Radiation therapy patient couch top compatible with diagnostic imaging

摘要

A radiation therapy patient couch top which provides optimal fields of treatment in a high-energy radiation therapy environment. In addition, the patient couch top provides superior imaging qualities when used in a diagnostic imaging x-ray environment. All metal is eliminated from the treatment/imaging area. This ensures that no metal will be in the way of the radiation treatment beam and that no artifacting will occur when used with diagnostic imaging techniques such as Computed Tomography. By employing moveable fiber reinforced support beams, the main patient support structure can be positioned so that a minimum of electron generation will occur through Compton scattering. By allowing for a removable insert, the top patient surface can be optimized for treatment, diagnostic imaging or the addition of other useful features. The novel design of these inserts allows the tip end of the beams to be free from any cross members, further improving the imaging and treatment qualities of the resulting patient couch top. Further, a CT simulator insert is provided which provides the same dosimetric properties for the patient couchtop and devices during patient treatment planning.

主权项

1. A radiation therapy patient couch top with one or more removable components comprising:
a frame comprising two or more moveable radiolucent beams that extend into a treatment/imaging area and move laterally on only one linear bearing way, wherein the only one linear bearing way runs transverse to the radiolucent beams, and wherein the beams are free from a connecting element that span and connect the beams in the treatment/imaging area; and a patient supporting radiolucent insert that can be secured accurately and repeatably to the frame; wherein the insert attaches to the frame and rests on the beams, wherein the beams can freely move laterally beneath the insert with and without the insert supporting a patient, and wherein a bottom surface of the insert comprises a low friction surface in contact with top surfaces of the beams such that the radiolucent beams are movable without moving the patient supported by the radiation therapy patient couch top.