TREATMENT PLANNING SIMULATION AND VERIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080240353A1
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Myles, Jeremy R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1054 using a portal imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1062 using virtual X-ray images, e.g. digitally reconstructed radiographs [DRR]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1027 Interstitial radiation therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

A treatment planning, simulation, and verification system is described. According to one embodiment, a treatment plan and a fluoroscopy data image of a treatment volume are received and the treatment plan is automatically adjusted based on the movement of the fluoroscopy data image. According another embodiment, a system includes a treatment planning component to generate a treatment plan and a simulation component to simulate the execution of the treatment plan.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a treatment plan comprising:

receiving a treatment plan of a target volume;

receiving a digital fluoroscopic image of the target volume;

adjusting automatically the treatment plan based on movement in a video display of the digital fluoroscopic image; and

at least one of saving an adjustment to the treatment plan, and executing the adjusted treatment plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting includes adjusting treatment field information to allow for movement in a field.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting includes adjusting gating information in the treatment plan.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the movement in a video display of the digital fluoroscopic image comprises movement of a patient'"'"'s internal anatomy in a digital video signal from a real time digital x-ray imager.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the digital fluoroscopic image comprises a digital video signal from a real time digital x-ray imager.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a treatment plan, receiving a digital fluoroscopic image, and adjusting automatically the treatment plan are all performed on a single radio therapy simulator machine.

4. A system comprising:

a treatment planning component to generate a treatment plan;

a simulation component to simulate an execution of the treatment plan on a patient; and

a third component to adjust the treatment plan based on the simulated execution of the treatment plan.

a fourth component to at least one of save an adjustment to the treatment plan, and execute the adjusted treatment plan.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the treatment plan includes a digitally reconstructed radiograph image.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the simulation component generates digital fluoroscopy images of a target volume to confirm the digitally reconstructed radiograph image.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the digitally reconstructed radiograph image is imported into the system.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a cone-beam computed tomography scanner to generate a digitally reconstructed radiograph image.

12. A method of adjusting a treatment plan comprising:

displaying a digital image of a patient based on the treatment plan, wherein the digital image is generated on a treatment simulator system;

providing input associated with the digital image;

automatically adjusting the treatment plan or patient position based on the input associated with the digital image; and

recalculating a treatment plan based on the input associated with the digital image; and

saving the recalculated treatment plan.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the digital image includes overlaying a simulator digital image and a digitally reconstructed radiograph image.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

automatically displaying fields of data based on the digital image.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the providing includes providing a radiation field input.

16. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method of adjusting a treatment plan, the method comprising:

displaying a digital image of a patient based on the treatment plan, wherein the digital image is generated on a treatment simulator;

providing input associated with the digital image;

automatically adjusting the treatment plan or a patient position based on the input associated with the digital image;

recalculating a treatment plan based on the input associated with the digital image; and

saving the recalculated treatment plan.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein displaying the digital image includes overlaying a simulator digital image and a digitally reconstructed radiograph image.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

automatically displaying fields of data based on the digital image.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the providing includes providing a radiation field input.

20. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method for adjusting a treatment plan, the method comprising:

receiving a treatment plan of a target volume;

receiving a digital fluoroscopic image of the target volume;

adjusting automatically the treatment plan based on movement in a video display of the digital fluoroscopic image; and

at least one of saving an adjustment to the treatment plan, and executing the adjusted treatment plan.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the adjusting includes adjusting field information to allow for movement in a field.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the adjusting includes adjusting gating information in the treatment plan.

23. The machine readable medium of claim 20, wherein the movement in a video display of the digital fluoroscopic image comprises movement of a patient'"'"'s internal anatomy in a digital video signal from a real time digital x-ray imager.

24. The machine readable medium of claim 20, wherein the digital fluoroscopic image comprises a digital video signal from a real time digital x-ray imager.

25. The machine readable medium of claim 20, wherein receiving a treatment plan, receiving a digital fluoroscopic image, and adjusting automatically the treatment plan are all performed on a single radio therapy simulator machine.

26. A method of performing brachytherapy comprising:

placing a patient on a patient support;

producing an image of the patient using a flat panel imager while on the patient support;

producing a treatment plan for placement of a radiation source in the patient based at least in part on the image while the patient is on the patient support; and

treating the patient according to the treatment plan on the patient support.

27. A radiation simulation system comprising:

a gantry having a radiation source;

a patient support;

a radiation detector; and

wherein said radiation source is at a fixed position relative to the gantry that simulates a distance between a patient and a treatment source in a treatment machine, and wherein said system comprises a simulation component.

28. A radiation simulation system comprising:

a gantry having a radiation source;

a patient support; and

a radiation detector;

wherein the gantry comprises a single cast frame, wherein the frame comprises a first elongated portion and a second elongated portion disposed at an angle to one another, and wherein the gantry, the patient support, and the radiation detector are electronically coupled.

29. The radiation simulation system of claim 28, wherein the gantry is an aluminum cast gantry.

30. A radiation simulation system comprising:

a gantry having a radiation source, said gantry having an axis of rotation;

a patient support; and

a radiation detector;

wherein a distance from said radiation source to said axis of rotation is a fixed distance that simulates a treatment source to treatment system axis of rotation of a linear accelerator treatment system.