An Improved Perspective
Positioning the Kinect directly on the Linac allows for more accurate alignments.
A system integrating a Linac machine with Xbox’s Kinect camera provides a comprehensive solution for real-time imaging. The Kinect would be mounted directly upon the Linac, allowing for close up, real-time imaging while the gantry cannons of the Linac radiate the tumor from the required angles. Just like modern VisionRT and Varian RPM systems, the Linac-Kinect system would allow for real-time monitoring of and adjustment to the patient’s movements, but its primary improvement is due to the location of camera. With the Kinect directly attached to the Linac machine, imaging will be of higher resolution as a result of being closer to the patient, and the angle of the projected grid will lead to improved depth mapping and surface recognition. Varying perspectives of the patient will be available as the Linac rotates to accommodate the angles for the gantry cannons. Additionally, the Kinect’s spatial position will always be known based on the angle of the Linac machine, allowing for improved calibration of the gantry cannons and table and leading to safer radiotherapy procedures.
Need & Scope |
External-beam radiation therapy for cancerous tumor treatment may also damage the DNA of healthy cells. Therefore, the radiation therapy aims to minimize the damage to healthy cells while maximizing the radiation output to cancerous cells. A common challenge that detracts from therapy effectiveness is the inaccuracy of beams due to tumor movement. Tumor location may change rapidly due to chest movement during respiration, daily organ shifts, or patient fidgets. While organ shifts may be primarily internal, other motion may be externally tracked and corrected. Consequently, the client needs a method or device for matching tumor and radiation locations among all potential patients with relatively low cost due to the client’s limited finances.
We propose to deliver an Xbox Kinect-based camera system as an attachment to a LINAC machine to reconstruct the surface of the patient’s body and continually monitor his/her body position and orientation, while adjusting the stage to match radiation beam target and tumor location. The product should consist only of the Xbox Kinect, the mount for the LINAC, and the viewing monitor, requiring approximately $400 for the unit. The primary component of the project is the surface reconstruction script and the connection between the Kinect and the viewing monitor. Possible solutions were graded using cost, patient comfort, ease of integration, reliability, simplicity (see Appendix A). Real-time monitoring system. |