Path planning and collision avoidance for movement of instruments in a radiation therapy environment
Apparatus and methods for therapy delivery are disclosed. In one embodiment, a therapy delivery system includes a plurality of movable components including a radiation therapy nozzle and a patient pod for holding a patient, a patient registration module for determining a desired position of at least one of the plurality of movable components, and a motion control module for coordinating the movement of the least one of the plurality of movable components from a current position to the desired position. The motion control module includes a path planning module for simulating at least one projected trajectory of movement of the least one of the plurality of moveable components from the current position to the desired position.
1. A radiation therapy system operable to selectively deliver radiation along a delivery axis from one or more angles or orientations with respect to a beam delivery aiming point comprising:
a radiation source operable to irradiate a radiation beam along a radiation beam axis;
a gantry operable to revolve relatively precisely about a gantry isocenter wherein the radiation source is attached and supported by the gantry;
a nozzle attached and supported by the gantry, wherein an aperture is positioned on the distal end of the nozzle and the radiation beam passes through and is shaped by the aperture;
the gantry and the nozzle being responsive to received instructions to be positioned relative to a nominal beam delivery aiming point subject to certain amounts of structural flex and movement tolerances from nominal positions and orientations;
a camera system operable to obtain images of moveable components of the radiation therapy system and process the obtained images to determine position measurements of the gantry; and
a control system operable to receive the position measurements from the camera system and utilize the position measurements to determine an offset between an actual location of the radiation source attached to the gantry and an expected location of the radiation source attached to the gantry positioned in accordance with the received instructions,
wherein the control system monitors the position measurements from the camera system and signals from internal monitoring systems and inhibits movement of the moveable components if the position measurements and the signals indicate that a collision of the moveable components is likely to occur.
2. The radiation therapy system of claim 1 wherein the internal monitoring systems comprise one or more local position feedback devices selected from a group consisting of: rotary encoders, linear encoders and servos associated with one or more of the moveable components of the radiation therapy system.
3. A monitoring system for monitoring a radiation therapy system having movable components operable to position a radiation source relative to a nominal beam delivery aiming point in accordance with received instructions, wherein the movable components of the radiation therapy system are subject to certain amounts of structural flex and movement tolerances from nominal positions and orientations, the monitoring system comprising:
a camera system operable to obtain images of moveable components of the radiation therapy system and process the obtained images to determine position measurements of the moveable components of the monitored radiation therapy system positioning the radiation source relative to a nominal beam delivery aiming point;
internal monitoring systems that also monitor the movement of moveable components of the radiation therapy system and provide signals indicative thereof; and
a control system operable to receive position measurements from the camera system and utilize the position measurements to determine an offset between an actual location of the radiation source and an expected location of the radiation source positioned in accordance with the received instructions,
wherein the control system monitors the position measurements from the camera system and signals from the internal monitoring systems and inhibits movement of the moveable components if the control system determines that a collision is likely to occur.
4. The monitoring system of claim 3 wherein the internal monitoring systems comprise one or more local position feedback devices selected from a group consisting of: rotary encoders, linear encoders and servos associated with one or more of the moveable components of the radiation therapy system.