1. A target motion simulator system for use in verifying target tracking with a radiation therapy device, the radiation therapy device configured to direct beams of radiation into a patient at a patient treatment location, the system comprising:
a radiation detection target coupled to a first motion actuator, the radiation detection target including a material sensative to the beams of radiation, the first motion actuator supporting the radiation detection target at the patient treatment location and configured to move the radiation detection relative to the radiation therapy device so as to simulate a first motion of a first tissue;
a fiducial coupled to a second motion actuator, the fiducial comprising an imageable structure and the first motion actuator supporting the fiducial and configured to move the fiducial relative to the radiation therapy device so as to simulate a second motion of a second tissue offset from the first tissue, a component of the first motion being asynchronous with the second motion; and
a synthetic electrocardiogram (EKG) signal generator synchronized with the component of the first motion, wherein an output signal from the generator is configured for transmission to the radiation therapy device so as to facilitate, in combination with a sensed position of the moving fiducial, the radiation therapy device in tracking the moving target while the radiation therapy device is direting the beams of radiation toward the moving target.
2. A target motion simulator system for use in verifying target tracking with a radiation therapy device, the radiation therapy device configured to direct beams of radiation at a moving tissue within a patient, the system comprising:
a radiation detection target coupled to a first motion actuator, the radiation detection target including a material sensative to the beams of radiation, the first motion actuator supporting the radiation detection target at a patient treatment location and configured to move the radiation detection target relative to the radiation therapy device so as to simulate both a first respiratory motion and a first cardiac motion of a first tissue;
a fiducial coupled to a second motion actuator, the fiducial comprising an imageable structure and the first motion actuator supporting the fiducial and configured to move the fiducial relative to the radiation therapy device so as to simulate a second respiratory motion of a second tissue offset from the first tissue; and
an electrocardiogram (EKG) output signal generator synchronized with the first cardiac motion, wherein an EKG output signal from the EKG signal generator, in combination with a sensed fiducial position signal, facilitates tracking of the moving target by the radiation therapy device.
3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an internal fiducial coupled to a third motion actuator simulating both the first respiratory motion and a second cardiac motion.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first and second cardiac motions correspond in orientation, phase, and magnitude.
5. The system of claim 3, wherein the first and second cardiac motions comprise differing orientations, phases, andor magnitudes.
6. The system of claim 3, further comprising a radiation-sensitive collateral tissue structure model coupled to a fourth motion actuator simulating both the first respiratory motion and a third cardiac motion.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the radiation-sensitive structure model includes a radiation detector.
8. The system of claim 2, wherein the internal fiducial comprises a deformable heart shell around the target or proximate the target.
9. The system of claim 2, wherein the internal fiducial comprises a portion of a catheter.
10. The system of claim 2, wherein the radiation detection target includes a dosimetry film holder.
11. The system of claim 2, further comprising a control system coupled to the respiratory and cardiac motion actuators and the EKG signal generator.
12. The system of claim 2, wherein the first respiratory motion simulates internal chest respiratory motion within a chest cavity.
13. The system of claim 2, wherein the first cardiac motion simulates cardiac motion within a chest cavity.
14. The system of claim 2, wherein the second respiratory motion simulates external chest motion on a chest surface.
15. The system of claim 2, wherein the external fiducial comprises a tracking sensor.
16. A target motion simulator system for simulating motion of a target having both respiratory and cardiac motion for use in verifying target tracking with a radiation therapy device, the radiation therapy device configured to direct beams of radiation into a patient at a patient treatment location, the system comprising:
an internal chest simulator coupled to a first respiratory motion actuator, the first respiratory motion actuator configured to move so as to simulate internal chest respiratory motion;
a radiation detection target movably supported by the internal chest simulator so that movement of the internal chest simutor moves the radiation detection target with a first cardiac motion actuator simulating a first cardiac motion, wherein the target movement includes both internal chest respiratory motion and first cardiac motion;
an external skin simulator coupled to a second respiratory motion actuator, the second respiratory motion actuator supporting the external skin simulator and configured to move the external skin simulator relative to the radiation therapy device so as to simulate external skin respiratory motion;
an external fiducial coupled to the external skin simulator; and
an electrocardiogram (EKG) output signal generator synchronized with the first cardiac motion, wherein an EKG output signal from the EKG signal generator may be used by the radiation therapy device in tracking the target.
17. A method of using a target motion simulator system having both respiratory and cardiac motion for use in verifying target tracking with a radiation therapy device, the method comprising:
moving, with a first motion actuator, a radiation detection target with both a first respiratory motion and a first cardiac motion;
moving, with a second motion actuator, a fiducial with a second respiratory motion;
simulating an electrocardiogram (EKG) output signal synchronized with the first cardiac motion;
tracking the radiation detection target with the radiation therapy device using input from the EKG output signal and the external fiducial movement; and
firing a radiation dose from the radiation therapy device at the target.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining radiation received by the target.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
moving an internal fiducial with the first respiratory motion and a second cardiac motion; and
tracking the internal fiducial with the radiation therapy device, wherein the radiation therapy device uses input from the internal fiducial movement in tracking the radiation detection target.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
moving a model of a radiation-sensitive collateral tissue structure with both the first respiratory motion and a third cardiac motion; and
determining radiation received by the radiation-sensitive collateral tissue structure.
21. A method of using a target motion simulator system having both respiratory and cardiac motion for use in verifying target tracking with a radiation therapy device, the method comprising:
moving, with a first motion actuator, an internal chest simulator simulating an internal chest respiratory motion;
moving, with a second motion actuator, a radiation detection target coupled to the internal chest simulator simulating a first cardiac motion;
moving, with a third motion actuator, an external fiducial coupled to an external skin simulator simulating external skin respiratory motion;
simulating an electrocardiogram (EKG) output signal synchronized with the first cardiac motion;
tracking the radiation detection target and external fiducial with the radiation therapy device using input from the EKG output signal and the external fiducial movement; and
firing a radiation from the radiation therapy device at the target.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining radiation received by the target.
23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:
moving an internal fiducial coupled to the internal chest simulator simulating a second cardiac motion; and
tracking the internal fiducial with the radiation therapy device, wherein the radiation therapy device uses input from the internal fiducial movement in tracking the radiation detection target.
24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:
moving a radiation-sensitive collateral tissue structure coupled to the internal chest simulator simulating a third cardiac motion; and
determining radiation received by the radiation-sensitive collateral tissue structure.
25. A simulator system for simulating motion of a target for use in verifying target tracking with a radiation therapy device comprising:
a movable primary actuator stage;
a radiation detection target coupled to the primary actuator stage with a first movable secondary actuator stage, a combination of movement from the primary actuator stage and first secondary actuator stage simulating both a first respiratory motion and a first cardiac motion;
a fiducial coupled to the primary actuator stage with a second movable secondary actuator stage, a combination of movement from the primary actuator stage and second secondary actuator stage simulating a second respiratory motion; and
an electrocardiogram (EKG) output signal synchronized with the first cardiac motion, wherein the EKG output signal may be used by the radiation therapy device in tracking the target.
26. The system of claim 25, wherein the radiation detection target includes a dosimetry film holder.
27. The system of claim 25, wherein the first respiratory motion simulates internal chest respiratory motion within a chest cavity.
28. The system of claim 25, wherein the first cardiac motion simulates cardiac motion within a chest cavity.
29. The system of claim 25, wherein the second respiratory motion simulates external chest motion on a chest surface.
30. The system of claim 25, wherein the secondary robot stage further simulates a second cardiac motion.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method to control recording of a digital program, the method comprising:
receiving a recording instruction to record the digital program;
determining a time at which the recording instruction is received;
retrieving a predefined recording profile for the digital program, the recording profile comprising an allowed time range during which the digital program can be recorded; and
allowing the program to be recorded if the determined time at which the recording instruction is received falls within the allowed time range as provided by the predefined recording profile for the digital program.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording instruction is part of a recurring recording schedule.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording instruction is a single-instance recording event.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined recording profile includes a generic allowed time range that applies to a plurality of digital programs.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined recording profile for the digital program further includes at least one day of the week on which the digital program can be recorded.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined recording profile is a user-defined recording profile.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined recording profile is defined by a remote third party.
8. A system to control recording of a digital program, the system comprising:
an interface to receive a recording instruction to record the digital program;
a timer to determine a time at which the recording instruction is received by the interface;
a memory to store a recording profile comprising an allowed time range for recording of the digital program;
a recording module to retrieve the predefined recording profile from the memory and to allow the program to be recorded if the determined time at which the recording instruction is received falls within the allowed time range as provided by the predefined recording profile for the digital program.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the recording instruction is part of a recurring recording schedule.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the recording instruction is a single-instance recording event.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the predefined recording profile comprises a generic allowed time range that applies to a plurality of digital programs.
12. The system of to claim 8, wherein the predefined recording profile for the digital program further comprises at least one day of the week on which the digital program can be recorded.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the predefined recording profile is a user-defined recording profile.
14. The system of claim 8, wherein the predefined recording profile is defined by a remote third party.
15. A machine-readable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the method of claim 1.
16. A method to define a recording profile for a digital program, comprising:
identifying the digital program;
assigning an allowed time range during which the identified digital program can permissibly be recorded; and
saving the identified digital program and its assigned allowed time range so as to define a recording profile.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the recording profile is part of a recurring recording schedule.
18. The method of claim 16, which comprises assigning the allowed time range to a plurality of digital programs.
19. The method of claim 16, which comprises assigning at least one day of the week on which the digital program can be recorded.
20. The method of to claim 16, wherein the defined recording profile is a user-defined recording profile.
21. The method of claim 16, wherein the defined recording profile is defined by a remote third party.
22. A system to define a recording profile for a digital program, the system comprising:
an interface to identify the digital program and to assign an allowed time range during which the identified digital program can be recorded; and
a memory to store the identified digital program and its assigned allowed time range so as to define a recording profile.
23. The system of claim 22, wherein the recording profile is part of a recurring recording schedule.
24. The system of claim 22, which comprises assigning the allowed time range to a plurality of digital programs.
25. The system of claim 22, which comprises assigning at least one day of the week on which the digital program can be recorded.
26. The system of claim 22, wherein the defined recording profile is a user-defined recording profile.
27. The system of claim 22, wherein the defined recording profile is defined by a remote third party.
28. A machine-readable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the method of claim 16.
29. A system for controlling a recording of a digital program, comprising:
means for receiving a recording instruction to record the digital program;
means for determining a time at which the recording instruction is received;
means for retrieving a predefined recording profile for the digital program, the recording profile comprising an allowed time range during which the digital program can be recorded; and
means for allowing the program to be recorded if the determined time at which the recording instruction is received falls within the allowed time range as provided by the predefined recording profile for the digital program.