PROSPECTIVE ADAPTIVE RADIATION THERAPY PLANNING

• US 20110130614A1
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Carlsen, Ingwer C., Meetz, Kirsten, Young, Stewart, Wiemker, Rafael, Schulz, Heinrich
• Granted Patent: US 9,262,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/103 Treatment planning systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1039 using functional images, e.g. PET or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

A therapy planner (16) is configured to construct a therapy plan based on a planning image segmented into segments delineating features of a subject. A predictive plan adaptation module (20) is configured to adjust the segments to represent a foreseeable change in the subject and to invoke the therapy planner to construct a therapy plan corresponding to the foreseeable change. A data storage (18) stores a plurality of therapy plans generated for a subject by the therapy planner and the predictive plan adaptation module based on at least one planning image of the subject. A therapy plan selector (30) is configured to select one of the plurality of therapy plans for use in a therapy session based on a preparatory image acquired preparatory to the therapy session.

Claims

1. A therapy method comprising:

performing a therapy planning process to generate a plurality of therapy plans based on a planning image of a subject and one or more foreseeable changes in the subject; and

performing a therapy session on the subject in accordance with a selected one of the plurality of therapy plans.

2. The therapy method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

determining an actual change in the subject that occurred after the performing of the therapy planning process; and

selecting the selected one of the plurality of therapy plans based on the determined actual change.

3. The therapy method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the performing of a therapy session comprises:

acquiring at least one preparatory image of the subject;

selecting the selected one of the plurality of therapy plans based on the at least one preparatory image; and

performing therapy on the subject in accordance with the selected one of the plurality of therapy plans.

4. The therapy method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the therapy is radiation therapy, and the selecting comprises:

segmenting the preparatory image to identify up-to-date segments delineating a target feature to be irradiated and one or more critical features affecting radiation transmission or whose radiation exposure is to be constrained or limited; and

selecting the selected one of the plurality of therapy plans based at least on the up-to-date segments.

5. The therapy method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the therapy is radiation therapy, and the selecting comprises:

segmenting the preparatory image to identify up-to-date segments delineating a target feature to be irradiated and one or more critical features affecting radiation transmission or whose radiation exposure is to be constrained or limited; and

selecting the selected one of the plurality of therapy plans based at least on a density characteristic of the up-to-date segments.

6. The therapy method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the therapy is radiation therapy, and the performing of a radiation therapy planning process comprises:

segmenting the planning image to identify segments delineating a target feature to be irradiated and one or more critical features affecting radiation transmission or whose radiation exposure is to be constrained or limited;

constructing a base radiation therapy plan based on the segments;

deforming at least one of the segments to represent a foreseeable anatomical change;

further constructing a predictive adapted radiation therapy plan based on the segments including the deformed at least one of the segments; and

storing the plurality of therapy plans comprising at least the base radiation therapy plan and one or more predictive adapted radiation therapy plans generated by the deforming and further constructing.

7. The therapy method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the deforming comprises:

deforming at least one of the segments using a deformational model of the target feature or critical feature delineated by the segment undergoing the deforming.

8. The therapy method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the deforming and the further constructing are repeated for a plurality of foreseeable anatomical changes of monotonically increasing or monotonically decreasing magnitude to construct a predictive adapted radiation therapy plan for each of the plurality of foreseeable anatomical changes, and the repetitions of further constructing are performed in the order of monotonically increasing or monotonically decreasing magnitude using radiation plan parameters of a previously constructed predictive adapted radiation therapy plan as initial parameter values for a subsequent further constructing operation.

9. The therapy method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the performing of a therapy planning process comprises:

segmenting the planning image to identify segments delineating features of the subject;

constructing a base therapy plan based on the segments;

adjusting at least one of the segments to reflect a foreseeable change in the subject;

further constructing a predictive adapted therapy plan based on the segments including the adjusted at least one of the segments; and

storing the plurality of therapy plans comprising at least the base therapy plan and one or more predictive adapted therapy plans generated by the adjusting and further constructing.

10. The therapy method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the performing a therapy session is repeated a plurality of times, and the selected one of the plurality of radiation therapy plans is generally different for the different therapy sessions.

11. A digital storage medium storing instructions executable in conjunction with a therapy delivery apparatus to perform methods of claim 1.

12. A system comprising:

a therapy planner configured to construct a therapy plan based on a planning image segmented into segments delineating features of a subject;

a predictive plan adaptation module configured to adjust the segments to represent a foreseeable change in the subject and to invoke the therapy planner to construct a therapy plan corresponding to the foreseeable change; and

a data storage for storing a plurality of therapy plans generated for a subject by the therapy planner and the predictive plan adaptation module based on at least one planning image of the subject.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the predictive plan adaptation module is configured to employ a deformational feature model to adjust a geometry of at least one of the segments to represent a foreseeable anatomical change.

14. The system as set forth in claim 12, further comprising:

a therapy plan selector configured to select one of the plurality of therapy plans for use in a therapy session based on a preparatory image segmented into up-to-date segments delineating up-to-date features of the subject.

15. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the therapy planner and the predictive plan adaptation module (20) are embodied as one or more digital processors.

16. A system comprising:

a predictive plan adaptation module configured to generate a plurality of radiation therapy plans by applying a radiation therapy planner to (i) a planning image of a subject that is segmented into segments delineating a target feature to be irradiated and one or more critical features affecting radiation transmission or whose radiation exposure is to be constrained or limited and (ii) said planning image wherein said segments are adjusted to represent one or more foreseeable changes in the subject; and

a radiation therapy plan selector configured to select one of the plurality of radiation therapy plans for use in a radiation therapy session based on a preparatory radiation therapy image acquired preparatory to the radiation therapy session.

17. The system as set forth in claim 16, further comprising:

said radiation therapy planner.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

a features segmentor configured to segment said planning image into said segments.