Treatment plan optimization method for radiosurgery
AssigneeVarian Medical Systems International AG
InventorsJanne Ilmari Nord, Juha Kauppinen, Ramin Baghaie, Jukka Suominen
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Abstract
Systems and methods for providing radiosurgery treatment to a patient by combining methods from both traditional radiosurgery and radiotherapy are disclosed. A dose sufficient to kill tissue is applied to a target area while a steep drop off, or gradient, is provided at the border between the target area and adjacent areas so that other portions of the brain or nearby structures or organs are not damaged. The treatment plan is optimized by using both measures known in the art along with a new gradient index or curve that indicates the amount of the drop off at the border between the target area and the surrounding tissues.
Claims23
A method for planning delivery of a radiation dose to a target area within a subject, the method comprising:
- defining a desired dose distribution to be delivered to the target area;
- defining a gradient index at the border of the target area indicating a desired reduction in dose from the target area to the surrounding tissue;
- specifying a plurality of beam aperture points along a trajectory comprising relative movement between a radiation source and the subject;
- and
- iteratively optimizing a simulated dose distribution relative to the desired dose distribution and the gradient index to determine one or more radiation delivery parameters associated with each of the plurality of beam aperture points.
A radiation treatment system comprising:
- a radiation source configured to generate a beam of radiation;
- a gantry configured to move the radiation source;
- and
- a computing device configured to:
- receive a definition of a target area, a desired dose to the target area, and a gradient index at the border of the target area indicating a desired reduction in dose from the target area to the surrounding tissue;
- specify a plurality of beam aperture points along a trajectory comprising relative movement between the radiation source and a subject;
- and
- iteratively optimize a simulated dose distribution relative to a desired dose distribution and the gradient index to determine one or more radiation delivery parameters associated with each of the plurality of beam aperture points.
A computing system comprising:
- input means for receiving a definition of a target area, a desired dose to the target area, and a gradient index at the border of the target area indicating a desired reduction in dose from the target area to the surrounding tissue;
- an aperture position engine for selecting a plurality of beam aperture points along a trajectory comprising relative movement between a radiation source and a subject;
- and
- an optimization engine for iteratively optimizing a simulated dose distribution relative to a desired dose distribution and the gradient index to determine one or more radiation delivery parameters associated with each of the plurality of beam aperture points.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.