title: Integration of multidisciplinary technologies for real time target visualization and verification for radiotherapy.
abstract: The current practice of radiotherapy examines target coverage solely from digitally reconstructed beam's eye view (BEV) in a way that is indirectly accessible and that is not in real time. We aimed to visualize treatment targets in real time from each BEV. The image data of phantom or patients from ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) scans were captured to perform image registration. We integrated US, CT, US/CT image registration, robotic manipulation of US, a radiation treatment planning system, and a linear accelerator to constitute an innovative target visualization system. The performance of this algorithm segmented the target organ in CT images, transformed and reconstructed US images to match each orientation, and generated image registration in real time mode with acceptable accuracy. This image transformation allowed physicians to visualize the CT image-reconstructed target via a US probe outside the BEV that was non-coplanar to the beam's plane. It allowed the physicians to remotely control the US probe that was equipped on a robotic arm to dynamically trace and real time monitor the coverage of the target within the BEV during a simulated beam-on situation. This target visualization system may provide a direct remotely accessible and real time way to visualize, verify, and ensure tumor targeting during radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Chung
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Automation Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chin-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Chi
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan ; Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: computerized tomography; real time target visualization; robotic arm; ultrasound