Patent Application
20240024703
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates to the field of radiological imaging equipment, more specifically, a modular jig system for use with calibration phantoms.
A calibration phantom is a radiological imaging test object that may be placed inside of a radiation treatment vault for purposes of quality control, equipment calibration, dosimetry, and education. A medical physicist may enter the vault, position a calibration phantom, exit the vault, and perform a measurement on the calibration phantom. These steps may be repeated to image multiple, different calibration phantoms. Each iteration consumes valuable time and reduces the availability of the medical imaging system.
Certain illustrative embodiments illustrating organization and method of operation, together with objects and advantages may be best understood by reference to the detailed description that follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure of such embodiments is to be considered as an example of the principles and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described. In the description below, like reference numerals are used to describe the same, similar or corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings.
The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality”, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another”, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having”, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled”, as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.
Reference throughout this document to “one embodiment”, “certain embodiments”, “an embodiment” or similar terms means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments without limitation.
The modular jig system (hereinafter invention) may comprise a plurality of carrier jigs and an adapter jig. The plurality of carrier jigs may be operable to support and orient calibration phantoms on a treatment couch within a radiation oncology treatment vault. An individual carrier jig selected from the plurality of carrier jigs may be used to support one calibration phantom at a time. The plurality of carrier jigs may be interconnected to place and orient multiple calibration phantoms. The adapter jig may be operable to position the calibration phantoms at fixed reference locations relative to the treatment couch. The treatment couch may be positioned to image one of the calibration phantoms and the treatment couch may be repositioned such that each of the calibration phantoms may be imaged.
As a non-limiting example, the calibration phantoms may be objects of known density that may be used in medical imaging systems for quality control, equipment calibration, dosimetry, and education. The plurality of carrier jigs may enable medical physicists to configure and set up multiple calibration phantoms inside the radiation oncology treatment vault at one time, obviating the need to enter the radiation oncology treatment vault to position the calibration phantom, exit the radiation oncology treatment vault to initiate a measurement, and re-enter the radiation oncology treatment vault to remove a previous calibration phantom and reconfigure for a next calibration phantom. Use of the plurality of carrier jigs may save the medical physicists time and may make the medical imaging system more available for use with patients.
An individual carrier jig may be selected from the plurality of carrier jigs to comprise a base. This carrier jig may also have one or more jig-to-jig interfaces and one or more positioning elements to assist in the positioning of a calibration phantom within each carrier jig. The carrier jig forming the base may be the lowest portion of the individual carrier jig. The base, consisting of the bottom portion of the carrier jig, may contact the treatment couch when the individual carrier jig is in use. The base may stably support the individual carrier jig and the calibration phantom held securely within the individual carrier jig while in contact with the treatment couch.
The jig-to-jig interface may be configured to couple a first jig to a second jig. The first jig may be the individual carrier jig. The second jig may be selected from the plurality of carrier jigs and the adapter jig.
In some embodiments, the individual carrier jig may comprise two of the jig-to-jig interfaces such that the individual carrier jig may be operable to couple to two other jigs that are positioned on opposite sides of the individual carrier jig. The two other jigs may be selected from the plurality of carrier jigs and the adapter jig.
The jig-to-jig interfaces may define the longitudinal ends of the base. The plurality of carrier jigs may be daisy chained longitudinally along the treatment couch by interconnecting the jig-to-jig interfaces.
The jig-to-jig interface may be a coupler that mates with a corresponding coupler on another jig. As a non-limiting example, the jig-to-jig interface may be a dovetail mechanical connection such that a dovetail notch on the first jig engages a dovetail tab on the second jig to prevent the first jig and the second jig from separating. The dovetail notch may engage the dovetail tab when the dovetail tab of the second jig is lowered onto the dovetail notch of the first jig while aligning the dovetail notch and the dovetail tab, or vice versa.
The dovetail notch may be a cutout on the base that may have the shape of an isosceles trapezoid when viewed from above. The dovetail tab may be an extension of the base that may have the shape of an isosceles trapezoid when viewed from above. The dovetail notch and the dovetail tab may comprise compatible sizes such that the dovetail tab fits into the dovetail notch without requiring excessive force and without creating excessive gaps. When the dovetail notch on the first jig engages the dovetail tab on the second jig, the first jig and the second jig may not be separated except by lifting the first jig or the second jig.
The one or more positioning assistants may be mechanical features of the individual carrier jig that may be configured to support and orient the calibration phantoms. As non-limiting examples, the one or more positioning assistants may comprise physical notches, channels, apertures, tabs, armatures, dividers, or depressions that may mate with one or more features of the calibration phantoms. In some embodiments, the individual carrier jig may comprise the one or more positioning assistants that are adapted for a single calibration phantom. In some embodiments, the individual carrier jig may comprise the one or more positioning assistants that are adapted for use with one or more calibration phantoms at different times.
The plurality of carrier jigs may be made from material that is radiolucent such that the plurality of carrier jigs do not interfere with the radiological measurements of the calibration phantoms.
The plurality of carrier jigs may comprise a multi-phantom jig. The multi-phantom jig may be operable to support one calibration phantom selected from multiple calibration phantoms. The multiple calibration phantoms may be manufactured by multiple vendors. The multi-phantom jig may be operable to support calibration phantoms of various heights and widths. As non-limiting examples, the one calibration phantom supported by the multi-phantom jig may be a horizontally-oriented square plate, a cube, or a rectangular prism.
The one or more positioning assistants of the multi-phantom jig may comprise a plurality of side walls, a plurality of corner supports, and one or more central depressions. The one or more positioning assistants of the multi-phantom jig may be operable to center the individual carrier jig and/or to prevent the individual carrier jig from sliding off of the multi-phantom jig.
The plurality of carrier jigs may comprise an angled jig. The angled jig may be operable to support calibration phantoms that require being held in a vertical orientation. As non-limiting examples, the calibration phantom supported by the angled jig may be a disk or square plates of various thicknesses.
The one or more positioning assistants of the angled jig may comprise a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface. The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface may be oriented longitudinally such that the one or more positioning assistants are lowest at the center of the angled jig and increase in height moving longitudinally in either direction. In some embodiments, the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface may form a 90-degree angle such that the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface may be operable to support a square phantom in a vertical orientation.
The first inclined surface may comprise a first curved groove and the second inclined surface may comprise a second curved groove. The first curved groove and the second curved groove may be longitudinally-oriented and centered within the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface, respectively. The first curved groove and the second curved groove may be operable to support a round phantom in a vertical orientation.
The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface may comprise slide stops. The slide stops may be upward projections of the edges of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface that may prevent the calibration phantom from sliding laterally.
The plurality of carrier jigs may comprise a Computed Tomography (CT) phantom jig. The CT phantom jig may be operable to support horizontally-oriented cylindrical calibration phantoms. As non-limiting examples, the cylindrical phantom may comprise a plurality of internal components that may vary in density. The one or more positioning assistants of the CT phantom jig may comprise a vertical support wall. The vertical support wall may be operable to support the calibration phantom via axial hooks located on the cylindrical calibration phantom. In some embodiments, the vertical support wall may comprise a centering stub that may be operable to prevent the calibration phantom from sliding off of the CT phantom jig laterally.
The adapter jig may be operable to fix the location of the plurality of carrier jigs on the treatment couch. Specifically, the adapter jig may comprise an index bar coupler located on the underside of the base of the adapter jig. The index bar coupler may be a laterally-oriented notch that is sized to engage an index bar of the treatment couch. The index bar may be a physical landmark that may be coupled to the treatment couch and may be operable to position the patient and immobilization devices. The index bar may comprise feet on each end of the index bar. The feet may engage positioning cutouts located on the sides of the treatment couch such that the index bar may be positioned laterally across the treatment couch at one of a number of predetermined positions along the length of the treatment couch.
With the index bar in place laterally across the treatment couch, the adapter jig may be placed on top of the index bar such that the index bar coupler straddles the index bar and prevents the adapter jig from shifting longitudinally along the treatment couch.
The adapter jig may comprise a handle that may rise from the center of the adapter jig. The handle may be adapted to be grasped by the medical physicist such that the adapter jig may be lifted or repositioned.
The advantages of the invention are numerous and may comprise:
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While certain illustrative embodiments have been described, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, permutations and variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description.
