include a smart home device, a wearable device, a smart mobile device, a virtual reality device, an augmented reality device, or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the smart home devices may include smart lighting devices, smart appliance control devices, smart monitoring devices, smart televisions, smart cameras, interphones, and the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the wearable device may include a smart bracelet, a smart lace, smart glasses, a smart helmet, a smart watch, a smart garment, a smart backpack, a smart accessory, or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the smart mobile device may include a smart phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a gaming device, a navigation device, a point of sale (POS), etc., or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the virtual reality device and/or the augmented reality device may include a virtual reality helmet, virtual reality glasses, virtual reality eyeshields, augmented reality helmets, augmented reality glasses, augmented reality eyeshields, and the like, or any combination thereof. For example, the virtual reality device and/or the augmented reality device may include Google Glass, Oculus Rift, Hololens, or Gear VR, among others. In some embodiments, the terminal 150 may remotely operate the image guided radiation therapy device 110. In some embodiments, the terminal 150 may operate the image-guided radiation therapy device 110 via a wireless connection. In some embodiments, terminal 150 may receive information and/or instructions input by a user and send the received information and/or instructions to image-guided radiation treatment device 110 or processing device 120 via network 130. In some embodiments, terminal 150 may receive data and/or information from processing device 120. In some embodiments, terminal 150 may be part of processing device 120. In some embodiments, terminal 150 may be omitted.

It should be noted that the foregoing description is provided for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Many variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in light of the teachings herein. The features, structures, methods, and other features of the exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined in various ways to obtain additional and/or alternative exemplary embodiments. However, such changes and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present application.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary image guided radiation therapy device 110 shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present application. As shown in fig. 2, the image guided radiation therapy device 110 may include a radiation therapy assembly 210, an imaging assembly 220, and an auxiliary assembly 230.

The radiation therapy assembly 210 can be used to apply therapeutic radiation to at least a portion of a target region (e.g., a tumor) on a subject (e.g., a patient). In some embodiments, the target region may be a region of a subject in need of radiation treatment. In some embodiments, the target region can be a cell mass, a tissue, an organ (e.g., prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas, breast, etc.), and the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the target region may be a tumor, an organ having a tumor, or a tissue having a tumor. In some embodiments, the therapeutic radiation may be in the form of a therapeutic radiation beam. The therapeutic radiation beam may include a particle beam, a photon beam, an ultrasound beam (e.g., a high intensity focused ultrasound beam), and the like, or any combination thereof. The particle beam may include neutron flux, protons, electrons, heavy ions, etc., or any combination thereof. The photon beam may include an X-ray beam, a gamma-ray beam, an alpha-ray beam, a beta-ray beam, an ultraviolet beam, a laser beam, or the like, or any combination thereof. The shape of the X-ray beam may be a line, a narrow pencil, a narrow fan, a cone, a wedge, etc., or any combination thereof. The energy level of the therapeutic beam may be suitable for radiation therapy. For example, the X-ray beam delivered by radiation treatment assembly 210 may have Megavoltage (MV) energy. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the target region may be treated using one or more thermal techniques, and the treatment may also be image-guided.

In some embodiments, the location of the target region may change over time due to various motions, such as cardiac motion (and its effect on other organs), respiratory motion (lung and/or diaphragm, and its effect on other organs), blood flow and motion caused by blood vessel pulsation, muscle contraction and relaxation, secretory activity of the pancreas, and the like, or any combination thereof. The radiation therapy assembly 210 can deliver a therapeutic beam to the target portion based on the real-time position of the target portion. In some embodiments, the radiation therapy assembly 210 can determine the delivery of treatment radiation to at least a portion of the target region according to a predetermined treatment plan. The predetermined treatment plan may include radiation dose, radiation rate (the amount of radiation delivered per unit time, also referred to as the radiation output rate), radiation time, and irradiation target location, among others, or any combination thereof. For example, the radiation therapy assembly 210 can begin delivering therapeutic radiation to the target portion when the position of the target region conforms to a predetermined treatment plan. In some embodiments, the radiation therapy assembly 210 can determine the delivery of therapeutic radiation to the target portion based on the real-time location of the target region. For example, during treatment, the motion of the target portion may be tracked based on imaging data of the target region acquired by the imaging assembly 220 and the real-time location of the target region determined.

In some embodiments, the radiation therapy assembly 210 can also include a radiation detector and/or a radiation detector support. In some embodiments, the radiation detector can detect and/or receive signals emitted from the radiation therapy assembly 210 during and/or prior to radiation therapy of the radiation therapy assembly 210. For example, during radiation treatment by the radiation treatment assembly 210, the radiation detector can detect signals emitted from the radiation treatment assembly 210 and monitor the condition of the radiation treatment (e.g., radiation dose). As another example, prior to radiation treatment, the radiation treatment assembly 210 can deliver a pre-treatment beam that can be detected by the radiation detector for calibration (e.g., calibration of radiation dose). For example only, the radiation detector may be an X-ray detector. The shape of the X-ray detector may be flat, arc-shaped, circular, etc. or any combination thereof. For example, the radiation detector may be a flat panel detector. The radiation detector support may be for supporting a radiation detector. In some embodiments, the radiation detector support may be made of metal, alloy, or any other suitable material. In some embodiments, the radiation detector may be rotatably mounted on the radiation detector support.

In some embodiments, the radiation source and radiation detector of the radiation therapy assembly 210 may also be used as a CT imaging assembly. For example, the radiation source may also generate imaging radiation (e.g., X-rays) having an energy level suitable for imaging. In some embodiments, the energy level of the imaging radiation may be different from the energy level of the therapeutic radiation generated by the radiation therapy component 210. For example, when the radiation source generates X-rays, the X-ray beam in the imaging radiation may have a kilovoltage (kV) level and the X-ray beam in the therapeutic radiation may have a megavoltage (mV) level.

In some embodiments, the radiation therapy assembly 210 can be associated with a treatment coordinate system. In some embodiments, the treatment coordinate system may be identified by one or more first markers connected to the subject and/or the treatment coordinate system. The first marker may be a radiopaque marker. For example, a radiopaque marker may be attached to the subject (patient) (e.g., attached or adhered to the skin surface of the patient). In some embodiments, the connection herein may refer to the radiopaque marker being in contact with the skin surface of the subject (patient) without relative movement between the two. For example, the radiopaque marker may be attached to the skin surface of the subject by an adhesive substance (e.g., glue). As another example, radiopaque markers may be affixed to the skin surface of a subject by mechanical structures (e.g., robotic arms). Since the first marker is a radiopaque marker, the first marker may be identified in the CT imaging data, such that the isocenter of the radiation therapy assembly 210 may be identified further based on the CT imaging data. Specifically, radiation treatment system 100 may include a treatment couch (e.g., treatment couch 111 shown in fig. 1). The target object may be medically imaged while the object is placed on the treatment couch, e.g., CT imaging data of the object may be acquired using the radiation source and radiation detector of the radiation therapy assembly 210 as a CT imaging assembly. The location of a target region (e.g., a tumor) may be determined based on the CT imaging data. Thereafter, with the assistance of the laser light, one or more marker points can be determined on the surface of the subject (e.g., the body surface of the patient), which can be used to determine the treatment isocenter (e.g., the target area center) of the target region. After the treatment isocenter is determined, the couch 111 may be moved based on the one or more marker points such that the treatment isocenter of the target region on the subject coincides with the isocenter (also called the machine isocenter) of the radiation treatment assembly 210. The isocenter of the radiation treatment assembly 210 can refer to an intersection between the rotational axis of the radiation treatment assembly 210, the rotational axis of the radiation source of the radiation treatment assembly 210, and the rotational axis of the patient bed 111. Coinciding the treatment isocenter of the target region with the isocenter of the radiation treatment assembly 210 may allow treatment radiation to be incident on at least a portion of the target region (e.g., the target volume) with less damage to normal cells and/or tissue during radiation therapy.

In some embodiments, after determining the one or more marker points, one or more first markers may be attached to the subject at the respective locations of the one or more marker points. The first marker may be a radiopaque marker that may be identified in the CT imaging data such that the isocenter of the radiation therapy assembly 210 may be identified based further on the CT imaging data. In some embodiments, the treatment coordinate system may be constructed based on the isocenter of the radiation treatment assembly 210. For example, the treatment coordinate system may be constructed with the isocenter of the radiation treatment assembly 210 as the origin. Thereby, the treatment coordinate system may be identified by the one or more first markers connected to the subject.

Alternatively or additionally, the one or more first markers may also be coupled to the treatment coordinate system, for example, to one or more components of the radiation treatment assembly 210 having a known relative positional relationship to the treatment coordinate system. By way of example only, the one or more first markers may also be coupled to the couch 111 and may be used to determine the treatment isocenter of the target region and/or the isocenter of the radiation treatment assembly 210. Thereby, the treatment coordinate system may be identified based on the one or more first markers connected to the treatment couch. In some embodiments, the one or more first markers may also be connected to the subject and the treatment coordinate system simultaneously. For example, a treatment center of the target region and/or an isocenter of the radiation treatment assembly 210 may be determined when one or more first markers located on the treatment coordinate system correspond one-to-one with one or more first markers located on the subject.

In some embodiments, radiation treatment system 100 (e.g., processing device 120 and/or a treatment planning system in processing device 120) may determine the position of at least a portion of the target region in the treatment coordinate system. For example, at least a portion of the target region may be represented by one or more sets of coordinate points in the treatment coordinate system. Further, the radiation therapy system 100 can apply therapeutic radiation to at least a portion of the target region based on the location. In some embodiments, the treatment coordinate system may include a linac coordinate system and/or a room coordinate system.

The imaging component 220 may be used to acquire imaging data of a target region on a subject. For example, the imaging assembly 220 may generate images of the target region, determine a real-time location of the target region, and/or track motion of the target region during radiation treatment performed by the radiation treatment assembly 210. In some embodiments, the location of the target region may change over time due to various motions, such as cardiac motion (and its effect on other organs), respiratory motion (lung and/or diaphragm, and its effect on other organs), blood flow and motion caused by blood vessel pulsation, muscle contraction and relaxation, secretory activity of the pancreas, and the like, or any combination thereof. The position of the target portion may be tracked before, during, and/or after the radiation treatment procedure based on the images of the target region on the subject acquired by the imaging assembly 220.

In some embodiments, imaging assembly 220 may include an ultrasound imaging assembly. The ultrasound imaging assembly may be used to acquire ultrasound imaging data of a target region on a subject. In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging assembly may include a curved platform. The curved platform may be curved into any shape to conform to the surface contour of the object. For example, the curved platform may be curved to the same or similar shape as the surface contour of the object, thereby being able to more closely follow the surface contour of the object. In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging assembly may include a plurality of ultrasound probes. The plurality of ultrasound probes may be distributed on the curved platform for acquiring ultrasound imaging data from a plurality of angles. For example, the plurality of ultrasound probes may include a plurality of transducer probes arranged in a curved configuration on the curved platform, and may transmit ultrasound waves from different angles toward a target region and generate ultrasound imaging data from received echoes. For another example, the plurality of ultrasound probes may include a stretchable transducer array. The stretchable transducer array can be stretched in different directions to achieve different arrangement modes, so that ultrasonic waves can be transmitted to a target area from different angles, and ultrasonic imaging data can be generated according to received echoes.

In some embodiments, the curved platform further comprises one or more semi-rigid fill bags. The one or more semi-rigid fill bags may be filled with a filler (e.g., a gel) that allows ultrasound to pass through. The curved platform may be brought into contact with a contoured surface of a subject through the one or more semi-rigid filled bags when ultrasonically imaging a target region, thereby providing a restraining force to the subject. The restraining force may be used to secure the subject on a treatment couch bringing the plurality of ultrasound probes closer to the target region. In addition, since the filling bag is semi-rigid, movement of the target area caused by direct compression of the curved platform against the surface of the object profile is avoided.

In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging assembly may further include an adjustment device. The adjustment device may be used to adjust the position of the curved platform relative to the treatment couch (e.g., treatment couch 111). For example, the adjustment device may include an adjustment arm and a rotation assembly. The adjustment arm may be used to support the bending platform and adjust the height of the bending platform relative to the treatment couch, and the rotation assembly may be used to adjust the angle between the adjustment arm and the treatment couch. In some embodiments, the adjustment device may adjust the curved platform to a preset position such that the curved platform may provide a restraining force to the subject through the one or more semi-rigid fill bags. In some embodiments, the adjustment device may also adjust the position of the curved platform relative to the couch and/or the radiation treatment assembly 210 such that the curved platform is not in the path of the treatment radiation applied by the radiation treatment assembly 210, thereby avoiding obstruction and/or interference of the curved platform with the treatment radiation.

In some embodiments, the curved platform may be associated with an imaging coordinate system. In some embodiments, the imaging coordinate system comprises a rectilinear coordinate system or a curvilinear coordinate system. For example, an imaging coordinate system in the form of a rectilinear coordinate system (e.g., a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system) may be constructed with an arbitrary point on the curved platform as an origin. For another example, an imaging coordinate system in the form of a curved coordinate system may be constructed with an arbitrary point on the curved platform as an origin. For example only, the curvilinear coordinate system may be a three-dimensional curvilinear coordinate system, which may include curvilinear axes (e.g., X-axes) corresponding to the shape and/or curvature of the curved platform.

In some embodiments, the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system may be identified by one or more second markers coupled to the curved platform. The second marker may be a radiopaque marker. For example, a radiopaque marker may be coupled to the curved platform (e.g., attached to the surface of the curved platform or coupled via a coupling mechanism). The curved platform may conform to the surface contour of the object (e.g., at a location near the target region). In some embodiments, the radiation source and the radiation detector of the radiation therapy assembly 210 may be used as a CT imaging assembly to acquire CT imaging data of the subject. The CT imaging data includes data related to the curved platform and data related to the object. Since the second marker may be a radiopaque marker, it may be identified in the CT imaging data as well as the first marker, so that the position of the second marker relative to the first marker may be determined in the CT imaging data. In some embodiments, the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system may be determined from the position of the second marker relative to the first marker. Further description of the ultrasound imaging assembly may be found elsewhere in this application (e.g., fig. 3 and its associated description).

The auxiliary components 230 may be used to facilitate operation of the radiation therapy component 210, the imaging component 220, and/or other components on the image guided radiation therapy device 110. In some embodiments, the auxiliary assembly 230 may include a cooling assembly (not shown), a treatment couch (e.g., the treatment couch 111 shown in fig. 1), and the like. The cooling assembly may be used to generate, deliver, conduct, or circulate a cooling medium to the image-guided radiation therapy device 110 to absorb heat generated by the image-guided radiation therapy device 110 during the imaging process and/or radiation therapy. The couch may be used to support and/or transport a subject (e.g., a patient) to be imaged and/or radiotherapy is administered.

It should be noted that the above description of the image guided radiation therapy apparatus 110 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art based on the description of the present application. However, such changes and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present application. For example, the image guided radiation therapy device 110 can also include one or more storage devices. The one or more storage devices may be used to store data and/or parameters related to imaging and/or radiation therapy. As another example, the radiation therapy assembly 210 can include a first radiation detector and a second radiation detector. The first radiation detector may be for applying therapeutic radiation to at least a portion of a target region on a subject. The second radiation detector may be used as a CT imaging component to acquire CT imaging data of the object.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary ultrasound imaging device shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present application. As shown in fig. 3, the ultrasound imaging device 300 may include a bending platform 310, a plurality of ultrasound probes 320, and an adjustment device 330.

The curved platform 310 may be curved into any shape to conform to the surface contour of the object. For example, the curved platform 310 may be curved to a shape that is the same as or similar to the contour of the surface of the subject, in which case the plurality of ultrasound probes 320 distributed on the curved platform 310 may be closer to the surface of the subject (e.g., the skin of the patient) for ultrasound imaging. In some embodiments, the body of the curved platform 310 may have any shape (e.g., cylindrical, semi-cylindrical, rectangular parallelepiped, any irregular shape, etc.). In some embodiments, the curved platform 310 may include one or more materials that are not harmful when proximate to or in contact with an object, such as plastics, silicone, metals, alloys, composites, and the like. The material used to fabricate the curved platform 310 may be natural or synthetic. The material may enable the bending platform 310 to be bent without being damaged.

In some embodiments, the curved platform 310 may include one or more semi-rigid fill bags (not shown). The one or more semi-rigid fill pockets may be filled with a filler (e.g., a gel) that allows for the passage of ultrasound waves. In some embodiments, the one or more semi-rigid fill bags may be distributed on a side of the curved platform 310 that is proximate to the subject. The curved platform may be brought into contact with a contoured surface of a subject through the one or more semi-rigid filled bags when ultrasonically imaging a target region, thereby providing a restraining force to the subject. The restraining force may be used to secure the subject on a treatment couch bringing the plurality of ultrasound probes closer to the target region. The filler in the one or more semi-rigid fill pockets may allow the passage of the ultrasonic waves without blocking and/or interfering with the transmission of the ultrasonic waves. In addition, because the fill bag is semi-rigid, movement of the target area caused by direct compression of the curved platform against the contoured surface of the object is avoided.

In some embodiments, the curved platform 310 can be coupled to a couch 380 (or couch 111 shown in fig. 1) of a radiation therapy system. For example, the curved platform 310 can be coupled to the couch 380 via adjustment arms 331A and/or 331B and the rotating assembly 332 in the adjustment device 330. Specifically, the curved platform 310 can be supported by the adjustment arms 331A and/or 331B and rotatably coupled to the couch 380 via the rotation assembly 332. In some embodiments, the curved platform 310 can be attached anywhere on the couch 380. For example, as shown in fig. 3, the curved platform 310 can be located at an intermediate position of the couch 380 along the length direction L.

In some embodiments, the curved platform 310 may be associated with an imaging coordinate system 350. In some embodiments, the imaging coordinate system 350 may include a rectilinear coordinate system or a curvilinear coordinate system. For example, an imaging coordinate system in the form of a rectilinear coordinate system may be constructed with an arbitrary point on the curved platform 310 as an origin. For example only, the rectilinear coordinate system may be a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system. The X-axis in the three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system may be tangent to the curved platform 310 at the origin. As another example, an imaging coordinate system in the form of a curved coordinate system may be constructed with an arbitrary point on the curved platform 310 as an origin. For example only, the curvilinear coordinate system may be a three-dimensional curvilinear coordinate system that may include curvilinear axes corresponding to the shape and/or curvature of the curved platform 310 (e.g., the X-axis in the three-dimensional curvilinear coordinate system may coincide with the curvature of the curved platform 310). The X-axis of the imaging coordinate system 350 may be along the W-direction of the couch 380And (4) extending. When the ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 is applied to the scenario shown in fig. 1, the treatment couch 380 corresponds to the treatment couch 111 in fig. 1, and the X-axis of the imaging coordinate system 350 refers to a left-to-right or right-to-left direction when facing the guided radiation treatment apparatus 110. The Y-axis of the imaging coordinate system 350 may extend in the L-direction of the treatment couch 380. When the ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 is applied to the scenario shown in fig. 1, the treatment couch 380 corresponds to the treatment couch 111 in fig. 1, and the Y-axis of the imaging coordinate system 350 refers to a direction in which an object (patient) is externally fed into or withdrawn from the image-guided radiotherapy apparatus 110. The Z-axis direction of the imaging coordinate system 350 may refer to a direction perpendicular to a plane formed by the X-axis and the Y-axis. In some embodiments, one or more sets of imaging coordinate points may be used in the imaging coordinate system 350 to represent the location of the target region. For example, the position of each point in the target area relative to the curved platform 310 (e.g., distance from the curved platform 310, angle, etc.) can be determined by the ultrasound probes 320 distributed on the curved platform 310 and represented in the imaging coordinate system. In some embodiments, the curved platform 310 can be coupled to one or more second markers 340. The second marker may be a radiopaque marker. In some embodiments, the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system may be identified by one or more second markers 340 connected to the curved platform 310. For example, a radiopaque marker may be coupled to the curved platform 310 (e.g., attached to the surface of the curved platform or coupled via a coupling mechanism). Further, the radiation source and the radiation detector of the radiation therapy assembly 210 depicted in fig. 2 can be used as a CT imaging assembly to acquire CT imaging data of the subject 360. The CT imaging data includes data related to the curved platform 310 and data related to the object 360. Since the one or more second markers 340 can be radiopaque markers that are identifiable with the one or more first markers 370 in the CT imaging data, the position of the one or more second markers 340 relative to the one or more first markers 370 can be determined in the CT imaging data. Further, the imaging setting may be determined based on the position of the one or more second markers 340 relative to the one or more first markers 370The position of the target 350 relative to the treatment coordinate system 390. In some embodiments, a treatment coordinate system in the form of a rectilinear coordinate system or a curvilinear coordinate system may be constructed with the origin at any point on the treatment couch 380 or the subject (patient). In some embodiments, a treatment coordinate system in the form of a rectilinear coordinate system or a curvilinear coordinate system may be constructed with the center point defined by the plurality of first markers 370 as the origin. For example, when the plurality of first markers 370 alignment marks are placed (e.g., affixed or otherwise temporarily or permanently affixed) on the body of the subject (patient) or the treatment couch 380, the center points of the plurality of first markers 370 may serve as the origin of the treatment coordinate system. By way of exemplary illustration only, X of the treatment coordinate system 390₁The axes may be the W direction of the couch 380, Y of the treatment coordinate system 390₁The axis may be the L direction of the couch 380, Z of the treatment coordinate system 390₁The axis may be perpendicular to the direction of the couch 380. When the ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 is applied to the scenario shown in fig. 1, the couch 380 corresponds to the couch 111 of fig. 1, the X of the treatment coordinate system 390₁The axis refers to a left-to-right or right-to-left direction when facing the guide radiation therapy device 110. When the ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 is applied to the scenario shown in fig. 1, the treatment couch 380 corresponds to the treatment couch 111 in fig. 1, and the Y-axis of the treatment coordinate system 390 may also refer to a direction in which an object (patient) is externally fed into or withdrawn from the image-guided radiotherapy apparatus 110.

In some embodiments, the position of the imaging coordinate system 350 relative to the treatment coordinate system 390 may be represented in a coordinate transformation relationship. For example, coordinate points in the imaging coordinate system 350 may have a one-to-one correspondence with coordinate points in the treatment coordinate system 390, and upon determining the position of the one or more second markers 340 relative to the one or more first markers 370, a mapping relationship between the coordinate points in the imaging coordinate system 350 and the coordinate points in the treatment coordinate system 390 may be determined, such that the coordinate points in the imaging coordinate system 350 may be converted to coordinate points in the treatment coordinate system 390 based on the mapping relationship.

The ultrasound probes 320 may be distributed on the curved platform 310. In some embodiments, the ultrasound probes 320 may be distributed on the curved platform 310 in any connection (e.g., welded, riveted, bonded, etc.). In some embodiments, the ultrasound probes 320 may be distributed anywhere on the curved platform 310. For example, the ultrasound probes 320 may be distributed on a side of the curved platform 310 that is proximate to the subject (e.g., between the curved platform 310 and one or more semi-rigid filled bags). As another example, the ultrasound probes 320 may be distributed on a side of the bending platform 310 facing away from the object. At this point, the ultrasound waves generated by the ultrasound probe 320 may pass through the bending platform 310 and/or one or more semi-rigid fill bags to reach the target area. For another example, the ultrasound probes 320 may also be distributed on both sides of the bending platform 310 along the length direction (e.g., the length direction of the bending platform 310 may be parallel to the width direction W of the treatment couch 380).

In some embodiments, the ultrasound probe 320 may include a plurality of transducer probes arranged in a curve. For example, the plurality of transducer probes may be arranged in a curve along the curvature of the curved platform 310. In some embodiments, the multiple transducer probes may be arranged in any manner of bending on the bending platform 310. For example, the plurality of transducer probes may be uniformly arranged at predetermined intervals along the length of the curved platform 310. For another example, the plurality of transducer probes may be arranged at different intervals along the length of the curved platform 310. In some embodiments, the plurality of transducer probes may be disposed independently of one another. In some embodiments, the plurality of transducer probes may be connected or in communication with each other. In some embodiments, the plurality of transducer probes may be connected with a processing device (e.g., processing device 120). The processing device may control at least one of the plurality of transducer probes to perform ultrasound imaging in accordance with instructions retrieved from a storage device (e.g., storage device 140) and/or a terminal device (e.g., terminal 150).

In some embodiments, the ultrasound probe 320 may also include a stretchable transducer array. In some embodiments, the stretchable transducer array may include one or more transducers. By way of example only, the transducer may comprise a transducer fabricated from a piezoelectric composite material, which may have a relatively small thickness and relatively high performance (e.g., performance associated with the processes of receiving, processing, converting, etc. of ultrasonic waves). In some embodiments, the one or more transducers may be provided independently of each other, separately connected to a processing device (e.g., processing device 120). The processing device can individually control individual transducers of the stretchable transducer array for ultrasound imaging according to instructions retrieved from a memory device (e.g., memory device 140) and/or a terminal device (e.g., terminal 150) for use in imaging relatively complex object contour surfaces. In some embodiments, the one or more transducers may be connected or in communication with each other. For example, the one or more transducers may be interconnected by a multi-layer serpentine metal trace. When one or more transducers may be connected or in communication with each other, the processing device may control one or more transducers in the stretchable transducer array to operate simultaneously for ultrasound imaging for imaging a relatively simple object contour surface according to instructions retrieved from a storage device (e.g., storage device 140) and/or a terminal device (e.g., terminal 150). In some embodiments, the stretchable transducer array may be encapsulated by an elastic material. For example, the elastic material may include a film having a relatively low modulus of elasticity.

In some embodiments, the stretchable transducer array may be stretched and/or twisted at any angle. For example, the stretchable transducer array may be connected to the flexure platform 310 through one or more points on its package housing. The stretchable transducer array may be stretched and/or twisted at any angle to conform to the contoured surface of the subject when ultrasonically imaging the target region. Thus, the stretchable transducer array may be used to image relatively complex object contour surfaces. In some embodiments, the stretchable transducer array may be coupled with a processing device (e.g., processing device 120). The processing device may control at least one transducer of the stretchable transducer array for ultrasound imaging according to instructions retrieved from a memory device (e.g., memory device 140) and/or a terminal device (e.g., terminal 150).

The adjustment device 330 can be used to adjust the position of the curved platform 310 relative to the couch 380. In some embodiments, the adjustment device 330 may include one or more adjustment arms (e.g.,

adjustment arms

331A and 331B as shown in fig. 3). In some embodiments, the one or more adjustment arms may be used to support the curved platform 310. In some embodiments, the one or more adjustment arms can be used to adjust the height of the curved platform 310 relative to the couch 380. For example, the curved platform 310 may be movably mounted on the one or more adjustment arms via one or more adjustment mechanisms. One or more adjustment mechanisms may be used to adjust the bending platform 310 up and down along the length of the one or more adjustment arms (e.g., direction H shown in fig. 3). So that the height of the curved platform 310 relative to the couch 380 may be adjusted. In some embodiments, the adjustment device 330 may also include one or more rotating assemblies 332. The one or more rotating assemblies 332 may be used to adjust the angle between the one or more adjustment arms and the couch 380. For example, the one or more rotating assemblies 332 can be rotated to rotate the one or more adjustment arms to adjust the angle between the one or more adjustment arms and the couch 380. In some embodiments, the curved platform 310 may be adjusted by the adjustment device 330 to a preset position where the curved platform 310 may provide a restraining force to the object 360 through one or more semi-rigid fill bags.

In some embodiments, the position of the curved platform 310 relative to the couch 380 may be adjusted by the adjustment device 330 so that the curved platform 310 is not in the path of the treatment radiation applied by the radiation treatment device, thereby avoiding obstruction and/or interference of the treatment radiation by the curved platform 310. For example, as shown in fig. 4, one or more ultrasound probes 320 on the curved platform 310 may generate an ultrasound beam a for ultrasonically imaging a target region 420 on a subject. The radiation therapy device 420 can generate radiation therapy beams B to deliver radiation therapy to the target region 420. The curved platform 310 may be adjusted to a position that is not in the path of the radiation beam B, thereby avoiding obstruction and/or interference with the radiation beam B.

In some embodiments, the position of the curved platform 310 relative to the couch 380 may be manually adjusted by the adjustment device 330. In some embodiments, conditioning device 330 may also be connected with a processing device (e.g., processing device 120). The processing device may control the adjustment device 330 to adjust the position of the curved platform 310 relative to the treatment couch 380 according to instructions retrieved from a memory device (e.g., memory device 140) and/or a terminal device (e.g., terminal 150).

In some application scenarios, an operator (e.g., a doctor) may manipulate an ultrasound probe to move on the surface of a subject (e.g., a patient) for ultrasound imaging, either manually or by a robotic arm, which may cause movement of organs and/or tissues within the subject. For example, taking ultrasound imaging of the prostate through the abdominal cavity as an example, as shown in fig. 5, ultrasound waves generated by an ultrasound probe 510 may pass through the bladder 530 to reach the prostate 550 to image the prostate 550. When the operator manipulates the ultrasound probe 510 manually or by a robotic arm to move from position C to position D on the patient's skin 520, the pressure of the ultrasound probe 510 against the patient's skin during the movement may cause movement of the internal organs (pubic symphysis 540, prostate 550, seminal vesicle 560, and rectum 570). If the prostate 550 needs to be radioactively treated based on its ultrasound imaging data, the movement of the prostate 550 may cause the radioactively treated radiation to be inaccurately applied to the target area. The plurality of ultrasound probes 320 distributed on the curved platform 310 provided in the embodiments of the present application may acquire ultrasound imaging data from multiple angles, and may avoid movement of internal organs and/or tissues (e.g., target region) caused by movement of the ultrasound probes on the surface of the object. Additionally, the curved platform 310 may be adjusted by the adjustment device 330 to a preset position where the curved platform 310 may provide a restraining force to the subject through one or more semi-rigid fill bags. The restraining force may be used to secure the subject on a treatment couch bringing the plurality of ultrasound probes closer to the target region. The filler in the one or more semi-rigid fill pockets may allow the passage of the ultrasonic waves without blocking and/or interfering with the transmission of the ultrasonic waves. In addition, since the fill bag is semi-rigid, movement of the target area caused by direct compression of the curved platform against the surface of the object profile can be avoided.

In some embodiments, one or more semi-rigid fill bags may be distributed on the side of the curved platform 310 that is proximate to the subject. In some embodiments, the fill bag may be removably attached (e.g., adhesively bonded, snapped, magnetically attached, bolted, etc.) to the curved platform 310. in one aspect, the ultrasound imaging device 300 may be configured to allow for the replacement of the fill bag for different examination or treatment sites of the body; on the other hand, maintenance or cleaning of the fill bag and other parts of the ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 (e.g., the curved platform 310) is facilitated. In other alternative embodiments, the fill bag may be secured to the flexure platform 310 using other non-releasable attachments. In some embodiments, the material filling the bag may comprise rubber, plastic, chemical fibers, metal, alloys, or the like, or any combination thereof. The material filling the filling of the bag may include, but is not limited to, gel, silicone, and other deformable materials. The shape of the filling bag can be adapted according to different examination or treatment sites of the human body, and is not further limited herein.

It should be noted that the above description of the ultrasound imaging apparatus 300 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Various changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art based on the description herein. However, such changes and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present application. For example, the ultrasound imaging device 300 may also include one or more other components, such as a processing device and/or a storage device.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary flow chart illustrating the application of radiation therapy radiation in a radiation therapy system according to some embodiments of the present application. In some embodiments, one or more of the operations in the process 600 shown in fig. 6 may be performed in the radiation therapy system 100 shown in fig. 1. For example, the process 600 shown in fig. 6 may be stored in the storage device 140 in the form of instructions and invoked and/or executed by the processing device 120. The operations in process 600 shown below are for illustrative purposes. It should be noted that process 600 may similarly be implemented in terminal device 150. In some embodiments, process 600 may be accomplished by one or more additional operations not described and/or one or more operations not discussed. Additionally, the order of the operations of the process 600 illustrated in FIG. 6 and described below is not intended to limit the scope of the present application.

At step 610, the processing device 120 may acquire simulated scanned image data of the object. In some embodiments, the simulated scan image data may be CT image data. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may perform a simulated scan with the radiation therapy device to acquire simulated scan image data. For example, as described in fig. 2 and/or fig. 3, the radiation source and the radiation detector of the radiotherapy apparatus may also be used as a CT imaging component. The radiation source may produce imaging radiation having an energy level suitable for imaging. The radiotherapy apparatus can perform a simulated scan of the subject using the CT imaging assembly, acquiring the simulated scan image data. As another example, the radiotherapy apparatus may further comprise a second radiation detector. The second radiation detector may be used as a CT imaging component to acquire CT imaging data of the object.

In some embodiments, the simulated scan image data may include data related to an ultrasound imaging device and data related to an object. The ultrasound imaging device may be used to acquire ultrasound imaging data of a target region on a subject. In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging device may include a curved platform associated with an imaging coordinate system. In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging device may further include a plurality of ultrasound probes (e.g., curved arranged transducer probes, stretchable transducer arrays, etc.) distributed on the curved platform, which may be used to acquire the ultrasound imaging data from multiple angles. In some embodiments, the radiation therapy device can be associated with a treatment coordinate system (e.g., a linac coordinate system, a room coordinate system, etc.). In some embodiments, the curved platform may be associated with an imaging coordinate system (e.g., a rectilinear coordinate system, a curvilinear coordinate system, etc.).

At step 620, the processing device 120 may determine a position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system based on the simulated scan image data. In some embodiments, the treatment coordinate system associated with the radiation therapy device may be identified by one or more first markers (e.g., radiopaque markers) connected with the object. For example, the one or more first markers may be used to identify a treatment isocenter of the subject and/or an isocenter of the radiation therapy apparatus, which may also correspond to the imaging coordinate system (e.g., a center of a target volume). Thus, in the CT imaging data, the processing device 120 may identify the treatment coordinate system by the one or more first markers. In some embodiments, the position of the imaging coordinate system associated with the curved platform relative to the treatment coordinate system may be identified by one or more second markers (e.g., radiopaque markers) connected with the curved platform. For example, in the CT imaging data, the processing device 120 may identify the one or more first markers and the one or more second markers so that the position of the one or more second markers relative to the one or more first markers may be determined in the CT imaging data. Further, the processing device 120 may determine the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system based on the position of the one or more second markers relative to the one or more first markers. In some embodiments, the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system may be represented in a coordinate transformation relationship. For example, coordinate points in the imaging coordinate system 350(X, Y, Z) may be related to the treatment coordinate system 390 (X)₁，Y₁，Z₁) The coordinate points in the imaging coordinate system 350 may be determined to be in a one-to-one correspondence with the coordinate points in the treatment coordinate system 390 after determining the position of the one or more second markers relative to the one or more first markers, such that the coordinate points in the imaging coordinate system 350 may be converted to coordinate points in the treatment coordinate system 390 based on the mapping.

At step 630, the processing device 120 may acquire ultrasound imaging data of the target data on the subject. In some embodiments, the target region may be a portion of a subject (e.g., an organ and/or tissue of a patient). In some embodiments, the target region may include abnormal tissue, such as a tumor, polyp, or the like. In some embodiments the ultrasound imaging data may be used to determine and/or track the real-time location of the target region. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may acquire ultrasound imaging data of target data on the subject by an ultrasound imaging device. For example, as shown in fig. 3, the ultrasound imaging apparatus may include a bending platform and a plurality of ultrasound probes distributed on the bending platform, and the processing apparatus 120 may control at least one of the plurality of ultrasound probes to perform ultrasound imaging on the target region through instructions.

The processing device 120 may determine the real-time location of the target region based on the ultrasound imaging data and the location of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system, step 640. In some embodiments, the real-time location of the target region may change over time due to various motions, such as cardiac motion (and its effect on other organs), respiratory motion (lung and/or diaphragm, and its effect on other organs), blood flow and motion caused by blood vessel pulsation, muscle contraction and relaxation, secretory activity of the pancreas, and the like, or any combination thereof. The processing device 120 may track the real-time position of the target portion before, during, and/or after the radiation therapy procedure based on the ultrasound imaging data and the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system. For example, the processing device 120 may acquire ultrasound imaging data of the target region in real-time (e.g., at preset time intervals) and determine a real-time location of the target region in the ultrasound imaging data based on the ultrasound imaging data. For example only, the processing device 120 may determine a real-time location of the target region in the ultrasound imaging data based on the ultrasound imaging data, which may be represented by one or more sets of coordinate points in an imaging coordinate system. Further, processing device 120 may determine a real-time location of the target region in the treatment coordinate system based on a position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system (e.g., convert one or more sets of coordinate points in the imaging coordinate system to one or more sets of coordinate points in the treatment coordinate system according to a coordinate conversion relationship).

At step 650, the processing device 120 may apply therapeutic radiation to at least a portion of the target region via the radiation therapy device based on the real-time location. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 generates and transmits control signals to the radiation therapy device. The radiotherapy apparatus may apply treatment radiation to at least a portion of the target region based on the control signal. For example, the processing device 120 may generate a control signal related to the changed real-time position when it is determined that the real-time position of the target region is changed, so that the radiotherapy device adjusts the treatment radiation according to the changed real-time position to perform radiotherapy on at least a part of the moved target region.

It should be noted that the above description related to the flow 600 is only for illustration and explanation, and does not limit the applicable scope of the present application. Various modifications and changes to flow 600 may occur to those skilled in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure. However, such modifications and variations are intended to be within the scope of the present application. For example, the process 600 may also include one or more other steps (e.g., fusing, storing, etc. the simulated scan image data with the ultrasound image data). In the simulated scan image data and ultrasound image data fusion step, the processing device 120 may fuse (e.g., by image alignment) the simulated scan image data of the target region with the ultrasound imaging data, and the fused image may be used to determine the location of the target region or at least a portion thereof (e.g., the target region). In the storing step, the processing device 120 may store information and/or data related to the radiation treatment (e.g., simulated scan image data, ultrasound imaging data, coordinate transformation relationships between the imaging coordinate system and the treatment coordinate system, etc.) in a storage device (e.g., in the storage device 140). As another example, step 650 may be omitted.

The beneficial effects that may be brought by the embodiments of the present application include, but are not limited to: (1) the curved platform of the ultrasound imaging device may be curved into any shape to conform to the surface contour of the object. Any one or more ultrasonic probes on the bending platform can acquire ultrasonic imaging data of a target region on the object from multiple angles without moving the ultrasonic probes (for example, moving the ultrasonic probes through a mechanical arm), so that the blocking and/or interference of a radiotherapy beam when the mechanical arm is positioned in a radiotherapy path can be avoided while the operation convenience is improved; (2) the bending platform can be adjusted to a preset position through the super-adjusting device, and a constraint force is provided for the object through one or more semi-rigid filling bags, so that the object can be fixed while the target area on the object is prevented from being moved due to extrusion; (3) the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system can be identified by the markers, thereby enabling tracking of the movement of the target region on the object relative to the treatment coordinate system based on the ultrasound image data, facilitating more accurate formulation and/or delivery of the treatment plan.

Having thus described the basic concept, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing detailed disclosure is to be considered merely illustrative and not restrictive of the broad application. Various modifications, improvements and adaptations to the present application may occur to those skilled in the art, though not expressly described herein. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be suggested herein and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

Also, this application uses specific language to describe embodiments of the application. Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," and/or "some embodiments" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with at least one embodiment of the present application is included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, it is emphasized and should be appreciated that two or more references to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, some features, structures, or characteristics of one or more embodiments of the present application may be combined as appropriate.

Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that aspects of the present application may be illustrated and described in terms of several patentable species or situations, including any new and useful combination of processes, machines, manufacture, or materials, or any new and useful improvement thereof. Accordingly, various aspects of the present application may be embodied entirely in hardware, entirely in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or in a combination of hardware and software. The above hardware or software may be referred to as "data block," module, "" engine, "" unit, "" component, "or" system. Furthermore, aspects of the present application may be represented as a computer product, including computer readable program code, embodied in one or more computer readable media.

The computer storage medium may comprise a propagated data signal with the computer program code embodied therewith, for example, on baseband or as part of a carrier wave. The propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including electromagnetic, optical, etc., or any suitable combination. A computer storage medium may be any computer-readable medium that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program code on a computer storage medium may be propagated over any suitable medium, including radio, cable, fiber optic cable, RF, or the like, or any combination of the preceding.

Computer program code required for the operation of various portions of the present application may be written in any one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Scala, Smalltalk, Eiffel, JADE, Emerald, C + +, C #, VB.NET, Python, and the like, a conventional programming language such as C, Visual Basic, Fortran 2003, Perl, COBOL 2002, PHP, ABAP, a dynamic programming language such as Python, Ruby, and Groovy, or other programming languages, and the like. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any network format, such as a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet), or in a cloud computing environment, or as a service, such as a software as a service (SaaS).

Additionally, unless explicitly recited in the claims, the order of processing elements and sequences, use of numbers and letters, or use of other designations in this application is not intended to limit the order of the processes and methods in this application. While certain presently contemplated useful embodiments of the invention have been discussed in the foregoing disclosure by way of various examples, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the appended claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the disclosure. For example, although the system components described above may be implemented by hardware devices, they may also be implemented by software-only solutions, such as installing the described system on an existing server or mobile device.

Similarly, it should be noted that in the foregoing description of embodiments of the application, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure aiding in the understanding of one or more of the embodiments. This method of disclosure, however, is not intended to require more features than are expressly recited in the claims. Indeed, the embodiments may be characterized as having less than all of the features of a single embodiment disclosed above.

Where numerals describing the number of components, attributes or the like are used in some embodiments, it is to be understood that such numerals used in the description of the embodiments are modified in some instances by the modifier "about", "approximately" or "substantially". Unless otherwise indicated, "about", "approximately" or "substantially" indicates that the number allows a variation of ± 20%. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties of the individual embodiments. In some embodiments, the numerical parameter should take into account the specified significant digits and employ a general digit-preserving approach. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the range are approximations, in the specific examples, such numerical values are set forth as precisely as possible within the scope of the application.

The entire contents of each patent, patent application publication, and other material cited in this application, such as articles, books, specifications, publications, documents, and the like, are hereby incorporated by reference into this application. Except where the application history document is inconsistent or conflicting with the present application as to the extent of the present claims, which are now or later appended to this application. It is to be understood that the descriptions, definitions and/or uses of terms in the attached materials of this application shall control if they are inconsistent or inconsistent with the statements and/or uses of this application.

Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the principles of embodiments of the present application. Other variations are also possible within the scope of the present application. Thus, by way of example, and not limitation, alternative configurations of the embodiments of the present application can be viewed as being consistent with the teachings of the present application. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to only those explicitly described and illustrated herein.

Claims

1. A radiation therapy system, comprising:

an ultrasound imaging device for acquiring ultrasound imaging data of a target region on a subject, the ultrasound imaging device comprising:

a curved platform associated with an imaging coordinate system; and

a plurality of ultrasound probes distributed on the curved platform for acquiring the ultrasound imaging data from a plurality of angles; and

a radiotherapy device for applying treatment radiation to at least a portion of the target region, the radiotherapy device being associated with a treatment coordinate system, wherein

The treatment coordinate system is identified by one or more first markers connected to the object or the treatment coordinate system, the first markers being radiopaque markers; and

the position of the imaging coordinate system relative to the treatment coordinate system is identified by CT imaging data by one or more second markers connected to the curved platform, the second markers being radiopaque markers.

2. The radiation therapy system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ultrasound probes comprises at least one of a curved arrangement of transducer probes or a stretchable transducer array.

3. The radiation therapy system of claim 1, wherein the imaging coordinate system comprises a rectilinear coordinate system or a curvilinear coordinate system.

4. The radiation therapy system of claim 1, wherein the treatment coordinate system comprises a linac coordinate system or a room coordinate system.

5. The radiation therapy system of claim 1, further comprising a treatment couch for supporting said subject.

6. The radiation therapy system of any one of claims 1-5, wherein said ultrasound imaging device further comprises an adjustment device for adjusting the position of said curved platform relative to the treatment couch.

7. The radiation therapy system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment device comprises:

the adjusting arm is used for supporting the bending platform and adjusting the height of the bending platform relative to the treatment couch; and

and the rotating assembly is used for adjusting the angle between the adjusting arm and the treatment bed.

8. The radiation therapy system of claim 1, wherein said curved platform further comprises one or more semi-rigid fill bags.

9. The radiation therapy system of claim 8, wherein the curved platform provides a restraining force to the subject through the one or more semi-rigid fill bags when the curved platform is adjusted to a preset position.