Tracking of tumor location for targeted radiation treatment

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for targeting diseased tissue with a radiation beam. Functional models can be used to accurately obtain a location of specific tissue using sensors at identifiable locations of the patient's body. Using the relative distances between the identifiable sensor locations can allow a patient to be in various positions. The functional models can be prepared using accurate pre-treatment scans, which can be taken at various body positions (e.g., rotations and/or translations). The trajectory of the beam can be measured efficiently and accurately using beam sensors attached to a beam assembly, where a model maps the beam sensor locations to a trajectory of the beam. Further, a motion model can use measurements made during treatment to obtain a time-dependent functions of the movement of the specific tissue, the change of an optimal beam trajectory over time, or the change in input commands to a beam positioner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing radiation treatment to a patient, the method comprising:
 detecting a position of each of a plurality of sensors of the patient's body, the positions of the sensors being determined with respect to a reference point having a known spatial relationship to a radiation beam assembly, the radiation beam assembly configured to provide a radiation beam;   determining relative positions of the sensors with respect to each other;   accessing a first mapping model that maps the relative positions of the sensors to determine a relative location of the diseased tissue of the patient, the relative location of the diseased tissue being relative to the positions of the sensors; and   using the positions of the sensors and the relative location of the diseased tissue to direct a radiation beam of the radiation beam assembly to the diseased tissue.