Radiotherapy information generation apparatus and radiotherapy information generation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9865048-B2
Application number	US-201414179093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2014
Priority date	Sep 15, 2011
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a radiotherapy information generation apparatus includes a region specific unit and a planning estimation unit. The region specific unit is configured to specify at least one area defined with respect to a tumor by analysis processing of diagnostic image data. The planning estimation unit is configured to display estimation information of planned dose values calculated based on the area and expected dose values of a radiation. Further, according to another embodiment, a radiotherapy information generation method includes specifying at least one area defined with respect to a tumor by analysis processing of diagnostic image data; and displaying estimation information of planned dose values calculated based on the area and expected dose values of a radiation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radiotherapy information generation apparatus comprising:
a computer configured to:
automatically specify at least one area defined with respect to a tumor by analysis processing of diagnostic image data, the analysis processing including threshold processing of the diagnostic image data, the diagnostic image data comprising first image data and second image data captured by different modalities, the at least one area including an invaded area of the tumor, the diagnostic image data allowing automatically specifying the invaded area by an invaded area threshold processing of the threshold processing, the invaded area threshold processing comprising identifying pixels having values less than a first threshold in the first image data and having values less than a second threshold in the second image data as belonging to the invaded area, the invaded area being an area inside a Clinical Target Volume (CTV) and outside of and excluding an area inside of a Gross Tumor Volume (GTV), the invaded area being automatically specified by the first threshold processing of the diagnostic image data, the GTV being automatically specified by a tumor area threshold processing of the threshold processing of the diagnostic image data, the tumor area threshold processing comprising identifying pixels having values greater than the first threshold in the first image data and having values less than the second threshold in the second image data as belonging to the GTV, the GTV being defined as a tumor portion which can be recognized visually on the diagnostic image data, the CTV being automatically specified by adding the invaded area to the GTV, the CTV being defined as the GTV and the invaded area which cannot be recognized with a naked eye on the diagnostic image data;
automatically calculate at least one of differences between planned dose values and expected dose values, an over exposure area, an under exposure area, an over exposure time phase, and an under exposure time phase of a radiation, based on the expected dose values and the at least one area including the invaded area, as estimation information of the planned dose values; and
display the estimation information of planned dose values calculated based on the area and expected dose values of a radiation.

2. A radiotherapy information generation apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said computer is configured to calculate at least one of the over exposure area, the under exposure area, the over exposure time phase and the under exposure time phase of the radiation based on a kind of the area defined with respect to the tumor and the differences between the planned dose values and the expected dose values of the radiation.

3. A radiotherapy information generation apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said computer is configured to update and display the estimation information based on change information of the expected dose values of the radiation input with reference to the estimation information.

4. A radiotherapy information generation apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said computer is configured to specify at least one of an internal target volume defined with respect to the tumor and a margin area in a consideration of a movement of an organ, based on a result of projection processing or a movement analysis.

5. A radiotherapy information generation apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said computer is configured to specify the invaded area of the tumor based on a combination of PET image data and X-ray CT image data or a combination of fractional anisotropy and the PET image data.

6. A radiotherapy information generation apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said computer is configured to display a dose volume histogram, calculated based on the expected dose values of the radiation, a planning organ at risk volume and a planning target volume, as the estimation information.

7. A radiotherapy information generation apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein said computer is configured to display estimation information of planned dose values calculated based on a gross tumor volume, the invaded area of the tumor, expected dose values of the radiation set to the gross tumor volume and expected dose values of the radiation set to the invaded area of the tumor.

8. A radiotherapy information generation apparatus comprising:
a computer configured to:
automatically specify a gross tumor volume and an invaded area of a tumor by analysis processing of diagnostic image data, the analysis processing including threshold processing of the diagnostic image data, the diagnostic image data comprising first image data and second image data captured by different modalities, the diagnostic image data allowing specifying the invaded area by an invaded area threshold processing of the threshold processing, the invaded area threshold processing comprising identifying pixels having values less than a first threshold in the first image data and having values less than a second threshold in the second image data as belonging to the invaded area, the invaded area being an area inside a Clinical Target Volume (CTV) and outside of and excluding an area inside of a Gross Tumor Volume (GTV), the invaded area being automatically specified by the first threshold processing of the diagnostic image data, the GTV being automatically specified by a tumor area threshold processing of the threshold processing of the diagnostic image data, the tumor area threshold processing comprising identifying pixels having values greater than the first threshold in the first image data and having values less than the second threshold in the second image data as belonging to the GTV, the GTV being defined as a tumor portion which can be recognized visually on the diagnostic image data, the CTV being automatically specified by adding the invaded area to the GTV, the CTV being defined as the GTV and the invaded area which cannot be recognized with a naked eye on the diagnostic image data; and
automatically calculate planned dose values based on the gross tumor volume, the invaded area of the tumor and expected dose values of a radiation.

9. A radiotherapy information generation apparatus of claim 8 ,
wherein said computer is configured to calculate the planned dose values based on expected dose values of the radiation set to each of the gross tumor volume and the invaded area of the tumor.

10. A radiotherapy information generation method comprising:
automatically specifying at least one area defined with respect to a tumor by analysis processing of diagnostic image data, the analysis processing including threshold processing of the diagnostic image data, the diagnostic image data comprising first image data and second image data captured by different modalities, the at least one area including an invaded area of the tumor, the diagnostic image data allowing automatically specifying the invaded area by an invaded area threshold processing of the threshold processing, the invaded area threshold processing comprising identifying pixels having values less than a first threshold in the first image data and having values less than a second threshold in the second image data as belonging to the invaded area, the invaded area being an area inside a Clinical Target Volume (CTV) and outside of and excluding an area inside of a Gross Tumor Volume (GTV), the invaded area being automatically specified by the first threshold processing of the diagnostic image data, the GTV being automatically specified by a tumor area threshold processing of the threshold processing of the diagnostic image data, the tumor area threshold processing comprising identifying pixels having values greater than the first threshold in the first image data and having values les

Assignees

• Toshiba Medical Sys Corp

Inventors

• Wakai Satoshi

Classifications

• G06T7/0012 Primary

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title

• A61N5/103 Primary

  Treatment planning systems · CPC title

• A61N2005/1074

  Details of the control system, e.g. user interfaces · CPC title