Patent attributes
A method and system supports pre-positioning a patient for treatment by radiotherapy or radiosurgery. The disclosed method encompasses comparing an image of a reference structure having a known position relative to an anatomical body part of a patient, such as a live thermal/infrared image of the reference structure, to a predetermined medical image of the reference structure associated with a known position relative to a reference position, such as a known isocenter of a radiotherapy or radiosurgery apparatus. On that basis, it is determined whether the reference structure has moved relative to the reference position. A decision may be made to determine whether the reference structure and therefore the patient has been correctly positioned and/or kept in his desired position relative to a treatment device, and to compensate for any possible positional deviation by moving the patient.
