The present invention relates to a multileaf collimator and a radiation therapy device, and more particularly, to a leaf structure of the multileaf collimator.
A radiation therapy device is widely used. The radiation therapy device treats an affected part by irradiating the affected part with radiation rays. In order to limit a region irradiated with radiation rays to the affected part, the radiation therapy device includes a multileaf collimator.
The multileaf collimator includes a pair of leaf assemblies disposed to face each other. Each leaf assembly includes a plurality of leaves stacked in a thickness direction. The leaf is a plate-like member formed of a material that does not transmit radiation rays. The pair of leaf assemblies are disposed such that end surfaces of the plurality of leaves belonging to one leaf assembly face end surfaces of the plurality of leaves belonging to the other leaf assembly. A passage region through which the radiation rays pass is formed between the pair of leaf assemblies.
By changing a position along a surface direction of the leaf belonging to the leaf assembly, a shape and a size of the passage region are adjusted. A shape (cross-sectional shape) of the radiation rays in a cross section perpendicular to a traveling direction and spread of the radiation rays are adjusted according to the shape and the size of the passage region.
In order to adjust the position of the leaf along the surface direction, the radiation therapy device includes a drive mechanism that moves the leaf along the surface direction. In the radiation therapy device, the position of the leaf is detected, and the position of the leaf is adjusted by the drive mechanism such that the position of the leaf is an appropriate position.
The following PTLs 1 to 3 describe multileaf collimators. PTL 1 describes the multileaf collimator in which each leaf is provided with a marker portion. The marker portion is marked with a recognition mark by paint. The marker portion is imaged after the marker portion is irradiated with illumination light, and a position of the leaf is recognized by a position of the recognition mark in a captured image. PTL 2 describes the multileaf collimator in which a reflector is provided on a leaf. Laser light is emitted toward the reflector, laser light reflected by the reflector is imaged, and a position of the leaf is recognized by a position of the reflector in a captured image. PTL 3 describes that a shape of the entire end surface is analyzed based on an image obtained by imaging the entire end surface of a leaf block (assembly), and a position of each leaf is recognized.
In recent years, treatment of irradiating a small region of an affected part with radiation rays has been performed. Therefore, it is considered that the number of leaves is increased by thinning the leaves, and the shape of the passage region can be finely adjusted. However, when the leaf is thinned, it may be difficult to form a structure for detecting the position in the leaf. For example, it may be difficult to provide the marker portion as described in PTL 1 or the reflector as described in PTL 2. In the multileaf collimator described in PTL 3, when the leaf is thinned, it may be difficult to recognize the position of each leaf when a resolution of the image obtained by imaging the entire end surface of the leaf block is insufficient.
An object of the invention is to obtain a position of each leaf with high accuracy by a configuration that is easy to be manufactured in a multileaf collimator.
A multileaf collimator according to the invention includes a plurality of leaves. A collimated end surface facing radiation rays among surrounding end surfaces of each of the leaves is configured to adjust a state of the radiation rays. A reflection surface reflecting light emitted from a light source is formed on a peripheral end surface other than the collimated end surface among the surrounding end surfaces of each of the leaves.
A radiation therapy device according to the invention includes: a radiation irradiation unit configured to emit radiation rays; and a multileaf collimator including a plurality of leaves. A collimated end surface facing the radiation rays among surrounding end surfaces of each of the leaves is configured to adjust a state of the radiation rays. A reflection surface reflecting light emitted from a light source is formed on a peripheral end surface other than the collimated end surface among the surrounding end surfaces of each of the leaves.
According to the invention, a position of each leaf can be obtained with high accuracy by a configuration that is easy to be manufactured.
An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same components shown in a plurality of drawings are denoted by the same signs, and the description thereof will be simplified. In the present specification, terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, and right indicate directions in the drawings. The terms indicating the directions do not limit postures when the components are disposed.
The radiation irradiation unit 10 includes a target that generates the radiation rays by collision of electrons, accelerates the electrons to collide with the target, and emits the radiation rays from the target. The radiation rays emitted by the radiation irradiation unit 10 pass through a passage region 1 of the multileaf collimator 102 (hereinafter, referred to as an MLC, and the MLC is omission of a multileaf collimator) and are emitted to the affected part 16. The MLC adjusts a state of the radiation rays emitted to the affected part 16, that is, a cross-sectional shape and spread of the radiation rays. By adjusting a shape and a size of the passage region 1 of the MLC, the affected part 16 is irradiated with the radiation rays having an appropriate cross-sectional shape and spread.
The MLC includes a pair of leaf assemblies 12L and 12R disposed on the left and right. Each leaf assembly includes a plurality of leaves 14 stacked in a thickness direction. That is, each leaf assembly includes a plurality of leaves 14 connected in the thickness direction with adjacent leaves 14 in contact with each other or spaced apart from each other. Each of the plurality of leaves 14 forming the leaf assembly 12R includes, at a left end, a collimated end surface a that draws a curve protruding to a left side. An upper lateral end surface b extends rightward from an upper end of the collimated end surface a, and a lower lateral end surface c extends rightward from a lower end thereof. Between a right end of the upper lateral end surface b and a right end of the lower lateral end surface c, there is a longitudinal end surface d extending in a longitudinal direction.
Here, the term “end surface” means a surface of an edge of the leaf 14. The end surface may include any of a flat surface, a curved surface, and an uneven surface. The collimated end surface a is an end surface that is an edge that prevents the radiation rays from traveling. The collimated end surface a may include a part of end surfaces extending in a lateral direction from upper and lower corners.
Each of the plurality of leaves 14 forming the leaf assembly 12L includes, at a right end, the collimated end surface a that draws a curve protruding to a right side. The upper lateral end surface b extends leftward from the upper end of the collimated end surface a, and the lower lateral end surface c extends leftward from the lower end thereof. Between a left end of the upper lateral end surface b and a left end of the lower lateral end surface c, there is the longitudinal end surface d extending in the longitudinal direction.
The irradiation nozzle 100 includes a leaf drive device (not shown) that moves each leaf 14 of each leaf assembly to the left and right, and each leaf 14 is movable to the left and right along a surface direction. In
The leaf drive device provided in the irradiation nozzle 100 detects the position of the leaf 14, and moves the leaf 14 such that the detected position approaches a target position or coincides with the target position.
The leaf drive device 104 includes a light source 20, a camera 22, an analysis unit 24, and a drive mechanism 26. A reflection surface 28 is directly formed in a region on the right end of the upper lateral end surface b of the leaf 14. The reflection surface 28 may be a region of the upper lateral end surface b of the leaf 14 on which reflection processing is directly performed. The reflection processing includes processing for reducing surface roughness, such as surface polishing or mirror finishing. In order to form the reflection surface 28, paint or the like may not be necessarily used. A guide for guiding the leaf 14 in a left and right direction may be formed on a left side of the region where the reflection surface 28 is formed. The guide is a region that is higher than the region where the reflection surface 28 is formed and extends in the left and right direction, and has a shape fitted into an engagement groove that is provided in the irradiation nozzle 100 and extends in the left and right direction. An example of a detailed structure of the guide will be described later.
The light source 20 may be a light bulb, an LED, or the like. Light emitted from the light source 20 may not necessarily be coherent light. The light source 20 emits light toward the reflection surface 28 of the leaf 14. The light emitted from the light source 20 is reflected by the reflection surface 28, and a part of the reflected light travels toward the camera 22. The camera 22 serving as a light detection unit detects light reflected by the leaf 14. That is, the camera 22 captures an image of a region including the reflection surface 28 and outputs image data to the analysis unit 24. The analysis unit 24 obtains a position of the reflected light in the image indicated by the image data. The analysis unit 24 obtains the position of the leaf 14 based on the position of the reflected light obtained for the leaf 14. The position of the leaf 14 may be represented by an x-axis coordinate value of a center of gravity of the reflection surface 28.
The drive mechanism 26 includes a position sensor (not shown) that detects the position of the leaf 14. The analysis unit 24 controls the drive mechanism 26 such that the position of the leaf 14 detected by the position sensor approaches or coincides with a predetermined target position, and causes the drive mechanism 26 to move the leaf 14. The analysis unit 24 compares the position of the leaf 14 obtained based on the position of the reflected light with the position of the leaf 14 detected by the position sensor, and determines whether there is an abnormality in an operation of the position sensor.
The upper guide 30 extends leftward from a position retracted toward the left side from an upper end of the longitudinal end surface d. The reflection surface 28 is formed in an offset region 34 between the upper end of the longitudinal end surface d and a right end of the upper guide 30. On the other hand, a right end of the lower guide 32 may be positioned at a lower end of the longitudinal end surface d.
An engagement groove into which the upper guide 30 is fitted and an engagement groove into which the lower guide 32 is fitted are formed in the irradiation nozzle 100. Each engagement groove extends in the lateral direction, and guides the leaf 14, to which a force is applied by the drive mechanism 26, in the lateral direction. Accordingly, the leaf 14 moves along the upper guide 30, the lower guide 32, and the engagement grooves formed in the upper and lower sides.
As described above, the MLC according to the present embodiment includes the plurality of leaves 14, and the reflection surface 28 that reflects the light emitted from the light source 20 is formed on a peripheral end surface, other than the collimated end surface a, among surrounding end surfaces of the leaf 14. The peripheral end surface includes the upper lateral end surface b, the lower lateral end surface c, and the longitudinal end surface d. That is, the peripheral end surface includes the longitudinal end surface d opposite to the collimated end surface a, and the upper lateral end surface b (lateral end surface) extending from one end of the longitudinal end surface d toward the collimated end surface a. The upper guide 30 that engages with the engagement groove for guiding the leaf 14 in the lateral direction is formed in the upper lateral end surface b. The upper guide 30 extends toward the collimated end surface a from a position retracted toward the collimated end surface a from a corner portion formed by the longitudinal end surface d and the upper lateral end surface b. The reflection surface 28 is formed in the offset region 34.
In the MLC according to the present embodiment, the reflection surface 28 is directly formed on the leaf 14. Accordingly, even when the leaf 14 is thin, the reflection surface 28 can be easily formed. In addition, even when the leaf 14 is thin, the reflection surface 28 that reliably reflects light is formed. Accordingly, the position of the leaf 14 is obtained with high accuracy. Further, when no paint is used for the reflection surface 28, there is no problem that a property of the paint changes over time due to radiation rays.
Leaves according to first to fourth applied embodiments are shown below. The leaf 14 according to the above embodiment may be replaced with a leaf according to each applied embodiment.
Here, the embodiment in which the leaf 40 has two reflection surfaces is shown. Three or more reflection surfaces facing different directions may be formed on the leaf. In this case, at least one of the plurality of reflection surfaces may be formed in the upper guide 30, and the rest of the plurality of reflection surfaces may be formed in the offset region 34 between the upper guide 30 and the corner portion formed by the longitudinal end surface d and the upper lateral end surface b.
As described above, since the second reflection surface 28-2 is provided in addition to the first reflection surface 28-1, even when the leaf 40 moves in a wide range, reflected light having a sufficient intensity is incident on the camera 22. Accordingly, a position of the leaf 40 is obtained with high accuracy over a wide range where the leaf 40 is positioned.
The leaf 40 according to the first applied embodiment may be modified to a structure in which the offset region 34 and the first reflection surface 28-1 are not provided. In this case, a rightmost end of the upper guide 30 coincides with the upper end of the longitudinal end surface d. That is, a sloped surface that becomes lower toward the right side and reaches the upper end of the longitudinal end surface d is formed on the right end of the upper guide 30, and the second reflection surface 28-2 is formed on the sloped surface. The light emitted from the light source 20 is reflected by the second reflection surface 28-2 and travels toward the camera 22. In this structure, since there is no offset region 34 between the longitudinal end surface d of the leaf 40 and the second reflection surface 28-2, highly accurate processing becomes easy.
In the second to fifth applied embodiments respectively shown in
According to such a configuration, the reflected light is directed to a narrow range between the camera 22 and the MLC as compared with a case where the reflection surfaces 28 of the plurality of leaves 14 are disposed flat. Accordingly, a distance between the camera 22 and the MLC is shortened, and the irradiation nozzle 100 is downsized. Alternatively, a camera having a narrow viewing angle and a large number of pixels per unit solid angle can be used.
In each of the above embodiments, the reflection surface is formed near a corner of the leaf, that is, at an end of the upper lateral end surface b. The reflection surface may be formed at an intermediate position of the upper lateral end surface b. In the leaf in each embodiment, a reflectance reducing processed surface may be formed in a region other than the reflection surface. The reflectance reducing processed surface may be a surface having a surface roughness larger than a predetermined roughness and diffusing incident light in all directions.
The reflectance reducing processed surface may be a surface covered with a material having a color such as black that hardly reflects light. For example, among the upper lateral end surface b and the longitudinal end surface d of the leaf shown in each drawing, an end surface other than the reflection surface may be the reflectance reducing processed surface. In the leaf shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2022-017085 | Feb 2022 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2023/003728 | 2/6/2023 | WO |