US 8,301,228 B2 · Real time radiation treatment planning system

Abstract

The invention relates to a real time radiation treatment planning system for use in effecting radiation therapy of a pre-selected anatomical portion of an animal body using hollow needles. According to embodiments of the invention, the system may include a processing means processing means-configured to perform a three-dimensional imaging algorithm and a three-dimensional image segmentation algorithm, with respect to one or more specific organs within the pre-selected anatomical portion and with respect to the needles, for converting the image data obtained with an imaging means into a three-dimensional image of the anatomical portion, using at least one single or multi-objective anatomy-based genetic optimization algorithm. For pre-planning or virtual simulation purposes, the processing means is arranged to determine in real time the optimal number and position of at least one of the needles, positions of energy emitting sources within the needles, and the dwell times of the energy emitting sources at the positions. For post-planning purposes, the processing means is arranged to determine, based on three-dimensional image information, in real time the real needle positions and the dwell times of the energy emitting sources for the positions.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A real-time radiation treatment planning system for use in effecting radiation therapy of a pre-selected anatomical portion of an animal body, comprising:

an imaging device configured to generate image data corresponding to the anatomical portion;
a radiation delivery device configured to deliver at least one energy emitting source through at least one of a plurality of hollow needles inserted into the anatomical portion;
a processor configured to generate, in real-time, a radiation treatment plan for effecting the radiation therapy, wherein the processor is configured to:
convert the image data into a three-dimensional image of the anatomical portion;
designate a set of multiple sampling points in the three-dimensional image;
calculate radiation dose distributions for the sampling points, based on at least one of an actual number and position of at least one of the hollow needles, an actual position of the at least one energy emitting source within the at least one of the hollow needles, or an actual dwell time of the at least one energy emitting source at the position;
calculate an objective function indicative of an overall dose distribution in the anatomical portion, based on the radiation dose distributions of the sample points, wherein a number of operations for calculating the objective function is independent of the number of sampling points;
and
determine, based on the objective function and in real time, the radiation treatment plan reflecting a radiation dose via the at least one of the hollow needles.

6 more elements

A method for generating a radiation treatment plan for use in effecting radiation therapy of a selected anatomical portion of an animal body of a patient, comprising the steps of:

generating image data corresponding to the anatomical portion;
inserting at least one of a plurality of hollow needles into the anatomical portion;
converting the image data into a three-dimensional image of the anatomical portion;
designating a set of multiple sampling points in the three-dimensional image;
calculating radiation dose distributions for the sampling points, based on at least one of an actual number and position of at least one of the hollow needles, an actual position of the at least one energy emitting source within the at least one of the hollow needles, or an actual dwell time of the at least one energy emitting source at the position;
calculate an objective function indicative of an overall dose distribution in the anatomical portion, based on the radiation dose distributions, wherein a number of operations for calculating the objective function is independent of the number of sampling points;
and
determining, based on the objective function and in real time, a radiation treatment plan reflecting a radiation dose via the at least one of the hollow needles.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Real time radiation treatment planning system

Life of this patent

Real time radiation treatment planning system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20