Knowledge-based spatial dose metrics and methods to generate beam orientations in radiotherapy

A system for estimating a dose from a radiation therapy plan, the system comprising:

• a memory that stores machine-readable instructions;
• a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the processor operable to execute the instructions to:
• subdivide a representation of a volume of interest into a plurality of voxels, determine a first plurality of distances between an origin, that is outside the volume of interest, of a first planned radiation field of a beam of radiation and respective voxels of the plurality of voxels that are traversed by the first planned radiation field;
• compute a plurality of metrics based on the first plurality of distances, a first plan parameter, and a first field parameter;
• sum the plurality of metrics corresponding to the plurality of voxels, wherein the summation of the plurality of metrics represents an estimated dose received by the volume of interest from the first planned radiation field;
• and include an orientation of the beam corresponding to the first planned radiation field in the radiation therapy plan when the estimated dose satisfies a dose constraint for the volume of interest.