Method and system for adapting a radiation therapy treatment plan based on a biological model

• US 7,574,251 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accuray Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TomoTherapy Incorporated (Accuray Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ruchala, Kenneth J., Lu, Weiguo, Schnarr, Eric, Mackie, Thomas R., Kapatoes, Jeffrey M., Reckwerdt, Paul J., Olivera, Gustavo H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur; Eric F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rozanski; Michael T
• Application Number:
  US11/459,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 600/315, 600/407, 600/427, 378/65, 378/901
• US Class Current: 600/427
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1072 taking into account movement of the target
• 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 5/1037 taking into account the movement of the target, e.g. 4D-image based planning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1038 taking into account previously administered plans applied to the same patient, i.e. adaptive radiotherapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1042 with spatial modulation of the radiation beam within the treatment head
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1048 Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1065 Beam adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1069 Target adjustment, e.g. moving the patient support
• 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 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

A system and method of adapting a radiation therapy treatment plan. The method includes the acts of preparing a treatment plan for a patient, acquiring images of the patient, performing deformable registration of the images, acquiring data relating to a radiation dose delivered to the patient, applying a biological model relating the radiation dose delivered and a patient effect, and adapting the radiation therapy treatment plan based on the deformable registration and the biological model.

Claims

1. A method of adapting a treatment plan, the method comprising:

preparing a treatment plan for a patient for treating a patient condition, the preparation including acquiring an internal reference image of the patient;

acquiring three-dimensional internal images of the patient in substantially a treatment position;

performing deformable registration of the images;

acquiring data relating to a radiation dose delivered to the patient;

applying a biological model to relate the radiation dose delivered and a patient effect; and

adapting subsequent dose delivery of the treatment plan in a radiation delivery device based on the deformable registration and the biological model.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the treatment plan is a radiation therapy treatment plan.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising tuning the biological model based on an effect of the radiation dose on the patient.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the effect of the radiation dose on the patient can be determined using one of a patient marker and a biological tracer.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising tracking how the patient effect relates to the biological model over a period of time.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the period of time is a lifetime of the patient.

7. A method as set forth in claim 5 and further comprising adjusting the biological model parameters based on the relation.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising adapting the treatment plan based on the patient effect.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising evaluating whether a region of interest of the patient moved and wherein the act of adapting the treatment plan incorporates the information relating to motion of the region of interest.

10. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising positioning the patient for a treatment based upon the patient effect of the radiation dose delivered to the patient in prior treatments.

11. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising monitoring the patient effects for trends and adapting the treatment plan based on the trends.

12. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the act of adapting the treatment plan further comprises automatically selecting a biological model for evaluation, and automatically applying the biological model to adapt the treatment plan.

13. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the biological model is a mathematical model.

14. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the biological model is an empirical model.

15. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the biological model is a biological effect based on an anatomical influence.

16. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the biological model is based on patient metrics.

17. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising performing genetic testing to identify whether the patient condition being treated is predisposed to reoccur.

18. A computer program embodied by a computer readable medium capable of being executed by a computer, the computer program for use in a treatment system, the computer program comprising:

a treatment plan module operable to generate a treatment plan for a patient, the plan based at least in part on an internal reference image of the patient;

an image acquisition module operable to acquire a three-dimensional internal image of at least a portion of the patient in substantially a treatment position;

a deformation module operable to generate a deformable registration between the reference image and the acquired image; and

a modeling module operable to relate a radiation dose delivered to the patient and an effect of the radiation dose on the patient and to adapt subsequent dose delivery of the treatment plan based on the deformable registration and a biological model.