Beam therapy treatment user interface monitoring and recording system

1. A system for recording a treatment beam landing area on an anatomical body surface of a patient for use in radiation or other therapy, comprising:

an input processor conditioned to receive data representing an image of the surface of a portion of the anatomy of a patient;

a data processor conditioned to provide beam landing position data relative to said image by calculating a position of a treatment beam landing area relative to said image using received input data indicating projection characteristics of a treatment beam used in treating said portion of the anatomy of said patient; and

a storage processor conditioned to store said beam landing position data in a record associated with said patient.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said data representing said image of the surface of said portion of the anatomy of said patient is digital data provided by a digital camera; and

said camera is aligned on an axis that is at least one of (a) substantially the same as the axis of the treatment beam, and (b) arranged to converge with the treatment beam substantially at a treatment target area of a portion of the anatomy of a patient.

3. A system according to claim 2 , wherein

said data processor determines said beam landing position data relative to said image using received input data representing an offset between said camera axis and said treatment beam axis.

4. A system according to claim 3 , wherein

said offset is user configurable to allow positioning of said camera on different items of equipment.

5. A system according to claim 3 , wherein

said camera axis is an axis through an input lens of said camera.

6. A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said data processor determines beam landing position data relative to said image at a depth below the surface of said portion of the anatomy of said patient by calculating a position of a treatment beam landing area relative to said image using received input data indicating projection characteristics of a treatment beam used in treating said portion of the anatomy of said patient.

7. A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said data processor beam landing position data comprises at least one of (a) Cartesian coordinate data, (b) polar coordinate data, and (c) coordinates according to another system.

8. A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said data processor provides beam landing position data for a plurality of different beam landing areas associated with corresponding different beam treatments, said beam landing position data for said plurality of different beam landing areas being relative to one or more images.

9. A system according to claim 8 , wherein

said data processor provides beam landing position data for a plurality of different beam landing areas associated with a corresponding plurality of different beam treatments, said beam landing position data for said plurality of different beam landing areas being relative to one or more images and including

a cumulative treatment processor for determining data indicating a cumulative treatment characteristic for an overlap area of said plurality of different beam landing areas.

10. A system according to claim 9 , including

a display processor for initiating generation of data representing a display image showing said plurality of different beam landing areas in said one or more images and showing said overlap area.

11. A system according to claim 9 , wherein

said cumulative treatment characteristic comprises a cumulative radiation dose.

12. A system according to claim 1 , including

a display processor for initiating generation of data representing a display image showing said treatment beam landing area in said image of said surface of said portion of the anatomy of said patient.

13. A system according to claim 12 , including

a command processor for initiating display of treatment information comprising at least one of (a) treatment dosage information, (b) cumulative treatment dosage information, and (c) dates of treatment, in response to user selection of an image element in said display image.

14. A system according to claim 13 , wherein

said image element in said display image represents a hyperlink to said treatment information.

15. A system according to claim 12 , wherein

said data processor determines beam landing position data relative to said image at a depth below the surface of said portion of the anatomy of said patient by calculating a position of a treatment beam landing area relative to said image using received input data indicating projection characteristics of a treatment beam used in treating said portion of the anatomy of said patient and including

a command processor for initiating display of treatment information associated with said depth below the surface of said portion of the anatomy of said patient, in response to user selection of an image element in said display image.

16. A system according to claim 15 , wherein

said received input data indicating projection characteristics of said treatment beam used in treating said portion of the anatomy of said patient comprises data indicating at least one of, (a) treatment beam angle relative to an axis, (b) treatment beam width, and (c) treatment beam distance from a beam emitter.