Apparatus and method for X-ray treatment

1. An X-ray treatment apparatus irradiating to a lesion of a patient lying on a couch from different positions more than once, comprising:

at least one movable marker sensor including a low energy X-ray generator and an image sensor corresponding to the low energy X-ray generator detecting a position relative to the couch of a marker fixed in the patient while maintaining a predetermined positional relationship of the marker to the lesion and obtaining data of the lesion;

a couch operative means changing a position and a posture of the couch;

a movable X-ray source for treatment controlling a beam profile and dosage of the X-ray for treatment by deflecting electron beams;

movable X-ray sensor for treatment detecting the X-ray irradiated by the X-ray source for treatment, said X-ray having penetrated the lesion before being detected;

an X-ray source for treatment operative means supporting the X-ray source for treatment, turned toward the lesion and controlling the position and posture of the X-ray source for treatment; and

a central processing unit calculating a profile and dosage of the X-ray for treatment corresponding to a position of the lesion specified by outputs of the marker sensor based on a treatment plan, generating control signals to the X-ray source for treatment and the operative means, modifying the treatment plan according to output data of the X-ray sensor for treatment, and generating the next control signal to the X-ray source for treatment and the operative means.

2. The X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray source for treatment operative means comprises a head of a six-axis or seven-axis robot arm supporting the X-ray source for treatment.

3. The X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray source for treatment operative means comprises a gantry or a ring rotational structure supporting the X-ray source for treatment, collaborating with the movement of the couch, and determining the direction of the X-ray for treatment.

4. The X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the X-ray source for treatment comprises an X-ray tube array bundling a plurality of X-ray tubes generating a high energy X-ray more than 1 MV, and having a thin beam with a diameter in the range of from 1 mm to 10 mm.

5. The X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the activity of the X-ray target tubes is chosen according to the treatment plan.

6. The X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the marker sensor comprises two low energy X-ray generators and two image sensors corresponding to the low energy X-ray generators, turned toward the lesion, and outputting images of the lesion and the marker heavy metal that is harmless to a human body.

7. The X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the two low energy X-ray generators and the image sensors corresponding to the low energy X-ray generators are installed in a gantry.

8. An X-ray treatment method using the X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 2 irradiating based on a treatment plan in series multiple times, comprising the steps of:

detecting a position of a marker by a marker sensor;

irradiating to a lesion high energy X-rays for treatment;

detecting the high energy X-ray for treatment that has penetrated the lesion by an X-ray sensor for treatment;

modifying the data of the treatment plan according to the data of the X-ray sensor for treatment; and

performing the next irradiation of the lesion.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the X-ray treatment apparatus modifies the beam profile, the dosage and/or the radiation direction of the X ray for treatment according to the latest data of image data of the X-ray sensor for treatment and/or image data of marker sensor.

10. The X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the X-ray sensor for treatment detecting the high energy X-ray is installed under the couch.

11. The X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the X-ray source for treatment comprises an X-ray tube array bundling a plurality of X-ray tubes generating a high energy X-ray more than 1 MV, and having a thin beam with a diameter in the range of from 1 mm to 10 mm.

12. The X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the marker sensor comprises two low energy X-ray generators and two image sensors corresponding to the low energy X-ray generators, turned the direction of irradiation toward the lesion, and outputs the images of the lesion and the marker heavy metal that is harmless to a human body.

13. An X-ray treatment method using the X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 3 irradiating based on a treatment plan in series multiple times, comprising the steps of:

detecting a position of a marker by a marker sensor;

irradiating to a lesion high energy X-rays for treatment;

detecting the penetrated high energy X-ray high energy X-ray for treatment that has penetrated the lesion by an X-ray sensor for treatment;

modifying the data of the treatment plan according to the data of the X-ray sensor for treatment; and

performing the next irradiation of the lesion.

14. The X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the X-ray sensor for treatment detecting the high energy X-ray is installed under the couch.

15. The X-ray treatment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the marker sensor comprises two low energy X-ray generators and two image sensors corresponding to the low energy X-ray generators, installed in a gantry, turned toward the lesion, and outputting images of the lesion and the heavy metal marker.

16. An X-ray treatment method using the X-ray treatment apparatus to irradiate a lesion of a patient lying on a couch from different positions multiple times in quick succession,

the apparatus comprising:

at least one movable marker sensor unit having a low energy X-ray generator and a corresponding image sensor for detecting a position relative to the couch of a marker fixed in the patient while maintaining a predetermined positional relationship of the marker to the lesion and obtaining data on the lesion;

a first robot for changing a position and a posture of the couch;

a movable X-ray generator for treatment controlling a beam profile and dosage of the X-ray for treatment by deflecting electron beams;

a movable X-ray sensor for treatment detecting the X-rays irradiated by the X-ray generator for treatment after the X-rays have penetrated the lesion;

a second robot supporting the X-ray source for treatment, turned toward the lesion, and controlling the position and posture of the X-ray generator for treatment; and

a processor that calculates a profile and dosage of the X-ray for treatment corresponding to a position of the lesion specified by outputs of the marker sensor based on a preset treatment plan, generates a control signal that is transmitted to the X-ray generator for treatment and the operative means, modifies the treatment plan according to output data of the X-ray sensor for treatment in real time, and generates a next control signal to the X-ray generator for treatment and the second robot,

the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a position of the marker with the marker sensor;

irradiating the lesion with high-energy X-rays for treatment from the X-ray generator for treatment;

detecting the high-energy X-rays for treatment after the X-rays have penetrated the lesion with an X-ray sensor for treatment;

modifying the beam profile, dosage, and/or radiation direction of the X-rays for treatment according to the latest data obtained by the X-ray sensor for treatment in real time using the processor; and

performing a subsequent irradiation of the lesion.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the X-ray sensor for treatment forms a single integrated unit with the couch and is movable together with the couch by the first robot,

the method further comprising the step of tracking movement of the X-ray generator for treatment with the X-ray sensor for treatment.