SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REAL TIME TRACKING OF TARGETS IN RADIATION THERAPY AND OTHER MEDICAL APPLICATIONS

摘要

Systems and methods for tracking targets in real time for radiation therapy and other applications. In one embodiment, a method includes collecting position information of a marker implanted within a patient at a site relative to the target at a time t_n, and providing an objective output indicative of the location of the target based on the position information collected at time t_n. The objective output is provided to a memory device, user interface, and/or radiation delivery machine within 1 ms to 2 seconds of the time t_n when the position information was collected. This embodiment of the method can further include providing the objective output at a periodicity of 10-200 ms during at least a portion of a treatment procedure. For example, the method can further include generating a beam of ionizing radiation and directing the beam to a machine isocenter, and continuously repeating the collecting procedure and the providing procedure every 10-200 ms while irradiating the patient with the ionizing radiation beam.