Method and apparatus for facilitating optimization of radiotherapy plan

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for facilitating optimization of a radiotherapy plan. A control circuit (which may include a graphics processing unit) accesses a plurality of radiotherapy planning objectives for a particular patient. The control circuit then optimizes the first candidate radiotherapy plan for the particular patient according to the objectives. The control circuit may then detect a modification to at least one of the targets to provide a corresponding one or more modified radiotherapy plan targets. The control circuit may then optimize the second candidate radiotherapy plan according to the at least one modified goal. The control circuitry may then present, via the shared user display, at least a first dose volume histogram corresponding to the first treatment plan and at least a second dose volume histogram corresponding to the second treatment plan. The first and second dose volume histograms may be visually distinguished from each other in a manner other than color.

Description

Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 699,496, filed September 26, 2024, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The teachings generally relate to planning target volumes of a patient for treatment with energy based on an energy-based treatment plan, and more particularly to optimizing an energy-based treatment plan. BACKGROUND

[0003] Treatment of medical conditions using energy is a known area of endeavor in the prior art. For example, radiation therapy comprises an important component of many treatment plans for reducing or eliminating undesirable tumors. Unfortunately, the energy applied does not inherently distinguish between unwanted matter and adjacent tissue, organs, etc. that are desirable or even critical for continued survival of the patient. As a result, energy such as radiation is typically applied in a carefully managed manner to at least attempt to limit the energy to a given target volume. So-called radiation treatment planning typically plays a role in this regard.

[0004] Radiation treatment planning typically includes specified values for each of various treatment platform parameters during each of a plurality of successive fields. Treatment plans for radiation treatment sessions are often generated automatically, typically through a so-called optimization process. As used herein, “optimization” will be understood to refer to improving a candidate treatment plan, without necessarily ensuring that the result of the optimization is in fact a single best solution. Such optimization often includes automatically adjusting one or more physical treatment parameters (typically while adhering to one or more respective limits on these aspects) and mathematically computing a possible corresponding treatment result (e.g., a dose level) to identify a given set of treatment parameters that represents a good tradeoff between a desired treatment result and avoidance of undesirable side effects.

[0005] Clinical objectives are treatment goals specified by, for example, an attending oncologist. Examples of clinical objectives include, but are not limited to, objectives regarding a dose distribution to be achieved with respect to a target volume, one or more organs at risk (OARs) or other specified or unspecified normal tissues in the vicinity of the target volume. By their nature, clinical objectives are typically agnostic with respect to the physical radiation treatment platform used to implement the radiation.

[0006] On the other hand, the optimization objectives are typically based on clinical goals and provide a measure by which the optimization process can test or ensure that a particular prescribed dose is uniformly delivered through the target volume of the patient, while avoiding inappropriate doses to other patient tissue (or, in other cases, meeting a set of dose histograms that specify acceptable dose ranges for various locations within and outside the target volume).

[0007] Thus, the optimization objectives will be understood to be objectives that are specifically designed to reflect and accommodate the technical details and specifications of a particular radiation therapy platform, regarding the particular details presented by the patient, and / or regarding other physical details set for the particular application. Such details are typically considered to be outside the expertise and knowledge base of the person who first prescribes the radiation therapy (i.e., the attending oncologist, for example). As a result, the person who prescribes the radiation therapy typically does not generate the optimization objectives as well. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] The various needs in connection with the above are at least partially met by the methods and apparatuses for facilitating optimization of radiation therapy plans, described below in the detailed description, particularly when studied in conjunction with the drawings, where:

[0009] Figure 1 including block diagrams configured in accordance with various embodiments of the teachings;

[0010] Figure 2 including flow diagrams configured in accordance with various embodiments of the teachings;

[0011] Figure 3 including screenshots configured in accordance with various embodiments of the teachings;

[0012] Figure 4 including screenshots configured in accordance with various embodiments of the teachings; and

[0013] Figure 5 including screenshots configured in accordance with various embodiments of the teachings.

[0014] The elements in the drawings are shown schematically and not necessarily to scale. For example, the size and / or relative positioning of some of the elements in the drawings can be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve the understanding of various embodiments of the present application. Furthermore, common but well-known elements that are useful not only for the understanding of the present application but also for the practices of the application have generally not been depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present application. Certain acts and / or steps can be described or depicted in a particular, chronological order, but this should not be understood as a requirement that such acts and / or steps be performed in the order described or depicted. Rather, the acts and / or steps can be performed in any order, or in a different order, or in parallel, or in any combination, unless otherwise specifically stated herein. The terminology used herein has its ordinary technical meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art of the field of the present application, unless otherwise specifically defined herein. The use of the term "or" herein is meant to encompass both a separate and an inclusive disjunctive unless otherwise specifically stated herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Generally, in accordance with these various embodiments, a control circuit (which can include a graphics processing unit) accesses a plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives for a particular patient. The control circuit then optimizes a first candidate radiation therapy plan for the particular patient in accordance with these objectives. The control circuit can then detect a modification to at least one of these objectives to provide a corresponding modified radiation therapy plan objective(s). The control circuit can then optimize a second candidate radiation therapy plan for the particular patient in accordance with the at least one modified radiation therapy plan objective. The control circuit can then present, via a shared user display, at least a first dose-volume histogram corresponding to the first candidate radiation therapy plan and at least a second dose-volume histogram corresponding to the second candidate radiation therapy plan. By one approach, the first and second dose-volume histograms can be visually distinguished from one another by means other than color.

[0016] By one approach, the above-described first and second dose-volume histograms are each presented using similar (or even identical) colors. By one approach, one of these histograms (e.g., the second dose-volume histogram) is presented using a solid line, while the remaining histogram (e.g., the first dose-volume histogram) is presented using a dashed line.

[0017] These teachings will encompass the use of graphical icons corresponding to the above-described optimization objectives. In this case, and by one approach, the graphical icons corresponding to the modified radiation therapy plan objectives can be presented in at least partially duplicated form.

[0018] So configured, the user can more intuitively and easily quantify the impact of changing the optimization objectives. These teachings will also allow the user to quantify the impact of the optimization objective changes on the optimization results without having to exit the optimization workspace and without having to create a copy of the plan.

[0019] These and other benefits will become more apparent after a review of the following detailed description, and after having reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 An illustrative apparatus 100 compatible with many of these teachings is first presented.

[0020] In the particular example, the apparatus 100 includes a control circuit 101. As a "circuit," the control circuit 101 thus includes structure comprising at least one (and typically a plurality of) electrically conductive paths (e.g., paths composed of an electrically conductive metal such as copper or silver) that convey electricity in an ordered manner, the paths typically will also include respective electrical components (including, as appropriate, passive (e.g., resistors and capacitors) and active (e.g., any of a variety of semiconductor-based devices)) to permit the circuit to implement the control aspects of these teachings.

[0021] Such a control circuit 101 can include a fixed purpose, hard-wired hardware platform (including, but not limited to, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which is an integrated circuit customized for a particular use, rather than a general purpose use, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.), or can include a partially or wholly programmable hardware platform (including, but not limited to, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, etc.). These structure choices for these structures are well known and understood in the art, and need not be further described here. This control circuit 101 is configured (e.g., through the use of respective programming that will be well understood by those skilled in the art) to perform one or more of the steps, actions and / or functions described herein.

[0022] It will be appreciated that the control circuit 101 can include a single integrated platform, or can include multiple such circuits that work in cooperation with one another.

[0023] The control circuit 101 can include, for example, a central processing unit or a graphics processing unit. A graphics processing unit is a specialized electronic circuit designed to quickly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer for output to a display device. Originally intended to offload the complex task of rendering computer graphics from the central processing unit, graphics processing units have evolved to become efficient at processing large blocks of data in parallel, which makes them particularly effective for a variety of computing needs.

[0024] The control circuit 101 is operatively coupled to a memory 102. The memory 102 can be integral to the control circuit 101, or can be physically separate (in whole or in part) from the control circuit 101 as desired. The memory 102 can also be local with respect to the control circuit 101 (where, for example, both share a common circuit board, chassis, power supply, and / or housing), or can be partially or entirely remote with respect to the control circuit 101 (where, for example, the memory 102 is physically located at another facility, metropolitan area, or even country as compared to the control circuit 101). As with the control circuit 101, the memory 102 can comprise a single structure, or can comprise multiple memory platforms that collectively constitute the "memory" of the apparatus 100.

[0025] In addition to information such as optimization information for a particular patient (including radiation therapy planning objectives) and information about a particular radiation therapy platform as described herein, the memory 102 can also be used to, for example, non-transitorily store computer instructions that, when executed by the control circuit 101, cause the control circuit 101 to function as described herein. (As used herein, such a reference to "non-transitory" will be understood to refer to the non-temporal nature of the state of the stored content (and thus exclude the case where the stored content constitutes only a signal or wave), rather than the volatility of the storage medium itself, and thus includes non-volatile memory such as read-only memory (ROM) as well as volatile memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

[0026] In the illustrative example, the control circuit 101 is also operatively coupled to a user interface 103. The user interface 103 can include any of a variety of user input mechanisms (such as, but not limited to, keyboards and keypads, cursor control devices, touch-sensitive displays, voice recognition interfaces, gesture recognition interfaces, etc.) and / or user output mechanisms (such as, but not limited to, visual displays, audio transducers, printers, etc.) to facilitate the receipt of information and / or instructions from a user and / or the provision of information to the user.

[0027] The control circuit 101 can also be operatively coupled to a network interface (not shown), if desired. So configured, the control circuit 101 can communicate with other elements (both within the apparatus 100 and outside the apparatus 100) via the network interface. Network interfaces, including wireless and non-wireless platforms, are well known in the art and need not be described in particular detail here.

[0028] By one approach, a computer tomography apparatus 106 and / or other imaging apparatus 107 known in the art can obtain some or all of any desired patient-related imaging information.

[0029] In the illustrative example, the control circuit 101 is configured to ultimately output an optimized energy-based treatment plan (e.g., an optimized radiation treatment plan 113). The energy-based treatment plan typically includes specified values for each of various treatment platform parameters during each of a plurality of successive exposure sessions. In this case, the energy-based treatment plan is generated through an optimization process, examples of which are further provided herein.

[0030] By one approach, the control circuit 101 can be operatively coupled to an energy-based treatment platform 114 configured to deliver treatment energy 112 to a respective patient 104 having at least one treatment volume 105 and one or more organs at risk (represented in Figure 1 by first through Nth organs at risk 108 and 109) in accordance with the optimized energy-based treatment plan 113. These teachings are generally applicable to any of a variety of energy-based treatment platforms / devices. In a typical application setting, the energy-based treatment platform 114 will include an energy source, such as a radiation source 115 of ionizing radiation 116.

[0031] By one approach, the radiation source 115 can be selectively moved along an arcuate path (where the path at least to some extent encloses the patient themselves during treatment implementation) via a gantry. The arcuate path can include a full or nearly full circle, as desired. By one approach, the control circuit 101 controls the motion of the radiation source 115 along the arcuate path, and can accordingly control the radiation source 115 to begin motion, stop motion, accelerate, decelerate, and / or the speed at which the radiation source 115 travels along the arcuate path.

[0032] As one illustrative example, the radiation source 115 can include an x-ray source based on a radio frequency (RF) linear particle accelerator (based on a linac). A linac is a type of particle accelerator that greatly increases the kinetic energy of charged subatomic particles or ions by subjecting them to a series of oscillating electric potentials along a linear beamline, which can be used to produce ionizing radiation (e.g., x-rays) 116 and high-energy electrons.

[0033] A typical energy-based treatment platform 114 can also include one or more support devices 110 (e.g., a couch) to support the patient 104 during treatment, one or more patient fixation devices 111, a gantry or other movable mechanism that allows selective movement of the radiation source 115, and one or more energy shaping devices (e.g., beam shaping devices 117 such as jaws, multi-leaf collimators, etc.) that provide the desired selective energy shaping and / or energy modulation.

[0034] In a typical application setting, it is assumed here that the patient support device 110 is selectively controllable by the control circuit 101 to move in any direction (i.e., any X, Y or Z direction) during an energy-based treatment session. Since the aforementioned elements and systems are well understood in the art, no further detailed description of these aspects is provided here unless relevant to the description.

[0035] Reference is now made to Figure 2 A process 200 that can be performed, for example, in connection with the above-described application setting (and more specifically via the aforementioned control circuit 101, which for purposes of illustrative example and without intending to be limiting in these respects will be assumed in the following description to comprise a graphics processing unit) will be described. Generally speaking, the process 200 serves to facilitate generating an optimized radiation treatment plan 113, thereby facilitating treating a particular patient using a particular radiation treatment platform with therapeutic radiation in accordance with the optimized radiation treatment plan.

[0036] At block 201, the process 200 provides for accessing a plurality of radiation treatment plan objectives for a particular patient. The control circuit 101 can access this information by way of one approach accessing the aforementioned memory 102. By one approach, one or more of these radiation treatment plan objectives are generated by a human user. By another approach, one or more of these radiation treatment plan objectives are generated automatically, instead of or in combination with the aforementioned approach. Various approaches for automatically generating radiation treatment plan objectives are known in the art. Since the present application is not overly sensitive to any particular selection in these respects, no further detailed description is provided here regarding the automatic generation of radiation treatment plan objectives for the sake of brevity.

[0037] At block 202, the control circuit 101 optimizes a first candidate radiation treatment plan for the particular patient in accordance with the aforementioned plurality of radiation treatment plan objectives. Various approaches are known in the art to conduct such optimization. Many such approaches utilize so-called "cost constraints." In the context of an iterative optimization approach, a cost constraint refers to a predefined limit that regulates the range of one or more resources that can be allocated to achieve a desired optimization objective. Such constraints are factored into the optimization process to at least bias the solution toward compliance with the boundaries set by such constraints. Thus, as the optimization process iteratively searches for an optimal solution by adjusting variables and evaluating results, the process simultaneously works to ensure that the total cost incurred in reaching the solution does not exceed the set cost constraint, thereby balancing the dual objectives of optimizing the treatment of the patient volume while minimizing collateral damage to other tissue.

[0038] If desired, as Figure 3As shown, the control circuit 101 can display, via the user interface 103 described above, a display 301 that includes one or more respective dose-volume histogram lines 302. (For clarity, Figure 3 Only one such dose-volume histogram line 302 is shown. However, in a typical application setting, such a display 301 would present a dose-volume histogram line for each of a plurality of patient volumes of interest, including a patient planning volume (e.g., a target tumor) and one or more organs at risk. In the example shown, the display 301 also includes a graphical icon 303 that corresponds to the particular optimization objective. In the illustrative example, each such graphical icon 303 includes an arrow.

[0039] At block 203, the control circuit 101 monitors for a modification to one of the radiotherapy plan objectives (specifically, including user modifications implemented, e.g., via the user interface 103 described above). In the absence of detecting a triggering event, and as indicated by reference numeral 204, the process 200 can accommodate any of a variety of responses. Examples of responses can include time-multiplexing (according to which the control circuit 101 performs other tasks before again returning to monitor for a triggering event) and looping back continuously to monitor for a triggering event substantially continuously. These teachings will also support the detection activity through real-time interrupt capability.

[0040] Prior to completing the re-optimization as a function of the modified optimization objective, and by one optional approach and as indicated by optional block 205, upon detecting a modification to at least one of the plurality of radiotherapy plan objectives, the control circuit 101 can modify the display of the aforementioned dose-volume histogram lines 302 to visually signal that a change has been made to the optimization objective. (If desired, the user interface 103 can also present other signals of such a change. Examples include, but are not limited to, an audio signal, a text message notifying the user of the change, etc.).

[0041] Figure 4 An illustrative example of these aspects is shown. In the example, the previously presented dose-volume histogram line 302 is now presented using a different shape factor (in the example, using a dashed line instead of a solid line). (In the particular example, the dose-volume histogram line 302 is otherwise identical to that initially presented. In other words, if one line were placed on top of the other, the two lines would substantially match one another, conveying the same dose information).

[0042] Figure 4 It is also shown that the graphical icon 303 for the particular optimization objective that has just been modified can also be presented using a distinguishing shape factor, indicated by reference numeral 401. In this example, the distinguishing shape factor is an enlarged arrow.

[0043] In any case, at block 206, the control circuit 101 optimizes a second candidate radiation therapy plan for the particular patient in accordance with the at least one modified optimization objective, thereby generating the second candidate radiation therapy plan. By one approach, the re-optimization process can be identical to the previous optimization process except for the modified optimization objective.

[0044] At block 207, the control circuit 101 presents, on the shared user display (where the aforementioned user interface 103 concurrently displays these described items of information), at least a first dose-volume histogram corresponding to the particular patient volume for each of the first candidate radiation therapy plans and at least a second dose-volume histogram corresponding to the same particular patient volume, albeit in accordance with the second candidate radiation therapy plan, where the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are visually distinguished by means other than color.

[0045] Figure 5 An illustrative example is shown. In the example, the user interface 103 presents a display 301 having the aforementioned initial dose-volume histogram line 302 presented as a dashed line and a second dose-volume histogram line 501 presented as a solid line. The first dose-volume histogram line 302 corresponds to a dose-volume histogram for the particular patient volume for each of the first candidate radiation therapy plans. The second dose-volume histogram line 501 corresponds to a dose-volume histogram for the same patient volume but in accordance with the second candidate radiation therapy plan.

[0046] Instead of or in combination with the foregoing, the teachings will accommodate other approaches to visually distinguishing the dose-volume histogram lines 302 and 501 that respectively correspond to the original optimization objective and the modified optimization objective. For example, one such line can be thicker than the other. As another example, one line can use short dashes while the other uses longer dashes. As yet another example, one such line can use a different strobe effect from the presentation of the other line. These examples are merely intended to illustrate various possibilities and are not intended to imply an exhaustive list of all ways in which the lines can be visually distinguished from one another.

[0047] Many prior art approaches use color to distinguish dose-volume histogram lines for different patient volumes. To help avoid confusion regarding the dose-volume histogram lines for these different patient volumes, the aforementioned first and second dose-volume histogram lines 302 and 501 (which both correspond to the same patient volume) can both be presented using similar or even identical colors.

[0048] As noted above, the aforementioned example presents dose-volume histogram lines for only one particular patient volume for clarity and simplicity. However, the teachings can be used in a similar manner with any number of dose-volume histogram lines for any of the various patient volumes for which radiation therapy plans are being optimized.

[0049] As also noted above, these teachings will accommodate presenting graphical icons (e.g., the illustrated arrows 303) that are representative of (and possibly linked to) the respective optimization objectives. In this case, as illustrated, the graphical icons corresponding to the modified optimization objectives 401 can be presented in a modified form to reflect the modified state of the optimization objectives themselves. In the particular illustrative example, the modified form includes presenting the graphical icons in at least partially duplicated form 502 (in this case, the larger and smaller arrows positioned coaxially therewith). These teachings will accommodate other ways of distinguishing the graphical icons for the modified optimization objectives from the original optimization objectives, such as a distinguished shading, a distinguished color, a distinguished transparency / opacify, an animation, and so on. Figure 5

[0050] So configured, these teachings will accommodate using a fast graphical processing unit optimization algorithm as the optimization engine, and then performing a fast optimization with the initial values of the optimization objectives. When the user subsequently makes modifications to one or more of the optimization objectives in search of an improved dose distribution for the particular structure, these teachings can provide for automatically storing a snapshot of the previously optimized dose volume histogram curves from all of the structures, and using those results as a reference for the subsequent optimization.

[0051] After the optimization with the modified optimization objectives is concluded, the control circuit 101 can display the reference dose volume histogram curves from the previous optimization in the same graphical representation as the dose volume histogram curves from the current optimization. (In the case where there are multiple previous optimizations, these teachings will also accommodate presenting those earlier respective reference dose volume histogram curves and objectives. By one approach, the user can be provided with an opportunity to scroll between the various previous optimizations to allow individual display of the results corresponding to each such previous optimization as compared to the most recent optimization.) The approach assesses the degree to which the modifications to the optimization objectives changed the optimization results, thereby helping the user to understand and avoid unintended impacts, e.g., to other structures. These teachings also make it fairly easy to quickly determine and understand which objectives were modified to arrive at the current results.

[0052] Other aspects of these teachings are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses (wherein it should be understood that any one of these clauses can be combined with any one or more of the others as appropriate).

[0053] ​Clause 1. A method of facilitating optimization of a radiation therapy plan for a particular patient using a particular radiation therapy platform, the method comprising: by a control circuit: accessing a plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives for a particular patient; optimizing a first candidate radiation therapy plan for the particular patient according to the plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives; detecting a modification of at least one radiation therapy plan objective of the plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives to provide at least one modified radiation therapy plan objective; optimizing a second candidate radiation therapy plan for the particular patient according to the at least one modified radiation therapy plan objective; presenting on a shared user display at least a first dose-volume histogram corresponding to the first candidate radiation therapy plan and at least a second dose-volume histogram corresponding to the second candidate radiation therapy plan, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are visually distinguished by means other than color.

[0054] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein accessing the plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives for the particular patient comprises accessing a plurality of automatically generated radiation therapy plan objectives for the particular patient.

[0055] Clause 3. The method of any of clauses 1 or 2, wherein detecting a modification of at least one radiation therapy plan objective of the plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives comprises detecting a user modification of at least one of the plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives.

[0056] Clause 4. The method of any of clauses 1-3, wherein the control circuit comprises a graphics processing unit.

[0057] Clause 5. The method of any of clauses 1-4, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are each presented using similar colors.

[0058] Clause 6. The method of clause 5, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are each presented using the same color.

[0059] Clause 7. The method of any of clauses 1-6, wherein one of the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram is presented using a solid line and the other of the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram is presented using a dashed line.

[0060] Clause 8. The method of clause 7, wherein the first dose-volume histogram is presented using a solid line and the second dose-volume histogram is presented using a dashed line.

[0061] Clause 9. The method of any of clauses 1-8, further comprising: further presenting on the shared user display a graphical icon corresponding to the objective.

[0062] Clause 10. The method of clause 9, wherein the graphical icons corresponding to the modified radiation therapy plan objectives are presented in at least partially repeating form.

[0063] Clause 11. An apparatus to facilitate optimization of a radiation therapy plan for a particular patient using a particular radiation therapy platform, the apparatus comprising: control circuitry configured to: access a plurality of radiation therapy planning objectives for a particular patient; optimize a first candidate radiation therapy plan for the particular patient according to the plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives; detect a modification of at least one of the plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives to provide at least one modified radiation therapy plan objective; optimize a second candidate radiation therapy plan for the particular patient according to the at least one modified radiation therapy plan objective; present, on a shared user display operably coupled to the control circuitry, at least a first dose-volume histogram corresponding to the first candidate radiation therapy plan and at least a second dose-volume histogram corresponding to the second candidate radiation therapy plan, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are visually distinguished by means other than color.

[0064] Clause 12. The apparatus of clause 11, wherein the control circuitry is configured to access the plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives for the particular patient by accessing a plurality of automatically generated radiation therapy plan objectives for the particular patient.

[0065] Clause 13. The apparatus of any one of clauses 11 or 12, wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect the modification of at least one of the plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives by detecting a user modification of at least one of the plurality of radiation therapy plan objectives.

[0066] Clause 14. The apparatus of any one of clauses 11 to 13, wherein the control circuitry comprises a graphics processing unit.

[0067] Clause 15. The apparatus of any one of clauses 11 to 14, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are each presented using a similar color.

[0068] Clause 16. The apparatus of clause 15, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are each presented using the same color.

[0069] Clause 17. The apparatus of any one of clauses 11 to 16, wherein one of the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram is presented using a solid line and the other of the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram is presented using a dashed line.

[0070] Clause 18. The apparatus of clause 17, wherein the first dose volume histogram is presented using a solid line and the second dose volume histogram is presented using a dashed line.

[0071] Clause 19. The apparatus of any of clauses 11 to 18, wherein the control circuit is further configured to present a graphical icon corresponding to a target on the shared user display as well.

[0072] Clause 20. The apparatus of clause 19, wherein the graphical icon corresponding to the modified radiation therapy plan target is presented in at least partially repeating form.

[0073] Those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, alterations and combinations can be made with the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the application, and that such modifications, alterations and combinations will be seen to fall within the scope of the inventive concept.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the optimization of radiotherapy plans for specific patients using a specific radiotherapy platform, the method comprising: By controlling the circuit: Access to multiple radiotherapy planning targets for the specific patient; Optimize a first candidate radiotherapy plan for the specific patient based on the multiple radiotherapy planning objectives; Detect modifications to at least one of the plurality of radiotherapy planning goals to provide at least one modified radiotherapy planning goal; Optimize the second candidate radiotherapy plan for the specific patient based on at least one of the modified radiotherapy planning objectives; At least a first dose-volume histogram corresponding to the first candidate radiotherapy plan and at least a second dose-volume histogram corresponding to the second candidate radiotherapy plan are presented on a shared user display, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are visually distinguishable by means other than color.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the plurality of radiotherapy planning targets for the particular patient includes accessing a plurality of automatically generated radiotherapy planning targets for the particular patient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a modification of at least one of the plurality of radiotherapy planning targets includes detecting a user modification of at least one of the plurality of radiotherapy planning targets.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit includes a graphics processing unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are each presented using similar colors.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are each presented using the same color.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the dose-volume histograms in the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram is presented using a solid line, and the other dose-volume histogram in the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram is presented using a dashed line.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first dose-volume histogram is presented using the solid line, and the second dose-volume histogram is presented using the dashed line.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: A graphic icon corresponding to the target is also displayed on the shared user's monitor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the graphic icon corresponding to the modified radiotherapy plan objective is presented in a form that is at least partially repeated.

11. An apparatus for facilitating the optimization of radiotherapy plans for specific patients using a specific radiotherapy platform, the apparatus comprising: The control circuit is configured as follows: Access to multiple radiotherapy planning goals for the specific patient; Optimize a first candidate radiotherapy plan for the specific patient based on the multiple radiotherapy planning objectives; Detect modifications to at least one of the plurality of radiotherapy planning goals to provide at least one modified radiotherapy planning goal; Optimize the second candidate radiotherapy plan for the specific patient based on at least one of the modified radiotherapy planning objectives; At least a first dose-volume histogram corresponding to the first candidate radiotherapy plan and at least a second dose-volume histogram corresponding to the second candidate radiotherapy plan are presented on a shared user display operatively coupled to the control circuit, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are visually distinguishable by means other than color.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is configured to access the plurality of automatically generated radiotherapy planning targets for the particular patient.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect the modification of at least one of the plurality of radiotherapy planning targets by detecting a user modification of at least one of the plurality of radiotherapy planning targets.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry includes a graphics processing unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are each presented using similar colors.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram are each presented using the same color.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein one of the dose-volume histograms of the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram is represented by a solid line, and the other dose-volume histogram of the first dose-volume histogram and the second dose-volume histogram is represented by a dashed line.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first dose-volume histogram is represented by the solid line and the second dose-volume histogram is represented by the dashed line.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: A graphic icon corresponding to the target is also displayed on the shared user's monitor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the graphic icon corresponding to the modified radiotherapy plan target is presented in a form that is at least partially repeated.

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