Combined radiotherapy and mri apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a combined radiotherapy and MRI system in which an imaging coil is mounted on a mechanical arm. The position of the imaging coil is thus known and in embodiments can be controlled to prevent collisions with the patient and unfavourable interactions between the imaging coil and the radiation beam.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A radiotherapy system, comprising:
 a patient support;   a radiotherapy device configured to generate a therapeutic beam of radiation incident upon a treatment volume;   a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus configured to generate imaging data of an imaging volume which encompasses the treatment volume, the MRI apparatus defining a bore in which the patient support can be at least partially positioned;   an arm controlled by a control system; and   an imaging coil having a first side that is fixedly attached to the MRI apparatus by the arm, wherein the imaging coil is arranged within the bore;   wherein:
 the imaging coil comprises a conducting coil and electronic circuitry coupled to the conducting coil, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to control the conducting coil and the electronic circuitry is located along the first side, wherein the first side is a proximal side of the imaging coil with respect to the arm; 
 the arm has a length extending within the bore toward the first side of the imaging coil; 
 the control system is configured to move the arm relative to and within the bore to prevent the electronic circuitry from intersecting the beam when the conducting coil intersects the beam when generating the imaging data of the imaging volume; and 
 the imaging coil is configured to detect MRI signals emitted from the imaging volume within the bore. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the control system is configured to move the arm such that the movement of the arm adjusts a position of the imaging coil relative to the patient support. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 21 , further comprising a detection system configured to detect the position of the imaging coil relative to a patient on the patient support. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 23 , wherein the detection system comprises a proximity sensor. 
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 23 , wherein the detection system comprises MRI-imagable markers mounted on the imaging coil. 
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 23 , wherein the position of the imaging coil within the bore is configured to be varied in dependence on the position of the imaging coil relative to the patient. 
     
     
         27 . The system according to  claim 21 , further comprising one or more image capture devices configured to capture images of:
 a patient on the patient support; and   the imaging coil relative to the patient.   
     
     
         28 . The system according to  claim 27 , wherein the control system is configured to:
 receive the captured images from the one or more image capture devices; and   move the arm to prevent collisions between the patient and the imaging coil based on the captured images.   
     
     
         29 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the control system is configured to move the arm such that the movement of the arm adjusts an orientation of the imaging coil. 
     
     
         30 . The system according to  claim 21 , further comprising a plurality of imaging coils. 
     
     
         31 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein at least one of the plurality of imaging coils is fixedly positioned beneath the patient support. 
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 31 , further comprising a plurality of arms associated with the plurality of imaging coils, wherein at least one of the plurality of imaging coils is fixedly attached to the MRI apparatus by an associated one of the plurality of arms and is arranged within the bore. 
     
     
         33 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the patient support comprises a patient support translatable along a longitudinal axis relative to the bore. 
     
     
         34 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to process at least one of:
 signals received by the conducting coil; and   signals for transmission by the conducting coil.   
     
     
         35 . A radiotherapy system, comprising:
 a patient support;   a radiotherapy device configured to generate a therapeutic beam of radiation incident upon a treatment volume;   a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus configured to generate imaging data of an imaging volume which encompasses the treatment volume, the MRI apparatus defining a bore in which the patient support can be at least partially positioned;   an arm;   an imaging coil having a first side that is fixedly attached to the MRI apparatus by the arm, wherein the imaging coil is arranged within the bore;   wherein:
 the imaging coil comprises a conducting coil and electronic circuitry coupled to the conducting coil, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to control the conducting coil and the electronic circuitry is located along the first side, wherein the first side is a proximal side of the imaging coil with respect to the arm; and 
 the arm has a length extending within the bore toward the first side of the imaging coil; and 
   a control system comprising a processor configured to execute instructions to:
 control the imaging coil to detect MRI signals emitted from the imaging volume within the bore; 
 generate imaging data of the imaging volume; and 
 move the arm relative to and within the bore to prevent the electronic circuitry from intersecting the beam when the conducting coil intersects the beam when generating the imaging data of the imaging volume. 
   
     
     
         36 . The system according to  claim 35 , further comprising a detection system configured to detect the position of the imaging coil relative to a patient on the patient support. 
     
     
         37 . The system according to  claim 36 , wherein the detection system comprises a proximity sensor. 
     
     
         38 . The system according to  claim 36 , wherein the detection system comprises MRI-imagable markers mounted on the imaging coil. 
     
     
         39 . The system according to  claim 36 , wherein the position of the imaging coil within the bore is configured to be varied in dependence on the position of the imaging coil relative to the patient. 
     
     
         40 . The system according to  claim 35 , wherein the patient support comprises a patient support translatable along a longitudinal axis relative to the bore.