Methods and apparatus for the planning and delivery of radiation treatments

• US 9,687,676 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2016
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers International AG
• Original Assignee: Varian Medical Systems International AG (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Otto, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Matthews, Christine H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANNU, JOSHUA DARYL DEANON
• Application Number:
  US15/266,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20170001037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/101 Computer-aided simulation of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0036 including treatment, e.g., using an implantable medical device, ablating, ventilating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1032 Genetic optimization methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1034 Monte Carlo type methods; particle tracking
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1035 Simulated annealing
• 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 5/1036 Leaf sequencing algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1037 taking into account the movement of the target, e.g. 4D-image based planning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1039 using functional images, e.g. PET or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1042 with spatial modulation of the radiation beam within the treatment head
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1045 using a multi-leaf collimator, e.g. for intensity modulated radiation therapy or IMRT
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1047 with movement of the radiation head during application of radiation, e.g. for intensity modulated arc therapy or IMAT
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/107 in real time, i.e. during treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1077 Beam delivery systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1082 having multiple beam rotation axes

Abstract

Systems for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region within a subject comprise a processor configured to: iteratively optimize a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over a first plurality of control points located on a trajectory, the trajectory comprising relative movement between a treatment radiation source and the subject; reach one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions: specify a second plurality of control points along the trajectory, the second plurality of control points comprising a larger number control points than the first plurality of control points; and iteratively optimize a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the second plurality of control points to thereby determine a radiation delivery plan.

Claims

1. A system for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region within a subject, the system comprising a processor, the processor configured to:

iteratively optimize a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over a first plurality of control points located on a trajectory, the trajectory comprising relative movement between a treatment radiation source and the subject;

reach one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions;

specify a second plurality of control points along the trajectory, the second plurality of control points comprising a larger number control points than the first plurality of control points; and

iteratively optimize a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the second plurality of control points to thereby determine a radiation delivery plan;

the radiation delivery plan capable of causing a radiation delivery apparatus to deliver radiation in accordance with the radiation delivery plan.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to iteratively optimize, the simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the first plurality of control points by performing the iterative optimization using a set of optimization parameters.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein at least one optimization parameter within the set of optimization parameters comprises a variable beam intensity of the treatment radiation source;

and wherein the variable beam intensity of the radiation source comprises a radiation output rate of the treatment radiation source.

4. A system according to claim 2 wherein at least one optimization parameter within the set of optimization parameters comprises a variable beam shape.

5. A system according to claim 2 wherein the set of optimization parameters comprises a position of one or more motion axes corresponding to the trajectory.

6. A system according to claim 2 wherein the set of optimization parameters specifies a set of radiation delivery parameters, the set of radiation delivery parameters corresponding to radiation to be delivered at each control point in the first plurality of control points.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein the second plurality of control points comprises at least one control point in the first plurality of control points.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to specify the second plurality of control points by increasing a number of constraints used in the iterative optimization.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to provide the radiation delivery plan to the radiation delivery apparatus.

10. A system according to claim 1 comprising a radiation delivery apparatus and wherein the radiation delivery apparatus delivers radiation in accordance with the radiation delivery plan.

11. A system according to claim 10 wherein a start of the trajectory and an end of the trajectory comprise a same relative position between the treatment radiation source and the subject and the trajectory is otherwise non-self-overlapping.

12. A system according to claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to iteratively optimize the simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the first plurality of control points by performing the iterative optimization using a set of optimization parameters.

13. A system according to claim 12 wherein the set of optimization parameters comprises a variable beam intensity of the treatment radiation source;

and wherein the variable beam intensity of the radiation source comprises a radiation output rate of the treatment radiation source.

14. A system according to claim 12 wherein the set of optimization parameters comprises a variable beam shape.

15. A system according to claim 1 wherein the trajectory comprises a plurality of arcs, each arc involving relative movement between the treatment radiation source and the subject within a corresponding plane.

16. A system according to claim 1 wherein the trajectory comprises a single non-self-overlapping trajectory which involves non-self-overlapping relative movement between the treatment radiation source and the subject.

17. A system for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region within a subject, the system comprising a processor, the processor configured to:

iteratively optimize a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over a first plurality of control points located on a trajectory, the trajectory comprising relative movement between a treatment radiation source and the subject;

reach one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions;

specify a second plurality of control points along the trajectory, the second plurality of control points comprising a larger number control points than the first plurality of control points; and

iteratively optimize a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the second plurality of control points to thereby determine a radiation delivery plan;

the radiation delivery plan capable of causing a radiation delivery apparatus to deliver radiation in accordance with the radiation delivery plan;

wherein the processor is configured to iteratively optimize, the simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the first plurality of control points by performing the iterative optimization using set of optimization parameters;

wherein the processor is configured to specify the second plurality of control points by assigning optimization parameters to the second plurality of control points not present among the first plurality of control points and wherein the processor is configured to assign optimization parameters by interpolating based on the optimization parameters associated with the first plurality of control points.