Patient table for a radiation therapy system or a radiation diagnosis system
View Patent ↗A patient table for a medical radiation therapy system or radiation diagnosis system is provided. The patient table includes a flat bearing surface and a surface-specific radiation absorption that is measured per radiated surface unit of the bearing surface. The perpendicular incidence radiation reduces along a transversal direction from a central longitudinal plane of the patient table to both of the lateral edges.
1. A patient table for a medical radiation therapy system or radiation diagnosis system, comprising:
a bearing surface having a top surface and a base surface, the bearing surface having a surface radiation absorption, the surface radiation absorption being measured per radiated surface unit of the bearing surface, and
a support jacket surrounding a cavity, where a cavity thickness of the cavity is continuously reduced from a central longitudinal plane toward first and second lateral edges of the bearing surface,
wherein radiation that is perpendicularly incident on the bearing surface reduces along a transversal direction from the central longitudinal plane of the bearing surface toward the first and second lateral edges of the bearing surface,
wherein an angle-dependent radiation absorption of the bearing surface is a function of an angle of incidence along a radiation path that is aligned to a central isocenter, the central isocenter being disposed at a distance above the bearing surface, and
wherein the top surface has a uniform surface radiation absorption from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge.
2. The patient table as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surface radiation absorption is continually reduced.
3. The patient table as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the surface radiation absorption is symmetrically reduced with respect to the central longitudinal plane.
4. The patient table as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the surface radiation absorption is constantly reduced.
5. The patient table as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a table strength is reduced from the central longitudinal plane toward the lateral edges.
6. The patient table as claimed in claim 5 , wherein a cross-section of the base surface is convexly curved in cross-section from one end of the top surface to an opposite end of the top surface.
7. The patient table as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the support jacket is made of a fiber composite material and the cavity is filled with a foam core.
8. The patient table as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the support jacket and the foam core each have an absorption coefficient, the absorption coefficient of the support jacket and/or the absorption coefficient of the foam core being reduced from the central longitudinal plane toward the lateral edges.
9. The patient table as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the support jacket is disposed in a central region that is centered about the central longitudinal plane, the central region including a larger number of parallel fiber layers than in a bordering lateral region.
10. The patient table as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the absorption coefficient of the foam core is modified by the inclusion of filling material as a function of a distance from the central longitudinal axis.
11. The patient table as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the support jacket includes a carbon fiber composite material.
12. The patient table as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bearing surface is essentially flat.
13. The patient table as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the top surface is not curved.
14. The patient table as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the top surface has a uniform thickness in cross-section from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge.
15. A radiation therapy system comprising:
a patient table that includes:
a bearing surface having a surface radiation absorption, the surface radiation absorption being measured per radiated surface unit of the bearing surface, and
a support jacket surrounding a cavity, where a cavity thickness of the cavity is continuously reduced from a central longitudinal plane toward first and second lateral edges of the bearing surface,
wherein perpendicular incidence radiation is reduced along a transversal direction from a central longitudinal plane of the patient table toward the first and second lateral edges of the bearing surface, and
wherein an angle-dependent radiation absorption of the bearing surface is a function of an angle of incidence along a radiation path that is aligned to a central isocenter, the central isocenter being disposed at a distance above the bearing surface.
16. The radiation therapy system as claimed in claim 15 , comprising a gantry that rotatably supports an emitter.
17. A radiation diagnosis system comprising:
a patient table that includes:
a bearing surface having a surface radiation absorption, the surface radiation absorption being measured per radiated surface unit of the bearing surface, and
a support jacket surrounding a cavity, where a cavity thickness of the cavity is continuously reduced from a central longitudinal plane toward first and second lateral edges of the bearing surface,
wherein perpendicular incidence radiation is reduced along a transversal direction from a central longitudinal plane of the patient table toward the first and second lateral edges of the bearing surface, and
wherein an angle-dependent radiation absorption of the bearing surface is a function of an angle of incidence along a radiation path that is aligned to a central isocenter, the central isocenter being disposed at a distance above the bearing surface.
18. The radiation diagnosis system as claimed in claim 17 , comprising a gantry that rotatably supports an emitter and/or an emitter detector unit.