Treatment plan optimization method for radiation therapy
First Claim
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1. A method of optimizing a treatment plan for irradiating a treatment volume within a patient, comprising:
- establishing at least one treatment parameter;
establishing a cost function corresponding to a treatment volume, wherein the treatment volume includes a target volume intended to receive a therapeutic dose of radiation and a non-target volume intended to receive a smaller dose of radiation, wherein the cost function is responsive to the radiation dose received by the treatment volume;
back-projecting a plurality of gradients of said cost function to an optimization surface, wherein said gradients are responsive to changes in said at least one treatment parameter and wherein said optimization surface is defined by said at least one treatment parameter; and
changing said at least one treatment parameter, wherein said change in said at least one treatment parameter causes a corresponding change in said back projected gradients;
wherein at least one of establishing at least one treatment parameter, back projecting a plurality of gradients, or changing said at least one treatment parameter is performed with a treatment planning computer.
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Abstract
A treatment planning method and system for optimizing a treatment plan used to irradiate a treatment volume including a target volume, such as a tumor, is disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, gradients of a cost function that defines a treatment volume are back projected to a surface of interest. The method and system of preferred embodiments of the present invention calculate the gradients with respect to the dose received by the treatment volume. Machine parameters that are associated with the surface of interest may then be optimized based on the back projected gradients.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of optimizing a treatment plan for irradiating a treatment volume within a patient, comprising:
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establishing at least one treatment parameter; establishing a cost function corresponding to a treatment volume, wherein the treatment volume includes a target volume intended to receive a therapeutic dose of radiation and a non-target volume intended to receive a smaller dose of radiation, wherein the cost function is responsive to the radiation dose received by the treatment volume; back-projecting a plurality of gradients of said cost function to an optimization surface, wherein said gradients are responsive to changes in said at least one treatment parameter and wherein said optimization surface is defined by said at least one treatment parameter; and changing said at least one treatment parameter, wherein said change in said at least one treatment parameter causes a corresponding change in said back projected gradients; wherein at least one of establishing at least one treatment parameter, back projecting a plurality of gradients, or changing said at least one treatment parameter is performed with a treatment planning computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for generating a radiation therapy treatment plan comprising:
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establishing at least one treatment machine parameter; establishing a cost function corresponding to a treatment volume, wherein the treatment volume includes a target volume intended to receive a therapeutic dose of radiation and a non-target volume intended to receive a smaller dose of radiation, wherein the cost function is responsive to the radiation dose received by the treatment volume; back projecting gradients of said cost function to a surface, wherein said surface is defined by said at least one treatment machine parameter, wherein said gradients are calculated with respect to said radiation dose, and wherein said gradients are responsive to changes in said at least one treatment machine parameter; and changing said at least one treatment machine parameter, wherein said change in said at least one treatment machine parameter causes a corresponding change in said back projected gradients; wherein at least one of establishing at least one treatment machine parameter, back projecting gradients of said cost function, or changing said at least one treatment machine parameter is performed with a treatment planning computer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for optimizing leaf positions of a multi-leaf collimator used to deliver a radiation treatment plan to a patient comprising:
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establishing an initial position for a plurality of leaves of a multi-leaf collimator; establishing a cost function corresponding to a treatment volume, wherein the treatment volume includes a target volume intended to receive a therapeutic dose of radiation and a non-target volume intended to receive a smaller dose of radiation, wherein the cost function is responsive to the radiation dose received by the treatment volume; back projecting gradients of said cost function to a plane established by the leaves of said multi-leaf collimator, wherein said gradients are calculated with respect to said radiation dose and wherein said gradients are responsive to changes in said leaf positions; and changing positions of said leaves in said multi leaf collimator, wherein said change in said positions of said leaves of said multi leaf collimator causes a corresponding change in said back projected gradients. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing thereon a program for execution by a computer, the program having code for performing the steps of:
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establishing at least one treatment parameter; establishing a cost function corresponding to a treatment volume, wherein the treatment volume includes a target volume intended to receive a therapeutic dose of radiation and a non-target volume intended to receive a smaller dose of radiation, wherein the cost function is responsive to the radiation dose received by the treatment volume; back-projecting a plurality of gradients of said cost function to an optimization surface, wherein said gradients are responsive to changes in said at least one treatment parameter and wherein said optimization surface is defined by said at least one treatment parameter; and changing said at least one treatment parameter, wherein said change in said at least one treatment parameter causes a corresponding change in said back projected gradients. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification