SIMULTANEOUS MULTI-MODALITY INVERSE OPTIMIZATION FOR RADIOTHERAPY TREATMENT PLANNING

• US 20130090549A1
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Xiong, Ying, Kaus, Michael, Meltsner, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,155,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/411
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0036 including treatment, e.g., using an implantable medical device, ablating, ventilating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0073 by tomography, i.e. reconstruction of 3D images from 2D projections A61B5/0066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/103 Treatment planning systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1031 using a specific method of dose optimization
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1039 using functional images, e.g. PET or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1042 with spatial modulation of the radiation beam within the treatment head
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1078 Fixed beam systems
• 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 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

When performing multimodal radiotherapy planning, an optimizer (36) concurrently optimizes a combined treatment plan that employs an intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) device (30) and an intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) that respectively generate a photon beam and an ion beam for treating a volume of interest (18) in a patient (34). A simulator (40) iteratively generates multiple variations of a simulation model (44) according to optimization parameters that are varied by the optimizer (36) until the simulation model (44) satisfies user-entered treatment objective criteria (48) (e.g., maximum dose, does placement, etc.)

Claims

1. A system that facilitates optimization of a multimodal radiation therapy plan employing both photon beam and ion beam radiation treatments, including:

an input graphical user interface (GUI) that includes;

a display on which is presented to the user information related to one or more radiation treatment plan simulation models;

an optimizer that concurrently optimizes dose delivery from a photon therapy device and an ion therapy device in one or more simulation models by iteratively adjusting a plurality of optimization parameters for each of the photon therapy device and the ion therapy device during simulation; and

a simulator that generates the one or more simulation models according to the optimization parameters.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the optimizer identifies an optimal simulation model that satisfies predefined radiation treatment objective criteria.

3. The system according to claim 1, further including:

a diagnostic scanner that acquires image data of a volume of interest in a patient to be treated using a combined photon and ion radiation treatment; and

a reconstruction processor that reconstructs the acquired image data into one or more images that are used by the simulator to identify contours of the patient and the volume of interest to be treated.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ion therapy device emits one of a hydrogen ion beam, a proton beam, a carbon ion beam, or other ion beam.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the optimal simulation model represents a combined photon and ion treatment that destroys the volume of interest with a minimum combined radiation dose outside the volume of interest relative to other simulation models.

6. The system according claim 1, wherein the optimal simulation model is presented to the user on the display.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a system processor that generates one or more dose volume histogram graphs (DVHs) that are presented to the user on the display.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the photon beam and the ion beam are one of pencil beams and Monte Carlo-modeled beams, and wherein the one or more simulation models comprise a plurality of regions of interest that cover the entire volume of interest.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the optimization parameters include one or more of:

beam trajectory;

dose delivery;

distance to the volume of interest;

beam intensity;

dose per unit of time;

beam placement on or within the volume of interest;

machine characteristics;

biological efficiency; and

contours of the volume of interest or patient.

10. The system according to claim 1, further including an input device via which a user inputs radiation treatment objective criteria or a radiation treatment plan.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the photon therapy device is an intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) device and the ion therapy device is a volume modulated arc therapy (VMAT) device;

the photon therapy device is a VMAT device and the ion therapy device is an intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) device;

the photon therapy device is an PART device and the ion therapy device is an IMPT device; and

the photon therapy device is a VMAT device for photon therapy and the ion therapy device is a VMAT device for ion therapy.

12. A method of optimizing a multimodal radiation therapy plan employing both photon beam and ion beam radiation treatments, including:

concurrently optimizing dose delivery from a photon therapy device and an ion therapy device in one or more simulation models by iteratively adjusting a plurality of optimization parameters for each of the photon therapy device and the ion therapy device during simulation; and

generating the one or more simulation models according to the optimization parameters.

13. The method according to claim 12, further including:

identifying an optimal simulation model that satisfies predefined radiation treatment objective criteria.

14. The method according to claim 12, further including:

acquiring image data, via at least one of a tomographic scanner and a magnetic resonance scanner, of a volume of interest in a patient to be treated using a combined photon and ion radiation treatment; and

reconstructing the acquired image data into one or more volume images that are employed during generation of the simulation models to identify contours of the patient and the volume of interest to be treated.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the ion therapy device emits one of a hydrogen ion beam, a proton beam, a carbon ion beam, or other ion beam.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the optimal simulation model represents a combined photon and ion treatment that irradiates the volume of interest with a minimum combined radiation dose to tissue outside the volume of interest relative to other simulation models.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising generating one or more dose volume histogram graphs (DVHs) that are presented to the user on the display.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the one or more simulation models comprise a plurality of regions of interest that cover the entire volume of interest.

19. The method according to claim 12 wherein the optimization parameters include one or more of:

beam trajectory;

dose delivery;

distance to the volume of interest;

beam intensity;

dose per unit of time;

beam placement on or within the volume of interest;

machine characteristics;

biological efficiency; and

contours of the volume of interest or patient.

20. A processor that configured to execute computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 12.

21. A computer-readable medium that carries computer instructions that control a processor to perform the method of claim 12.

22. The method according to claim 13, further comprising receiving user input that describes the predefined radiation treatment objective criteria for a radiation treatment plan.

23. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of:

the photon therapy device is an intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) device and the ion therapy device is a volume modulated arc therapy (VMAT) device for ion therapy;

the photon therapy device is a VMAT device for photon therapy and the ion therapy device is an intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) device;

the photon therapy device is an IMRT device and the ion therapy device is an IMPT device; and

the photon therapy device is a VMAT device for photon therapy and the ion therapy device is a VMAT device for ion therapy.

24. A system for concurrently optimizing multiple modes of a multimodal therapy treatment plan, including;

a first therapy device that generates a first therapy beam for treating a volume of interest in a patient;

a second therapy device that generates a second beam for treating the volume of interest in the patient;

an optimizer that evaluates one or more radiation treatment objective criteria and adjusts one or more optimization parameters associated with first and second beams to achieve the one or more radiation treatment objective criteria;

a simulator that generates a plurality of simulation models based on the adjusted optimization parameters;

wherein the optimizer identifies an optimal simulation model from the plurality of simulation models and provides the optimal model to a controller for execution using the first therapy device and the second therapy device.