A computing system for developing a treatment plan for placement of radioactive implants on a treatment surface of a patient, the system comprising:
- a medical imaging device configured to obtain live medical images of a patient, including a treatment surface of the patient that is to receive radioactive therapy;
- a computer processor;
- and
- a computer readable storage medium storing program instructions configured for execution by the computer processor in order to cause the computing system to:
- generate a planning user interface including at least
- a display frame for viewing anatomical images;
- and
- a virtual implant toolbar including at least a first selectable tool configured to allow adding of virtual implants to the display frame;
- display the planning user interface on a display device of the computing system;
- receive, from the medical imaging device, the live medical images;
- display the live medical images in the display frame of the planning user interface;
- receive, via user interaction with the first selectable tool, selection of first virtual implant characteristics for a first virtual implant to be added to a treatment plan for the patient, the first virtual implant characteristics defining first physical implant characteristics of a first physical implant adapted for placement on the treatment surface of the patient, the first physical implant characteristics including at least
- a first implant shape,
- a first implant size, and
- a first radiation characteristic of a first radioactive seed associated with the first virtual implant,
- wherein the first radioactive seed is embedded within the first physical implant at a position wherein the first radioactive seed does not directly contact the treatment surface of the patient when the first physical implant is placed on the treatment surface of the patient;
- receive, via user interaction with the first selectable tool, selection of second virtual implant characteristics for a second virtual implant to be added to a treatment plan for the patient, the second virtual implant characteristics defining second physical implant characteristics of a second physical implant adapted for placement on the treatment surface of the patient, the second physical implant characteristics including at least
- a second implant shape,
- a second implant size, and
- a second radiation characteristic of a second radioactive seed associated with the second virtual implant,
- wherein the second radioactive seed is embedded within the second physical implant at a position wherein the second radioactive seed does not directly contact the treatment surface of the patient when the second physical implant is placed on the treatment surface of the patient;
- display the first virtual implant and the second virtual implant in the display frame at non-overlapping positions on the treatment surface of the patient depicted in the display frame, wherein the first and second virtual implants are at least partially transparent such that a portion of the live medical images whereupon the first and second virtual implants are placed is visible through the at least partially transparent first and second virtual implants;
- receive, via user interaction with the virtual implant toolbar, selection of a second selectable tool configured to initiate movement of a selected one or more virtual implants within the display frame;
- receive movement inputs associated with the first virtual implant causing the first virtual implant to contact the second virtual implant;
- apply a physics algorithm, based on the movement of the first virtual implant into the second virtual implant, to determine a movement of the second virtual implant in response to a virtual force exerted by the first virtual implant, maintaining the first virtual implant and the second virtual implant at non-overlapping positions on the treatment surface;
- calculate a radiation isodose plan indicative of an expected radiation dosage from combination of first radiation from the first physical implant and second radiation from the second physical implant, wherein the radiation isodose plan includes a plurality of isodose curves each indicative of a particular radiation level along the respective isodose curve and a plurality of fill patterns between adjacent isodose curves, wherein each fill pattern represents a radiation range between adjacent isodose curves;
- depict the radiation isodose plan in the display frame, wherein the radiation isodose plan has a transparency of less than one hundred percent, such that at least a portion of the first and second virtual implants and the live medical images underneath the radiation isodose plan are visible;
- and
- in response to a treatment plan generation command from a user of the computing system, generate treatment plan data including at least some of the first physical implant characteristics and at least some of the second physical implant characteristics.