Systems and methods for generating radiation treatment plan

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11071877-B2
Application number	US-201816109707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	May 2, 2018
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A method for generating a radiation treatment plan is provided. The method may include determining a set of one or more optimization goals for radiation delivery by a therapeutic radiation delivery apparatus. The method may also include determining a plan for radiation delivery from a radiation source of the therapeutic radiation delivery apparatus. The radiation source may be capable of continuously rotating around a subject. The plan may include a plurality of radiation segments. Each radiation segment may be characterized by at least one parameter selected from a start angle, a stop angle, a two-dimensional segment shape, or a segment MU value such that the plurality of radiation segments satisfy the set of one or more optimization goals by superimposing at least two radiation segments from at least two different rotations into a target volume of the subject.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented on at least one machine each of which has at least one processor and at least one storage device for determining a radiation treatment plan, the method comprising:
determining a set of one or more optimization goals for radiation delivery by a therapeutic radiation delivery apparatus;
determining a plan for radiation delivery from a radiation source of the therapeutic radiation delivery apparatus, the radiation source being capable of continuously rotating around a subject, the plan including a plurality of radiation segments; and
delivering a radiation beam to a target volume based on the plan for radiation delivery,
wherein each radiation segment is characterized by at least one parameter selected from a start angle, a stop angle, a two-dimensional segment shape, or a segment MU value, and wherein the plurality of radiation segments satisfy the set of one or more optimization goals by superimposing at least two radiation segments at least partially overlapping with each other and at least two other radiation segments interleaving with each other without overlapping from at least two different rotations in one direction into the target volume of the subject.

2. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
optimizing parameters of the plurality of radiation segments such that a cumulative dose delivered from the plurality of radiation segments meets the set of one or more optimization goals, the parameters of the plurality of radiation segments including the at least one parameter of each radiation segment of the plurality of radiation segments.

3. The method of claim 2 , the plurality of radiation segments including a first radiation segment in a first rotation of the radiation source and a second radiation segment in a second rotation of the radiation source, optimizing parameters of the plurality of radiation segments comprising:
assigning, to the first radiation segment, a first angle range defined by a first initial start angle and a first initial stop angle;
assigning, to the second radiation segment, a second angle range defined by a second initial start angle and a second initial stop angle, the first angle range interleaving the second angle range; and
optimizing the first radiation segment by expanding the first angle range such that the expanded first angle range at least partially overlaps with the second angle range.

4. The method of claim 3 , expanding the first angle range comprising:
modifying at least one of the first initial start angle or the first initial stop angle.

5. The method of claim 1 , the plurality of radiation segments being arranged in an interleaving pattern over at least two rotations of the radiation source, the method further comprising:
optimizing parameters of the plurality of radiation segments such that a cumulative dose delivered from the plurality of radiation segments meet the set of one or more optimization goals, the parameters of the plurality of radiation segments including the at least one parameter of each radiation segment of the plurality of radiation segments.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining the start angle and stop angle of each radiation segment according to one or more interleaving patterns.

7. The method of claim 6 , the plurality of radiation segments comprising a first set of interleaved radiation segments and a second set of interleaved radiation segments, the first set of interleaved radiation segments including at least two interleaved radiation segments, the second set of interleaved radiation segments including at least two interleaved radiation segments, at least one radiation segment of the first set of interleaved radiation segments at least partially overlaps with at least one radiation segment of the second set of interleaved radiation segments.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a radiation segment MU rate of each radiation segment to be delivered between the start angle and the stop angle of the each radiation segment is substantially constant.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a radiation segment MU rate of each radiation segment to be delivered between the start angle and the stop angle of the each radiation segment is variable, and the method further comprises:
optimizing the radiation segment MU rate at a plurality of angles between the start angle and the stop angle of each radiation segment to achieve the set of one or more optimization goals.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
optimizing the plurality of radiation segments by direct optimization of segment shapes, start angles, stop angles, and segment AU values of the plurality of radiation segments.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
optimizing the plurality of radiation segments by
generating a fluence map by iteratively optimizing a dose distribution relative to the set of one or more optimization goals, the fluence map corresponding to a plurality of angles within an angle range of each radiation segment of the plurality of radiation segments;
decomposing the fluence map to obtain a decomposed fluence map; and
determining, based on the decomposed fluence map, an optimized sequence of the plurality of radiation segments.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining one or more imaging protocols that are to be executed during radiation delivery; and
determining the plan for radiation delivery from the radiation source, the plan for radiation delivery including a 3D imaging plan associated with the one or more imaging protocols.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
optimizing a segment count of the plurality of radiation segments to meet the set of one or more optimization goals.

14. The method of claim 13 , optimizing a segment count of the plurality of radiation segments comprising:
determining the segment count of the plurality of radiation segments by performing a plurality of iterations, during the plurality of iterations in which an estimated segment count successively increases from a relatively small value until one or more optimization criteria associated with the set of one or more optimization goals are met; and
designating the estimated segment count when the one or more optimization criteria associated with the set of one or more optimization goals are met as the optimized segment count of the plurality of radiation segments.

15. A system for determining a radiation treatment plan for delivering a radiation beam to a target volume, the system comprising:
at least one storage device storing a set of instructions; and
at least one processor in communication with the at least one storage medium, wherein when executing the set of instructions, the at least one processor is configured to cause the system to:
determine a set of one or more optimization goals for radiation delivery by a therapeutic radiation delivery apparatus;
determine a plan for radiation delivery from a radiation source of the therapeutic radiation delivery apparatus, the radiation source being capable of continuously rotating around a subject, the plan including a plurality of radiation segments; and
deliver a radiation beam to a target volume based on the plan for radiation delivery,
wherein each radiation segment is characterized by at least one parameter selected from a start angle, a stop angle, a two-dimensional segment shape, or a segment MU value, and wherein the plurality of radiation segments meet the set of one or more optimization goals by superimposing at least two radiation segments at least partially overlapping with each other and at

Assignees

• Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhou Jingjie
• Wang Li
• Ni Cheng
• Stahl Johannes
• Maltz Jonathan

Classifications

• A61N5/1047 Primary

  with movement of the radiation head during application of radiation, e.g. for intensity modulated arc therapy or IMAT · CPC title

• A61N5/1039

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

• A61N5/1081

  Rotating beam systems with a specific mechanical construction, e.g. gantries · CPC title

• A61N5/103

  Treatment planning systems · CPC title

• A61N2005/1035

  Simulated annealing · CPC title