Radiation Treatment Platform and Method Using a Portal Imaging Device to Automatically Control Therapy Administration

Abstract

A portal imaging device is used to determine an amount of radiation that is delivered to at least one point while administering a radiation treatment therapy to a patient. Upon detecting that the amount of radiation that is delivered to that at least one point exceeds a predetermined amount of radiation (for example, a planned amount of radiation per the radiation treatment plan), administration of radiation treatment therapy to the patient can be automatically halted.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 while administering a radiation treatment therapy to a patient using a movable radiation source in accordance with a radiation treatment plan, using a portal imaging device to determine an amount of radiation that is delivered to at least one point;   detecting when the amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point exceeds a predetermined amount of radiation;   when the amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point exceeds the predetermined amount of radiation, automatically halting the administering of the radiation treatment therapy to the patient.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined amount of radiation comprises a planned amount of radiation per the radiation treatment plan. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein using the portal imaging device to determine an amount of radiation that is delivered to at least one point comprises using the portal imaging device to determine an amount of radiation that is delivered to each of a plurality of points. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein detecting when the amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point exceeds a predetermined amount of radiation comprises detecting when the amount of radiation that is delivered to any of the plurality of points exceeds a predetermined amount of radiation for any of the plurality of points. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein detecting when the amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point exceeds a predetermined amount of radiation comprises detecting when an aggregate amount of radiation that is delivered to at least some of the plurality of points exceeds the predetermined amount of radiation. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein using the portal imaging device to determine an amount of radiation that is delivered to each of a plurality of points comprises continuously using the portal imaging device to determine the amount of radiation that is delivered to each of a plurality of points during the radiation treatment therapy. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one point comprises a point on a virtual cylinder that is disposed about but that does not include the patient. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2  wherein detecting when the amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point exceeds a predetermined amount of radiation comprises detecting when an aggregated amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point while the movable radiation source is at different locations exceeds the predetermined amount of radiation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the predetermined amount of radiation does not constitute a calculated dose corresponding to a volume in the patient. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the predetermined amount of radiation comprises a calculated amount for the point on the virtual cylinder. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 a movable radiation source;   a drive mechanism configured to selectively move the movable radiation source;   
       a portal imaging device configured to move in conjunction with the movable radiation source;
 a control circuit operably coupled to the portal imaging device and to the movable radiation source and configured to:
 while administering a radiation treatment therapy to a patient using the movable radiation source in accordance with a radiation treatment plan, using the portal imaging device to determine an amount of radiation that is delivered to at least one point; 
 detect when the amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point exceeds a predetermined amount of radiation; 
 when the amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point exceeds the predetermined amount of radiation, automatically halt the drive mechanism. 
 
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the predetermined amount of radiation comprises a planned amount of radiation per the radiation treatment plan. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the control circuit is configured to use the portal imaging device to determine an amount of radiation that is delivered to at least one point by using the portal imaging device to determine an amount of radiation that is delivered to each of a plurality of points. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the control circuit is configured to detect when the amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point exceeds a predetermined amount of radiation by detecting when the amount of radiation that is delivered to any of the plurality of points exceeds a predetermined amount of radiation for any of the plurality of points. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the control circuit is configured to detect when the amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point exceeds a predetermined amount of radiation by detecting when an aggregate amount of radiation that is delivered to at least some of the plurality of points exceeds the predetermined amount of radiation. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the control circuit is configured to use the portal imaging device to determine an amount of radiation that is delivered to each of a plurality of points by continuously using the portal imaging device to determine the amount of radiation that is delivered to each of a plurality of points during the radiation treatment therapy. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the at least one point comprises a point on a virtual cylinder that is disposed about but that does not include the patient. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the control circuit is configured to detect when the amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point exceeds a predetermined amount of radiation by detecting when an aggregated amount of radiation that is delivered to the at least one point while the movable radiation source is at different locations exceeds the predetermined amount of radiation. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the predetermined amount of radiation does not constitute a calculated dose corresponding to a volume in the patient. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the predetermined amount of radiation comprises a calculated amount for the point on the virtual cylinder.