Real-time adaptive dose computation radiation therapy

A method of radiation therapy, comprising:

• generating a baseline and real-time 3D planning images of a subject body region including a target and one or more Organs-At-Risk (OARs);
• deformably registering a planning image and the baseline 3D image;
• mapping radiation absorptive properties of tissues in the subject body region from the planning image to the baseline image;
• measuring the real-time motion of the target and organs at risk during a radiation therapy treatment based on the real-time images;
• and
• computing a realtime radiation dose delivered to the tissues based on the tissue radiation absorptive properties mapped from the baseline or planning image to the real-time 3D images.

A radiation therapy system, comprising:

• a linear accelerator (LINAC) which generates a plurality of beams of radiation into at least one targeted volume in a subject body, each beam of a size, shape, direction, strength, and duration based on a radiation treatment plan;
• a robotic controlled ultrasound (US) imaging unit which generates 3-dimensional (3-D) US images of a region of the subject body which includes the at least one targeted volume, and surrounding tissues exposed to the plurality of beams of radiation;
• a registration unit which deformably registers a computed tomography (CT) x-ray planning image and a baseline ultra-sound (US) images generated by the US unit prior to treatment, and maps tissue densities based on the CT planning image to the baseline 3D US images to generate a 3D tissue density map;
• an US motion unit which measures motion of the targeted volume and surrounding tissues and registers the 3D tissue density map to the real time 3D US images generated by the US imaging unit;
• and
• a dose computation engine which computes a real-time radiation dose delivered to the at least one targeted volume, organs at risk and surrounding tissues based on the 3D tissue density map, the real-time US images, and the measured motion.