Automated radiation treatment plan development apparatus and method of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10556126-B2
Application number	US-201715478927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2017
Priority date	Apr 16, 2010
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

The invention comprises a method for generating a procedure for treating a tumor of a patient using positively charged particles, comprising the steps of: (1) providing a set of treatment goal specifications; (2) generating tomographic images of the tumor using a first set of groups of the positively charge particles delivered from a synchrotron; and (3) a computer implemented algorithm automatically generating a tumor radiation treatment plan, of the tumor using the positively charged particles, using the set of treatment goal specifications and the tomographic images. Optionally, the method automatically updates the radiation treatment plan upon: a detected movement of the tumor relative to surrounding patient constituents and/or upon detection of a previously unforeseen intervening object in a treatment beam path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for treating a tumor of a patient using positively charged particles, comprising the steps of:
providing a radiation treatment plan of the tumor using the positively charged particles;
providing a prescribed radiation dosage per tumor voxel;
concurrent with implementation of the radiation treatment plan, generating proton tomographic images of the tumor using a first set of groups of the positively charged particles delivered from a synchrotron;
said proton tomographic images observing movement of the tumor, said movement of the tumor comprising at least one of: (1) a collapse of the tumor and (2) a position shift of the tumor in the patient;
tracking dosage of tumor voxels receiving less than the prescribed radiation dosage resultant from the movement of the tumor;
an unsupervised computer implemented algorithm automatically updating the tumor radiation treatment plan using said prescribed radiation dosage per tumor voxel and said tomographic images to deliver the prescribed radiation dosage to the tumor voxels receiving less than the prescribed radiation dosage per tumor voxel.

2. The method of claim 1 , said step of updating said tumor radiation treatment plan further comprising the step of:
calculating dose distribution using a first set of metrics comprising at least two of:
a metric of planned dosage relative to a prescribed dosage;
a metric of uniformity of energy distribution of a second set of groups of the positively charged particles;
a metric of total overall dosage; and
a metric of total dosage outside of the tumor.

3. The method of claim 2 , said step of updating a tumor radiation treatment plan further comprising the step of:
quantifying patient motion using a second set of metrics comprising at least two of:
a measure of change of patient movement direction;
a measure of uniformity of patient movement rate;
a measure of patient rotation;
a measure of patient rotation rate; and
a measure of patient tilt.

4. The method of claim 3 , said step of updating a tumor radiation treatment plan further comprising the step of:
using a medical professional provided hard-limit associated with at least one member of a set of treatment goal specifications.

5. The method of claim 1 , said step of automatically updating further comprising the step of:
using a-priori knowledge of geometry and location of at least one object potentially positioned in a beam path of the positively charged particles prior to entering the patient.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
pre-scanning potential intervening objects using a second set of groups of the positively charged particles to yield a set of potential intervening object particle beam slowing data; and
said step of automatically updating the radiation treatment plan using said set of potential intervening object particle beam slowing data.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
using a fiducial detector to detect photons from a fiducial marker to determine presence of an unplanned for intervening object in an imminent path of a second set of groups of the positively charged particles from said synchrotron scheduled for use within thirty seconds.

8. The method of claim 7 , said step of automatically updating further comprising the step of:
altering a treatment path of a charged particle beam path from passing through the unplanned for intervening object.

9. The method of claim 7 , said step of automatically updating further comprising the step of:
increasing energy of treatment particles, of the positively charged particles, to compensate for energy reduction resultant from a treatment path of a charged particle beam path passing through the previously unplanned for intervening object.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:
after said step of automatically updating the tumor radiation treatment plan, the computer implemented algorithm automatically continuing treatment of the tumor using the updated radiation treatment plan.

11. An apparatus for updating a procedure to treat a tumor of a patient using positively charged particles, comprising:
an imaging system configured to, concurrent with implementation of an original radiation treatment plan of the tumor using positively charged particles, generate proton tomographic images of the tumor using a first set of groups of the positively charged particles delivered from a synchrotron, said proton tomographic images configured to observe movement of the tumor, the movement of the tumor comprising a position shift of the tumor in the patient;
a tracking system configured to track dosage of tumor voxels receiving less than a prescribed radiation dosage resultant from the movement of the tumor;
a computer implemented algorithm configured to automatically update the original tumor radiation treatment plan using the original radiation treatment plan, a prescribed radiation dosage per tumor voxel, and said proton tomographic images to deliver the prescribed radiation dosage to the tumor voxels receiving less than the prescribed radiation dosage per tumor voxel.

Assignees

• Amato Mark R
• Michaud Susan L
• Bennett James P
• Reno Jillian
• Lee W Davis
• Ruebel Nick

Inventors

• Amato Mark R
• Michaud Susan L
• Bennett James P
• Reno Jillian
• Lee W Davis
• Ruebel Nick

Classifications

• A61N5/1039 Primary

  using functional images, e.g. PET or MRI · CPC title

• A61N5/1067

  in real time, i.e. during treatment · CPC title

• A61N2005/1095

  Elements inserted into the radiation path within the system, e.g. filters or wedges · CPC title

• A61N2005/1051

  using an active marker · CPC title

• G21K5/04

  with beam-forming means · CPC title