OPTIMIZATION OF CONTROL PARAMETERS FOR A PARTICLE IRRADIATION SYSTEM

• US 20100213394A1
• Filed: 02/18/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Particle Therapy GmbH & Company KG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Fieres, Johannes
• Granted Patent: US 8,530,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/492.300
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1031 using a specific method of dose optimization

Abstract

A device for determining control parameters for a particle irradiation system that deposits different dose values at different target points in a target volume through the selection of sampling points by a particle beam is provided. The device includes an input for receiving information relating to a predefined dose distribution via target points, and a determination component for determining a particle number distribution that is to be deposited during the irradiation via sampling points. The determining takes place using the predefined dose distribution and a variable, which takes into account differences in the particle number distribution between particle numbers of different sampling points.

Claims

1. A device for determining control parameters for a particle irradiation system comprising:

an input for receiving information relating to a predefined dose distribution via target points; and

a determination component for determining a particle number distribution to be deposited during an irradiation via sampling points,

wherein the determining takes place using the predefined dose distribution and a variable, which takes into account differences in the particle number distribution between particle numbers of different sampling points.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable takes into account differences between particle numbers of different sampling points, which, according to the particle number distribution, are to be irradiated with particles of the same energy.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable takes into account differences between particle numbers of all sampling points, which, according to the particle number distribution, are to be irradiated with particles of the same energy.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable includes a scatter of particle numbers of different sampling points, which, according to the particle number distribution, are to be irradiated with particles of the same energy.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable comprises a variance of particle numbers of different sampling points, which, according to the particle number distribution, are to be irradiated with particles of the same energy.

6. The device as claimed in one of claim 1, wherein the variable comprises a value range of particle numbers of different sampling points, which, according to the particle number distribution, are to be irradiated with particles of the same energy.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable comprises a maximum difference of particle numbers of all sampling points, which, according to the particle number distribution, are to be irradiated with particles of the same energy.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable comprises a ratio between a highest and a lowest particle number of all sampling points, which, according to the particle number distribution, are to be irradiated with particles of the same energy.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining takes place through optimization of a cost function, and the cost function comprises a first term relating to the predefined dose distribution and a second term relating to the variable.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cost function further comprises a predefinable parameter for relative weighting of the first term compared to the second term.

11. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the optimization of the cost function optimizes the particle number distribution with respect to the predefined dose distribution and an irradiation duration.

12. A particle irradiation system having a device for determining control parameters as claimed in claim 1.

18. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the variable includes a scatter of particle numbers of different sampling points, which, according to the particle number distribution, are to be irradiated with particles of the same energy.

19. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the variable comprises a variance of particle numbers of different sampling points, which, according to the particle number distribution, are to be irradiated with particles of the same energy.

20. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the determining takes place through optimization of a cost function, and the cost function comprises a first term relating to the predefined dose distribution and a second term relating to the variable.

13. A method for determining control parameters for a particle irradiation system, the method comprising:

receiving information relating to a predefined dose distribution via target points;

determining a particle number distribution to be deposited during the irradiation via sampling points,

wherein the determining takes place using the predefined dose distribution and a variable, which takes into account differences in the particle number distribution between particle numbers of different sampling points.

14. A method for irradiating a target volume with particles using control parameters to control a particle irradiation system, wherein the control parameters are determined using the method as claimed in claim 13.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the target volume comprises at least a sub-region of a non-living body for the purpose of verifying an irradiation plan.

16. A computer program having program code for the purpose of performing the method as claimed in claim 13 when the computer program is executed on a computer.

17. A computer program product comprising program code, which is stored on a computer-readable data medium for the purpose of performing the method as claimed in claim 13 when the computer program is executed on a computer.