Systems and methods for global optimization of treatment planning for external beam radiation therapy

A system for optimizing treatment planning in intensity-modulation radiation therapy (IMRT), the system comprising:

• a user interface for enabling a user to specify, at least one parameter related to IMRT, at least one constraint, and at least one clinical objective;
• a treatment plan modeling module configured to develop a treatment plan optimization model containing a plurality of variables corresponding to the at least one parameter related to IMRT, the at least one constraint, and the at least one clinical objective;
• and
• a global optimization module configured to calculate a globally optimal treatment plan which optimizes the at least one clinical objective subject to the at least one parameter related to IMRT and the at least one constraint.

A system for optimizing treatment planning in intensity-modulation radiation therapy (IMRT), the system comprising:

• means for interfacing with an I/O device to enable a user to specify at least one parameter related to IMRT, at least one constraint, and at least one clinical objective;
• means for modeling a global system based on a plurality of variables corresponding to the at least one parameter related to IMRT, the at least one constraint, and the at least one clinical objective;
• and
• means for calculating a globally optimal treatment plan which optimizes the at least one clinical objective subject to the at least one parameter related to IMRT and the at least one constraint.

A computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium for optimizing treatment planning in intensity-modulation radiation therapy (IMRT), the computer program comprising:

• logic configured to interface with a user and enable the user to specify at least one parameter related to IMRT, at least one constraint, and at least one clinical objective;
• logic configured to develop a treatment plan optimization model containing a plurality of variables corresponding to the at least one parameter related to IMRT, the at least one constraint, and the at least one clinical objective;
• and
• logic configured to calculate a globally optimal treatment plan which optimizes the at least one clinical objective subject to the at least one parameter related to IMRT and the at least one constraint.