Treatment planning simulation and verification system

• US 7,831,017 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Technologies Inc (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Myles, Jeremy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAO, CHIH CHENG G
• Application Number:
  US12/135,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 378/65, 378/205, 378/206, 378/207, 600/424
• US Class Current: 378/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1054 using a portal imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1062 using virtual X-ray images, e.g. digitally reconstructed radiographs [DRR]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1027 Interstitial radiation therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

A treatment planning, simulation, and verification system is described. According to one embodiment, a treatment plan and a fluoroscopy data image of a treatment volume are received and the treatment plan is automatically adjusted based on the movement of the fluoroscopy data image. According another embodiment, a system includes a treatment planning component to generate a treatment plan and a simulation component to simulate the execution of the treatment plan.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a treatment plan comprising:

receiving at a single work station a treatment plan of a target volume;

receiving at the single work station a digital fluoroscopic image of the target volume;

adjusting automatically at the single work station the treatment plan based on movement in a video display of the digital fluoroscopic image; and

saving an adjustment to the treatment plan at the single work station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting includes adjusting treatment field information to allow for movement in a field.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting includes adjusting gating information in the treatment plan.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the movement in a video display of the digital fluoroscopic image comprises movement of a patient'"'"'s internal anatomy in a digital video signal from a real time digital x-ray imager.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the digital fluoroscopic image comprises a digital video signal from a real time digital x-ray imager.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a treatment plan, receiving a digital fluoroscopic image, and adjusting automatically the treatment plan are all performed on a single radio therapy simulator machine.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the digital fluoroscopic image comprises receiving the digital fluoroscopic image from and produced by a flat panel image detector.

8. A method of adjusting a treatment plan comprising:

displaying at a single work station a digital image of a patient based on the treatment plan, wherein the digital image is generated on a treatment simulator system;

providing at the single work station input associated with the digital image;

automatically adjusting at the single work station the treatment plan based on the input associated with the digital image; and

recalculating at the single work station a treatment plan based on the input associated with the digital image; and

saving the recalculated treatment plan at the single work station.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying the digital image includes overlaying a simulator digital image and a digitally reconstructed radiograph image.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

automatically displaying fields of data based on the digital image.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the providing includes providing a radiation field input.

12. A non-transistory machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method of adjusting a treatment plan, the method comprising:

displaying at a single work station a digital image of a patient based on the treatment plan, wherein the digital image is generated on a treatment simulator;

providing at the single work station input associated with the digital image;

automatically adjusting at the single work station the treatment plan based on the input associated with the digital image;

recalculating at the single work station a treatment plan based on the input associated with the digital image; and

saving the recalculated treatment plan at the single work station.

13. The non-transistory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein displaying the digital image includes overlaying a simulator digital image and a digitally reconstructed radiograph image.

14. The non-transistory machine-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

automatically displaying fields of data based on the digital image.

15. The non-transistory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the providing includes providing a radiation field input.

16. A non-transistory machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method for adjusting a treatment plan, the method comprising:

receiving at a single work station a treatment plan of a target volume;

receiving at the single work station a digital fluoroscopic image of the target volume;

adjusting automatically at the single work station the treatment plan based on movement in a video display of the digital fluoroscopic image; and

saving an adjustment to the treatment plan at the single work station.

17. The non-transistory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the adjusting includes adjusting field information to allow for movement in a field.

18. The non-transistory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the adjusting includes adjusting gating information in the treatment plan.

19. The non-transistory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the movement in a video display of the digital fluoroscopic image comprises movement of a patient'"'"'s internal anatomy in a digital video signal from a real time digital x-ray imager.

20. The non-transistory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the digital fluoroscopic image comprises a digital video signal from a real time digital x-ray imager.

21. The non-transistory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein receiving a treatment plan, receiving a digital fluoroscopic image, and adjusting automatically the treatment plan are all performed on a single radio therapy simulator machine.

22. The non-transistory machine readable medium of claim 16 wherein receiving the digital fluoroscopic image comprises receiving the digital fluoroscopic image from and produced by a flat panel image detector.

23. A method of manufacturing a radiation simulation system, comprising:

attaching a kilovotage radiation source to a gantry;

coupling a patient support to the gantry;

attaching a radiation detector to the gantry;

coupling a simulation component to the gantry;

determining an isocenter distance between a treatment source and an isocenter of a treatment machine;

wherein attaching the kilvoltage radiation source to the gantry includes creating, for the kilovoltage radiation source, an isocenter distance equal to the determined isocenter distance of the treatment machine.

24. A method of manufacturing a radiation simulation system, comprising:

attaching a kilovotage radiation source to a gantry having an axis of rotation;

coupling a patient support to the gantry;

attaching a radiation detector to the gantry;

coupling a simulation component to the gantry;

determining a distance from a treatment source to a treatment system axis of rotation of a linear accelerator treatment system;

wherein a distance from the kilovaltage radiation source to the axis of rotation is a fixed distance equal to the determined distance of the treatment source to the treatment system axis of rotation.