Abstract:
A medical radiation device, including a main frame, and a radiation assembly and an imaging assembly respectively located at an end of the main frame. After an imaging scan is completed and diseased tissue positioning images are taken, a patient is directly moved to the other end of the main frame to allow the radiation assembly to perform a radiation treatment to improve the efficiency of the radiation treatment after the completion of diseased tissue positioning, and effectively reduce movement of the patient when the patient is being moved for radiation treatment after the imaging assembly completes diseased tissue positioning, thus reducing a positioning error of the diseased tissue caused by too much movement.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority of Patent Application No. 201320718512.2 entitled “Medical Radiation Apparatus” and filed before the State Intellectual Property Office on Nov. 14, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present application relates to the mechanical field, and more particularly, relates to a medical radiation apparatus. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Radiation therapy is a therapeutic method using radiation rays, such as α, β, or γ rays generated by radioactive isotopes, or using X-rays, electron rays, proton rays or other particles generated by various X-ray radiotherapy apparatuses, to impinge diseased tissues of a body. In modern medical therapeutic methods, radiation therapy is widely used in fields such as tumor therapy, etc. 
         [0004]    For example, a medical linear accelerator system is a commonly used particle accelerating apparatus for radiation therapy. A medical linear accelerator includes a treatment head in which a radiation source is arranged for irradiating a diseased tissue. 
         [0005]    Besides a series of components such as an accelerating tube, an electron gun, movable targets, a magnet-deflection system, a collimator, a flattening filter, etc., the treatment head further includes a high-density shielding layer made of lead for preventing extra radiation rays emitted from the radiation source from irradiating a body during an operation of the linear accelerator, and thus the treatment head has a large mass. The linear accelerator is also provided with counterbalance weights to offset the overturning torque of the treatment head, and thus the volume of an existing linear accelerator is large, which results in troubles for installation, transport, calibration, and maintenance thereof 
         [0006]    Additionally, during a radiation therapy, besides the linear accelerator generating radiation rays, an imaging apparatus, such as a computed tomography (CT) scanner, is also needed to cooperate with the linear accelerator to position the diseased tissue of a body. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, during a radiation therapy, the diseased tissue of a patient needs to be positioned via the CT, and then the patient is moved to the linear accelerator to receive the radiation therapy to the diseased tissue, since both the linear accelerator and the CT scanner have large volumes, the distance the patient needs to be moved is large, and the course of the movement is complicated, which easily results in errors in positioning. 
         [0008]    Therefore, the problems need to be solved by one person skilled in the art are how to reduce the complexity of a treatment course, to improve the efficacy of a radiation therapy, and to reduce positioning errors during positioning a diseased tissue and irradiating the diseased tissue. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    A medical radiation apparatus is provided by the present disclosure to reduce complexity of a treatment course of a radiation therapy and thus improve the efficacy of the treatment, and to reduce positioning errors during positioning a diseased tissue and performing the radiation treatment on the diseased tissue. 
         [0010]    In order to solve the above problems, the medical radiation apparatus provided by the present disclosure includes: a main frame, and a CT assembly and a radiation assembly respectively positioned on an end of the main frame along a first axial direction; the radiation assembly includes a treatment head, rotatable around the first axial direction, for emitting radiation rays; the CT assembly includes a ray tube and a detector that are in an opposing arrangement and respectively positioned on one side of the first axial direction and rotatable around the first axial direction. 
         [0011]    Alternatively, the main frame includes a cylindrical body defining openings on both ends thereof, the first axial direction being a central axis of the cylindrical body; the treatment head is fixed onto one end of the cylindrical body, and the CT assembly is positioned on the other end of the cylindrical body. 
         [0012]    Alternatively, the ray tube and the detector of the CT assembly are fixed onto an inner wall of the cylindrical body. 
         [0013]    Alternatively, the CT assembly includes a CT stator fixed onto the cylindrical body, and a CT rotor mounted on the CT stator; and the CT rotor is rotatable around the first axial direction, and the ray tube and the detector are mounted on the CT rotor. 
         [0014]    Alternatively, the CT stator is fixed onto an inner wall of the cylindrical body, and includes a mounting hole defined along the first axial direction; and the CT rotor mounted on the CT stator via a bearing. 
         [0015]    Alternatively, the main frame includes a couch plate movable along the first axial direction to pass through the openings on both ends of the cylindrical body; the CT rotor includes a through-hole defined along the first axial direction, and the ray tube and the detector are positioned on the opposite sides of the through-hole, and the couch plate is movable to pass through the through-hole. 
         [0016]    Alternatively, the CT stator further includes a CT driving mechanism for driving the CT rotor to rotate; the CT driving mechanism includes a first motor, a first driving wheel coupled to the first motor, and a first driving belt coupled between the CT rotor and the first driving wheel. 
         [0017]    Alternatively, the main frame includes a base for supporting the cylindrical body thereon, and the base is provided with a roller driving mechanism for driving the cylindrical body to rotate. 
         [0018]    Alternatively, the roller driving mechanism includes a second motor, a second driving wheel coupled to the second motor, and a second driving belt wrapping around the second driving wheel and the surface of the cylindrical body. 
         [0019]    Alternatively, the roller driving mechanism further includes a guide wheel arranged on the base. 
         [0020]    According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, a medical radiation apparatus provided herein includes: a main frame, rotatable about the central axis thereof; a treatment head, connected with the main frame, for emitting radiation rays; an imaging assembly, defining an imaging through-hole, to image an object located within the imaging through-hole, wherein the imaging assembly is connected with the main frame and rotates along with the main frame. 
         [0021]    Alternatively, the main frame includes a cylindrical body substantially coaxial with the imaging through-hole. 
         [0022]    Alternatively, the medical radiation apparatus further includes a rotor which the imaging assembly is mounted on, and is connected with the main frame and rotates along with the main frame. 
         [0023]    Alternatively, the rotor defines the imaging through-hole, and the main frame includes a cylindrical body substantially coaxial with the imaging through-hole. 
         [0024]    Alternatively, the medical radiation apparatus further includes: a stator of the imaging apparatus, connected with the main frame and rotates along with the main frame; and a bearing, connected with the rotor and the stator of the imaging apparatus; wherein the rotor is rotatable via the bearing independent of the stator of the imaging apparatus and the main frame. 
         [0025]    Alternatively, the imaging assembly is rotatable around the imaging through-hole independent of the main frame. 
         [0026]    Alternatively, the imaging assembly is located within the interior of the main frame. 
         [0027]    Alternatively, the imaging assembly is located at least partially within the interior of the main frame. 
         [0028]    According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, a medical radiation apparatus provided herein includes: a main frame, rotatable about a central axis thereof; a treatment head, connected with the main frame, for emitting radiation rays; a stator of an imaging apparatus, connected with the main frame and rotates along with the main frame; a rotor, defining an imaging through-hole and equipped with an imaging assembly, wherein the imaging assembly is used to image an object located within the imaging through-hole; and a connecting component, for connecting the stator of the imaging apparatus to the rotor, wherein the rotor is rotatable independent of the stator of the imaging apparatus and the main frame. 
         [0029]    Alternatively, the rotor does not rotate along with the main frame. 
         [0030]    Alternatively, the connecting component includes a bearing. 
         [0031]    Alternatively, the main frame includes a cylindrical body substantially coaxial with the imaging through-hole. 
         [0032]    Alternatively, the stator of the imaging apparatus and the rotor are located at least partially within the interior of the main frame. 
         [0033]    Alternatively, the stator of the imaging apparatus and the rotor are located completely within the interior of the main frame. 
         [0034]    As compared with prior art, the technical solutions of the present disclosure have following advantages: 
         [0035]    Positioned at the two ends of the main frame of the medical radiation apparatus are the radiation assembly and the imaging apparatus assembly (for example, a CT assembly), so that a patient can be directly moved to the other end of the main frame to receive a radiation treatment by the radiation assembly after the patient is imaged and the diseased tissue is imaged and positioned, thereby improving the efficiency of the procedure of performing radiation therapy after a diseased tissue is positioned, and additionally a positioning error of the diseased tissue caused by excess motion between when the diseased tissue is positioned and when the diseased tissue is subject to the radiation treatment can be effectively reduced; moreover, the radiation assembly and the imaging apparatus assembly are respectively arranged on one end of the main frame and can be served as counter balance weights for each other to balance the overturning torque caused by the large masses thereof, which effectively reduces the volume of the medical apparatus, and therefore facilitates installation, transport, calibration, and maintenance of the medical apparatus. 
         [0036]    Further, the main frame includes a cylindrical body, and the imaging apparatus assembly and the radiation assembly are positioned on the two ends of the cylindrical body; moreover, the medical radiation apparatus further includes a couch plate capable of passing through the openings defined at both ends of the cylindrical body, so that the patient can be moved to the radiation assembly to receive a radiation treatment by directly moving the couch plate after the diseased tissue is positioned. The above technical solutions can avoid a body&#39;s motion after the diseased tissue being positioned until the patient being moved to the radiation assembly, and therefore a positioning error of the diseased tissue caused by a body&#39;s motion is reduced and accordingly the accuracy of the radiation treatment thereafter is improved. 
         [0037]    Further, the medical radiation apparatus includes a stator fixed to the cylindrical body, a rotor mounted on the stator, the rotor is rotatable about a first axial direction, and the ray tube and the detector (together referred to as the imaging assembly) are mounted on the rotor. In the above technical solutions, during the operation of the imaging apparatus assembly, the orientations of the ray tube and the detector for imaging a diseased tissue are adjusted by rotating the rotor; while during the operation of the radiation assembly, the orientation of the treatment head is adjusted by rotating the cylindrical body, i.e. the imaging assembly is rotatable independent of the radiation assembly, thereby reducing the chance that the imaging apparatus assembly and the radiation assembly interfere with each other. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0038]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of the structure of a medical radiation apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; 
           [0039]      FIGS. 2-3  are schematic views showing an operation of the medical radiation apparatus according to some embodiments of the present embodiment; 
           [0040]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a three-dimensional (3D) structure of the interior of the medical radiation apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; 
           [0041]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the medical radiation apparatus in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0042]      FIG. 6  is a 3D perspective view of the CT assembly in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0043]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the CT assembly in  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0044]    As described in the BACKGROUND, existing radiation therapy needs to use an imaging apparatus such as a CT scanner to position the diseased tissue of a patient at first, and then the patient is moved to a linear accelerator to receive a radiation treatment based on an image captured from the imaging apparatus previously in which the diseased tissue is positioned. The course during which the diseased tissue is positioned at first and then the patient is moved to the linear accelerator not only reduces the efficiency of the radiation treatment, but also results in a positioning error of the diseased tissue because the diseased tissue can move due to the motion of the patient&#39;s body in the process of moving the patient from the imaging apparatus to the linear accelerator, which brings about difficulties for the radiation treatment. 
         [0045]    Additionally, because many components in a radiation apparatus used in a radiation treatment, such as a medical linear accelerator, have large masses which produce an overturning torque, the radiation therapy apparatus is further provided with counter balance weights so as to improve the balance of the radiation therapy apparatus. However, it cause difficulty in installation, transport, calibration, and maintenance to the medical radiation apparatus. 
         [0046]    Therefore, the present disclosure provides a medical radiation apparatus, which includes an imaging assembly and a radiation assembly, and during a radiation treatment, the patient can be directly moved to the radiation assembly by moving a couch plate to receive a radiation treatment after the patient has been imaged and positioned in the imaging assembly. Thus, the chance of a poisoning error of the diseased tissue caused by the motion of the patient is reduced, and the treatment efficiency is improved. Additionally, the imaging assembly and the radiation assembly can constitute counter balance weights for each other so that the overall volume and weight of the medical radiation apparatus are reduced, thereby reducing the difficulty in installation, transport, calibration, and maintenance to the medical radiation apparatus. 
         [0047]    Next, take a CT assembly as an example of the imaging assembly, the technical solutions of the present disclosure is clearly and fully described with reference to the drawings. 
         [0048]      FIGS. 1-7  are structural schematic views of the medical radiation apparatus under different states according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the medical radiation apparatus provided by the present embodiment includes a main frame, and a CT assembly  20  and a radiation assembly  30  both mounted on the main frame. 
         [0050]    Specifically, the main frame includes a cylindrical body  10 , the central axis of the cylindrical body  10  indicates a first axial direction. The CT assembly  20  and the radiation assembly  30  are respectively positioned on an end of the cylindrical body  10  along the first axial direction. The CT assembly  20  and the radiation assembly  30  are served as counter balance weights for each other, which improves the overall balance of the medical radiation apparatus. 
         [0051]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , in the present embodiments, the cylindrical body  10  is a structure with openings defined in both ends, and the medical radiation apparatus further includes a movable couch plate  200 . The movable couch plate  200  can move axially along the central axis of the cylindrical body  10 , and can pass through the openings at both ends of the cylindrical body  10 . 
         [0052]    During an operation, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a patient  100  lies on the movable couch plate  200 , and is moved from the opening in the cylindrical body  10  to the end of the CT assembly  20  to receive a CT scan, so as to acquire positioning images of the diseased tissue; then, as shown in  FIG. 3 , under the condition of keeping the body of the patient  100  unmoved, the movable couch plate  200  is moved to the radiation assembly  30  to where a radiation treatment is performed based on the acquired positioning images of the diseased tissue from the CT assembly  20 . 
         [0053]    Continuing to refer to  FIGS. 1-3 , in the embodiments, the radiation assembly includes a treatment head that is used for emitting radiation rays. The treatment head includes a series of components such as an accelerating tube, an electron gun, movable targets, a magnet-deflection system, a collimator, a flattening filter, a shielding layer, etc., which are not repeated here. 
         [0054]    The treatment head can axially rotate around the central axis of the cylindrical body  10 , and radiation rays from the treatment head are toward the interior of the cylindrical body  10 . When an adjustment is performed in a radiation treatment, the treatment head can rotate around the patient so that the orientation of the radiation rays is adjusted. 
         [0055]    In the present embodiments, the treatment head is fixed on the cylindrical body  10 . The cylindrical body  10  is axially rotatable to drive the treatment head to axially rotate around the central axis of the cylindrical body  10 . 
         [0056]    Continuing to refer to  FIG. 1 , the medical radiation apparatus provided by the present embodiments further includes a base  40  for supporting the cylindrical body  10  thereon, and a roller driving mechanism arranged on the base  40  for driving the cylindrical body  10  to axially rotate around the central axis thereof. 
         [0057]    Specifically, referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the roller driving mechanism includes a second motor (not shown in the figure), a second driving wheel  60  coupled to the second motor, and a second driving belt  61  wrapping around the second driving wheel  60  and the surface of the cylindrical body  10 . In particularly, a driving belt groove  64  is defined on the surface of the cylindrical body  10  around the central axis thereof, and the second driving belt  61  is engaged in the driving belt groove  64 . 
         [0058]    Further, referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a plurality of guide wheels  63  with a same size or different sizes are mounted on the base  40 , the surfaces of the guide wheels  63  press against the surface of the cylindrical body  10 , thereby reducing the friction the cylindrical body  10  is subject to during the rotation of the cylindrical body  10  and improving the rotation efficiency of the cylindrical body  10 . 
         [0059]    In the present embodiments, the CT assembly includes a ray tube and a detector that are respectively positioned on the opposite sides of the central axis of the cylindrical body  10  and opposing to each other. As shown in  FIG. 2 , during a CT scan is performed to the patient  100 , the ray tube and the detector (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) can rotate around the patient  100  so as to adjust the imaging angle of the ray tube and the detector of the CT assembly. One skilled in the art would readily understand that, the above-mentioned ray tube and detector can be jointly referred to as an imaging assembly. Further, the medical radiation apparatus further includes a rotor for mounting the imaging assembly, and the rotor is connected to the main frame so as to rotate along with the main frame as the main frame rotates. An imaging through-hole is defined in the rotor and substantially coaxial with the cylindrical body  10 . The imaging assembly can be located completely or at least partially within the interior of the main frame. 
         [0060]    Specifically, referring to  FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 , in the present embodiments, the CT assembly includes a CT stator  51  and a CT rotor  54 . The CT stator  51  is fixed to the inner wall of the cylindrical body  10  via a connecting plate  52 , and thus the CT stator  51  can rotate along with the cylindrical body  10 . The CT stator  51  has a through-hole  53  defined along the central axis of the cylindrical body  10 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the CT stator  51  is connected with the rotor  54  via a connecting component such as a bearing  23 , and the rotor  54  is rotatable via the bearing  23  independent of the CT stator  51  and the cylindrical body  10 . 
         [0061]    The CT rotor  54  is mounted on the CT stator  51 , a through-hole  55  coaxial with the through-hole  53  is defined on the CT rotor  54  to allow the object therein to be imaged, and the through-hole is substantially coaxial with the cylindrical body  10 . The CT rotor  54  is movably connected to the CT stator  51  via a bearing so that the CT rotor  54  can rotate around the central axis of the cylindrical body  10 . 
         [0062]    Continuing to refer to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the ray tube  74  and the detector  75  constituting the imaging assembly are respectively mounted on the CT rotor  54  on the opposite sides of the through-hole  55 . The ray tube  74  and the detector  75  constituting the imaging assembly can rotate around the through-hole  55  independent of the main frame. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the CT stator  51  and the CT rotor  54  are arranged completely within the interior of the main frame. However, one skilled in the art would readily understand that, the CT stator  51  and the CT rotor  54  also can be arranged partially within the interior of the main frame. 
         [0063]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the movable couch plate  200  can pass through the through-holes  53  and  55  and move the patient  100  to the position between the ray tube  74  and the detector  75 , the ray tube  74  and the detector  75  are driven by the CT rotor  54  such that, through an adjustment for a CT scan, the ray tube  74  and the detector  75  are positioned at an angle with respect to the patient. 
         [0064]    In the present embodiments, the CT stator  51  of the medical radiation apparatus includes a CT driving mechanism for driving the CT rotor  54  to rotate. The CT driving mechanism includes a first motor  76  coupled to the CT rotor  54  and configured to drive the CT rotor  54  to rotate. The CT driving mechanism can be directly fixed on the main frame, and these simple modifications fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0065]    Specifically, for example, the CT driving mechanism can include a first driving wheel (not shown in the figures) fixedly coupled to the first motor  76 , and a first driving belt (not shown in the figures) configured to connect the first driving wheel and the CT rotor  54 . During an operation, the first motor  76  drives the first driving wheel to rotate, and drives the CT rotor  54  to rotate via the first driving belt. 
         [0066]    In the present embodiments, the ray tube  74  and the detector  75  constituting the imaging assembly can rotate around the imaging through-hole  55  independent of the main frame, and specifically, the CT rotor  54  of the CT assembly  20  is driven to rotate by the CT driving mechanism, and then the ray tube  74  and the detector  75  are driven by the CT rotor  54  to axially rotate around the central axis of the cylindrical body  10  so that CT scans from different orientations can be performed to the patient  100  and the positioning images of the diseased tissue are obtained; the cylindrical body  10  is driven by the roller driving mechanism to rotate around the central axis thereof, and the treatment head of the radiation assembly  30  is driven by the cylindrical body  10  to rotate around the central axis of the cylindrical body  10 , and therefore a radiation treatment from different orientations can be performed to the patient. That is, the CT assembly  20  and the radiation assembly  30  are operated via two sets of driving mechanisms, so the usage flexibility of the CT assembly  20  and the radiation assembly  30  is improved, and the chance of interference between the CT assembly  20  and the radiation assembly  30  is reduced. 
         [0067]    Certainly, in embodiments other than the present embodiment, the ray tube and the detector of the CT assembly can be directly fixed on the inner wall of the cylindrical body  10 . In this way, the ray tube and the detector of the CT assembly can be driven by the cylindrical body  10  to rotate about the central axis of the cylindrical body  10 , and thus the rotation of the ray tube and the detector about the central axis of the cylindrical body  10  is implemented such that the imaging orientation with respect to a patient can be adjusted in a CT scan. These simple modifications fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0068]    According to the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure, the imaging apparatus of the medical radiation apparatus is described by taking the CT imaging apparatus as an example. However, one skilled in the art would readily understand that, other medical imaging equipment, for instance, Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) System, Positron Emission Computed Tomography (PET), (PET-CT), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and the like, can also be applied to the technical solutions disclosed in the present disclosure, and the above inventive object of the present disclosure can be obtained by integrating the main frame thereof with the radiation treatment equipment, which is not repeated here. 
         [0069]    Although some preferable embodiments are disclosed as above, it is not intended to limit the technical solutions of the present disclosure. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present disclosure, any person skilled in the art can implement any possible changes or modifications to the technical solutions of the present disclosure using the methods and technical contents disclosed above, and thus, any simple changes and equivalent modifications to the above embodiments according to technical essence of the present disclosure which does not depart from the technical solutions of the present disclosure, fall within the protection scope of the technical solutions of the present disclosure.