Patent Number: 051665310
Section: claims

1. A multileaf collimator for use in a radiation system including a radiation source, said collimator having a plurality of elongated leaves, each leaf being movable in a longitudinal direction, and each terminating in a leaf end extending in a direction generally transverse to said longitudinal direction, said leaf end defining a central portion having one of a curved and polygonal configuration and a generally flat end portion. 2. The multileaf collimator of claim 1 wherein said leaf end includes an axis of symmetry offset distal from the longitudinal leaf axis with respect to the radiation source. 3. The multileaf collimator of claim 1 wherein said generally flat end portion comprises a flat end portion disposed on each radial end of said central portion. 4. The multileaf collimator of claim 1 wherein the radiation system includes a radiation source having a central axis for producing a therapeutic radiation field and wherein each said leaf is movable transversely with respect to said central axis of said radiation source from a fully retracted position to a fully extended position beyond said central axis in order to control the size and shape of said field in accordance with the positions of said leaves. 5. The multileaf collimator of claim 4 wherein said flat end portion comprises a first flat end portion coinciding with a tangent extending from the edge of said radiation source to said leaf end when said leaf end is disposed at said fully retracted position, and a second flat end portion coinciding with a tangent extending from the edge of said radiation source to said leaf end when said leaf end is disposed at said fully extended position. 6. The multileaf collimator of claim 5 wherein said central and flat portions of said leaf end extend in a direction generally parallel to said central axis. 7. The multileaf collimator of claim 6 wherein said first flat end portion is disposed proximate said radiation source and wherein said second flat end portion is disposed distal from said radiation source. 8. The multileaf collimator of claim 1 wherein said central portion comprises a curve of simple radius. 9. The multileaf collimator of claim 8 wherein said simple radius is symmetric about a point offset distal from the longitudinal axis of each leaf. 10. A multileaf collimator for use in a radiation system having a radiation source, said collimator having a plurality of elongated leaves, each leaf being movable in a longitudinal direction and terminating in a leaf end extending in a direction generally transverse to said longitudinal direction, each leaf end being symmetric about a point offset distally from the radiation source with respect to a centerline of the respective elongated leaf. 11. The collimator as defined in claim 10 wherein said point is located on the respective leaf. 12. The collimator as defined in claim 10 wherein each leaf is movable between a fully retracted mode and a fully extended mode, each leaf end comprising a central portion and a first flat zone formed in the proximal region of said leaf end, said first flat zone coinciding with a first tangent line extending from the edge of the source to said leading leaf end with the corresponding leaf in the fully extended mode. 13. The collimator as defined in claim 12 further comprising a second flat zone formed in the distal region of said leaf end, said second flat zone coinciding with a second tangent line extending from the edge of the source to said leading leaf end with the corresponding leaf in the fully retracted mode. 14. The collimator as defined in claim 13 wherein said central portion comprises a curved configuration. 15. The collimator as defined in claim 13 wherein said central portion comprises a polygonal configuration. 16. A multi-leaf collimator for use with a ray source defining a source axis, said collimator comprising a plurality of longitudinally elongated leaves arranged in a side-by-side array, each leaf terminating in a leading leaf end, each leaf being movable transversely with respect to a central axis generally parallel to said source axis, between a fully retracted mode and a fully extended mode, each leading end defining first and second generally flat zones separated by an intermediate zone generally continuous with said flat zones, one of said flat zones substantially coinciding with a first tangent line extending from a position on said central axis to said leading leaf end with the corresponding leaf in said fully retracted mode, the other of said flat zones substantially coinciding with a second tangent line extending from said central axis to said leaf end with said corresponding leaf in said fully extended mode. 17. The collimator of claim 16 in which said intermediate zone is generally curved in profile. 18. The collimator of claim 16 in which said intermediate zone is generally polygonal in profile. 19. The collimator of claim 16 in which said collimator is arranged in two of said arrays with the leading ends of each array facing the other in opposed relationship on opposite sides of said central axis. 20. In a radiation therapy system including a ray source for producing a radiation field, the improvement comprising a multileaf collimator having a plurality of elongated leaves, each leaf being movable in a longitudinal direction to define a treatment field out of said radiation field which is variable in size and form dependent on the position of said leaves, each leaf including a leaf end extending in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction, said leaf end having a central portion being symmetric about a point offset from a longitudinal centerline of said respective leaf. 21. The improvement of claim 20 further comprising a pair of straight end portions disposed on either side of said central portion and being continuous therewith. 22. The improvement of claim 20 in which said ray source defines a central axis, and in which each said leaf is movable transversely beyond a central axis coincident with said central axis of said ray source from a retracted position to an extended position intersecting said central axis, one of said straight end portions coinciding with a tangent line extending from the edge of said ray source to said leaf end when said leaf is disposed at said retracted position, and the other straight end portion coinciding with a tangent line extending from the edge of said ray source to said leaf end when said leaf end is disposed at said extended position. 23. The improvement of claim 22 wherein said leaves are movable to define a plurality of treatment fields simultaneously. 24. The improvement of claim 20 wherein said central portion includes one of a curved and polygonal configuration. 25. The improvement of claim 24 wherein the curvature of said central portion comprises a simple arc. 26. The improvement of claim 25 wherein said simple arc comprises a radius or polygon having a center point offset from the longitudinal center of said leaf. 27. The improvement of claim 20 wherein said plurality of leaves is arranged in a side-by-side array and wherein the configuration of each leaf end is determined by the position of each respective leaf in said array. 28. A leaf for use in a multileaf collimator, said leaf comprising an elongated body and a leaf end, said leaf end comprising a first planar end portion and a second planar end portion and a central portion having one of a curved and polygonal configuration, said central portion disposed between said first and second planar portions such that said first planar end portion and said second planar end portion are not colinear. 29. The leaf of claim 28 wherein said leaf is movable in a longitudinal direction between a first and second position, wherein said first planar end portion coincides with a tangent extending from the edge of a radiation source spaced from the leaf to a reference plane when said leaf is disposed at said first position and wherein said second planar end portion coincides with a tangent extending from the edge of said radiation source to said reference plane when said leaf is disposed in said second position. 30. A radiation therapy system comprising an x-ray source for producing a therapeutic radiation field having a central axis, a multileaf collimator having a plurality of elongated leaves movable about a central axis parallel to said central axis of said x-ray source to define said radiation field, each leaf being independently movable from a fully retracted position disposed on a first side of said central axis to a fully extended position extending beyond said central axis, each said leaf including a leaf end extending in a direction generally parallel to said central axis and comprising: a central non-linear portion defined by a simple radius symmetric about a point offset distally from the longitudinal axis of the leaf;  a first planar end portion disposed proximate said x-ray source and coinciding with a tangent extending from the edge of said x-ray source to said leaf end when said leaf end is disposed at said fully extended position; and  a second planar end portion disposed distal from said x-ray source and coinciding with a tangent extending from the edge of said x-ray source to said leaf end when said leaf end is disposed at said fully retracted position.