Methods and apparatus for the planning and delivery of radiation treatments
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region within a subject, the method comprising:
- iteratively optimizing, by a processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over an initial plurality of control points along a trajectory which involves relative movement between a radiation source and the subject;
reaching one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions;
specifying, by the processor, an increased plurality of control points along the trajectory, the increased plurality of control points comprising a larger number of control points than the initial plurality of control points, wherein the increased plurality of control points includes the initial plurality of control points; and
iteratively optimizing, by the processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the increased plurality of control points to thereby determine a radiation delivery plan;
the radiation delivery plan configured to cause a radiation delivery apparatus to deliver radiation in accordance with the radiation delivery plan.
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Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for planning and delivering radiation treatments by modalities which involve moving a radiation source along a trajectory relative to a subject while delivering radiation to the subject. In some embodiments the radiation source is moved continuously along the trajectory while in some embodiments the radiation source is moved intermittently. Some embodiments involve the optimization of the radiation delivery plan to meet various optimization goals while meeting a number of constraints. For each of a number of control points along a trajectory, a radiation delivery plan may comprise: a set of motion axes parameters, a set of beam shape parameters and a beam intensity.
108 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A method for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region within a subject, the method comprising:
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iteratively optimizing, by a processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over an initial plurality of control points along a trajectory which involves relative movement between a radiation source and the subject; reaching one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions; specifying, by the processor, an increased plurality of control points along the trajectory, the increased plurality of control points comprising a larger number of control points than the initial plurality of control points, wherein the increased plurality of control points includes the initial plurality of control points; and iteratively optimizing, by the processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the increased plurality of control points to thereby determine a radiation delivery plan; the radiation delivery plan configured to cause a radiation delivery apparatus to deliver radiation in accordance with the radiation delivery plan. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 43)
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13. A method for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region
within a subject, the method comprising: -
iteratively optimizing, by a processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over an initial plurality of control points along a trajectory which involves relative movement between a radiation source and the subject; reaching one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions; specifying, by the processor, an increased plurality of control points along the trajectory, the increased plurality of control points comprising a larger number of control points than the initial plurality of control points; and iteratively optimizing, by the processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the increased 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 iteratively optimizing, by the processor, the simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the increased plurality of control points comprises, for each iteration; varying, by the processor, one or more radiation delivery parameters associated with one or more of the increased plurality of control points; determining, by the processor, the simulated dose distribution based on the one or more varied radiation delivery parameters; determining, by the processor and on the basis of an optimization algorithm and the simulated dose distribution based on the one or more varied radiation delivery parameters, whether to accept or reject the one or more varied radiation delivery parameters; and after a determination is made to accept the one or more varied radiation delivery parameters, updating, by the processor, current radiation delivery parameters to include the one or more varied radiation delivery parameters. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 44)
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23. A method for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region
within a subject, the method comprising: -
iteratively optimizing, by a processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over an initial plurality of control points along a trajectory which involves relative movement between a radiation source and the subject; reaching one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions; specifying, by the processor, an increased plurality of control points along the trajectory, the increased plurality of control points comprising a larger number of control points than the initial plurality of control points; and iteratively optimizing, by the processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the increased 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 iteratively optimizing, by the processor, the simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the initial plurality of control points comprises performing, by the processor, the iterative optimization using a set of optimization parameters, the set of optimization parameters representative of one or more of;
a beam shape of the radiation source; and
a beam intensity of the radiation source.- View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 45)
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27. A method for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region
within a subject, the method comprising: -
iteratively optimizing, by a processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over an initial plurality of control points along a trajectory which involves relative movement between a radiation source and the subject; reaching one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions; specifying, by the processor, an increased plurality of control points along the trajectory, the increased plurality of control points comprising a larger number of control points than the initial plurality of control points; and iteratively optimizing, by the processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the increased 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 trajectory comprises at least one pair of locations where a first beam directed from the radiation source toward the subject from a first one of the pair of locations and a second beam directed from the radiation source toward the subject from a second one of the pair of locations are substantially parallel but opposing one another. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 46)
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30. A method for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region
within a subject, the method comprising: -
iteratively optimizing, by a processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over an initial plurality of control points along a trajectory which involves relative movement between a radiation source and the subject; reaching one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions; specifying, by the processor, an increased plurality of control points along the trajectory, the increased plurality of control points comprising a larger number of control points than the initial plurality of control points; and iteratively optimizing, by the processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the increased 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 trajectory comprises a plurality of arcs, each arc involving relating movement between the radiation source and the subject within a corresponding plane; wherein between successive ones of the plurality of arcs, the trajectory comprises inter-arc relative movement between the radiation source and the subject, the inter-arc relative movement comprising movement such that the corresponding planes associated with each arc intersect one another. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 47)
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33. A method for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region
within a subject, the method comprising: -
iteratively optimizing, by a processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over an initial plurality of control points along a trajectory which involves relative movement between a radiation source and the subject; reaching one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions; specifying, by the processor, an increased plurality of control points along the trajectory, the increased plurality of control points comprising a larger number of control points than the initial plurality of control points; and iteratively optimizing, by the processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the increased 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 trajectory comprises a plurality of arcs, each arc involving relating movement between the radiation source and the subject within a corresponding plane; wherein between successive ones of the plurality of arcs, the trajectory comprises inter-arc relative movement between the radiation source and the subject, the inter-arc relative movement comprising movement such that the corresponding planes associated with each arc are parallel to one another. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 48)
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36. A method for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region
within a subject, the method comprising: -
iteratively optimizing, by a processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over an initial plurality of control points along a trajectory which involves relative movement between a radiation source and the subject; reaching one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions; specifying, by the processor, an increased plurality of control points along the trajectory, the increased plurality of control points comprising a larger number of control points than the initial plurality of control points; and iteratively optimizing, by the processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the increased 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 trajectory comprises a non-self overlapping trajectory which involves non-self overlapping relative movement between the radiation source and the subject. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 49)
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39. A method for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region
within a subject, the method comprising: -
iteratively optimizing, by a processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over an initial plurality of control points along a trajectory which involves relative movement between a radiation source and the subject; reaching one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions; specifying, by the processor, an increased plurality of control points along the trajectory, the increased plurality of control points comprising a larger number of control points than the initial plurality of control points; and iteratively optimizing, by the processor, a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the increased 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 a start of the trajectory and an end of the trajectory comprise the same relative position between the radiation source and the subject and the trajectory is otherwise non-self overlapping. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 50)
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42. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute a method for planning delivery of radiation dose to a target region within a subject, the method comprising:
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iteratively optimizing a simulated dose distribution relative to a set of one or more optimization goals comprising a desired dose distribution in the subject over an initial plurality of control points along a trajectory which involves relative movement between a radiation source and the subject; reaching one or more initial termination conditions, and after reaching the one or more initial termination conditions; specifying an increased plurality of control points along the trajectory, the increased plurality of control points comprising a larger number of control points than the initial plurality of control points, wherein the increased plurality of control points includes the initial plurality of control points; and iteratively optimizing a simulated dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals over the increased plurality of control points.
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Specification