Premium
Development of optical process for accessing three‐dimensional patient topology
Author(s) -
Lerch Irving A.,
Barish Robert J.,
Stern Howard
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.594447
Subject(s) - computer science , process (computing) , medical imaging , microprocessor , table (database) , topology (electrical circuits) , computer vision , computer graphics (images) , artificial intelligence , computer hardware , engineering , database , electrical engineering , operating system
A commercial optical system developed by Solid Photography, Inc., has been used to generate precise paraffin–polyethylene tissue compensators. A program with the objective of constructing a medical facility has been undertaken to access patient topology for treatment planning, tissue‐compensator fabrication, and patient positioning verification on the treatment table. Currently, patients are taken to a specially equipped studio where a series of microprocessor‐controlled reticles are projected on the surface to be analyzed and photographs are taken automatically for computer processing. The topology data then drives a machine tool to sculpt the tissue compensators and may be transmitted via acoustic‐coupled terminals to a treatment‐planning computer at the Medical Center. The tissue compensators have been found to conform accurately to patient contours. At present, data bases can be generated to accommodate volumes of approximately 70 000 cm 3 .