Patents Assigned to Elekta AB
  • Publication number: 20110049396
    Abstract: A multi-leaf collimator for a radiotherapy apparatus comprises a plurality of elongate leaves mounted in a carriage, the carriage being mounted on a substrate, wherein the leaves are independently moveable relative to the carriage in a longitudinal direction, and the carriage is moveable in that direction relative to the substrate, and a control apparatus arranged to receive a signal representing leaf positions relative to the substrate and being arranged to control the leaf positions relative to the carriage and the carriage positions relative to the substrate so as to achieve those leaf positions relative to the substrate. By allowing the carriage to be driven concurrently with the leaves, the speed of movement of the carriage can be added to that of the leaves. In this way, where leaves are required to make a long traverse they can do so more quickly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: ELEKTA AB (PUBL)
    Inventors: Mark Alexander Furth, Adrian Maxwell Smith
  • Publication number: 20110036356
    Abstract: This invention relates to a fixation device and a method for immobilizing a head of a patient relative a treatment unit or medical device during treatment of the head. The fixation device is provided with an interface unit adapted to be fixated in relation to an adaptor unit for connection to the treatment unit, or to a frame for connection to the medical device. Furthermore, the fixation device is provided with a bite-block for being inserted into a mouth of a patient and a positioning arrangement movably connecting the bite-block to the interface unit. The positioning arrangement is adapted to be fixated by means of an adhesive for fixation of the bite-block such that the head of a patient can be immobilized relative said adaptor unit or frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: ELEKTA AB (PUBL)
    Inventors: Thomas Arn, Per Carlsson, Kristian Wiberg
  • Publication number: 20110026683
    Abstract: A multi-leaf collimator for a radiotherapy apparatus comprises at least one array of laterally-spaced elongate leaves, each leaf being driven by an associated motor connected to the leaf via a drive means so as to extend or retract the leaf in its longitudinal direction, the drive means comprising a sub-frame on which at least a subset of the motors are mounted, the sub-frame being mounted at a location spaced from the leaf array in a direction transverse to the lateral and longitudinal directions, and including a plurality of threaded drives disposed longitudinally, each being driven by a motor and being operatively connected to a leaf thereby to drive that leaf.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: Elekta AB (publ)
    Inventors: Martin Broad, Mark Alexander Furth, Duncan Neil Bourne, Ryan David Wightwick
  • Publication number: 20110013818
    Abstract: A treatment planning apparatus comprises a means for receiving a three dimensional representation of a patient, a means for displaying at least a part of the representation, a means for user-designation of sub-regions of the representation, and a computing means adapted to segment the representation into a region within an anatomical structure and a region outside the anatomical structure on the basis of the locations of the sub-regions, the degree of similarity of voxels to neighbouring voxels in the representation, and a dataset representing an a priori assumption of the correct segmentation. •The dataset preferably comprises a probability distribution of each pixel being within the segmentation, e.g. obtained from a segmentation of a previous image of the patient, for example by smoothing the previous segmentation. The at least part of the representation comprises one or more sections through the representation, such as axial, sagittal and/or coronal views of the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: ELEKTA AB (PUBL)
    Inventor: Andréas Lars Gunnar Eriksson Järliden
  • Publication number: 20100329422
    Abstract: A radiotherapeutic apparatus comprises a source able to emit a beam of therapeutic radiation along a beam axis, a multi-leaf collimator arranged to collimate the beam to a desired shape, wherein the source is rotateable about a rotation axis that is substantially orthogonal and intersects with the beam axis thereby to describe an arc around that axis, and further comprises a control means able to control the dose/time rate of the source, the rotation speed of the source, and the multi-leaf collimator position. The control means is arranged to receive a treatment plan in which the arc is divided into a plurality of notional arc-segments, and specifying the total dose for the arc-segment and a Start and end MLC position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: Elekta AB (publ)
    Inventors: Kevin Brown, Ralph Streamer, Paul Boxall, Duncan Bourne, Christopher James Gibson
  • Patent number: 7860215
    Abstract: Flat panel images obtained during concurrent radiotherapy typically suffer from artefacts that relate to the pulses of MV energy. For a radiotherapeutic apparatus comprising a pulsed source of therapeutic radiation, a detector comprising control circuitry, an array of pixel elements, each having a signal output and an ‘enable’ input and being arranged to release a signal via the signal output upon being triggered by the enable input, and an interpreter arranged to receive the signal outputs of the pixel elements, the interpreter having a reset control, there are advantages in the control circuitry being adapted to reset the interpreter after a pulse of therapeutic radiation, prior to enabling at least one pixel of the array. Alternatively, the control circuitry can prompt a plurality of pulses by the pulsed source and then enable a plurality of pixels of the array. In effect, the therapeutic pulses are grouped into a short flurry of pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Elekta AB (publ)
    Inventors: Andrew Long, Kevin Brown, John Allen
  • Publication number: 20100322491
    Abstract: A method is disclosed whereby a prior reference image is used as a calibration source for a volume image prepared using less accurate apparatus, such as during therapy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: Elekta AB (publ)
    Inventor: Andrew Long
  • Publication number: 20100310045
    Abstract: X-ray apparatus comprises a linear accelerator adapted to produce a beam of electrons at one of at least two selectable energies and being controlled to change the selected energy on a periodic basis, and a target to which the beam is directed thereby to produce a beam of x-radiation, the target being non-homogenous and being driven to move periodically in synchrony with the change of the selected energy. In this way, the target can move so that a different part is exposed to the electron beam when different pulses arrive. This enables the appropriate target material to be employed depending on the selected energy. The easiest form of periodic movement for the target is likely to be a rotational movement. The target can be immersed in a coolant fluid such as water. The linear accelerator can be of the type disclosed in WO2006/097697A1. The target preferably contains at least one exposed area of tungsten and/or at least one exposed area of carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicants: ELEKTA AB (PUBL), THE INSTITUTE OF CANCER RESEARCH
    Inventors: Kevin John Brown, Maria Giulia Thompspm, Vibeke Nordmark Hansen, Philip Mark Evans, David Anthony Roberts
  • Patent number: 7846116
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for fixation to a head of a patient during neurological diagnosis, therapy or surgery, in particular during MRI diagnosis. The device comprises at least one fixation pin for fixation to the head, a sleeve member (5) having an internal threaded through bore to at least partly receive and hold said fixation pin, and a pin support member for supporting said fixation pin and sleeve member. The sleeve member is exchangeable and provided in at least two different lengths in order to allow adaptation of the sleeve member to the size of the head to improve the fixation of the head and avoid the fixation pin to protrude beyond the outer boundary of the pin support member. The invention also relates to a method for fixation of a head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Elekta AB (Publ)
    Inventor: Thomas Arn
  • Publication number: 20100275926
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of radiation therapy and radiation surgery. In particular, the invention relates to devices and methods for stereotactic medical procedures and it provides for repeated accurate positioning (fixation) of a patient, or a part of a patient, for carrying out medical procedures which are done at different times such as fractionated radiation therapy. Specifically, a patient fixation device for fixating a head of a patient relatively a treatment unit as a preparation for treatment or during treatment of the head is provided. The patient fixation device being is adapted to be attached to a stereotactic frame structure connected to the treatment unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: ELEKTA AB (PUBL)
    Inventors: Kristian WIBERG, Thomas Arn, Anders Fischer
  • Publication number: 20100278306
    Abstract: During treatment by brachytherapy, radiation passes beyond the target volume and delivers radiation dose to adjacent tissue such as the lungs and, especially in the case of treatment of the left breast, to the heart. The heart is particularly vulnerable to radiation; to minimise the dose it receives in such circumstances, we propose an apparatus for treatment by brachytherapy comprising an X-ray source sized for insertion into a patient, a respiration state monitor, and a control apparatus adapted to receive respiration state information from the respiration state monitor and control the output of the X-ray source; the control apparatus being arranged to operate the X-ray source at a first output level when the respiration state monitor indicates a degree of lung inflation above a first preset threshold and operate the X-ray source at a second and lower output level when the respiration state monitor indicates a degree of lung inflation below a second preset threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: ELEKTA AB (PUBL)
    Inventor: William Robert Pitt
  • Publication number: 20100268308
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for securing medical leads in a cranial burr hole, in particular, for securing a brain stimulation lead within such a burr hole. The device includes a circular socket element adapted to be secured within a burr hole of the skull of a patient, the circular socket element having a through lead passage arranged to have the lead pass therethrough, the lead passage including passage walls including at least one resilient partition wall extending from an inner wall of the circular socket element, and the circular socket element having at least one inner compartment delimited by the partition wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: ELEKTA AB (PUBL)
    Inventor: Christian ROSSBY
  • Publication number: 20100252754
    Abstract: Realtime beam shape adjustment in response to (for example) online CT scanning of a patient during treatment is assisted by the radiotherapy apparatus comprising a source adapted to emit a beam of therapeutic radiation, a collimator for delimiting the radiation beam, the collimator comprising a plurality of leaves arranged alongside each other and be moveable longitudinally so that the tips of the leaves define a variable edge of the collimator, the leaves being mounted on a support that is moveable laterally with respect to the leaves. In this way, movements of the tumour that are perpendicular to the direction of leaf motion can be accommodated by simply moving the collimator bodily so as to accommodate this. It is preferred that the apparatus also includes a control means adapted to receive information as to the location of the target volume, and, on the basis of that information, control the longitudinal positions of the leaves and the lateral position of the support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: ELEKTA AB (PUBL)
    Inventors: Kevin Brown, Ralph Streamer, Duncan Bourne
  • Patent number: 7796728
    Abstract: An investigative X-ray apparatus comprises a source of X-rays emitting a cone beam centred on a beam axis, a collimator to limit the extent of the beam, and a two-dimensional detector, the apparatus being mounted on a support which is rotatable about a rotation axis, the collimator having a first state in which the collimated beam is directed towards the rotation axis and the second state in which the collimated beam is offset from the rotation axis, the two-dimensional detector being movable accordingly, the beam axis being offset from the rotation axis by a lesser amount than the collimated beam in the second state. The X-ray source is no longer directed towards the isocentre as would normally be the case; the X-ray source is not orthogonal to the collimators. This is advantageous in that the entire field of the X-ray tube can be utilised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Elekta AB (publ)
    Inventor: Per Harald Bergfjord
  • Publication number: 20100186170
    Abstract: A positioning system for a body comprises a flexible bag of a gas-impermeable material/including a valve to permit evacuation of the interior thereof, the bag containing a flowable granular material and at least one bolster. The body can be at least part of a human form, such as a patient. Systems are generally provided for specific body regions such as the hip or thorax, and for the whole body. The bolster is larger than the grains of the granular material. A size dimension of the bolster is therefore preferably at least 5 times the- size dimension of the granular material, although it sill usually be one or more orders of magnitude larger. Various forms of bolster are possible. A bolster that includes a generally flat section and an upstanding section extending therefrom can be used to locate a shoulder region of the patient in a reproducible yet comfortable form. A bolster that is generally cylindrical in shape can be used to support various areas of a patient such as the neck or knee.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: Elekta AB
    Inventors: Christian Hieronimi, Robert Mitterhauser
  • Patent number: 7763865
    Abstract: The present invention therefore provides a method of treating the surface of an item for a radiotherapy apparatus, comprising the steps of machining into a planar reflective surface of the item a stepped profile, each step having a first surface angled to the planar reflective surface such that, in use, the first surface reflects light incident on the planar reflective surface away from the isocenter of the radiotherapy apparatus and a second surface angled with respect to the planar reflective surface and the first surface such that, in use, the second surface is shadowed from light incident on the planar reflective surface by the first surface, the steps having a depth which does not exceed 2.15% of the total depth of the item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Elekta AB
    Inventors: Quentin Creed, Duncan Neil Bourne, Ralph Peter Streamer
  • Publication number: 20100166286
    Abstract: An example of sporadic motion that causes difficulty in CT scanning is gas pockets moving around the rectum. The invention allows the automatic detection of such movements, by enhancing low density features around the prostate in the individual X-ray images, projecting these features on the cranio-caudal axis (assuming that the gas predominantly moves in this direction) to form a 1-dimensional image, and combining successive ID projections to form a 2D image. Moving gas will produce tilted lines in this image, identifying an angular range that needs to be discarded. Such a process can be used in an image processing apparatus of a CT scanner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: Elekta AB (Publ)
    Inventors: Jan-Jakob Sonke, Marcel van Herk, Peter Remeijer
  • Publication number: 20100166150
    Abstract: A radiotherapy apparatus comprises a means for producing a beam of radiation directed along a beam axis and having a width in first and second directions transverse to the beam axis, a multi-leaf collimator for selectively limiting the width of the beam in at least the first direction, a block collimator for selectively limiting the width of the beam in at least the second direction, the block collimator comprising a diaphragm moveable into and out of the beam and having a thickness in the direction of the beam axis that varies. The diaphragm can have a front edge of greater thickness than at least one region behind the front edge. It can also have a spine region extending from a rear part thereof towards the front edge that is greater thickness than at least one region displaced laterally with respect thereto. Together, these can cover the areas that will not be fully shadowed by a dynamically moving MLC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: Elekta AB (Publ)
    Inventors: Clifford William Perkins, Christopher Charles Knox
  • Patent number: 7742575
    Abstract: A multi-leaf collimator for use in a radiotherapeutic apparatus comprises a plurality of elongate narrow leaves arranged side-by side and supported in a frame, the frame having upper and lower formations for guiding each leaf into which extend ridges on the upper and lower edges of the leaves, thereby to allow the leaves to move in a longitudinal direction, the upper and lower formations being aligned so that the sides of the leaves when fitted are at a non-zero angle to the beam direction, the upper and lower ridges being located on the upper and lower edges of the leaves so that a line joining their centres is at a non-zero angle to the sides of the leaf, tilted relative to the sides in a sense opposite to that of the beam. An outer face of the upper and/or lower ridges can be aligned with a side face of the leaf, for ease of manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Elekta AB (publ)
    Inventor: Duncan Neil Bourne
  • Patent number: 7729473
    Abstract: A highly compact, high-performance volumetric imaging system is proposed, that is integrated with a multi-source Cobalt-60 gamma irradiator for high throughput, high accuracy and minimally invasive fractioned treatments of intracranial, orbital and head-and-neck targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Elekta AB (publ)
    Inventors: David A. Jaffray, Kevin John Brown, Gregory Bootsma, Mark Ruschin, Per Carlsson