Method for determining a current lung filling extent and method for assisting radiation therapy during respiratory shifting of the radiation target

US6898456B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Brainlab AG · DE

Inventor

• Stephan Erbel · Munich, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 17, 2001
• Grant date: May 24, 2005
• Expiry date: Feb 20, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61N5/1064
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for determining the filling of a lung, wherein the movement of an anatomical structure which moves with breathing, or one or more points on the moving anatomical structure whose movement trajectory is highly correlated with lung filling, is detected with respect to the location of at least one anatomical structure which is not spatially affected by breathing, and wherein each distance between the structures is assigned a particular lung filling value. It further concerns a method for assisting in radiotherapy during movement of the radiation target due to breathing, wherein the association of lung filling values with the distance of the moving structure which is identifiable in an x-ray image and the structure which is not spatially affected by breathing is determined by means of an above-named method, the current position of the radiation target is detected on the basis of the lung filling value, and wherein radiation exposure is carried out, assisted by the known current position of the radiation target.