JP2018122013A - Treatment table - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a treatment table that realizes a low top plate height for loading a patient, and a wide positioning movable range.SOLUTION: A treatment table comprises a top plate, a second arm that supports the top plate, a first arm that supports the second arm, and a turning mechanism that can turn the second arm with respect to the first arm. Fitting portions of the first arm and the second arm are inclined.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a treatment table, and more particularly to a treatment table suitable for a radiation treatment apparatus having a rotating gantry capable of irradiating a beam around a patient at an arbitrary angle.

  In recent years, attention has been focused on particle beams (for example, proton beams) that can be treated without damaging normal cells relatively in radiation cancer treatment.

  In order to irradiate a patient with a beam at an arbitrary angle, a rotating gantry capable of rotating a beam irradiation port (irradiation nozzle) by 360 ° is used in the particle beam therapy system.

  A reference point for beam irradiation called an isocenter is located in front of the irradiation nozzle on the central axis of the rotating gantry.

A treatment table on which the patient is placed is placed in the opening of the rotating gantry and holds the patient in a cantilevered manner for isocenter treatment.
An example of a treatment table for radiation therapy using this particle beam is described in Patent Document 1. The radiotherapy treatment table rotates around the vertical axis on a total of three axes of translation mechanism: the vertical Z axis, the Y axis parallel to the gantry rotation axis, and the X axis perpendicular to the Z / Y axis. Rotating shaft (hereinafter referred to as the θ axis).

  Moreover, the robot arm type treatment table is described in Patent Documents 2 to 5.

JP-A-11-313900 Japanese Patent No. 4948415 JP 2016-116805 JP US Patent 8745789 US Patent No. 9199372

  The treatment table for radiation therapy has a problem that the top plate can be lowered when getting on and off so that even a patient using a wheelchair can get on and off without inconvenience.

  The treatment table described in Patent Document 1 cannot reduce the “top plate height” because the thickness of the first arm is between the floor and the top plate.

  Further, the treatment table described in Patent Document 2 can lower the top plate by providing a total of two or more shafts that rotate in the vertical direction near the base of the robot arm in addition to the wrist. However, it is difficult to improve the positioning accuracy required for radiotherapy as the number of axes driven in the vertical rotation increases because the top of the robot arm supports a heavy top plate on which the patient can get on and off in the form of a cantilever. .

  Further, the treatment table described in Patent Document 3 can lower the top plate by allowing the first arm to be stored under the floor, but there is a problem that the structure of the floor surface is complicated.

In order to solve the above problems, for example, the configuration described in the claims is adopted.
The present invention includes a plurality of means for solving the above-described problems. For example, the top plate, the second arm that supports the top plate, and the first arm that supports the second arm. And a pivoting mechanism capable of pivoting the second arm with respect to the first arm, wherein attachment portions of the first arm and the second arm are inclined. To do.

  According to the treatment table of the present embodiment, at least one of the effects of high positioning accuracy, low top plate height for loading a patient, and a wide positioning movable range can be achieved without using a complicated structure. Can do.

Schematic diagram of particle beam irradiation equipment Schematic of the treatment table of Embodiment 1 Positioning transition diagram of treatment table 101 Positioning transition diagram of treatment table 102 Transition diagram of isotopic rotation operation of treatment table of embodiment 1 Schematic of the treatment table of Embodiment 2

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  A particle beam irradiation apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1A is a view as seen from the gantry rotation axis direction, and FIG. 1B is a view as seen from the horizontal direction.

  The particle beam irradiation apparatus 1 includes an accelerator (not shown) that generates a charged particle beam, a transport system 2, an irradiation nozzle 3 that is a charged particle beam irradiation port, and an irradiation nozzle 3 attached around the patient 360. ° A rotatable gantry 4 is provided. The rotating gantry 4 is loaded with an electromagnet 41 for bending a charged particle beam obtained by accelerating charged particles generated by an ion source (not shown) with an accelerator (not shown) such as a synchrotron. The irradiation nozzle 3 can form the carried beam into a shape necessary for treatment (the shape of the affected part). The rotating gantry 4 can move the irradiation nozzle 3 around the patient 5 to any angle of 360 °. The patient 5 is placed on the top plate 61 on the treatment table 6. The treatment table 6 can move so that the affected part of the patient 5 is at the isocenter 9 position.

  Further, there is a treatment table control device 81 connected to and controlled by the treatment table 6 and a rotation gantry control device 82 connected and controlled by the rotation gantry 4, and an overall control connected to the treatment table control device 81 and the rotation gantry control device 82. A device 83 is provided.

  The treatment table of this embodiment is demonstrated using FIG.

The drive unit of the treatment table 6 includes, in order from the bottom, a Z-axis drive mechanism 71, a first arm turning mechanism 72, a second arm turning mechanism 73, and a pitch / roll / yaw rotation mechanism 74 for the robot wrist.
The Z-axis drive mechanism 71 is a drive shaft that allows the support column 64 (a part of the Z-axis drive mechanism 71) to move in the direction of gravity. It consists of a linear drive mechanism using a linear guide and a ball screw. The first arm turning mechanism 72 and the second arm turning mechanism 73 are rotation mechanisms using a reduction gear with little backlash.

  The first arm 63 pivots horizontally with respect to the support column 64. The attachment portion of the second arm 62 is attached to be inclined at the tip portion of the first arm 63. That is, the first arm 63 and the second arm 62 are inclined with respect to the floor surface. Specifically, the first arm 63 has a tapered shape. The mounting surface of the first arm 63 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and the second arm 62 connected thereto is parallel to the upper surface of the first arm 63 and is inclined with respect to the floor surface. Connected to the arm 63. In other words, the axis of the second arm turning mechanism 73 that connects the first arm 63 and the second arm 62 is inclined from a direction perpendicular to the floor surface.

  The amount of inclination (angle) is determined so that the gap between the tip of the second arm (top plate support portion) and the floor becomes small in a state where the first arm 63 and the second arm 62 are arranged straight. Specifically, the lowermost point of the second arm 62 is inclined so as to be smaller than the thickness of the first arm 63.

  FIG. 2A shows a state in which the support 64 is lowered and the lower surface of the first arm 63 is close to the floor surface, the tip of the second arm 62 is close to the floor surface, and the height of the top plate is the lowest. It is a figure at the time of setting.

  2A, 2B, and 2C show a structural comparison between the treatment table 6 of this embodiment and the treatment table 101 and the treatment table 102 having other structures.

  The treatment table 101 has a structure in which a first arm is mounted on a Z-axis drive mechanism and a second arm is mounted on the first arm. The first arm and the second arm are mounted horizontally, and the wrist portion cannot be set to the floor level because of the thickness of the first arm.

  The treatment table 102 has a structure in which the first arm is mounted on the Z-axis drive mechanism, and the second arm is mounted below the first arm. Since the 1st arm is arrange | positioned above the 2nd arm, compared with the treatment table 101, a wrist part can be set low to the floor surface limit.

  FIGS. 3 and 4 show positioning transition diagrams on the treatment table 101 and the treatment table 102, respectively.

  Since the second arm is arranged on the first arm, the treatment table 101 does not interfere with each other, and can be positioned anywhere as long as the arm reaches within the horizontal plane.

  On the other hand, in the treatment table 102, the second arm, the top plate, the wrist portion, and the like interfere with the Z-axis driving device, and there is a limitation in positioning in the horizontal plane.

  In the medical particle beam irradiation apparatus, the treatment table is required to rotate around the isocenter 9 according to a treatment plan. An operation method of rotating around the isocenter 9 while fixing the affected part to be irradiated at the same point on the coordinates is called isocentric rotation. FIG. 5 shows an example of an isocentric rotation operation of the treatment table 6 in this embodiment. 5A to 5E are views of the treatment table 6 viewed from above, and FIGS. 5F to 5J are views of the treatment table 6 viewed from the horizontal direction.

  In the treatment table 6 of the present embodiment, since the connection portion of the first arm 63 and the second arm 62 is always inclined, the first arm 63 and the first arm 63 are controlled by the treatment table control device 81 during the isocentric rotation. In accordance with the positioning posture of the two arms 62, the Z-axis drive mechanism 71 and the pitch / roll / yaw rotation mechanism 74 of the top plate support portion are driven in conjunction with each other. Specifically, when controlling the tip of the second arm 62 or the base of the top plate to approach the base of the first arm 63 or the column 64, the column 64 is simultaneously lowered by the Z-axis drive mechanism 71. Control. Conversely, when the tip of the second arm 62 or the base of the top plate is controlled so as to be separated from the base of the first arm 63 or the support column 64, the Z-axis drive mechanism 71 is simultaneously controlled to raise the support column 64. . Thus, the height of the top plate is controlled to be kept constant. When the amount of tilt is not so large, the amount of movement of the Z-axis drive mechanism is also small. When tilted about 6 degrees as shown in FIG. 5, the amount of interlocking movement in the Z-axis direction is small.

  In the treatment table of the present invention, the top plate can be lowered to the lowest position when the first arm and the second arm are arranged straight (the state shown in FIG. 2 (a)). The user positions and uses the arm in this state for a patient whose top plate height must be lowered to the lowest level. On the other hand, when positioning at the treatment position (when positioning at the isocenter), the top plate can be positioned at an arbitrary position and height as shown in FIG.

  The treatment table 6 of the present embodiment does not have a vertical rotation drive unit in the inter-arm connection unit, and more desirably does not have a vertical rotation drive unit between the robot arm base and the inclined unit, More preferably, by not having a vertical rotation drive unit other than the wrist of the robot arm, the robot arm is resistant to the load at the tip of the robot arm, and positioning accuracy can be improved.

  According to the treatment table of this embodiment, with the same structure, the user can selectively use positioning for patient loading and positioning for treatment, which was not possible with the treatment tables 101 and 102. (1) Low for patient loading The top plate height and (2) wide positioning movable range can be achieved at the same time.

  The treatment table of the present embodiment is particularly suitable as a radiotherapy application that requires high positioning accuracy and a wide movable range, but is not limited thereto.

  A description of the same parts as those in the above embodiment will be omitted.

  FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the treatment table 103 of the present embodiment. The treatment table 103 of the present embodiment includes a column 201 that moves in the Z-axis direction, a first arm 203, a second arm 205, a turning mechanism 202 between the column 201 and the first arm 203, a first arm 203, and a first arm 203. A pivot mechanism 204 between the two arms 205 is provided.

  In the present embodiment treatment table 103, the turning mechanism 202 for turning the first arm 203 is inclined from a direction perpendicular to the floor surface, and the first arm 203 is inclined.

  Thereby, when the treatment table is lowered in the Z-axis direction for getting on and off the patient, the wrist portion which is the tip of the second arm can be brought close to the floor surface, and the top plate can be lowered.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Particle beam irradiation apparatus 3 Irradiation nozzle 4 Rotating gantry 6 Treatment table 9 Isocenter 81 Treatment table control apparatus

Claims (10)

With the top plate,
A second arm that supports the top plate;
A first arm that supports the second arm;
A turning mechanism capable of turning the second arm with respect to the first arm;
A treatment table, wherein attachment portions of the first arm and the second arm are inclined. The treatment table according to claim 1,
A treatment table, wherein a turning axis of the turning mechanism is inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to a floor surface. The treatment table according to claim 1,
The treatment table according to claim 1, wherein attachment surfaces of the first arm and the second arm are inclined with respect to a plane parallel to a floor surface. The treatment table according to claim 1,
The treatment table, wherein a height of the lowest point of the second arm from the floor surface is smaller than a thickness of the first arm. The treatment table according to claim 1,
A Z-axis drive mechanism that supports the second arm;
A treatment table control device for controlling the treatment table;
When the control device performs an isocentric rotation, when controlling so that the tip of the first arm or the base of the top plate approaches the root of the second arm or the Z-axis drive mechanism, A treatment table, wherein the Z-axis drive mechanism is controlled to be low. The treatment table according to claim 1,
The treatment table, wherein the second arm has a tapered shape. The treatment table according to claim 1,
The treatment table, wherein the second arm is installed on the first arm. With the top plate,
A second arm that supports the top plate;
A first arm that supports the second arm;
A Z-axis drive mechanism that supports the second arm and drives in the Z-axis direction;
A rotation mechanism capable of rotating the top plate in pitch, roll, and yaw with respect to the first arm;
A first turning mechanism capable of turning the second arm with respect to the first arm;
A second turning mechanism for turning the second arm with respect to the Z-axis drive mechanism,
A treatment table, wherein attachment portions of the first arm and the second arm are inclined. With the top plate,
At least one arm for supporting the top plate;
A Z-axis drive mechanism that supports the arm and drives in the Z-axis direction;
A turning mechanism for turning the arm with respect to the Z-axis drive mechanism,
The treatment table, wherein the arm and the attachment portion of the Z-axis drive mechanism are inclined with respect to the floor surface. The treatment table according to claim 1, 8 to 9,
An accelerator,
A radiation irradiation apparatus having an irradiation nozzle.

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