Contour delineation for radiation therapy planning with real-time contour segment impact rendering

Abstract

A contouring module (22, 24) iteratively adjusts contours delineating a radiation target region and risk regions in a planning image. An intensity modulation optimization module (30) generates a radiation therapy plan conforming with dosage or dosage constraints (26) for the radiation target region and the risk regions delineated by the contours. A differential analysis module (40) is configured to invoke the intensity modulation optimization module (30) to estimate partial derivatives of an output of the intensity modulation optimization respective to the contours. The contouring module (22, 24) is configured to invoke the differential analysis module (40) after each iterative contour adjustment to estimate the partial derivatives respective to the contour segments and to render the contour segments on a display of the planning image with the contour segments coded based on the estimated partial derivatives to indicate impact of the contour segments on the intensity modulation optimization.

Description

technical field [0001] The following relates to the field of radiation therapy, the field of medicine, the field of radiation therapy planning, the field of image processing, and related fields. Background technique [0002] In radiation therapy, a spatially targeted dose of ionizing radiation is applied to a tumor or other area containing cancerous or malignant tissue. Growing and rapidly proliferating cancer cells tend to be more susceptible to damage by ionizing radiation than normal cells, and thus by properly planning higher doses administered by applying radiation that preferentially kills cancerous or malignant tissue, the described damage. However, ionizing radiation is harmful to both malignant and healthy cells, so precise spatial targeting of radiation is important to effectively deliver radiation therapy to malignant tumors while limiting collateral damage to healthy tissue. [0003] In radiation therapy, radiation beams are applied at angular positions around ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Manual contouring process is tedious and time consuming and takes up valuable time of medical professionals

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