JPH06233831A - Stereotaxic radiotherapeutic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the load in time and labor of an operator such as a therapeutist by mechanizing the replacing work of collimators for a stereotaxic radiotherapeutic device. CONSTITUTION:A collimator revolver 31 capable of mounting multiple collimators 5 is provided near the fitting section of collimators 5 (5a, 5b, 5c) for a stereotaxic radiotherapeutic device of an irradiation head 2. A collimator replacing means 32 moving, fitting, or replacing the desired collimator of the collimators 5 mounted on the collimator revolver 31 to the collimator fitting section for the stereotaxic radiotherapeutic device of the irradiation head 2 is provided to make the replacing work of the collimator 5 efficient.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus for intensively irradiating a focal point with a narrow radiation beam to cause necrosis of the focal point, and particularly to treat focal points of different sizes. The present invention relates to a stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus suitable for

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art One of the radiotherapy techniques is a radiation irradiation method called stereotactic radiotherapy (localization method). The localization method is a method of locally irradiating a lesion with a large dose, and is a method of irradiating a focal point with a very thin radiation beam. This localization method is very effective in treating malignant tumor tissue of the body to be treated, and is also effective in significantly reducing the radiation exposure to surrounding normal tissue.

The stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus includes a multi-source radiotherapy apparatus called a gamma unit and a single-source radiotherapy apparatus using an electron beam accelerator (Japanese Patent Publication No.
503521).

The former is composed of a hemispherical collimator having a plurality of irradiation holes arranged radially and a cobalt 60 sealed radiation source arranged so as to concentrate on one point of the center of the collimator hemisphere, and is arranged in a hemispherical shape. Gamma doses from a number of cobalt 60 sources can be intensively applied to the lesion to achieve treatment.

On the other hand, the latter uses an electron beam accelerator or the like,
Radiation can be intensively applied to the lesion from all directions while rotating the gantry around the lesion of the treatment subject and rotating the treatment table that supports the treatment.

Therefore, both of them can be given a large dose as an integrated dose to the lesion site, and can be reduced to a low dose for a normal tissue by the dose dispersion effect.

However, in the former case, a large number (about 200) of cobalt 60 is used as a radiation source. Further, when cobalt 60 is used as a radiation source, it has a half-life and therefore needs to be replaced, which causes maintenance costs, management problems, and high equipment prices, which makes it difficult to spread. Further, the former gamma unit is not suitable for the thoracoabdominal part where the lesion moves due to respiration because it has a structure in which radiation concentrates on one point as described above, and is exclusively for the head. Therefore, stereotactic radiotherapy using an electron beam accelerator applicable to the whole body is expected.

The case of performing stereotactic radiotherapy with an electron beam accelerator will be outlined with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus using an electron beam accelerator. As shown in FIG. 10, the gantry 1 of the electron beam accelerator device rotates about an isocenter 4 and passes through an irradiation head 2 provided on the gantry 1 and a radiation beam (electron beam (electron beam) ) 20 is narrowed and irradiated to the lesion. Note that FIG.
In the figure, 21 is a collimator, and 22 is a treatment table.

The collimator 3 is fixed to the gantry 1, and when the size of the lesion to be irradiated changes, the collimator 3 needs to be replaced. In addition, the size of the lesion area of the stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus can be determined by X-ray CT or MRI.
Based on the medical image of the image diagnostic device, the image size is obtained by calculating an approximate value of the actual size with reference to a gauge in which the image and the actual size are associated with each other.

[0010]

In the conventional stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus described above, a collimator 3 for adjusting the diameter of the radiation beam to the size of the lesion is mounted on the irradiation head 2 of the gantry 1. When irradiating lesions of different sizes in the body to be treated, the collimator 3 must be replaced accordingly.

In the conventional stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus, the collimator 3, which is a heavy object, can only be replaced manually. For this reason, the operator such as a technician performing the treatment is labor-intensive and burdensome, and also requires a lot of time for the replacement work.

An object of the present invention is to provide a stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus in which the collimator can be quickly replaced and the working time and the labor of operators such as technicians can be shortened.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above-mentioned object is to irradiate an irradiation head with a narrow radiation beam set by a collimator for a stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus attached to the irradiation head, and focus the irradiation on a single point of the lesion. Necrosis the
This can be achieved by providing a collimator revolver capable of mounting a plurality of collimators in the irradiation head in the vicinity of the mounting portion of the collimator for stereotactic radiation therapy apparatus in the irradiation head.

Further, in addition to the collimator revolver, a desired collimator among collimators for stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus mounted on the collimator revolver is
This is achieved by providing collimator replacement means for moving, mounting or replacing the collimator mounting portion of the irradiation head for the stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus.

[0015]

In the collimator revolver, a plurality of collimators can be mounted near the mounting portion of the collimator for stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus of the irradiation head. Further, the collimator exchange means moves, attaches or replaces a desired collimator among the collimator for stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus mounted on the collimator revolver to the collimator attachment portion for stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus of the irradiation head. As a result, the collimator can be quickly replaced, which has conventionally been performed almost entirely by hand, and the working time and labor of the operator such as a technician can be shortened.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus according to the present invention, which shows a stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus provided with a mechanical collimator replacement means. 2 is shown in FIG.
1 is a side view of the mechanical replacement means of the collimator of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the collimator replacement means of FIG. 4, and FIG. 4 is a side view of a means (collimator revolver) capable of holding a plurality of collimators.
FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the collimator revolver of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing an essential part of a second embodiment of the device of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is an automatic view using a CPU. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an outline of an example of a system for exchanging a collimator, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart of control by the system.

First, the structure of the stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, 2, 4, and 20 to 22 are the same as those in FIG.

In the illustrated apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of stereotactic radiotherapy device collimators 5 (5a, 5b, 5c) are exchangeably held, and the position of the collimators 5 (5a, 5b, 5c) is controlled by a rotation control unit 6. A means (called a collimator revolver) 31 for rotating and moving in the direction of the arrow 7 by means of the irradiation head 2
The collimator 5 comprises a collimator replacement means 32 for moving, mounting or replacing the collimator 5 with respect to the collimator mounting part for the stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus of (gantry 1).

An operator such as a technician who performs treatment rotates the collimator revolver 31 to set the collimator 5 to be used at a position where the collimator replacement means 32 can take in and out. Then, the collimator replacement means 32 is operated to replace the collimator 5.

In this embodiment, the collimator changing means 32 is provided in the irradiation head 2 as shown in FIG. The collimator exchange means 32 will be described below with reference to FIGS. That is, the collimator replacement means 32 is here the collimator holder 8 that holds the collimator 5, and the drive unit 1 that moves this collimator holder 8 on the rail 9.
It is composed of 0 and rail 9.

The collimator 5 is fixed to the collimator holder 8 by a stopper 11, and the stopper 1
1 is provided with a lock means 12, and by controlling this lock means 12 by remote operation, the collimator 5 can be attached and detached.

When the collimator 5 is mounted on the collimator revolver 31, the driving unit 10 drives the collimator holder 8
Is slid on the rail 9, and the collimator 5 is carried to the collimator revolver 31.

Here, the stopper 1 of the collimator holder 8
Release 1 and collimator 5 on the revolver 31 side.
If is fixed, the collimator 5 becomes the collimator revolver 31.
Fixed to. Collimator 5 of revolver 31
When the is mounted on the irradiation head 2, the reverse operation of such operation may be performed.

Collimator revolver 31 in this embodiment
Are fixed to the ceiling 33 as shown in FIG. The collimator revolver 31 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. That is, the collimator revolver 31 is composed of the collimator loading unit 13, the rotation shaft 14, and the rotation control unit 6 here.

The collimator loading section 13 is composed of a disk centered on the rotary shaft 14 and can be loaded with four collimators 5. In this embodiment, the collimator 5 that can be loaded is used.
Is four, but more collimators 5 can be loaded by enlarging the collimator loading portion 13.

The collimator loading unit 13 is rotated about the rotation shaft 14 by the rotation control unit 6. At this time, the collimator is exchanged by controlling the rotation in conjunction with the collimator exchange means 32 attached to the irradiation head 2 and controlling the stopper 15 and the lock means 16 of the stopper 15.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this, the collimator exchange means 32 is attached to the collimator revolver 31. Drive unit 10
The rail 9b is fixed to the support rod 17. The collimator loading unit 13 is rotated about the support rod 17 by the rotation control unit 6. The control of the stopper 15 (not shown in FIG. 6) is the same as in the first embodiment.

Although FIG. 7 shows the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the collimator revolver 31 may be fixed to the floor 34, or a side wall (not shown) in the treatment room. May be fixed to.

Next, an example of automatically replacing the collimator 5 using the CPU will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 8 and the flowchart of FIG. That is, position detectors 81 and 82 such as encoders are attached to the collimator revolver 31 and the gantry 1 (irradiation head 2), respectively.

As shown in the flow chart of FIG. 9, an operator such as a technician who carries out the treatment mounts the collimator 5 used for the treatment on the collimator revolver 31 in advance, and which collimator 5 is mounted at which position of the collimator revolver 31. Information is input to the memory 83.

Then, the position of the collimator 5 is detected by the collimator position detecting means 81 provided in the collimator revolver 31. This collimator position and the memory 83
The collimator mounting information in the inside is compared by the CPU 84, the rotation angle of the collimator revolver 31 for setting the desired collimator 5 at a predetermined exchange position is determined, the rotating means 6 is operated, and the collimator revolver 31 is rotated. Align.

Further, the position of the irradiation head is detected by the position detecting means 82 of the gantry, and the position thus obtained is compared with the predetermined collimator replacement position by the CPU 84.
If they are out of alignment, the gantry rotation control unit 85 rotates the gantry 1 for alignment. When this alignment is completed, the drive unit 10 of the collimator replacement means 32 is driven. In each drawing, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the operator's time and labor burden when changing the collimator diameter (collimator) according to the size of the lesion. effective.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an outline of collimator replacement means of the same apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing an outline of collimator replacement means of the same apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an outline of a collimator revolver of the same apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing an outline of a collimator revolver of the same apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing an essential part of a second embodiment of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a system for automatically changing a collimator using a CPU in the device of the present invention.

9 is a flowchart of control of the system shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Gantry 2 Irradiation head 3 Collimator for stereotactic radiotherapy device 4 Isocenter 5 Collimator for stereotactic radiotherapy device 5a Collimator for stereotactic radiotherapy device 5b Collimator for stereotactic radiotherapy device 5c Collimator 6 for stereotactic radiotherapy device 6 Collimator revolver Rotation control unit 31 Collimator revolver 32 Collimator replacement means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A localization method in which a narrow radiation beam set by a collimator for a stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus attached to the irradiation head is intensively applied to one point of a lesion to necrotize the lesion and perform treatment. A radiotherapy apparatus, comprising a collimator revolver capable of mounting a plurality of the collimators in the vicinity of a mounting portion of the collimator for the stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus of the irradiation head. 2. A desired collimator among collimators for stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus mounted on a collimator revolver,
The stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising collimator replacement means for moving, mounting or replacing the collimator mounting portion of the irradiation head for the stereotactic radiotherapy apparatus.