Abstract: A system or use with a radiotherapy system includes a scanner for producing images of at least one object within an imaging volume, a radiotherapy apparatus including a source of therapeutic radiation adapted to deliver a beam of radiation into the at least one object, a treatment planning system for controlling the source so as to deliver radiation in accordance with a predetermined plan for treating a patient and with the images of the at least one object, and at least one device within and/or adjacent to the imaging volume. The at least one device comprises at least one first marker which is visible to the scanner and at least one MR second marker which is visible to an MR scanner. The system further comprises a database containing data including the markers associated with the at least one device and at least its geometric and density characteristics.

Abstract: A radiotherapy apparatus includes a fixed support and a gantry including a chassis part and a source part, the chassis part being rotatably attached to the fixed support to allow rotation thereof about a generally horizontal axis, and the source part being connected to the chassis part via a rotatable connection allowing the source part to rotate relative to the chassis part around a transverse axis. The source part includes a source of therapeutic radiation directed towards the intersection of the transverse axis and the horizontal axis. The chassis part and the source part together define an annular ring that encircles the horizontal axis. In this way, the radiotherapy apparatus can provide the full usual range of treatments, but can also adapt itself to adopt a non-coplanar geometry when required, for example to treat difficult locations in the head and neck.

Abstract: Embodiments disclose a radiotherapy apparatus comprising a source of radiation configured to emit a beam of radiation and a collimator structure configured to limit a lateral extent of the beam, the collimator structure including a primary collimator configured to shape the beam, a first collimator comprising a plurality of adjacent elongate leaves, the leaves being extendable into the beam in a first direction transverse to the beam, and a block collimator including an aperture configured to permit the beam to pass through, the block collimator being extendable into the beam in a second direction transverse to the beam and transverse to the first direction. In some embodiments, the aperture may be cone-shaped or a through-hole, which may be empty or filled with a radiotransparent material. In some embodiments, the block collimator may include a plurality of apertures, which may be of varying dimensions.

Abstract: A fluorescing marker is used in order to mark (for example) a leaf of a multi-leaf collimator and/or the reference points within the field of view. The markers are illuminated with light tuned to cause the markers to fluoresce at a wavelength different to that of the illuminating light. The fluorescence is then detected by a camera. This method allows the image to be captured by the camera with increased contrast. Accordingly, the present invention provides a multi-leaf collimator for a radiotherapeutic apparatus, comprising at least one leaf having a fluorescent marker. The fluorescent marker will usually emit light of a wavelength longer than the incident light, allowing suitable filters to be provided in order to distinguish the light emitted by the markers. A suitable material for use in the fluorescent markers is ruby. The present invention also provides a radiotherapeutic apparatus comprising a multi-leaf collimator as defined above, and a camera arranged to view the fluorescent markers.

Abstract: A radiotherapy apparatus includes a rotatable drum on which is mounted a gantry arm carrying a radiation source. The arm extending from the drum to a location of the radiation source is offset from the axis of rotation of the drum and oriented towards the axis. The radiotherapy apparatus further includes a mechanism configured to apply a tilt to the arm at one or more rotational orientations of the drum. The rotatable drum is supported on wheels beneath the drum, and the mechanism is an eccentric mechanism within the wheels and is configured to apply the tilt to the arm via the wheels.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and computer-readable storage media for identifying an object in an image, the method including using a first neural network to identify an approximate position of an object of interest in an image and identifying based on the approximate position, a section of the image that includes the object of interest. A plurality of sub-images corresponding to the identified section of the image are applied to a plurality of second neural networks to determine a plurality of second positions of the object of interest. The plurality of second positions are statistically analyzed to determine an output position of the object of interest.

Abstract: The disclosed systems and methods for Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), utilises an iterative approach which adjusts a treatment plan based on inter- or intra-fraction images to improve the accuracy of the radiation delivered during the overall treatment. The prescribed dose of radiotherapeutic radiation is mapped onto the patient's anatomy using an image acquired of the region, which is to be the target for radiotherapeutic radiation. Following beam-angle-optimisation, fluence optimisation and segmentation, the efficiency of delivery of each segment is determined using an objective function, and the segments ranked according to their efficiency. The plan proceeds with the choice of the most efficient segment (or segments) to be delivered first.

Abstract: Embodiments disclose a method performed by at least one processor for processing a plurality of x-ray projection images of a subject, the method comprising a plurality of operations including reconstructing the projection images to yield a volume reconstruction; segmenting the reconstructed volume by assigning a material type to each voxel; estimating a first set of scatter images corresponding to a subset of the projection images by calculating probabilistic predictions of interactions of x-rays with the subject and applying a low pass spatial filter to the scatter images; estimating a second set of scatter images corresponding to projection images not included in the subset, based on the first set of scatter images; and subtracting, for each projection image, the corresponding scatter image to yield a corrected projection image.

Abstract: Techniques for the operation and use of a model that learns the general representation of multimodal images is disclosed. In various examples, methods from representation learning are used to find a common basis for representation of medical images. These include aspects of encoding, fusion, and downstream tasks, with use of the general representation and model. In an example, a method for generating a modality-agnostic model includes receiving imaging data, encoding the imaging data by mapping data to a latent representation, fusing the encoded data to conserve latent variables corresponding to the latent representation, and training a model using the latent representation. In an example, a method for processing imaging data using a trained modality-agnostic model includes receiving imaging data, encoding the data to the defined encoding, processing the encoded data with a trained model, and performing imaging processing operations based on output of the trained model.

Abstract: A method for measurement of dose distribution in a radiotherapy apparatus includes providing a detector holder situated at least partially within a tank, the detector holder comprising a radio-opaque marker and a visual reference point, the marker and the reference point being separated and in a fixed spatial relationship to each other; locating the tank within a bore of the radiotherapy apparatus; rotating a gantry and monitoring the position of the detector holder with an imaging apparatus; vertically displacing the detector holder until the reference point is positioned at a desired level, and adding liquid to or removing liquid from the tank until the surface of the liquid is level with the reference point. Features of the detector holder and tank are also described.

Abstract: The valve of an active breathing control (ABC) device can be driven by the output of the navigator channel of the MRI scanner, rather than by inference from a measured breath flow rate. Where the MRI scanner is integrated with a radiotherapy device, the MRI data can be used to trigger the enforced breath-hold by the ABC, and the radiotherapy delivered while the ABC valve is shut. If the MRI data pertains to the actual position of the tumor, then the ABC device will (in effect) hold the tumor at a precise and reproducible point for treatment.

Abstract: The disclosed systems and methods for Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), utilises an iterative approach which adjusts a treatment plan based on inter- or intra-fraction images to improve the accuracy of the radiation delivered during the overall treatment. The prescribed dose of radiotherapeutic radiation is mapped onto the patient's anatomy using an image acquired of the region, which is to be the target for radiotherapeutic radiation. Following beam-angle-optimisation, fluence optimisation and segmentation, the efficiency of delivery of each segment is determined using an objective function, and the segments ranked according to their efficiency. The plan proceeds with the choice of the most efficient segment (or segments) to be delivered first.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a radiotherapy delivery apparatus having a radiation source for emitting a beam of radiation and wherein the source is rotatable around an axis intersecting the beam through a range of at least x degrees, an imaging device, and a control unit controlling the source and imaging device. The apparatus further comprises a treatment planning computer receiving a first image of a patient, and parameters defining the operations of the radiotherapy delivery apparatus. Parameters include an available range of rotation for the source, x-e, where e>0. The treatment planning computer generates a treatment plan for the patient based on the received image and parameters. The control unit determines a patient position using the imaging device, determines a rotation r of the patient around the axis relative to the first image, and compensates for the rotation by offsetting the source by a rotation, r, when r<e.

Abstract: A collimator for a radiotherapy apparatus, comprising a block of isolation-attenuating material having a front face forming the leading edge of tie block and at least one main rear face defining the trailing edge of the block, in which the or each rear face is substantially planar in the direction of the depth of the block and non-parallel to the front face. The collimator may form part of a radiotherapy apparatus, and methods of operation of such apparatus are described.

Abstract: The present invention introduces a method, device and a computer program for removing artifacts present in individual channels of a multichannel measurement device. At first, a basis is generated defining an n-dimensional subspace of the N-dimensional signal space, where n is smaller than N, where using in the definition of the n-dimensional basis a physical model of a Signal Space Separation method, or a statistical model based on the statistics of recorded N-dimensional signals. Thereafter, a combined (n+m)-dimensional basis is formed by adding m signal vectors to the n-dimensional basis, each of these m signal vectors representing a signal present only in a single channel of the N-channel device. After this the recorded N-dimensional signal vector is decomposed into n+m components in the combined basis, and finally, components corresponding to the m added vectors in the combined basis are subtracted from the recorded N-dimensional signal vector.

Abstract: A stereotactic surgical instrument for use in stereotactical therapy and surgery and a coupling mechanism for such an instrument is disclosed. The stereotactic surgical instrument includes a semi-circular arc part and a head frame. The head frame is arranged for fixation to a head of a patient by pins or screws. The arc part includes coupling members shaped as rings arranged at a fixed distance from each other for attaching and locking the arc part to the head frame. The head frame includes support members formed as rings for receiving corresponding coupling members. Each coupling member includes a pivotable clamp element arranged to partly surround a respective support member circumferentially when the arc part is coupled to the head frame. The coupling members include locking elements arranged to receive a tip portion of the respective clamp element and adjustable locking knobs for tightening and locking respective coupling member to respective support member.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for detecting an anatomical region of interest for radiotherapy planning. Embodiments of the present disclosure may identify a plurality of objects in a medical image and select a subset of the objects by applying a morphology filter to the plurality of objects. The morphology filter may determine a morphological feature associated with each of the plurality of objects and exclude at least one object from the subset when the morphological feature of the at least one object exceeds a predetermined threshold. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also classify the objects in the subset into one of a predetermined set of shapes and detect the anatomical region of interest based on the classified objects in the subset.

Abstract: A radiotherapy apparatus includes a rotatable drum on which is mounted a gantry arm carrying a radiation source. The arm extending from the drum to a location of the radiation source is offset from the axis of rotation of the drum and oriented towards the axis. The radiotherapy apparatus further includes a mechanism configured to apply a tilt to the arm at one or more rotational orientations of the drum. The rotatable drum is supported on wheels beneath the drum, and the mechanism is an eccentric mechanism within the wheels and is configured to apply the tilt to the arm via the wheels.

Abstract: Intra-fraction movement of the patient puts at risk sensitive regions that are near to a radiation dose. In a radiotherapy system that delivers a dose as a series of discrete sub-doses, an initial CT scan is performed to determine the patient's position, after which the sub-doses that are directed to regions within a preset distance of a sensitive structure are performed first, while the sub-doses directed to regions that are more remote from a sensitive structure are performed later.

Abstract: The disclosed systems and methods for Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), utilises an iterative approach which adjusts a treatment plan based on inter- or intra-fraction images to improve the accuracy of the radiation delivered during the overall treatment. The prescribed dose of radiotherapeutic radiation is mapped onto the patient's anatomy using an image acquired of the region, which is to be the target for radiotherapeutic radiation. Following beam-angle-optimisation, fluence optimisation and segmentation, the efficiency of delivery of each segment is determined using an objective function, and the segments ranked according to their efficiency. The plan proceeds with the choice of the most efficient segment (or segments) to be delivered first.