System and Method for Dynamic Strobe Arc Therapy

• US 20100322381A1
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Shukla, Himanshu P., Stahl, Johannes N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/103 Treatment planning systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1042 with spatial modulation of the radiation beam within the treatment head
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1047 with movement of the radiation head during application of radiation, e.g. for intensity modulated arc therapy or IMAT

Abstract

Embodiments may include receiving a radiation treatment plan for delivering at least a portion of a prescribed radiation dose to a target volume in a series of individual treatment beams, each individual treatment beam defined by a segment including start angle and a stop angle, and delivering a portion of the prescribed radiation dose to the target volume over each of the segments, the segments arranged in a contiguous manner on an arc.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a radiation treatment plan for delivering at least a portion of a prescribed radiation dose to a target volume in a series of individual treatment beams in an arc around the target volume, each individual treatment beam defined by a segment having a start angle and a stop angle; and

delivering a portion of the prescribed radiation dose to the target volume over each of the segments, the segments arranged in a contiguous manner on the arc and the delivery of the prescribed radiation dose is continuous through the segments.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting each fixed point associated with each of the individual treatment beams to a segment having a start angle and a stop angle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the fixed points associated with the series of individual treatment beams are spaced apart from each other.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment plan is created in accordance with a Direct Aperture Optimization algorithm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a shape and dose of each of the treatment beams is optimized by a treatment planning system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each segment is further defined by a beam shape, a beam dose, and a beam energy.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the beam shape is verified prior to each segment delivery.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the beam dose for each segment is delivered between the start angle and the stop angle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the beam dose is distributed between the start angle and the stop angle at a maximum dose rate centered at about a mid-point between the start angle and the stop angle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the beam dose is distributed substantially equally between the start angle and the stop angle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the start angle and the stop angle for at least one of the segments coincide with each other.

12. The method of claim 1, further organizing the segments to reduce a time to provide the delivering of the portion of the prescribed radiation dose.

13. A system comprising:

a memory to store a radiation treatment plan for delivering at least a portion of a prescribed radiation dose to a target volume in a series of individual treatment beams in an arc around the target volume, each individual treatment beam defined by a segment having a start angle and a stop angle; and

a processor in communication with the memory and operable to cause;

delivering a portion of the prescribed radiation dose to the target volume over each of the segments, the segments arranged in a contiguous manner on the arc and the delivery of the prescribed radiation dose is continuous through the segments.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is in communication with the memory and operable to further cause converting each fixed point associated with each of the individual treatment beams to a segment having a start angle and a stop angle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the fixed points associated with the series of individual treatment beams are spaced apart from each other.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein a shape and dose of each of the treatment beams is optimized by the treatment planning system.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein each segment is further defined by a beam shape, a beam dose, and a beam energy.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the beam shape is verified prior to each segment delivery.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the beam dose for each segment is delivered between the start angle and the stop angle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the beam dose is distributed between the start angle and the stop angle at a maximum dose rate centered at about a mid-point between the start angle and the stop angle.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the beam dose is distributed substantially equally between the start angle and the stop angle.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the start angle and the stop angle for at least one of the segments coincide with each other.

23. The system of claim 13, further organizing the segments to reduce a time to provide the delivering of the portion of the prescribed radiation dose to the target volume.

24. A medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, the medium comprising:

instructions for receiving a radiation treatment plan for delivering at least a portion of a prescribed radiation dose to a target volume in a series of individual treatment beams in an arc around the target volume, each individual treatment beam defined by a segment having a start angle and a stop angle; and

instructions for delivering a portion of the prescribed radiation dose to the target volume over each of the segments, the segments arranged in a contiguous manner on the arc and the delivery of the prescribed radiation dose is continuous through the segments.25. The medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions for converting each fixed point associated with each of the individual treatment beams to a segment having a start angle and a stop angle.

25. The medium of claim 24, wherein each segment is further defined by a beam shape, a beam dose, and a beam energy.

26. The medium of claim 25, wherein the beam shape is verified prior to each segment delivery.

27. The medium of claim 25, wherein the beam dose for each segment is delivered between the start angle and the stop angle.

28. The medium of claim 27, wherein the beam dose is distributed between the start angle and the stop angle at a maximum dose rate centered at about a mid-point between the start angle and the stop angle.

29. The medium of claim 27, wherein the beam dose is distributed substantially equally between the start angle and the stop angle.

30. The medium of claim 24, wherein the start angle and the stop angle for at least one of the segments coincide with each other.

31. The medium of claim 24, further organizing the segments to reduce a time to provide the delivering of the portion of the prescribed radiation dose to the target volume.