IP Library Granted Patent US 10,863,955
Granted Patent B2
US 10,863,955 · App. 15/862,477 · Granted Dec 15, 2020

Coordinated motion of a rotating 2D x-ray imager and a linear accelerator

Inventors: Michael P. Naylor (Sunnyvale, CA); Matthew Core (San Jose, CA); Petr Jordan (Redwood City, CA); Calvin R. Maurer, Jr. (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Accuray Incorporated
A61B6/4458A61B6/032A61B6/102A61B6/4007A61B6/4014A61B6/4266A61B6/4435A61B6/4476A61B6/486A61B6/5235A61N5/1049A61N5/1067A61N5/1083B25J9/04G02B30/54G21K1/025A61B6/4085A61B6/4464A61B6/466A61B6/5264A61B8/5276A61B2034/2065A61N5/1037A61N5/1081A61N2005/1054A61N2005/1061A61N2005/1072H05H9/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,863,955
App. No.
15/862,477
Granted
Dec 15, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes determining a first set of positions for a volumetric imager and determining a second set of positions for a linear accelerator (LINAC), during radiation treatment delivery. The method further includes determining a set of radiation beam directionalities of the LINAC, wherein for each of the second set of positions for the LINAC a radiation beam corresponds to a radiation beam directionality. The method further includes generating instructions for the volumetric imager based on the first and the second set of positions, the radiation beam directionalities, and a treatment time constraint to avoid a collision between the volumetric imager and the LINAC and between the volumetric imager and the radiation beam, wherein the instructions include physical locations of the volumetric imager and timing values corresponding to the physical locations. The method further includes operating the volumetric imager during the radiation treatment delivery according to the set of instructions.

Claims (60)

1. A method of operating a radiation treatment delivery system, comprising:

determining a first set of possible positions for a component of a volumetric imager for radiation treatment delivery, the first set of positions corresponding to possible volumetric imager positions for the radiation treatment delivery;

determining a second set of positions for a linear accelerator (LINAC) for radiation treatment delivery, the second set of positions corresponding to determined LINAC positions for the radiation treatment delivery;

determining a set of radiation beam directionalities of the LINAC for the radiation treatment delivery, wherein for each of the second set of positions for the LINAC a radiation beam corresponds to a radiation beam directionality from a plurality of possible radiation beam directionalities;

generating, by a processing device, a set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on the first set of positions, the second set of positions, the set of radiation beam directionalities, and a treatment time constraint to avoid a collision between the volumetric imager and the LINAC and between the volumetric imager and the radiation beam, wherein the set of instructions comprises physical locations of the volumetric imager and timing values corresponding to the physical locations; and

operating the volumetric imager during the radiation treatment delivery according to the set of instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the set of instructions for the volumetric imager comprises:

determining whether each position in the first set of positions is safe from collision with the LINAC and from collision with the radiation beam path, along which the LINAC is directing the radiation beam;

generating a subset of positions, from the first set of positions, wherein each position in the subset of positions is safe from collision;

generating a filtered subset of positions, from the subset of positions, wherein the filtered subset comprises positions of the subset of positions that do not violate the treatment time constraint; and

generating the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on the filtered subset of positions.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: optimizing the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on a minimum motion time of the radiation treatment delivery.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: optimizing the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on minimum volumetric imager movement during radiation treatment delivery.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: optimizing the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on maximizing a distance between the radiation beam and the volumetric imager during delivery.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: generating the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on a radiation beam size during radiation treatment delivery.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether a collision is occurring or is about to occur; and

pausing the radiation treatment delivery in response to the collision occurring or about to occur.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a simulated radiation treatment delivery based on the set of instructions for the volumetric imager; and

providing a notification to a user in response to a collision occurring during the simulated delivery.

9. A radiation treatment delivery system comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device, operatively coupled with the memory, to:

determine a first set of possible positions for a component of a volumetric imager for radiation treatment delivery, the first set of positions corresponding to possible volumetric imager positions for the radiation treatment delivery;

determine a second set of positions for an x-ray linear accelerator (LINAC) for radiation treatment delivery, the second set of positions corresponding to predetermined LINAC positions for the radiation treatment delivery;

determine a third set of positions for a radiation beam of the LINAC during radiation treatment delivery, the third set of positions corresponding to predetermined radiation beam positions for the radiation treatment delivery;

generate, by the processing device, a set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on the first set of positions, the second set of positions, the third set of radiation beam positions, and a treatment time constraint to avoid a collision between the volumetric imager and the LINAC and between the volumetric imager and the radiation beam, wherein the set of instructions comprises physical locations of the volumetric imager and timing values corresponding to the physical locations; and

operate the volumetric imager during the radiation treatment delivery according to the set of instructions.

10. The radiation treatment delivery system of claim 9 , wherein to generate the set of instructions for the volumetric imager, the processing device is to:

determine whether each position in the first set of positions is safe from collision with the LINAC and from collision with the radiation beam path, along which the LINAC is directing the radiation beam;

generate a subset of positions, from the first set of positions, wherein each position in the subset of positions is safe from collision;

generate a filtered subset of positions, from the subset of positions, wherein the filtered subset comprises positions of the subset of positions that do not violate the treatment time constraint; and

generate the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on the filtered subset of positions.

11. The radiation treatment delivery system of claim 9 , the processing device further to: optimize the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on a minimum motion time of the radiation treatment delivery.

12. The radiation treatment delivery system of claim 9 , the processing device further to: optimize the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on minimum volumetric imager movement during radiation treatment delivery.

13. The radiation treatment delivery system of claim 9 , the processing device further to: optimize the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on maximizing a distance between the radiation beam and the volumetric imager during delivery.

14. The radiation treatment delivery system of claim 9 , the processing device further to: generate the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on a radiation beam size during radiation treatment delivery.

15. The radiation treatment delivery system of claim 9 , the processing device further to:

determine whether a collision is occurring or is about to occur; and

pause the radiation treatment delivery in response to the collision occurring or about to occur.

16. The radiation treatment delivery system of claim 9 , the processing device further to:

perform a simulated radiation treatment delivery based on the set of instructions for the volumetric imager; and

provide a notification to a user in response to a collision occurring during the simulated delivery.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device of a radiation treatment delivery system, cause the processing device to:

determine a first set of possible positions for a component of a volumetric imager for radiation treatment delivery, the first set of positions corresponding to possible volumetric imager positions for the radiation treatment delivery;

determine a second set of positions for an x-ray linear accelerator (LINAC) for radiation treatment delivery, the second set of positions corresponding to predetermined LINAC positions for the radiation treatment delivery;

determine a third set of positions for a radiation beam of the LINAC during radiation treatment delivery, the third set of positions corresponding to predetermined radiation beam positions for the radiation treatment delivery;

generate, by the processing device, a set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on the first set of positions, the second set of positions, the third set of positions, and a treatment time constraint to avoid a collision between the volumetric imager and the LINAC and between the volumetric imager and the radiation beam, wherein the set of instructions comprises physical locations of the volumetric imager and timing values corresponding to the physical locations; and

operate the volumetric imager during the radiation treatment delivery according to the set of instructions.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein to generate the set of instructions for the volumetric imager, the processing device is to:

determine whether each position in the first set of positions is safe from collision with the LINAC and from collision with the radiation beam path, along which the LINAC is directing the radiation beam;

generate a subset of positions, from the first set of positions, wherein each position in the subset of positions is safe from collision;

generate a filtered subset of positions, from the subset of positions, wherein the filtered subset comprises positions of the subset of positions that do not violate the treatment time constraint; and

generate the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on the filtered subset of positions.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , the processing device further to: optimize the set of instructions for the volumetric imager based on at least one of: a minimum motion time of the radiation treatment delivery, minimum volumetric imager movement during radiation treatment delivery, or maximizing a distance between the radiation beam and the volumetric imager during delivery.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , the processing device further to:

perform a simulated radiation treatment delivery based on the set of instructions for the volumetric imager; and

provide a notification to a user in response to a collision occurring during the simulated delivery.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the processing device is to perform the simulated radiation treatment delivery and provide the notification based on at least one of a change in a couch position or a change in imaging corrections.

Assignments (9)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2025
From: ACCURAY INCORPORATED
To: ACCURAY LLC
Reel/Frame 072421/0584 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2025
From: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
To: ACCURAY INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 071638/0034 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2021
From: MIDCAP FINANCIAL TRUST
To: ACCURAY INCORPORATED; TOMOTHERAPY INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 056301/0491 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2021
From: MIDCAP FUNDING IV TRUST (AS SUCCESSOR BY ASSIGNMENT FROM MIDCAP FUNDING X TRUST, AS SUCCESSOR BY ASSIGNMENT FROM MIDCAP FUNDING IV TRUST, AS SUCCESSOR BY ASSIGNMENT FROM MIDCAP FINANCIAL TRUST)
To: ACCURAY INCORPORATED; TOMOTHERAPY INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 056301/0432 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 14, 2021
From: ACCURAY INCORPORATED; TOMOTHERAPY INCORPORATED
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AND COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056247/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY AGREEMENTS Recorded Mar 1, 2019
From: MIDCAP FUNDING X TRUST (AS SUCCESSOR BY ASSIGNMENT FROM MIDCAP FUNDING IV TRUST, AS SUCCESSOR BY ASSIGNMENT FROM MIDCAP FINANCIAL TRUST), AS EXISTING ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MIDCAP FUNDING IV TRUST, AS SUCCESSOR TO EXISTING ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 048481/0804 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2018
From: ACCURAY INCORPORATED; TOMOTHERAPY INCORPORATED
To: MIDCAP FINANCIAL TRUST
Reel/Frame 046337/0107 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2018
From: ACCURAY INCORPORATED; TOMOTHERAPY INCORPORATED
To: MIDCAP FUNDING X TRUST (AS SUCCESSOR BY ASSIGNMENT FROM MIDCAP FUNDING IV TRUST, AS SUCCESSOR BY ASSIGNMENT FROM MIDCAP FINANCIAL TRUST)
Reel/Frame 046336/0932 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2018
From: NAYLOR, MICHAEL P.; CORE, MATTHEW; JORDAN, PETR; MAURER, CALVIN R., JR.
To: ACCURAY INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 046003/0071 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62443582 · Jan 6, 2017
Related Publication 20180192978A1 · Jul 12, 2018