Patents by Inventor Stephan Fröhlich

Stephan Fröhlich has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11865368
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a medical data processing method of determining the representation of an anatomical body part (2) of a patient (1) in a sequence of medical images, the anatomical body part (2) being subject to a vital movement of the patient (1), the method being constituted to be executed by a computer and comprising the following steps: a) acquiring advance medical image data comprising a time-related advance medical image comprising a representation of the anatomical body part (2) in a specific movement phase; b) acquiring current medical image data describing a sequence of current medical images, wherein the sequence comprises a specific current medical image comprising a representation of the anatomical body part (2) in the specific movement phase, and a tracking current medical image which is different from the specific current medical image and comprises a representation of the anatomical body part (2) in a tracking movement phase which is different from the specific movement phase;
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: BRAINLAB AG
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Froehlich
  • Publication number: 20230230236
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a medical data processing method of determining the representation of an anatomical body part (2) of a patient (1) in a sequence of medical images, the anatomical body part (2) being subject to a vital movement of the patient (1), the method being constituted to be executed by a computer and comprising the following steps: a) acquiring advance medical image data comprising a time-related advance medical image comprising a representation of the anatomical body part (2) in a specific movement phase; b) acquiring current medical image data describing a sequence of current medical images, wherein the sequence comprises a specific current medical image comprising a representation of the anatomical body part (2) in the specific movement phase, and a tracking current medical image which is different from the specific current medical image and comprises a representation of the anatomical body part (2) in a tracking movement phase which is different from the specific movement phase;
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Froehlich
  • Patent number: 10543381
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining a deviation of the position of an anatomical body part relative to a predetermined position defined by a radiation treatment plan. A monitoring image is taken of the anatomical body part at the instant that a predetermined control point defined in the treatment plan has been reached. The monitoring image is compared to a simulated image simulated from a planning image of the anatomical body from the perspective of a monitoring camera used to generate the monitoring image. The comparison allows for a determination of whether there is a positional deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Fröhlich
  • Patent number: 10448905
    Abstract: The presently described method is directed to determining a way of positioning a patient before execution of a medical procedure involving irradiating the patient with ionizing treatment radiation based on comparing medical images of the patient with a pre-acquired medical image. The planning computed tomography is searched for an image of the reference structure in order to determine the position of the patient relative to a patient support device. A retroreflective marker device, having a known and advantageously fixed position relative to the base plate, is detected by a navigation system operatively coupled to a motor of the support device. Based on the detected position of the marker device, the motor of the support device is activated to drive the patient into a desired position relative to beam direction along which the treatment radiation is to be issued towards the patient to execute the medical procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: BRAINLAB AG
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Froehlich, Eva Maria Gronbach
  • Publication number: 20190290934
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining a deviation of the position of an anatomical body part relative to a predetermined position defined by a radiation treatment plan. A monitoring image is taken of the anatomical body part at the instant that a predetermined control point defined in the treatment plan has been reached. The monitoring image is compared to a simulated image simulated from a planning image of the anatomical body from the perspective of a monitoring camera used to generate the monitoring image. The comparison allows for a determination of whether there is a positional deviation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Fröhlich
  • Patent number: 10384082
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining a deviation of the position of an anatomical body part relative to a predetermined position defined by a radiation treatment plan. A monitoring image is taken of the anatomical body part at the instant that a predetermined control point defined in the treatment plan has been reached. The monitoring image is compared to a simulated image simulated from a planning image of the anatomical body from the perspective of a monitoring camera used to generate the monitoring image. The comparison allows for a determination of whether there is a positional deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Fröhlich
  • Patent number: 10272266
    Abstract: The present invention relates to correlating a position of a radiation beam with a position of a target to be irradiated which is contained in a structure having a repetitive motion comprising a plurality of successive motion cycles. External position data is acquired, which describes a position the structure during different motion cycles and/or time periods. Target data is acquired, which describe a position of the target during the motion cycles and/or time periods. A correlation model is generated, which correlates the external position and the target position. A predicted target position during a motion cycle is determined based on the correlation model and acquire external position data. Primary verification data is determined that describes an difference between actual and predicted target position. When the prediction is accurate, a further prediction and verification of the target position in later motion cycles can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Stephan Froehlich, Kajetan Berlinger, Richard Wohlgemuth
  • Publication number: 20180344265
    Abstract: The presently described method is directed to determining a way of positioning a patient before execution of a medical procedure involving irradiating the patient with ionizing treatment radiation based on comparing medical images of the patient with a pre-acquired medical image. The planning computed tomography is searched for an image of the reference stricture in order to determine the position of the patient relative to a patient support device. A retroreflective marker device, having a known and advantageously fixed position relative to the base plate, is detected by a navigation system operatively coupled to a motor of the support device. Based on the detected position of the marker device, the motor of the support device is activated to drive the patient into a desired position relative to beam direction along which the treatment radiation is to be issued towards the patient to execute the medical procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Froehlich, Eva Maria Gronbach
  • Publication number: 20180272153
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining a deviation of the position of an anatomical body part relative to a predetermined position defined by a radiation treatment plan. A monitoring image is taken of the anatomical body part at the instant that a predetermined control point defined in the treatment plan has been reached. The monitoring image is compared to a simulated image simulated from a planning image of the anatomical body from the perspective of a monitoring camera used to generate the monitoring image. The comparison allows for a determination of whether there is a positional deviation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Froehlich
  • Patent number: 10052501
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a data processing method for determining control data for controlling beam positions which beam positions describe positions which a treatment beam has or would have if emitted by a beam source, the treatment beam being for treating a treatment body part of a patient, said method constituted to be performed by a computer and comprising the steps of: .cndot. providing treatment data which comprise data on a position of the treatment body part; .cndot. providing condition data which describe: constraints on the beam positions and/or constraints on positional changes of the beam positions, wherein said constraints allow for at least a part of the beam positions to lie not in a common plane; .cndot. providing an arrangement of the beam positions on the basis of the treatment data which arrangement fulfills the condition data; .cndot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Stephan Froehlich, Franz Gum, Kajetan Berlinger
  • Patent number: 10045744
    Abstract: The presently described method is directed to determining a way of positioning a patient before execution of a medical procedure involving irradiating the patient with ionizing treatment radiation based on comparing medical images of the patient with a pre-acquired medical image. The planning computed tomography is searched for an image of the reference structure in order to determine the position of the patient relative to a patient support device. A retroreflective marker device, having a known and advantageously fixed position relative to the base plate, is detected by a navigation system operatively coupled to a motor of the support device. Based on the detected position of the marker device, the motor of the support device is activated to drive the patient into a desired position relative to beam direction along which the treatment radiation is to be issued towards the patient to execute the medical procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Froehlich, Eva Maria Gronbach
  • Publication number: 20180200535
    Abstract: A data processing method and device for correlating the position of a radiation beam with the position of a target to be irradiated and contained in a structure underlying a repetitive motion comprising a plurality of successive motion cycles, the method/device comprising/performing the following steps which are constituted to be executed by a computer: a) acquiring first external position data, second external position data and third external position data describing the position of at least one external feature of said structure, for one or more sections of at least one first motion cycle occurring during a first period of time, for one or more sections of at least one second motion cycle occurring during a second period of time, and for one or more sections of at least one third motion cycle occurring during said second period of time, respectively; b) acquiring first target position data and second target position data describing the position of said target for at least one of said sections of said at lea
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Stephan Froehlich, Kajetan Berlinger, Richard Wohlgemuth
  • Publication number: 20170173366
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a data processing method for determining control data for controlling beam positions which beam positions describe positions which a treatment beam has or would have if emitted by a beam source, the treatment beam being for treating a treatment body part of a patient, said method constituted to be performed by a computer and comprising the steps of: .cndot. providing treatment data which comprise data on a position of the treatment body part; .cndot. providing condition data which describe: constraints on the beam positions and/or constraints on positional changes of the beam positions, wherein said constraints allow for at least a part of the beam positions to lie not in a common plane; .cndot. providing an arrangement of the beam positions on the basis of the treatment data which arrangement fulfils the condition data; .cndot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Stephan Froehlich, Franz Gum, Kajetan Berlinger
  • Patent number: 9630026
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a data processing method for determining control data for controlling beam positions which beam positions describe positions which a treatment beam has or would have if emitted by a beam source, the treatment beam being for treating a treatment body part of a patient, said method constituted to be performed by a computer and comprising the steps of: • providing treatment data which comprise data on a position of the treatment body part; • providing condition data which describe: constraints on the beam positions and/or constraints on positional changes of the beam positions, wherein said constraints allow for at least a part of the beam positions to lie not in a common plane; • providing an arrangement of the beam positions on the basis of the treatment data which arrangement fulfils the condition data; • determining control data for controlling a change of a relative position of the beam source relative to the treatment body part for changing the beam positions and for contro
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Stephan Froehlich, Franz Gum, Kajetan Berlinger
  • Publication number: 20170065832
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system, method and apparatus for tracking an anatomical body part in a series of x-ray images. The anatomical body part moves due to a vital movement, such as breathing motion of the thorax. The anatomical body part is defined in a CT image acquired beforehand and is associated with a known movement phase during the vital movement. The series of x-ray images of the moving anatomical body part is taken. The movement phase associated with each one of the x-ray images is determined. In one implementation, the system may track the body part movement using external infrared-reflecting markers and a navigation system while taking a series of x-ray images and time-stamping the x-ray images and the positional information for the body part. The time stamps relate each one of the x-ray images with a specific movement phase of the body part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Froehlich
  • Publication number: 20170050050
    Abstract: The presently described method is directed to determining a way of positioning a patient before execution of a medical procedure involving irradiating the patient with ionizing treatment radiation based on comparing medical images of the patient with a pre-acquired medical image. The planning computed tomography is searched for an image of the reference structure in order to determine the position of the patient relative to a patient support device. A retroreflective marker device, having a known and advantageously fixed position relative to the base plate, is detected by a navigation system operatively coupled to a motor of the support device. Based on the detected position of the marker device, the motor of the support device is activated to drive the patient into a desired position relative to beam direction along which the treatment radiation is to be issued towards the patient to execute the medical procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Applicant: BRAINLAB AG
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Froehlich, Eva Maria Gronbach
  • Patent number: 9403035
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for positioning an arrangement of at least one beam position relative to a patient's body when the patient is placed for treatment by means of a treatment device which can emit treatment radiation, wherein the at least one beam position describes at least one position of at least one treatment beam, wherein the arrangement is referred to as the treatment arrangement and the treatment beam comprises the treatment radiation, wherein the method is executed by a computer and comprises the following steps: providing treatment beam absorption data which describe the absorption properties of the at least part of the body with respect to absorbing the treatment radiation, and the relative position between the at least part of the body and the treatment arrangement; providing treatment beam data which describe radiation properties of the at least one treatment beam; providing condition data which describe a condition for treating the at least part of the body; determining an
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Franz Gum, Stephan Froehlich
  • Publication number: 20150243025
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the position of an object moving within a body, wherein the body is connected to markers, a movement signal is determined based on the measured movement of the markers, images are taken from the object using a camera or detector, wherein the camera or detector is moved with respect to the object, it is determined from which direction or range of angles or segment the most images corresponding to a predefined cycle of the movement signal are taken, and using at least some or all of the images of the segment containing the most images for a specified movement cycle, an image of the object is reconstructed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Kajetan Berlinger, Stephan Froehlich
  • Patent number: 8850268
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of determining an analyzing level for analyzing a system test procedure for testing a modular system having functional modules, comprising acquiring dependency data comprising dependency information describing at least one functional dependency of at least one functional module, acquiring change data comprising change information describing a change in a module test procedure for testing at least part of the at least one functional module located at a first system test level, acquiring impact data comprising impact information describing an impact of the change in the module test procedure on testing a functionality of the at least one functional module based on the dependency information and the change information, determining, based on the impact information, analyzing level data comprising analyzing level information describing an analyzing level being the system test level at which the system test procedure is analyzed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Stephan Froehlich, Jan Schormann, Joern Simon, Valentin Elefteriu, Alexander Urban
  • Patent number: 8789223
    Abstract: A patient positioning system for radiotherapy, comprising a device for positioning a patient within the framework of treatment planning, using image detection and/or carrying out radiation treatment, comprising a patient bed on which a patient is positioned, wherein means are provided by which the same bed may be arranged both on a planning couch for image detection within the framework of treatment planning as well as on a radiotherapy table, and by providing a reference means on the patient bed by which the position of the immobilized patient or of a marked radiation target is determined with respect to the patient bed. Within this framework, a corresponding method is also provided, as well as an adjusting means for the transport and the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Stephan Erbel, Stephan Fröhlich