Method for improved surface tracking-based motion management and dynamic planning in adaptive external beam radiation therapy

A therapy system for treating an internal target of a patient using a therapy delivery control system configured to deliver therapy to the patient, said therapy system comprising:

• at least one processor programmed to after one or more of a plurality of treatment fractions:
• receive a treatment plan to treat the internal target, the treatment plan including the plurality of treatment fractions including correspondences between the internal target and an external body surface based on (i) a pre-procedural planning image which is segmented to delineate the internal target, and (ii) pre-procedural tracking data, wherein a size and shape of the internal target change with the delivery of therapy during the plurality of treatment fractions;
• before delivery of one or more selected treatment fractions of the plurality of treatment fractions:
• receive a pre-fraction planning image of the target;
• segment the internal target in the received pre-fraction planning image and registering the received pre-fraction planning image to the segmented pre-procedural planning image;
• receive tracking data of the external body surface of the patient;
• update the size and the shape of the internal target and the correspondences between the internal target with the updated size and shape and the external body surface based on the segmented pre-fraction planning image and the received tracking data;
• update the treatment plan based on the updated size and shape of the internal target from the segmented pre-fraction planning image and the updated correspondence between the internal target and the external body surface;
• and
• provide the updated treatment plan and the updated correspondences to the therapy delivery control system to control delivery of the therapy in accordance with the updated treatment plan and using the updated correspondences.

A therapy delivery method for treating an internal target of a patient using a therapy delivery control system configured to deliver therapy to the patient, said therapy delivery method comprising:

• after one or more of a plurality of treatment fractions:
• receiving a treatment plan to treat the internal target, the treatment plan including the plurality of treatment fractions including correspondences between the internal target and an external body surface based on (i) a pre-procedural planning image which is segmented to delineate the internal target, and (ii) pre-procedural tracking data, wherein a size and shape of the internal target change with the delivery of therapy during the plurality of treatment fractions;
• before delivery of one or more selected treatment fractions of the plurality of treatment fractions:
• receiving a pre-fraction planning image of the target;
• segmenting the internal target in the received pre-fraction planning image and registering the received pre-fraction planning image to the segmented pre-procedural planning image;
• receiving tracking data of the external body surface of the patient;
• updating the size and the shape of the internal target and the correspondences between the internal target with the updated size and shape and the external body surface based on the segmented pre-fraction planning image and the received tracking data;
• updating the treatment plan based on the updated size and shape of the internal target from the received segmented pre-fraction planning image and the updated correspondence between the internal target and the external body surface;
• and
• providing the updated treatment plan and the updated correspondences to the therapy delivery control system to control delivery of the therapy in accordance with the updated treatment plan and using the updated correspondences.

A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying software which controls one or more processors of a therapy system for treating an internal target of a patient using a therapy delivery control system configured to deliver therapy to the patient, the one or more processors being programmed to after one or more of a plurality of treatment fractions:

• receive a treatment plan to treat the internal target, the treatment plan including the plurality of treatment fractions including correspondences between the internal target and an external body surface based on (i) a pre-procedural planning image which is segmented to delineate the internal target, and (ii) pre-procedural tracking data, wherein a size and shape of the internal target change with the delivery of therapy during the plurality of treatment fractions;
• before delivery of one or more selected treatment fractions of the plurality of treatment fractions:
• receive a pre-fraction planning image of the target;
• segment the internal target in the received pre-fraction planning image and registering the received pre-fraction planning image to the segmented pre-procedural planning image;
• receive tracking data of the external body surface of the patient;
• update the size and the shape of the internal target and the correspondences between the internal target with the updated size and shape and the external body surface based on the segmented pre-fraction planning image and the received tracking data;
• update the treatment plan based on the updated size and shape of the internal target from the segmented pre-fraction planning image and the updated correspondence between the internal target and the external body surface;
• and
• provide the updated treatment plan and the updated correspondences to the therapy delivery control system to control delivery of the therapy in accordance with the updated treatment plan and using the updated correspondences.