Irradiation Planning for Particle Therapy

• US 20130150647A1
• Filed: 12/07/2012
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Chen, Wenjing, Gemmel, Alexander, Rietzel, Eike
• Granted Patent: US 9,511,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1034 Monte Carlo type methods; particle tracking
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1041 using a library of previously administered radiation treatment applied to other patients
• 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 5/1038 taking into account previously administered plans applied to the same patient, i.e. adaptive radiotherapy

Abstract

A method for producing an irradiation plan for a target volume includes preparing a modulation curve that characterizes modulation of particle numbers at target points in the target volume that lie one behind another in a direction of the beam. The method also includes determining a current position of the target volume and defining a plurality of target points that fully cover the target volume in the current position. Particle numbers are assigned to the plurality of current target points using the modulation curve.

Claims

1. A method for producing an irradiation plan for a target volume, the method comprising:

providing a modulation curve that characterizes a modulation, in a direction of a beam, of particle numbers at target points that lie one behind another in the target volume;

determining a current position of the target volume;

defining a plurality of current target points that fully cover the target volume in the current position; and

assigning particle numbers to the plurality of current target points using the modulation curve.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining, in a preliminary procedure, the modulation curve from at least one existing irradiation plan, in which an assignment of particle numbers to target points in the target volume is stored.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the target volume, used in the preliminary procedure for the determination of the modulation curve, belongs to a same person as the target volume, for which the current position is being determined, or

wherein the target volume, used in the preliminary procedure for the determination of the modulation curve, belongs to a different person than does the target volume, for which the current position is being determined, or

wherein the target volume, used in the preliminary procedure for the determination of the modulation curve, belongs to a phantom that simulates the target volume.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein determining, in the preliminary procedure, the modulation curve comprises averaging particle numbers from a plurality of target point lines,

wherein a target point line of the plurality of target point lines is defined by target points lying one behind another in the direction of the beam.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising normalizing the modulation curve in terms of an energy level of the particle beam that is required for irradiation on the target volume.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein defining the plurality of current target points that fully cover the target volume comprises selecting a target point spacing that corresponds to a reference plan that already exists.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in assigning particle numbers to the current target points on a target point line, formed by current target points, particle numbers defined by the modulation curve are assigned.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising adapting, before the particle numbers are assigned to the target point line of current target points, the particle numbers that are specified by the modulation curve in terms of an energy level that is required for the irradiation on the target volume.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is used for recalculation of an irradiation plan that has already been calculated with optimized physical or biological dose distribution.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is used for transferring an irradiation plan that already exists over to a new irradiation plan, and

wherein the existing irradiation plan and the new irradiation plan are assigned to a same patient, or

wherein the existing irradiation plan and the new irradiation plan are assigned to different patients, or

wherein the existing irradiation plan is assigned to a phantom, and the new irradiation plan is assigned to a patient.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining particle numbers for a first irradiation field,

wherein the modulation curve is determined from a second irradiation field that, by comparison with the first irradiation field, has a different angle of incidence.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of modulation curves, the plurality of modulation curves being produced from different irradiation plans that differ with respect to a target organ, a target dose, a type of particle to be used, a target point spacing, or a combination thereof, the plurality of modulation curves comprising the modulation curve, and

wherein one modulation curve of the plurality of modulation curves is selected in the assigning of the particle numbers to the plurality of current target points.

13. An irradiation planning apparatus comprising:

a computing device comprising;

a modulation curve component configured to provide a modulation curve that characterizes modulation of particle numbers at target points that, in a direction of a beam, lie one behind another in a target volume;

a position component configured to determine a current position of the target volume;

a target point component configured to define a plurality of current target points that fully cover the target volume in the current position; and

a particle number component configured to assign particle numbers to the plurality of current target points using the modulation curve.

14. The irradiation planning apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the modulation curve component is further configured to determine, in a preliminary procedure, the modulation curve from at least one existing irradiation plan, in which an assignment of particle numbers to target points in the target volume is stored.

15. The irradiation planning apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the target volume, used in the preliminary procedure for the determination of the modulation curve, belongs to a same person as the target volume, for which the current position is determined, or

wherein the target volume, used in the preliminary procedure for the determination of the modulation curve, belongs to a different person than does the target volume, for which the current position is determined, or

wherein the target volume, used in the preliminary procedure for the determination of the modulation curve, belongs to a phantom that simulates the target volume.

16. The irradiation planning apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the modulation curve component is further configured to average particle numbers from a plurality of target point lines,

wherein a target point line of the plurality of target point lines is defined by target points lying one behind another in the direction of the beam.

17. The irradiation planning apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the computing device is configured to normalize the modulation curve in terms of an energy level of the particle beam that is required for irradiation on the target volume.

18. The irradiation planning apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein defining the plurality of current target points that fully cover the target volume comprises selecting a target point spacing that corresponds to a reference plan that already exists.

19. The irradiation planning apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the particle number component is configured to assign particle numbers defined by the modulation curve in assigning particle numbers to the current target points on a target point line, formed by current target points.

20. The irradiation planning apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the modulation curve component, the position component, the target point component, and the particle number component are a same processor.