Monitor unit optimization constraint in radiation treatment planning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12311196-B2
Application number	US-202217707805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2022
Priority date	Mar 29, 2022
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

For planning radiation treatment, candidate radiation treatment plans are evaluated and optimized using an objective function that includes a combination of a first objective function and a second objective function. The first objective function is configured for determining a value of a dose metric. The second objective function is configured for determining a value of a term that is added to the value of the dose metric to account for spots or beam lets that have a weight that is greater than zero and less than a minimum threshold value. The value of the term is added to the value of the dose metric. In effect, spots or beam lets with a weight that is not zero and that is also less than a minimum threshold value are penalized during treatment planning.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system, comprising:
a processor; and
memory coupled to the processor and comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method used for planning radiation treatment of a treatment target, the method comprising:
accessing, from the memory, a radiation treatment plan for the treatment target;
determining a value of a dose metric using information in the radiation treatment plan;
adding, to the value of the dose metric, a value of a term that is determined using weights corresponding to respective locations in the treatment target, wherein the value of the term is greater than zero when a weight corresponding to a location in the treatment target is greater than zero and less than a minimum threshold value; and
evaluating the radiation treatment plan using a sum of the values of the dose metric and the term.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein said determining, adding, and evaluating comprise:
accessing, from the memory, a first objective function configured for determining the value of the dose metric;
accessing, from the memory, a second objective function configured for determining the value of the term; and
evaluating the radiation treatment plan using an objective function comprising a combination of the first objective function and the second objective function.

3. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein said evaluating the radiation treatment plan comprises minimizing a total objective function comprising a summation of a plurality of objective functions including the combination of the first objective function and the second objective function, to produce a final radiation treatment plan comprising final weights corresponding to the locations in the treatment target.

4. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the value of the term is equal to a sum of values determined using the weights, wherein the value of the term is equal to zero when the weights are each equal to zero, wherein the value of the term is equal to zero when the weights are each equal to or greater than the minimum threshold value, and wherein otherwise the value of the term is greater than zero.

5. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the value of the term is also greater than zero when the weight is greater than a maximum threshold value.

6. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the weights are selected from the group consisting of: spot weights for spots at the locations in the treatment target, and beam let weights for beamlets of a beam that are directed into the locations in the treatment target during radiation treatment; wherein a weight of a spot is based on a value selected from the group consisting of: a number of monitor units for the spot, and a number of protons for the spot; and wherein a weight of a beamlet is based on a value selected from the group consisting of: a fraction of an energy of the beam, a percentage of an energy of the beam, a fraction of an intensity of the beam, and a percentage of an intensity of the beam.

7. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
after said evaluating the radiation treatment plan is performed, identifying a weight corresponding to a location in the treatment target and that is less than the minimum threshold value; and
setting the weight that is less than the minimum threshold value to a value selected from the group consisting of: zero; and the minimum threshold value.

8. A computer system, comprising:
a processor; and
memory coupled to the processor and comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method used for planning radiation treatment of a treatment target, the method comprising:
accessing, from the memory, information comprising a radiation treatment plan for the treatment target; and
optimizing the radiation treatment plan using an objective function comprising a combination of a first objective function and a second objective function, wherein the first objective function is configured for determining a value of a dose metric for the treatment target based on information in the radiation treatment plan, wherein the second objective function is configured for determining a value of a term that is a function of weights corresponding to locations in the treatment target, and wherein the value of the term is greater than zero when a weight corresponding to a location in the treatment target is greater than zero and less than a minimum threshold value.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the value of the term is equal to a sum of values determined using the weights, wherein the value of the term is equal to zero when the weights are each equal to zero, wherein the value of the term is equal to zero when the weights are each equal to or greater than the minimum threshold value, and wherein otherwise the value of the term is greater than zero.

10. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the weights are selected from the group consisting of: spot weights for spots at the locations in the treatment target, and beam let weights for beamlets of a beam that are directed into the locations in the treatment target during radiation treatment; wherein a weight of a spot is based on a value selected from the group consisting of: a number of monitor units for the spot, and a number of protons for the spot; and wherein a weight of a beamlet is based on a value selected from the group consisting of: a fraction of an energy of the beam, a percentage of an energy of the beam, a fraction of an intensity of the beam, and a percentage of an intensity of the beam.

11. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein said optimizing comprises minimizing a total objective function comprising a summation of a plurality of objective functions including the combination of the first objective function and the second objective function.

12. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
after said optimizing, identifying a weight corresponding to a location in the treatment target and that is less than the minimum threshold value; and
setting the weight that is less than the minimum threshold value to a value selected from the group consisting of: zero; and the minimum threshold value.

13. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the value of the term is also greater than zero when the weight is greater than a maximum threshold value.

14. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein said optimizing produces a final radiation treatment plan comprising final weights corresponding to the locations in the treatment target.

15. A computer-implemented method used for used for planning radiation treatment of a treatment target, the method comprising:
accessing, from memory of a computer system, information comprising a candidate radiation treatment plan for the treatment target;
accessing a first objective function configured for determining a dose metric;
accessing a second objective function configured for determining a value of a term using weights corresponding to locations in the treatment target, wherein the value of the term is greater than zero when a weight corresponding to a location in the treatment target is greater than zero and less than a minimum threshold value; and
optimizing the candidate radiation treatment plan using an objective function comprising a combination of the first objective function and the second objective function, wherein said optimizing comprises optimizing a total objective function comprising a summation of a plurality of objective functions including the combination of the first objective function and t

Assignees

• Varian Med Sys Inc
• Siemens Healthineers Int Ag

Inventors

• Lansonneur Pierre
• Leinonen Tatu Heikki
• Ropo Matti Sakari
• Perez Jessica
• Folkerts Michael

Classifications

• A61N2005/1087

  Ions; Protons · CPC title

• A61N5/1043 Primary

  Scanning the radiation beam, e.g. spot scanning or raster scanning · CPC title

• G16H20/40

  relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture · CPC title

• A61N5/1031 Primary

  using a specific method of dose optimization · CPC title

• A61N5/103

  Treatment planning systems · CPC title