JP2003310604A - Medical imaging apparatus, radiotherapy apparatus and carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To keep a height of a top plate on which a test subject is placed in an image pickup position or a therapy position, constant, regardless of a carrying state of the top plate. <P>SOLUTION: This X-ray CT apparatus has a carrier 140 capable of carrying the test subject, and picks up an image of the test subject carried by the carrier 140 in the image pickup position. The X-ray CT apparatus has: the top plate 142 operating in a carrying direction with the test subject placed thereon; a laser displacement gauge 136 measuring the height of the top plate 142 in the vicinity of the image pickup position; and an elevating motor controller 135 controlling elevation operation of the carrier 140 such that the height of the top plate 142 measured by the laser displacement gauge 136 becomes constant. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an X-ray CT (Comput
erized tomography) apparatus, a medical imaging apparatus, a radiotherapy apparatus, and a system (X-ray simulator apparatus) in which the medical imaging apparatus and the radiotherapy apparatus are combined.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a medical image pickup apparatus and a radiation therapy apparatus have a carrying device for carrying a subject (patient) and carrying it to an imaging position or a treatment position.

In addition to the carrying function, the carrying device in the medical imaging apparatus and the radiotherapy apparatus has a measuring function for measuring the height and an elevating function for adjusting the height, so that the height is adjusted to an optimum height. After that, imaging or treatment can be performed.

An X-ray CT apparatus, which is a typical medical imaging apparatus, will be specifically described. The X-ray CT apparatus detects an X-ray tube that irradiates the patient with X-rays and an X-ray that passes through the patient.
A gantry having a line detector has a hollow portion, and by carrying the patient placed toward the hollow portion (this carrying direction is referred to as “Z axis direction”), The image of a predetermined part is taken.

In imaging, an X-ray generation source that generates X-rays rotates around the patient and detects X-rays transmitted through the patient at different projection angles. Then, the detected signal is processed by a computer in the operation console to obtain a tomographic plane (a plane at a slice position, that is, a slice plane).
Image (X-ray tomographic image) is obtained (reconstructed).

FIG. 8 shows an example of such an X-ray tomographic image, and shows the patient 8 placed on the top plate 804 of the carrier.
01 slice planes (802-1, 802-2, 802
-3) X-ray tomographic image (803-1, 803) reconstructed
-2, 803-3) is represented.

FIG. 9 shows the height measuring function and the height adjusting function of the carrier in such an X-ray CT apparatus. A potentiometer 904 is installed in the carrier device 901, and the height of the carrier device 901 can be measured.

[0008] Further, the operator manually instructs the ceiling plate 804 of the carrier device 901 to move up and down so as to have a desired height at the imaging position in the Z-axis direction (so that the patient's lesion is near the ISO center 920). When the input is, the elevating motor controller 903 has an elevating function capable of operating the elevating motor 902 based on the instruction.

The potentiometer measurement result (height information) at this time is displayed as height information in the reconstructed X-ray tomographic image (803).
-1).

[0010]

However, the conventional X-ray C
In a carrier device used in a medical imaging device such as a T-device, a top plate on which a patient is placed is bent due to its own weight and the weight of the patient.

Particularly, when the top plate 804 is conveyed in the Z-axis direction, the deflection becomes large as shown by the thick dotted line in FIG. 9, and as a result, the reconstructed X-ray tomographic image is actually, for example, As indicated by 808-3 in FIG. 8, the image is displaced downward (X imaged in an ideal state without bending).
As is clear from comparison between the line tomographic images 803-1 to 803-3 and the actual X-ray tomographic images 808-1 to 808-3, as the top plate 804 advances in the Z-axis direction, the X-ray tomographic images The patient's cross-section gradually shifts downward).

Therefore, in the case of the conventional X-ray CT apparatus, X
The positional relationship between the height information (potentiometer measurement result) displayed on the X-ray tomographic image and the X-ray tomographic image does not necessarily match, and based on the height information displayed on the X-ray tomographic image,
It was difficult to know the exact position of the lesion 805 in the height direction.

When it is attempted to grasp the three-dimensional shape of the lesion 805 based on X-ray tomographic images (808-1 to 808-3) on a plurality of slice planes in the Z-axis direction,
There is also a problem in that it is difficult to accurately grasp the lesion shape because the positional deviation in the height direction due to the bending of the top plate increases as it advances in the Z-axis direction.

This also applies to the delivery device in the radiation treatment apparatus. In the case of the radiation treatment apparatus, radiation is applied to the lesion at the treatment position while being delivered in the Z-axis direction. There is a problem in that the irradiation position is displaced as it moves in the Z-axis direction due to the displacement in the height direction.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and can accurately measure the height of a top plate on which a subject is placed at an imaging position or a treatment position, and the top plate can be conveyed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical imaging apparatus and a radiotherapy apparatus that include a transport device that can be controlled to keep the height constant regardless of the height.

[0016]

A medical image pickup apparatus of the present invention for solving the above problem has the following configuration.
That is, a medical imaging device that has a transport device capable of transporting a subject and images the subject transported by the transport device at an imaging position, in which the subject is placed and operated in the transport direction. And a detecting means for detecting the height of the top plate near the image pickup position, and a raising / lowering operation of the transfer device so that the height of the top plate detected by the detecting means becomes constant. And a display unit for displaying the height of the tabletop detected by the detection unit together with the imaging result of the subject.

The radiotherapy apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, a radiotherapy apparatus having a carrier device capable of carrying a subject, and performing radiation treatment of a predetermined portion of the subject carried by the carrier device at a treatment position, wherein the subject is placed, A top plate that operates in the transport direction,
The detection means detects the height of the top plate near the treatment position, and the control means controls the ascending / descending operation of the conveyor so that the detected height is constant.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A plurality of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that all the medical imaging devices in the embodiments described below are X-type.
Although the description has been made for a line CT apparatus, it is needless to say that the present invention is not specialized to this and can be applied to other medical imaging apparatuses. The same reference numerals may be used repeatedly throughout the drawings, but these indicate the same or corresponding portions.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a system configuration diagram of the X-ray CT apparatus according to the embodiment of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the X-ray CT apparatus includes a gantry 120 for detecting X-ray irradiation of a subject (patient) and X-rays transmitted through the placed subject, and a gantry 12.
Sending an instruction signal to 0 and making various settings,
Operation console 10 for reconstructing and displaying an X-ray tomographic image based on the projection data output from the gantry 120
0, and a transport device 140 that transports the subject and transports it into the gantry.

The gantry shown at 120 has the following structure including a main controller 122 for controlling the entire gantry.

Reference numeral 121 is an interface for communicating with the operation console 100, reference numeral 132 is a gantry rotating portion, and an X-ray tube 124 for generating X-rays (driving controlled by the X-ray tube controller 123) is provided inside. , The collimator 127 and the collimator 12 that define the X-ray irradiation range
7 is provided with a collimator motor 126 that adjusts the slit width that defines the X-ray irradiation range and the position of the collimator 127 on the Z axis (direction perpendicular to the drawing). The driving of the collimator motor 126 is controlled by the collimator controller 125.

The gantry rotating unit indicated by 132 also includes an X-ray detecting unit 131 for detecting X-rays transmitted through the subject, and a data collecting unit 130 for collecting projection data obtained by the X-ray detecting unit 131. . The X-ray tube 124, the collimator 127, and the X-ray detection unit 131 are located in the cavity 13 with respect to each other.
The gantry rotating part 132 is provided in a position opposed to each other with 3 in between, and the gantry rotating part 132 is rotated in a direction of an arrow 137 while maintaining the relationship. This rotation is performed by a rotation motor 129 whose rotation speed is controlled in a predetermined control cycle by a drive signal from the rotation motor controller 128.

Further, the carrier device 140 includes a top plate 142 on which a subject is actually placed and a table 1 holding the top plate 142.
The top plate 142 is driven in the Z-axis direction by the top plate motor 141 (that is, the top plate conveyance direction = Z-axis direction), and the top plate motor 141 is driven by the top plate motor controller 134. The transport speed is controlled in a predetermined control cycle based on the signal.

On the other hand, the table 143 is used for the lifting motor 1.
44 is driven vertically with the top plate 142,
The drive of the lifting motor 144 is controlled based on the drive signal from the top motor controller 135. The control amount at that time is based on the input from the laser displacement meter 136.

The main controller 122 has an I / F 12
The various instruction signals received via 1 are analyzed, and based on the analysis, the X-ray tube controller 123, the collimator controller 125, the rotary motor controller 128,
Various control signals are output to the top plate motor controller 134 and the data collection unit 130. The main controller 122 also includes a data collection unit 130.
The projection data collected in step S1 is also sent to the operation console 100 via the I / F 121.

The operation console 100 is a so-called workstation, and as shown in the figure, a RO that stores a CPU 105 that controls the entire apparatus, a boot program, and the like.
M106, RAM that functions as a main storage device (memory)
Starting with 107, the following configuration is provided.

The HDD 108 is a hard disk device in which an OS and a diagnostic program for controlling the entire X-ray CT apparatus are stored.

Further, the VRAM 101 is a memory for developing the X-ray tomographic image to be displayed, and by developing the X-ray tomographic image or the like here, the CRT 102 can display the X-ray tomographic image. Reference numerals 103 and 104 are a keyboard and a mouse for making various settings. Further, 109 is an interface for communicating with the gantry 120.

FIG. 4 shows X according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
It is a layout drawing of the apparatus relevant to the height control of the conveyance apparatus in the line CT apparatus.

In FIG. 4A, the laser displacement meter 136
Measures the height of the bottom surface of the top plate directly under the ISO center. The sensor is not limited to the laser displacement meter, and may be another non-contact type sensor or a contact type sensor. Further, the measurement position is not limited to the position directly below the ISO center.
It may be directly below the SO center.

FIG. 4B is an enlarged view around the measurement position of the laser displacement meter 136. A lesion 401 of the patient 400 is aligned so that the lesion 401 becomes the ISO center. The distance Δl from the ISO center to the top at this time becomes the target value of the height at the imaging position when the top 142 is conveyed. That is, as the top plate 142 moves in the Z-axis direction, Δl becomes constant even if the amount of bending increases.
The entire transport device 140 is raised and lowered.

FIG. 2 shows the X according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
It is an inspection processing flow in a line CT apparatus.

First, in step S201, alignment is performed. For the alignment, the patient is placed on the top plate 142, the top plate 142 is inserted up to the cavity part 133 of the gantry, and the height of the transfer device 140 is adjusted so that the inspection target part is at the center position (ISO center) of the gantry. Make adjustments.

At this time, the laser displacement meter 136 measures the distance Δl to the top plate 142. As described above, the measurement result is set as the target value in the height control of the transport device 140. That is, when the top plate 142 is transported in the Z-axis direction until the inspection target part reaches the ISO center (imaging position), the position of the transfer device 140 is adjusted so that the height position of the inspection target part becomes the ISO center. The height of the lower surface of the top plate 142 at that time is stored. This allows
It is possible to control the height of the transport device 140 so as to absorb an increase or decrease in the amount of bending that occurs when the top plate is transported in the Z-axis direction. Since the target value varies depending on the size of the patient and the part to be imaged, alignment is performed for each patient and for each part to be imaged. When the alignment is completed, the top plate 142 is temporarily returned to its original position.

Next, in step S202, the gantry 13
At the same time when the rotation of 2 is started, the conveyance of the top plate 142 is started.

When the top plate 142 starts conveying and reaches a predetermined position (when the laser displacement meter 136 catches the tip of the top plate 142), the height control is started (step S20).
4).

As shown in FIG. 4A, the laser displacement meter 136 in this embodiment is arranged at a position shifted in the Z-axis direction from immediately below the ISO center, and the laser displacement gauge 136 is placed on the lower surface of the top plate directly below the ISO center. Is obliquely irradiated to measure the height of the lower surface of the top plate immediately below the ISO center. When the laser is obliquely irradiated as described above, the top plate 142 bends,
The laser irradiation position deviates from directly under the ISO center.

However, as shown in step S204,
Since the height control is performed in real time, when the laser irradiation position deviates from directly under the ISO center, the height of the top plate 142 is recognized to be low, and the entire conveying device 140 rises to absorb the bending of the top plate 142. Therefore, the laser irradiation position is I
It will return to directly under the SO center. That is, even if the laser is obliquely irradiated, the laser irradiation position can be always kept constant, and there is no problem in measurement.

Returning to FIG. Further, when the examination target part of the patient reaches the imaging position, the examination is started (step S
204). During the continuation of the inspection, the height control of the carrier device 140 is continued, so that the height of the tabletop at the imaging position is always kept constant. In addition, on the reconstructed X-ray tomographic image,
The height information of the top plate 142 measured by the laser displacement meter 136 is displayed.

When the imaging of the part to be inspected is completed and the inspection is completed (step S205), the height control of the carrying device is ended (step S206). Further, when the rotation of the gantry is stopped and the top plate 142 returns to the original position before the start of the transportation, the transportation is completed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for controlling the height of the carrier device 140 in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The top height obtained in the above step S201 is set as a target value, and in the control unit (elevating motor controller), the measured height of the top 142 fed back from the laser displacement meter 136 is used. A desired control amount based on the difference from the target value is set to the lifting motor 1
Input to 44, so-called feedback control is performed.

As described above, the height of the tabletop at the imaging position is measured during transportation, the height of the transportation device is controlled so as to maintain a constant height, and the imaged X-ray tomographic image is obtained. By displaying the measured height of the top plate, the position of the lesion in the height direction can be accurately known.

Further, since the X-ray tomographic images of the respective sliced surfaces that have been imaged do not have positional deviations in the height direction, it is possible to accurately reproduce the lesion shape based on the X-ray tomographic images.

(Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, the height control of the carrier device in the X-ray CT apparatus has been described, but in the present embodiment, the X-ray CT apparatus and the radiotherapy apparatus are combined. The case where the present invention is applied to the transport device in the system will be described.

FIG. 5 shows an X-ray CT apparatus / radiation therapy apparatus combination system (hereinafter simply referred to as a combination system) according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In the combination system, 501
Shows a gantry of the X-ray CT apparatus, which is similar to FIG.
Reference numeral 502 denotes a radiation treatment apparatus, which conveys a patient placed on the top plate 503-1 to a treatment position 502-1 of the radiation treatment apparatus and performs radiation treatment at the position 502-1.

Like the X-ray CT apparatus, the radiation treatment apparatus 502 includes a laser displacement meter 502-3 to measure the height of the top plate 503-1 at or near the treatment position.

Reference numeral 503 denotes a transfer device shared by the X-ray CT apparatus and the radiotherapy apparatus. When inspecting the position of the lesion on the patient, the top plate 503-1 is transferred in the direction of the X-ray CT apparatus 501. When performing radiation treatment, the top plate 503
-1 is transported in the direction of the radiotherapy apparatus 502,
It is configured so as to be rotatable around the central portion 504 of the transport device.

In the combination system, the X-ray CT apparatus 5 is used.
After accurately measuring the lesion position of the patient by 01, the transport device 503 is rotated, and the lesion is treated by the radiotherapy device.

Reference numeral 505 is an elevating controller, which is an elevating motor 505-1 for elevating the conveying device 503.
Equipped with. The elevating motor 505-1 is controlled in elevating operation based on a command from the elevating controller 505.
When the lesion position is inspected by the X-ray CT apparatus 501, it is controlled based on the input from the laser displacement meter 501-1. On the other hand, when the radiation treatment is performed by the radiation treatment apparatus, it is controlled based on the input from the laser displacement meter 503-1.

FIG. 6 shows the overall processing flow in the combination system. In step S601, the X-ray C
The inspection by the T device 501 is performed, and when the inspection is completed,
Input switching is performed (step S602). The details of the inspection in step S601 are the same as those in FIG. In addition, the switching in step S602 means that when the height of the conveyor device 503 is controlled by the lifting motor controller 505, the laser displacement meter 503 receives the input from the laser displacement meter 501-1.
It means switching to the input from -1.

Next, in step S603, radiation treatment processing is performed. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the details of the radiation treatment process. In step S701, alignment is performed. Positioning is performed by placing the patient on the top plate 503-1,
The top plate is inserted up to the treatment position 502-1 of the radiation treatment apparatus, and the treatment target site is the treatment position 502-of the radiation treatment apparatus.
The height of the transport device 503 is controlled so that the height reaches 1.

At this time, the laser displacement meter 502-3 measures the distance to the top plate 503-1. The measurement result is set as a target value in the height control of the transport device 503. That is, when the top plate 503-1 is transported in the Z-axis direction until the treatment target site reaches the treatment position 502-1, the transport device 503 is arranged so that the height position of the treatment target site is the height position of the radiotherapy. Is aligned, and the height of the lower surface of the top plate 503-1 at that time is stored. This allows
It is possible to control the height of the transfer device 503 so as to absorb an increase or decrease in the amount of bending that occurs when the top plate 503-1 is transferred in the Z-axis direction. Since the target value varies depending on the size of the patient and the treatment target site, the position adjustment is performed for each patient. When the alignment is completed, the top plate 503-1 is temporarily returned to its original position.

Next, in step S702, conveyance is started. When the top plate 503-1 starts conveyance and reaches a predetermined position (when the laser displacement meter 502-3 catches the tip of the top plate 503-1), height control is started (step S7).
03).

Further, when the treatment target part of the patient reaches the treatment position, the treatment is started (step S704). Since the height control of the carrier device 503 is continued during the treatment, the height of the tabletop 503-1 at the treatment position in the Z-axis direction is always kept constant.

When the treatment of the part to be treated is completed (step S705), the height control of the carrier device 503 is finished (step S706). Further, when the top plate 503-1 returns to the original position before the transportation, the transportation is completed.

As described above, the height control of the carrier can be similarly applied to the radiotherapy in the combination system. As a result, the top plate is not displaced in the height direction, and even if the top plate moves in the Z-axis direction, the irradiation position is not displaced.

[0060]

Other Embodiments In the present embodiment, the combination system has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be used alone in the radiation therapy device.

Further, an object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium storing a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus, and to supply a computer (or CPU) of the system or apparatus.
It is needless to say that it can be achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the function of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD
-R, magnetic tape, non-volatile memory card, ROM, etc. can be used.

Moreover, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by executing the program code read by the computer, but also the OS (operating system) running on the computer based on the instructions of the program code. It is needless to say that this also includes a case where the above) performs a part or all of the actual processing and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written in the memory provided in the function expansion board inserted into the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instruction of the program code, It goes without saying that a case where the CPU or the like included in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs some or all of the actual processing and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is also included.

[0066]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In a medical imaging apparatus and a radiotherapy apparatus, the height of a top plate on which a subject is placed can be accurately measured at an imaging position or a treatment position, and the height can be kept constant regardless of the transportation state of the top plate. It becomes possible to control to keep.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of an X-ray CT apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an inspection processing flow in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for height control of a carrier device in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a layout diagram of devices related to height control of a carrier device in the X-ray CT apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an X-ray CT apparatus / radiation therapy apparatus combination system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an overall processing flow in a combination system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing details of radiation treatment processing in the combination system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an X-ray tomographic image at each slice plane of a patient placed on a top plate of a conventional transport device.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a conventional X-ray CT apparatus.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yujiro Hayashi             127, 4-7 Asahigaoka, Hino City, Tokyo             GE Yokogawa Medical System Co., Ltd.             Within F-term (reference) 4C093 AA22 CA35 ED04 FA36 FA43                       FA53 FA54

Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. A medical imaging apparatus having a transporting device capable of transporting a subject, for imaging the subject transported by the transporting device at an imaging position, wherein the subject is placed and transported. A top plate that operates in the direction, a detection unit that detects the height of the top plate in the vicinity of the imaging position, and a lift of the transfer device so that the height of the top plate detected by the detection unit becomes constant. A medical imaging apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls an operation. 2. A radiotherapy apparatus which has a carrying device capable of carrying a subject, and which carries out radiation treatment of a predetermined portion of the subject carried by the carrying device at a treatment position. Placed, and a tabletop that operates in the transport direction, a detection unit that detects the height of the tabletop in the vicinity of the treatment position, and the detection unit so that the detected height becomes constant. A radiotherapy apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls a lifting operation. 3. A carrier device capable of carrying a subject, a medical imaging device for picking up an image of the subject carried by the carrier device, and radiotherapy for a predetermined portion of the subject carried by the carrier device. A system including a radiotherapy apparatus, comprising: a table on which a subject is placed and which operates in a transport direction; a first detection unit which detects a height of the table near the imaging position; Second detecting means for detecting the height of the top plate near the position, and controlling the lifting operation of the carrying device so that the height of the top plate detected by the first detecting means becomes constant. A switching means for switching between the first control means and the second control means for controlling the raising / lowering operation of the transport device so that the height detected by the second detecting means becomes constant. And the system. 4. The medical image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls a lifting operation of the transport device while the top plate is operating. 5. The medical imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying the height of the top plate detected by the detection means together with the imaging result of the subject. 6. The radiotherapy apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls a lifting operation of the transport device while the top plate is operating. 7. The first control means controls an up-and-down operation of the transport device while the top plate is operating to image a subject, and the second control means controls the up-and-down operation. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the system controls the raising and lowering movements of the carrier device while the plate is operating for radiotherapy of a subject. 8. The system according to claim 3, further comprising display means for displaying the height of the tabletop detected by the first detection means together with the imaging result of the subject. 9. A medical imaging apparatus for imaging a subject, which is a transport device capable of transporting the subject to an imaging position, and a top plate on which the subject is placed and which operates in a transport direction, Elevating means for raising and lowering the top, receiving means for receiving a result of detection of the height of the top near the imaging position, and the received detection result of the height of the top being constant. And a control means for controlling the lifting operation of the lifting means. 10. A radiotherapy apparatus for performing radiotherapy on a predetermined region of a subject, which is a transport device capable of transporting the subject to a treatment position, wherein the subject is placed and is operated in the transport direction. A plate, elevating means for elevating and lowering the top plate, receiving means for receiving a result of detection of the height of the top plate in the vicinity of the treatment position, and a detection result of the received height of the top plate. And a control means for controlling the lifting operation of the lifting means so as to be constant. 11. A system comprising a medical imaging device for imaging a subject at a predetermined imaging position and a radiotherapy device for performing radiation treatment on the subject at a predetermined treatment position,
A transport device capable of transporting the subject to the imaging position and the treatment position, a top plate on which the subject is placed and which operates in the transport direction, and an elevating means for raising and lowering the top plate, A first receiving unit that receives a result of detecting the height of the tabletop near the imaging position; a second receiving unit that receives a result of detecting the height of the tabletop near the treatment position; First control means for controlling the lifting operation of the lifting means so that the detection result of the height of the top plate received by the first receiving means becomes constant, and the ceiling received by the second receiving means. A conveyance device comprising: a switching unit that switches between a second control unit that controls the lifting operation of the lifting unit so that the detection result of the plate height becomes constant. 12. The lifting / lowering means is controlled while the top plate is operating.
The transport device according to any one of 1. 13. A medical imaging apparatus for picking up an image of a subject, which is a control method for a carrying device capable of carrying the subject to an imaging position, the method comprising: a top plate for placing the subject and operating in a carrying direction. A receiving step of receiving a result of detecting a height near the image pickup position, and a control step of controlling an ascending / descending operation of the transport device so that the received detection result of the height of the top plate becomes constant. A control method in a transfer device, comprising: 14. A radiotherapy apparatus for performing radiotherapy on a predetermined part of a subject, which is a control method for a transport device capable of transporting the subject to a treatment position, wherein the subject is placed and operated in a transport direction. And a receiving step of receiving a result of detecting the height of the top plate near the treatment position, and controlling the raising / lowering operation of the carrier device so that the received detection result of the height of the top plate becomes constant. A control method in a carrying device, comprising: a control step. 15. A system comprising a medical imaging device for imaging a subject at a predetermined imaging position and a radiotherapy device for performing radiation treatment on the subject at a predetermined treatment position,
A control method in a transport device capable of transporting the subject to the imaging position and the treatment position, the result of detecting the height of a top plate on which the subject is placed and which operates in the transport direction in the vicinity of the imaging position. And a second receiving step of receiving a result of detecting the height of the top plate on which the subject is placed and which operates in the transport direction in the vicinity of the treatment position, and the first receiving step. A first control step of controlling the raising / lowering operation of the carrier so that the detection result of the height of the top received by the receiving step becomes constant, and a height of the top received by the second receiving step. A control method in a carrier device, comprising: a second control process for controlling the raising / lowering operation of the carrier device so that the detection result of the height becomes constant, and a switching process for switching the second control process. 16. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the control step controls an up-and-down movement of the transport device while the top plate is operating. 17. The first control step controls an up-and-down operation of the transport device while the top plate is operating to image a subject, and the second control step includes the top control operation. The lifting / lowering operation of the transport device is controlled while the plate is operating for radiotherapy of the subject.
The control method according to item 5. 18. A storage medium storing a control program for realizing the control method according to claim 13 by a computer. 19. A control program for causing a computer to implement the control method according to any one of claims 13 to 17.