System and method of generating contour structures using a dose volume histogram

• US 7,609,809 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomoTherapy Incorporated (Accuray Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TOMO Therapy Incorporated
• Inventors: Ruchala, Kenneth J., Lu, Weiguo, Schnarr, Eric, Mackie, Thomas R., Hughes, John H., Kapatoes, Jeffrey M., Reckwerdt, Paul J., Olivera, Gustavo H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiknadze; Irakli
• Application Number:
  US11/459,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20070195930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 378/62, 378/65, 378/108, 378/901, 378/162, 378/165
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1074 Details of the control system, e.g. user interfaces
• 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 5/1048 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

Abstract

A system and method of defining a new region of interest for an existing region of interest using a dose volume histogram. The method includes the acts of generating a dose volume histogram of radiation dose for a pre-existing region of interest, selecting a subset of the dose volume histogram, and defining a new region of interest that corresponds to the selected subset of the dose volume histogram.

Claims

1. A method of defining a new region of interest for an existing region of interest using a dose volume histogram, the method comprising using a computer to carry out the steps of:

generating a dose volume histogram of radiation dose for a pre-existing region of interest;

selecting a subset of the dose volume histogram; and

defining a new region of interest that corresponds to the selected subset of the dose volume histogram.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising displaying a region on an image that corresponds to the selected subset of the dose volume histogram.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the radiation dose is a dose delivered in one or more previous treatments.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the radiation dose is a planned dose to be delivered to the patient.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising generating a treatment plan for the patient and wherein the new region of interest is used to modify the treatment plan.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the new region of interest is an updated version of the existing region of interest.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the radiation dose is a combination of a planned radiation dose to be delivered to the patient and a radiation dose previously delivered to the patient.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the image is a dose map of a portion of the patient.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising adapting a treatment plan for the patient based on the new region of interest.

10. A method of defining a new region of interest for an existing region of interest using a dose volume histogram, the method comprising using a computer to carry out the steps of:

generating a dose volume histogram of radiation dose for a pre-existing region of interest;

selecting a subset of the dose volume histogram; and

defining a new region of interest that corresponds to the selected subset of the dose volume histogram,

wherein the dose volume histogram is a dose volume histogram of a comparison between at least two dose volumes.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein one of the dose volumes is a planned radiation dose to be delivered to the patient.

12. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein one of the dose volumes is a radiation dose previously delivered to the patient.

13. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein one of the dose volumes is a combination of a planned radiation dose to be delivered to the patient and a radiation dose previously delivered to the patient.

14. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein one of the dose volumes is one of a sum of or difference between previously delivered doses.

15. A method comprising using a computer to carry out the steps of:

generating a first dose volume representing a first radiation dose for a patient;

generating a second dose volume representing a second radiation dose for the patient;

comparing the first dose volume and the second dose volume;

generating a dose volume histogram based on the comparison;

selecting a subset on the dose volume histogram; and

generating a region of interest based on the selected subset.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the comparison is a difference between the first radiation dose and the second radiation dose.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the first radiation dose is a planned dose and the second radiation dose is a delivered dose.

18. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the region of interest is automatically generated.

19. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the delivered radiation dose is a sum of a plurality of delivered doses.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the delivered doses are summed using deformation.

21. The method as set forth in claim 15 and further comprising generating a treatment plan for the patient and adapting the treatment plan based on the region of interest.

22. A system for generating contours using a dose volume histogram, the system comprising:

a radiation therapy treatment device including a computer processor, the radiation therapy treatment device operable to deliver a treatment plan to a patient; and

a software program stored in a computer readable medium accessible by the computer processor, the software being operable to generate a dose volume histogram of radiation dose for a pre-existing region of interest, select a subset of the dose volume histogram, and define a new region of interest that corresponds to the selected subset of the dose volume histogram.

23. The system as set forth in claim 22 wherein the software program includes an analysis module operable to generate the dose volume histogram of the patient radiation therapy dose.

24. The system as set forth in claim 22 wherein the software program includes a contour module operable to generate a contour on the image that corresponds to the dose volume histogram.

25. The system as set forth in claim 22 wherein the software program is further operable to generate a treatment plan and modify the treatment plan based on the new region of interest.

26. A method of defining a new region of interest using a dose volume histogram, the method comprising using a computer to carry out the steps of:

generating a first dose volume;

generating a second dose volume;

comparing the first dose volume and the second dose volume;

generating a histogram based on the comparison;

selecting a subset on the histogram; and

generating a region of interest based on the selected subset.

27. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the comparison is a difference between the first dose volume and the second dose volume.

28. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the region of interest is automatically generated.

29. The method as set forth in claim 26 and further comprising generating a treatment plan for the patient and adapting the treatment plan based on the region of interest.

30. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the comparison is based on a gamma index.

31. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the comparison is based on a xi function.

32. A method of defining a new region of interest using a histogram, the method comprising using a computer to carry out the steps of:

generating a histogram of radiation dose for a pre-existing region of interest;

selecting a subset of the histogram; and

defining a new region of interest that corresponds to the selected subset of the histogram.

33. A method as set forth in claim 32 wherein the histogram is a dose volume histogram.

34. A method as set forth in claim 32 and further comprising displaying a region on an image that corresponds to the selected subset of the histogram.

35. A method as set forth in claim 32 wherein the radiation dose is a dose delivered in one or more previous treatments.

36. A method as set forth in claim 32 wherein the radiation dose is a planned dose to be delivered to the patient.

37. A method as set forth in claim 32 and further comprising generating a treatment plan for the patient and wherein the new region of interest is used to modify the treatment plan.

38. A method as set forth in claim 32 wherein the new region of interest is an updated version of the existing region of interest.

39. A method as set forth in claim 32 wherein the radiation dose is a combination of a planned radiation dose to be delivered to the patient and a radiation dose previously delivered to the patient.

40. A method as set forth in claim 32 and further comprising adapting a treatment plan for the patient based on the new region of interest.

41. A method as set forth in claim 32 wherein the image is a dose map of a portion of the patient.

42. A method of defining a new region of interest using a histogram, the method comprising using a computer to carry out the steps of:

generating a histogram of radiation dose for a pre-existing region of interest;

selecting a subset of the histogram; and

defining a new region of interest that corresponds to the selected subset of the histogram, wherein the histogram is a dose volume histogram of a comparison between at least two dose volumes.

43. A method as set forth in claim 42 wherein one of the dose volumes is a planned radiation dose to be delivered to the patient.

44. A method as set forth in claim 42 wherein one of the dose volumes is a radiation dose previously delivered to the patient.

45. A method as set forth in claim 42 wherein one of the dose volumes is a combination of a planned radiation dose to be delivered to the patient and a radiation dose previously delivered to the patient.

46. A method as set forth in claim 42 wherein one of the dose volumes is one of a sum of or difference between previously delivered doses.