Method for the planning and delivery of radiation therapy
AssigneeUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore
InventorsMatt A. Earl, David M. Shepard, Xinsheng Yu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A new optimization method for generating treatment plans for radiation oncology is described and claimed. This new method works for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), intensity modulated arc therapy (IMAT), and hybrid IMRT.
Claims28
A method for planning radiation treatment of a target area, wherein a radiation source is disposed on a gantry that is movable along multiple arcs, and a collimator is operable to form multiple apertures for passing a radiation beam produced by said radiation source, said method comprising:
- designating geometric constraints for the collimator;
- assigning an initial aperture configuration for passing the radiation beam based on the designated geometric constraints of the collimator comprising selecting a number of delivery angles for the radiation beam towards the target area and a number of apertures through which the radiation beam is directed;
- and selecting a number and range of arcs for the gantry;
- calculating a radiation dose distribution of initial radiation to a target area of a patient based on the initial aperture configuration;
- evaluating the initial radiation to the patient against an objective function;
- altering the initial aperture configuration based on the geometric constraints of the collimator;
- calculating an altered radiation dose distribution to the patient based on the altered aperture configuration and re-evaluating the altered radiation output against the objective function;
- re-altering the altered aperture configuration;
- re-calculating the altered radiation dose distribution to the patient and re-evaluating the altered radiation output for the re-altered aperture configuration until the objective function is satisfied,
- wherein the objective function scores the radiation treatment plan quality and is a function of the altered radiation dose distribution at a given iteration, and
- wherein an aperture configuration comprises a plurality of aperture shapes delivered from the selected delivery angles, selected number of apertures through which the radiation beam is directed, and the selected number and range of arcs for the gantry to the target area and wherein designating initial constraints for the collimator occurs prior to calculating the initial radiation dose distribution.
A method for planning radiation treatment of a target area, wherein a radiation source is disposed on a gantry that is movable along multiple arcs, and a collimator is operable to form multiple apertures for passing a radiation beam produced by said radiation source, said method comprising:
- selecting a number of delivery angles for the radiation beam towards the target area and a number of apertures through which the radiation beam is directed;
- selecting a number and range of arcs for the gantry;
- assigning an initial aperture configuration for passing the radiation beam;
- calculating a radiation dose distribution of initial radiation to a target area of a patient based on the initial aperture configuration;
- evaluating the initial radiation dose distribution against an objective function;
- altering the initial aperture configuration;
- calculating an altered radiation dose distribution to the patient based on the altered aperture configuration and re-evaluating the altered radiation dose distribution against the objective function;
- re-altering the altered aperture configuration;
- re-calculating the altered radiation dose distribution and re-evaluating the altered radiation dose distribution for the re-altered aperture configuration until the objective function is satisfied
- wherein an evaluation of the objective function comprises techniques selected from at least one of simulated annealing, mixed integer programming and iterative projection.
A computer readable medium for planning radiation treatment of a target area using a radiation source disposed on a gantry that is movable along multiple arcs, and a collimator operable to form multiple apertures for passing a radiation beam produced by said radiation source, the computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for executing:
- designating geometric constraints for the collimator;
- receiving a selected a mode for radiation treatment including one of:
- a fixed field intensity modulated radiotherapy, an intensity modulated arc therapy, and a hybrid treatment of intensity modulated radiotherapy and intensity modulated arc therapy;
- receiving at least one of parameter sets a) and b), wherein a) includes a number of delivery angles for the radiation beam towards the target area and a number of apertures through which the radiation beam is directed, and wherein b) includes a number and range of arcs for the gantry;
- assigning an initial aperture configuration for the radiation beam;
- calculating a dose of radiation dose distribution to a target area of a patient based on the initial aperture configuration, wherein said designating geometric constraints designates the constraints prior to calculating the radiation dose distribution;
- altering the initial aperture configuration according to an evaluation algorithm for the calculated radiation dose distribution with respect to an objective function;
- and for repeating operations of altering the aperture configuration;
- calculating the radiation dose distribution,
- evaluating the calculated radiation dose distribution to the patient for the altered aperture configuration until the objective function is satisfied;
- and
- determining whether the altered aperture configuration complies with the geometric constraints of the collimator prior to evaluation of the calculated radiation dose distribution for the altered aperture configuration.
A method for planning radiation treatment of a target area, wherein a radiation source is disposed on a gantry that is moveable along arcs, and a collimator is operable to form multiple apertures for passing a radiation beam produced by said radiation source, said method comprising:
- selecting at least one of a set of parameters a) and b), wherein a) comprises a number of delivery angles for the radiation beam toward the target area and a number of apertures through which the radiation beam is directed, and wherein b) comprises a number and range of arcs for the gantry;
- assigning an initial aperture configuration for passing the radiation beam;
- designating geometric constraints for the collimator, and subsequent to designating geometric constraints,
- calculating an initial radiation dose distribution to a target area in a patient based on the initial aperture configuration;
- evaluating the initial radiation dose distribution against an objective function;
- altering the initial aperture configuration;
- calculating an altered radiation dose distribution in a patient based on the altered aperture configuration and re-evaluating the altered radiation dose distribution against the objective function;
- re-altering the altered aperture configuration;
- re-calculating the altered radiation output and re-evaluating the altered radiation dose distribution for the re-altered aperture configuration until the objective function is satisfied.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.