Real-time motion tracking using tomosynthesis
One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth a method for determining a movement of a target region using tomosynthesis. The method includes the steps of accessing a first set of projection radiographs of the target region over a first processing window defined by a first range of projection angles, accessing a second set of projection radiographs of the target region over a second processing window defined by a second range of projection angles, wherein the first processing window moves to the second processing window, and comparing a first positional information derived from the first set of the projection radiographs and a second positional information derived from the second set of the projection radiographs with the first positional information to determine the movement of the target region.
1. A method of determining a movement of a target region using tomosynthesis, comprising:
accessing a first set of projection radiographs of the target region over a first processing window defined by a first range of projection angles;
accessing a second set of projection radiographs of the target region over a second processing window defined by a second range of projection angles, wherein some of the first range of projection angles in the first processing window overlap with the second range of projection angles in the second processing window; and
comparing a first positional information derived from the first set of the projection radiographs and a second positional information derived from the second set of the projection radiographs to determine the movement of the target region.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of projection radiographs are acquired by rotating a first radiation source and a first flat panel detector about the target region in an arcuate manner.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of projection radiographs are acquired by moving a first radiation source that aims at the target region in a first direction and moving a first flat panel detector in a second direction.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising moving the first radiation source and the first flat panel detector along sides of the target region.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of projection radiographs are acquired by rotating a first radiation source that aims at the target region in a first plane, wherein the first plane is in parallel to a second plane that a first flat panel detector is in.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of projection radiographs are acquired by rotating a first radiation source that aims at the target region in a first plane and rotating a first flat panel detector in a second plane.
7. A treatment system configured to determine a movement of a target region using tomosynthesis, comprising:
a rotatable gantry;
a first radiation source;
a first flat panel detector; and
a control system, wherein the control system is configured to
access a first set of projection radiographs of the target region over a first processing window defined by a first range of projection angles;
access a second set of projection radiographs of the target region over a second processing window defined by a second range of projection angles, wherein some of the first range of projection angles in the first processing window overlap with the second range of projection angles in the second processing window; and
compare a first positional information derived from the first set of the projection radiographs and a second positional information derived from the second set of the projection radiographs with the first positional information to determine the movement of the target region.
8. The treatment system of claim 7 , wherein the control system is further configured to rotate the first radiation source and also the first flat panel detector about the target region in an arcuate manner to acquire the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of the projection radiographs.
9. The treatment system of claim 7 , wherein the control system is further configured to move the first radiation source that aims at the target region in a first direction and move the first flat panel detector in a second direction to acquire the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of the projection radiographs.
10. The treatment system of claim 9 , wherein the control system is further configured to move the first radiation source and the first flat panel detector along sides of the target region.
11. The treatment system of claim 7 , wherein the control system is further configured to move the first radiation source independently from rotation of the rotatable gantry to acquire the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of the projection radiographs.
12. The treatment system of claim 7 , wherein the control system is further configured to rotate the first radiation source that aims at the target region in a first plane, which is in parallel to a second plane that the first flat panel detector is in, to acquire the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of the projection radiographs.
13. The treatment system of claim 7 , wherein the control system is further configured to rotate the first radiation source that aims at the target region in a first plane and rotate the first flat panel detector in a second plane to acquire the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of the projection radiographs.
14. A computer readable medium containing a sequence of programming instructions for determining a movement of a target region using tomosynthesis, which when executed by a processor in a treatment system, causes the treatment system to:
access a first set of projection radiographs of the target region over a first processing window defined by a first range of projection angles;
access a second set of projection radiographs of the target region over a second processing window defined by a second range of projection angles, wherein some of the first range of projection angles in the first processing window overlap with the second range of projection angles in the second processing window; and
compare a first positional information derived from the first set of the projection radiographs and a second positional information derived from the second set of the projection radiographs with the first positional information to determine the movement of the target region.
15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising a sequence of programming instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the treatment system to rotate a first radiation source and a first flat panel detector about the target region in an arcuate manner to acquire the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of the projection radiographs.
16. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising a sequence of programming instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the treatment system to to move the first radiation source that aims at the target region in a first direction and move the first flat panel detector in a second direction to acquire the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of the projection radiographs.
17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising a sequence of programming instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the treatment system to move the first radiation source and the first flat panel detector along sides of the target region.
18. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising a sequence of programming instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the treatment system to rotate the first radiation source that aims at the target region in a first plane, which is in parallel to a second plane that the first flat panel detector is in, to acquire the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of the projection radiographs.
19. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising a sequence of programming instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the treatment system to rotate the first radiation source that aims at the target region in a first plane and rotate the first flat panel detector in a second plane to acquire the first set of projection radiographs and the second set of the projection radiographs.