Radiation Therapy Dose Calculation

• US 20160175613A1
• Filed: 12/17/2015
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun Nuclear Corporation (American Capital Limited)
• Original Assignee: Sun Nuclear Corporation (American Capital Limited)
• Inventors: Kapatoes, Jeffrey M., Simon, Thomas Allen, Simon, William E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,099,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1034 Monte Carlo type methods; particle tracking
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1054 using a portal imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1055 using magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1061 using an x-ray imaging system having a separate imaging source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1039 using functional images, e.g. PET or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1045 using a multi-leaf collimator, e.g. for intensity modulated radiation therapy or IMRT
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1071 for verifying the dose delivered by the treatment plan
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1075 for testing, calibrating, or quality assurance of the radiation treatment apparatus

Abstract

Radiation therapy dose calculation methods, systems and computer program products, for use with a treatment delivery device for treating a patient and utilizing a scattered radiation detector in making independent dose calculations. The scattered radiation detector is configured to acquire measurement information during patient treatment, which is used to determine an estimate of the output of the treatment delivery device. Other information is acquired including patient imaging data, gantry angle information and collimator position information utilized during patient treatment. The acquired information is utilized along with the treatment delivery device output estimate to determine dose delivered to the patient.

Claims

1. A radiation therapy dose calculation system for use with a treatment delivery device for treating a patient comprising:

a scattered radiation detector configured to acquire measurement information during a patient treatment; and

an independent dose calculator configured to;

acquire measurement information from the scattered radiation detector,

determine an estimate of the output of the treatment delivery device from the scattered radiation detector'"'"'s acquired measurement information,

acquire gantry angle and collimator position information utilized during the patient treatment,

receive patient imaging data, and

calculate a delivered dose to the patient from the gantry angle position information, collimator position information, patient imaging data and the estimate of the output of the treatment delivery device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the independent dose calculator is configured to acquire gantry angle and collimator position information from at least one log file associated with the treatment delivery device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the independent dose calculator is configured to acquire collimator position information from an electronic portal imaging device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the gantry angle information is acquired from an inclinometer.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the scattered radiation detector comprises a radiation sensitive diode.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the imaging data comprises CT data. The system of claim 1 wherein the imaging data comprises MRI data.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the independent dose calculator is configured to calculate delivered dose to the patient utilizing Monte Carlo or convolution/superposition methods.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the scattered radiation detector further comprises shielding to limit the directions from which radiation is detected.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

acquiring measurement information from a scattered radiation detector;

determining an estimate of an output of a treatment delivery device based on the measurement information and on calibration information for the scattered radiation detector;

acquiring collimator position information;

acquiring gantry angle position information;

acquiring patient imaging data; and

calculating a dose received by a patient based on the estimate of the output of the treatment delivery device, collimator position information, gantry angle position information, and patient imaging data.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the gantry angle and collimator position information are acquired from at least one log file associated with the treatment delivery device.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the collimator position information is acquired from an electronic portal imaging device.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the gantry angle information is acquired from an inclinometer.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the patient imaging data comprises CT data.

15. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the patient imaging data comprises MRI data.

16. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein calculating the dose received by the patient is performed utilizing Monte Carlo or convolution/superposition methods.

17. A method for calculating a dose received by a patient from a treatment delivery device comprising:

acquiring measurement information from a scattered radiation detector;

determining an estimate of the output of the treatment delivery device based on the measurement information and calibration information for the scattered radiation detector;

acquiring collimator position information;

acquiring gantry angle position information;

acquiring patient imaging data; and

calculating the dose received by the patient based on the estimate of the output of the treatment delivery device, acquired collimator position information, gantry angle position information, and patient imaging data.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the gantry angle and collimator position information is acquired from at least one log file associated with the treatment delivery device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the collimator position information is acquired from an electronic portal imaging device.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the gantry angle information is acquired from an inclinometer.