Advanced radiotherapy treatment planning optimization

• US 9,254,396 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rhode Island Hospital
• Original Assignee: Rhode Island Hospital
• Inventors: Mihaylov, Ivaylo B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reddy, Sunita
• Application Number:
  US13/768,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20130217948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 600/1, 128897-899, 378/64, 378/65, 378/87, 378/95, 378/147, 378/149, 378/150, 378/151
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1031 using a specific method of dose optimization

Abstract

A method of radiotherapy treatment planning is described. A planned target volume is identified for radiotherapy treatment and at least one volume of interest is identified. The mass, density, and total deposited energy contained in the planned target volume and the volumes of interest are identified and dose objectives are determined. At least one of the objectives is a function of the identified mass, density, or deposited energy. A composite objective function is determined using the dose objectives for the planned target volume and the volumes of interest. A near optimal solution to the composite objective function is determined to produce a radiotherapy treatment plan.

Claims

1. A method of radiotherapy treatment planning, the method for implementation by one or more data processors forming part of at least one computing system, the method comprising:

identifying a planned target volume for radiotherapy treatment;

identifying at least one volume of interest;

identifying a mass contained in at least one of the planned target volume and the at least one volume of interest;

determining, by at least one data processor, at least one dose constraint for the planned target volume;

determining, by at least one data processor, at least one dose constraint for the at least one volume of interest;

wherein at least one of (a) the at least one dose constraint or an objective for the planned target volume or (b) the at least one dose constraint or an objective for the at least one volume of interest is a function of the mass;

determining, by at least one data processor, a composite objective function using (a) the at least one dose constraint or the objective for the planned target volume, or (b) the at least one dose constraint or the objective of the at least one volume of interest; and

determining, by at least one data processor, a near optimal solution to the composite objective function to produce a radiotherapy treatment plan;

wherein the function of the mass for a j^th organ is formulated according to;

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiotherapy treatment plan includes using one of:

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Four Dimensional Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Adaptive Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Real Time Adaptive Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Image Guided Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, or Four Dimensional Image Guided Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiotherapy treatment plan includes using one of:

Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, Four Dimensional Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, Intensity Modulated Charged Particle Therapy, or Four Dimensional Intensity Modulated Charged Particle Therapy.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiotherapy treatment plan includes using one of:

Adaptive Four Dimensional Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy, Adaptive Four Dimensional Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, Adaptive Four Dimensional Intensity Modulated Charged Particle Therapy, or Adaptive Four Dimensional Image Guided Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiotherapy treatment plan includes using one of energy modulation for:

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Four Dimensional Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, Four Dimensional Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, Adaptive Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Adaptive Four Dimensional Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Adaptive Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, Adaptive Four Dimensional Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, Real Time Adaptive Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Real Time Adaptive Four Dimensional Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Real Time Adaptive Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, or Real Time Adaptive Four Dimensional Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiotherapy treatment plan includes using one of:

Real Time Adaptive Four Dimensional Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy, Real Time Adaptive Four Dimensional Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, or Real Time Adaptive Four Dimensional Intensity Modulated Charged Particle Therapy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the near optimal solution is a clinically acceptable solution.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the planned target volume contains at least a portion of a tumor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one volume of interest contains at least a portion of:

an organ at risk or an anatomical structure of interest.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the planned target volume contains at least a portion of:

lung, prostrate, head-and-neck, intestine, pancreas, liver, kidney, brain, bone, breast, cervix, skin, bowel, bladder, glands, colon or thyroid.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating the radiotherapy treatment plan using a beam forming radiotherapy treatment device.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium wherein code embodied in the computer readable storage medium executed by a processor performs operations, the operations comprising:

receive, by at least one data processor, data describing a planned target volume for radiotherapy treatment;

receive, by at least one data processor, data describing at least one volume of interest;

receive, by at least one data processor, data describing a mass contained in at least one of the planned target volume or the at least one volume of interest;

receive, by at least one data processor, data describing at least one dose constraint or an objective for the planned target volume;

receive, by at least one data processor, data describing at least one dose constraint or an objective for the at least one volume of interest;

wherein at least one of;

(a) the at least one dose constraint or the objective for the planned target volume or (b) the at least one dose constraint or the objective for the at least one volume of interest is a function of the mass;

determine, by at least one data processor, a composite objective function using (a) the at least one dose constraint or the objective for the planned target volume, or (b) the at least one dose constraint or the objective of the at least one volume of interest; and

determine, by at least one data processor, a near optimal solution to the composite objective function to produce a radiotherapy treatment plan;

wherein the function of the mass for a j^th organ is formulated according to;

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

initiating the radiotherapy treatment plan using a beam forming radiotherapy treatment device.

12. A system for radiation treatment planning comprising:

an input module for specifying input parameters;

wherein the input parameters comprise;

a planned target volume, at least one volume of interest, a mass contained in at least one of the planned target volume or the at least one volume of interest, at least one dose constraint or an objective for the planned target volume, or at least one dose constraint or an objective for the at least one volume of interest;

wherein at least one of (a) the at least one dose constraint or the objective for the planned target volume and or (b) the at least one dose constraint or the objective for the at least one volume of interest is a function of the mass; and

a processor configured to determine a composite objective function using the input parameters and to determine a near optimal solution to the composite objective function for the production of a radiotherapy treatment plan;

wherein the function of the mass for a j^th organ is formulated according to;

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a beam forming radiotherapy treatment device for performing the radiotherapy treatment plan.