Rapid imaging systems and methods for facilitating rapid radiation therapies

A method for treating a tissue of a patient, said method comprising:

• obtaining a 3D treatment image of an anatomical structure of the patient with an imaging system, the anatomical structure including a tissue targeted for treatment;
• determining a shape and/or location of the anatomical structure at treatment based on the treatment image and a plurality of pre-treatment images obtained prior to obtaining the treatment image;
• determining a single actual 3D conformal treatment plan for the targeted tissue based on the treatment image and a treatment plans one or more treatment plans determined from the plurality of pre-treatment images;
• and
• delivering an entire 3D conformal dose of a radiation treatment to the targeted tissue for a given treatment session with a high-energy rapid radiation treatment system, wherein the entire 3D conformal dose is delivered according to the single actual treatment plan in less than 10 seconds, wherein high-energy comprises 1-250 MeV and the entire dose is at least 1 Gy.

A method of performing a high-energy, rapid radiation treatment with a delivery treatment system configured to deliver an entire 3D conformal dose for a given radiation treatment session to a targeted tissue in less than 10 seconds, wherein high energy comprises 1-250 MeV and the entire dose is at least 1 Gy, the method comprising:

• performing an initial simulation prior to treatment so as to produce a plurality of treatment plans before treatment optimized for differing anticipated anatomical variations, wherein the treatment plans comprise a segmentation of anatomical structures that include the targeted tissue;
• at the time of treatment, acquire a diagnostic image covering the entire treatment volume of the targeted tissue and surrounding tissue that may be traversed by one or more radiation treatment beams;
• performing re-segmentation of anatomical structures of the diagnostic image and recalculation or selection of treatment plan options from one or more of the treatment plans produced before treatment;
• verifying segmentation and selection of treatment plan options;
• rapidly obtaining a treatment image and verifying selection of a single treatment plan from the plurality of treatment plan options within about one second or less;
• and
• rapidly delivering a high-energy radiation treatment beam according to the determined and verified selected treatment plan, wherein an entire dose of the treatment is delivered within 10 seconds or less in accordance with the single treatment plan.

A method for treating a targeted tissue in a patient, said method comprising:

• administering a therapeutic agent comprising any of a drug, a radiosensitizer, a radioprotector, and a dose enhancing agent;
• and
• administering an entire effective dose of high-dose radiation to the targeted tissue in less than 10 seconds, wherein there is a single dose delivery for a given treatment session,
• wherein administering the entire effective dose comprises delivering the entire effective dose synchronized with an optimal uptake of the therapeutic agent based on real-time imaging of the targeted tissue or tissue to be protected.

A computer-implemented method of radiation treatment planning for treating a targeted tissue with a treatment system in combination with a therapeutic agent, the method comprising:

• real-time imaging of the targeted tissue or tissue to be protected and determining, with the treatment system, an optimal uptake of the therapeutic agent;
• determining, with the treatment system, a prescribed effective dose of radiation to be delivered into the targeted tissue from a high-energy rapid radiation treatment system, wherein the prescribed effective dose is based, at least partly, on a response of the targeted tissue to the therapeutic agent;
• and
• determining, with the treatment system, a plurality of radiation beams to deliver the prescribed effective dose to the targeted tissue in less than 10 seconds and determining, with the treatment system, minimum beam energies for the plurality of radiation beams to achieve the prescribed effective dose at the targeted tissue;
• and
• delivering the entire effective dose synchronized with the optimal uptake of the therapeutic agent, wherein there is a single dose delivery during a given treatment session.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a computing system to perform a method of high-energy rapid radiation treatment planning for treating a targeted tissue in combination with a therapeutic agent, the method comprising:

• real-time imaging of the targeted tissue or tissue to be protected and determining, with the treatment system, an optimal uptake of the therapeutic agent;
• accessing, with the treatment system, treatment plan delivery parameters from a memory of the computing system, wherein the treatment plan parameters comprise a prescribed effective dose to be delivered to the targeted tissue, directions of a plurality of radiation beams to deliver the prescribed effective dose to the targeted tissue in less than 10 seconds, and beam energies of the plurality of radiation beams;
• accessing, with the treatment system, information comprising a response of the targeted tissue or a normal tissue with the therapeutic agent;
• and
• adjusting, with the treatment system, the treatment based on the information regarding the therapeutic agent response;
• and
• delivering the entire prescribed effective dose synchronized with the optimal uptake of the therapeutic agent, wherein there is a single dose delivery during a given treatment session.