Search

EP-4736942-A1 - APPARATUS FOR MEASURING RADIOTHERAPY BEAM DOSE

EP4736942A1EP 4736942 A1EP4736942 A1EP 4736942A1EP-4736942-A1

Abstract

Disclosed herein are apparatus, methods, systems, and/or computer-readable media for measuring, detecting, determining and/or monitoring radiotherapy beam dose of a radiotherapy device. The apparatus, methods, systems, and/or computer-readable media disclosed herein provide an approach that involves use of a pair of plates for generating a voltage between the pair of plates, and a beam detection volume arranged at least in part between the pair of plates.

Inventors

  • LI, PENG
  • ZHANG, ZHIQUAN
  • WANG, CHAO
  • GENG, Xingren

Assignees

  • Elekta Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251103

Claims (15)

  1. Apparatus for measuring radiotherapy beam dose, the apparatus comprising: a pair of plates for generating a voltage between the pair of plates; a beam detection volume arranged at least in part between the pair of plates; and a voltage sensor arranged on a surface of at least one of the pair of plates, wherein the voltage sensor is arranged to sense a voltage generated across at least part of the beam detection volume.
  2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage sensor is arranged towards an outer edge of the surface of the plate.
  3. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the voltage sensor comprises a potential divider and/or a plurality of resistors.
  4. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the voltage sensor is soldered to the surface of the plate.
  5. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the pair of plates, the beam detection volume, and the voltage sensor are arranged within a sealed chamber, optionally wherein the sealed chamber is sealed at least in part with at least one of: laser soldering, indium silk solder, and/or a hard solder.
  6. The apparatus of any preceding claim, further comprising: a second pair of plates for generating a voltage between the second pair of plates; a second beam detection volume arranged at least in part between the second pair of plates; and a second voltage sensor arranged on a surface of at least one of the second pair of plates, wherein the second voltage sensor is arranged to sense a voltage generated across at least part of the second beam detection volume.
  7. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the beam detection volume contains ionisable gas.
  8. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the voltage sensor comprises at least one piezoresistor and/or wherein the voltage sensor comprises at least one metal film resistor.
  9. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus further comprises a coaxial connector for transmitting signals from the voltage sensor, optionally wherein the coaxial connector comprises glass insulation.
  10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a surface of the coaxial connector comprises Kovar alloy.
  11. The apparatus of any of claims 9 to 10, wherein an interface between the coaxial connector and a body of the apparatus is sealed using a low temperature solder.
  12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the body of the apparatus comprises a sealed interface that is sealed using a high temperature solder.
  13. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the voltage sensor is arranged within the beam detection volume.
  14. A method for measuring radiotherapy beam dose, the method comprising measuring a dose of a radiotherapy beam using the apparatus of any of claims 1 to 13.
  15. A computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the method of claim 14 to be performed.

Description

This disclosure relates to apparatus, devices, systems, and approaches for radiotherapy, and in particular to apparatus, methods, and/or computer-readable media for measuring radiotherapy beam dose. Background Radiotherapy can be described as the use of ionising radiation, such as X-rays, to treat a human or animal body. Radiotherapy is commonly used to treat tumours within the body of a human or animal patient, or subject. In such treatments, ionising radiation is used to irradiate, and thus destroy or damage, cells which form part of the tumour. Radiotherapy systems are highly complex machines having a significant number of complex interacting subsystems. Many radiotherapy systems use a beam generation subsystem based on a particle accelerator such as a linear accelerator to produce a beam of ionising radiation. The measurement of beam energy or dose is important for ensuring radiotherapy is delivered accurately, effectively, and according to plan. Devices for providing such measurements must meet particular requirements set out in international standards. There is therefore a general need for improved approaches for detecting, measuring, and/or monitoring radiotherapy beam energy and/or dose in a radiotherapy system. Summary An invention is set out in the independent claims. Optional features are set out in the dependent claims. Examples will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings of which: Fig. 1 shows a radiotherapy device or apparatus;Fig. 2 shows apparatus for measuring radiotherapy beam dose according to the present disclosure;Fig. 3A shows a perspective view of apparatus for measuring radiotherapy beam dose according to the present disclosure;Fig. 3B shows another perspective view of apparatus for measuring radiotherapy beam dose according to the present disclosure;Fig. 4 shows a flowchart of a method for measuring radiotherapy beam dose according to the present disclosure;Fig. 5 shows a block diagram of one implementation of a radiotherapy system; andFig. 6 shows a computer readable medium or, more generally, a computer program product. Detailed Description Disclosed herein are systems, devices, methods and apparatuses relating to radiotherapy. With linear accelerator-based radiotherapy devices being highly complex and having many inter-related parts, the terms "system", "device", "apparatus", "subsystem", and "machine" may all be applied interchangeably to describe the radiotherapy apparatus as a whole, or collections of components of the radiotherapy apparatus. The term "apparatus" as used herein may refer to either a single apparatus or plural apparatus and should not be understood as being particularly limited to either a single discrete apparatus or a plurality of discrete apparatus unless a particular apparatus is further described as such. The term "treatment beam" is used herein, but should not be taken to always correspond to a beam of radiation that is necessarily being used for treating a patient. For example, the "treatment" beam discussed herein may be a beam of ionising radiation that is produced by a radiotherapy system during calibration, installation, and/or set-up of the radiotherapy system in the absence of any patient. Fig. 1 shows an exemplary radiotherapy (RT) system or device 100. The device 100 and its constituent components will be well known to the skilled person but is described here generally for the purpose of providing useful accompanying information for the present disclosure. The radiotherapy device 100 is based on a linear accelerator (linac). The device 100 shown in Fig. 1 combines magnetic resonance (MR) imaging capability with a linac-based radiotherapy capability, and is known as an MR-linac device. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in any radiotherapy device, for example, a linac-based radiotherapy device without magnetic resonance imaging capability. In operation, the MR scanner produces MR images of the patient, and the RT apparatus produces and shapes a beam of radiation and directs it toward a target region within a patient's body in accordance with a radiotherapy treatment plan. The MR-linac device 100 shown in Fig. 1 comprises an RF power source 102, an RF transmission apparatus 103, an acceleration waveguide 104, an electron source 106, a treatment head including a collimator 108 such as a multi-leaf collimator used to shape a treatment beam 110, MR imaging apparatus 112 (shown partially cut away), and a patient support surface 114. The RF transmission apparatus 103 comprises a waveguide component, which may be a copper waveguide. The depicted device 100 does not have the usual 'housing' which would cover the MR imaging apparatus and RT apparatus in a commercial setting such as a hospital. In use, the device 100 would also comprise the housing, part of which, together with the ring-shaped gantry, defines a bore. In particular, a part of the housing encloses the inner surface of the ring-shaped gantry, d