Patient-mounted or patient support-mounted camera for position monitoring during medical procedures

Abstract

An apparatus for use in a medical procedure includes: a camera configured for attachment to a patient, wherein the camera is configured to detect one or more markers outside and away from the patient; and a processing unit configured to receive an input image from the camera, and to process the input image to monitor a position of a target associated with the patient during the medical procedure. An apparatus for use in a medical procedure includes: a camera configured for attachment to a patient support, wherein the camera is configured to detect one or more markers outside and away from the patient support; and a processing unit configured to receive an input image from the camera, and to process the input image to determine a position associated with the patient support during the medical procedure.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for use in a medical procedure, comprising:
 a camera configured for attachment to a patient support, the patient support configured to mechanically support a weight of a patient, wherein the camera is configured to detect one or more markers outside and away from the patient support; and   a processing unit configured to be communicatively coupled with a component of a medical device, the processing unit also configured to receive an input image from the camera, and to process the input image to determine a position associated with the patient support during the medical procedure.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to receive a reference image from the camera, wherein the reference image or a reference template is for comparison with later acquired input images from the camera, one of the later acquired input images being the input image. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to obtain the reference template from processing the reference image. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to compare the input image with a reference image. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is configured to compare the input image with the reference image by determining a correlation value representing a degree of two-dimensional correlation between the input image and the reference image. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is configured to compare the input image with the reference image by performing cross-correlation. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to receive a reference image, extract multiple reference templates from the reference image, and match the reference templates with different parts of the input image. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine multiple matched positions for the respective reference templates, and compare a pattern of the matched positions with a reference pattern. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the position associated with the patient support comprises a patient support position, and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the patient support position based on the comparison of the pattern with the reference pattern. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is configured to compare the input image with the reference image by performing an image subtraction between the input image and the reference image to obtain a subtracted image. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit is configured to calculate a metric based on an absolute difference of pixel values within a region of interest in a field of view of the camera that corresponds with one of the one or more markers. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising the one or more markers. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein one of the one or more markers is mounted at a housing of a treatment machine. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein one of the one or more markers is mounted to a housing of an imaging machine. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein one of the one or more markers is mounted to a room. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein one of the one or more markers comprises a sticker having a geometric pattern. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a connector for detachably connecting the camera to the patient support. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the medical device comprises a radiation delivery system. 
     
     
         19 . A method of determining a position associated with a patient support during a medical procedure, comprising:
 detecting one or more markers outside and away from a patient support using a camera that is attached to the patient support, the patient support configured to mechanically support a weight of a patient;   receiving an input image from the camera; and   processing the input image using a processing unit to determine a position associated with the patient support during the medical procedure.