Method and apparatus for managing radio pharmaceutical therapy data

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method performed by a processor of a radiotherapy management device, the method comprising the steps of: providing a user interface in which examinations and treatment schedules necessary for radio pharmaceutical therapy are predefined; acquiring medical data including a treatment start date of a patient through the user interface; automatically generating a plurality of treatment cycle schedules for the patient on the basis of the treatment start date according to the predefined examinations and treatment schedules; and displaying the generated schedules on the user interface.

Description

Method and device for managing radiopharmaceutical treatment data

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for managing radioactive drug treatment data.

[0002] Radiation therapy is one of the core methods of cancer treatment, evolving from radioisotope-based therapy and external beam radiation therapy to the recent Radiopharmaceutical Therapy (RPT). Radiopharmaceutical therapy is a method of treating diseases by administering pharmaceuticals containing radioisotopes into the body, encompassing various forms such as the treatment of thyroid cancer using Iodine-131 (I-131), Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) using Yttrium-90 (Y-90), and Lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-based Radioligand Therapy (RLT). In particular, Radioligand Therapy is attracting attention as a new paradigm for treating advanced cancers, including metastatic cancer, by combining radioisotopes with pharmaceuticals to inject drugs that specifically bind to cancer cells into the body.

[0003] However, unlike conventional cancer treatment, radiopharmaceutical therapy requires a highly complex treatment process. Patients must undergo multiple treatment cycles spaced several weeks apart, and various tests are required before and after each cycle. For example, blood tests to determine suitability for treatment and imaging tests to evaluate therapeutic effects must be performed at different times depending on the radiopharmaceutical and protocol. In particular, because radiopharmaceuticals have the half-life characteristics of isotopes, there is a specific requirement to order and manage the drugs at precise times to match the treatment schedule.

[0004] However, because there is no specialized management system or service for radiopharmaceutical therapy, there is inefficiency and inconvenience throughout the entire treatment process.

[0005] The background description of the invention is provided to facilitate a better understanding of the present invention. The matters described in the background description should not be construed as an acknowledgment that they exist as prior art.

[0006] Specifically, most hospitals currently manage these complex treatment and examination schedules manually using tools like Excel, which leads to problems such as the significant time required to establish schedules and the occurrence of human error. In addition, when managing the schedules of multiple patients simultaneously, there is the difficulty of having to manually adjust time slots for examination or treatment rooms when they conflict.

[0007] Furthermore, existing ward management systems and external radiation therapy planning systems fail to support the unique requirements of radiopharmaceutical therapy, such as drug ordering management considering the half-life of radiopharmaceuticals, the application of examination protocols with different cycles for each drug, and integrated schedule management for multiple patients.

[0008] Accordingly, there is a demand for an integrated solution capable of systematically managing complex protocols for various radiopharmaceutical treatments, such as I-131 thyroid therapy, Y-90 SIRT, and Lu-177 radioligand therapy, enhancing treatment efficiency, and ensuring patient safety.

[0009] As a result, the inventors of the present invention have devised a method that can reduce the workload of medical staff and increase the efficiency of treatment management by providing a user interface that predefines complex examination and treatment schedules required for radiopharmaceutical therapy, and by automatically generating a schedule for the entire treatment cycle according to the patient's treatment start schedule through this interface.

[0010] The problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0011] To solve the problem described above, a method for managing radiopharmaceutical therapy data according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided. The method is a method performed by a processor of a radiation therapy management device and is configured to include the steps of: providing a user interface in which an examination and treatment schedule required for radiopharmaceutical therapy is predefined; acquiring medical data including a patient's treatment start date through the user interface; automatically generating a plurality of treatment cycle schedules for the patient based on the treatment start date according to the predefined examination and treatment schedule; and displaying the generated schedules on the user interface.

[0012] According to a feature of the present invention, the user interface may be configured such that a schedule for performing at least one of imaging tests, blood tests, and treatment effect evaluation tests, which must be performed before and after treatment for each treatment cycle, is predefined.

[0013] According to a feature of the present invention, the radiopharmaceutical treatment may be a treatment using any one radiopharmaceutical selected from the group consisting of lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-based Pluvicto, lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-based Lutathera, iodine-131 (I-131), yttrium-90, and actinium-225.

[0014] According to a feature of the present invention, the method may further include the step of determining an ordering schedule for a radiopharmaceutical used in radiopharmaceutical treatment based on the treatment start date and the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical, and the step of providing a notification according to the ordering schedule to the user interface.

[0015] According to a feature of the present invention, the step of determining the order schedule may be a step of determining the order schedule such that the effective amount of radioactivity at the time of treatment is within a preset range based on the treatment start date and the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical.

[0016] According to a feature of the present invention, the step of automatically generating the schedule may further include the step of identifying duplicate schedules among the schedules for a plurality of patients, and, if duplicate schedules are identified, the step of adjusting the schedule based on priority according to the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical.

[0017] According to a feature of the present invention, the method may further include the step of obtaining result data of an examination performed according to the schedule and the step of determining whether treatment in the next treatment cycle is possible based on the examination result data.

[0018] According to a feature of the present invention, the patient's treatment history and test result data may be displayed in the form of a timeline on the user interface, and may further include the step of including a first graphic object representing the point in time of each treatment cycle and a second graphic object representing each test schedule.

[0019] According to a feature of the present invention, the user interface may include an area displaying at least one of patient identification data, a timeline for the schedule, image data, and a biomarker.

[0020] To solve the problem described above, a radiation therapy management device according to another embodiment of the present invention is provided. The device comprises a communication interface, a memory, and a processor operably connected to the communication interface and the memory. The processor is configured to provide a user interface in which examination and treatment schedules required for radiopharmaceutical therapy are predefined, to acquire medical data including a patient's treatment start date through the user interface, to automatically generate a plurality of treatment cycle schedules for the patient based on the treatment start date according to the predefined examination and treatment schedules, and to display the generated schedules on the user interface.

[0021] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0022] The present invention provides a user interface with predefined examination and treatment schedules required for radiopharmaceutical therapy, and can automatically generate multiple treatment cycle schedules by receiving the patient's treatment start date as input. Through this, the present invention can significantly reduce the workload of schedule management for medical staff and improve the efficiency of establishing treatment plans. In particular, by automatically generating complex schedules such as imaging tests, blood tests, and treatment efficacy evaluation tests that must be performed for each treatment cycle, the present invention can prevent errors caused by manual work and ensure the accurate execution of treatment procedures.

[0023] The present invention can automatically determine a drug ordering schedule and provide notifications by taking into account the half-life of a radiopharmaceutical. Through this, the present invention can secure an appropriate amount of radioactivity at the time of treatment, thereby maximizing the safety and effectiveness of the treatment.

[0024] Furthermore, the present invention can automatically adjust schedules based on a priority considering the half-life of radiopharmaceuticals when overlapping schedules are identified among multiple patients. Through this, the present invention can ensure the optimal timing of treatment for each patient while efficiently utilizing limited medical resources.

[0025] The present invention can determine whether treatment in the next treatment cycle is feasible based on result data from performed tests. Furthermore, the present invention can intuitively display a patient's treatment history and test result data as a timeline-type graphic object. Through this, the present invention can support medical staff in grasping the patient's treatment progress at a glance and making rapid clinical decisions.

[0026] The effects according to the present invention are not limited to those exemplified above, and a wider variety of effects are included within the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a radioactive drug treatment data management system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a user device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a radiation therapy management device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart of a method for managing radioactive drug treatment data according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIGS. 5, FIGS. 6a, FIGS. 6b, FIGS. 6c, FIGS. 6d, FIGS. 7, FIGS. 8a, FIGS. 8b, FIGS. 8c, FIGS. 9, FIGS. 10b, and FIGS. 10c are example diagrams of a user interface screen using a radioactive drug treatment data management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components.

[0033] In this document, expressions such as "have," "can have," "include," or "can include" refer to the existence of the relevant feature (e.g., numerical values, functions, actions, or components, etc.) and do not exclude the existence of additional features.

[0034] In this document, expressions such as “A or B,” “at least one of A or / and B,” or “one or more of A or / and B” may include all possible combinations of items listed together. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” or “at least one of A or B” may refer to cases including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) both at least one A and at least one B.

[0035] Expressions such as "first," "second," "first," or "second" used in this document may modify various components regardless of order and / or importance, and are used merely to distinguish one component from another without limiting such components. For example, a first user device and a second user device may represent different user devices regardless of order or importance. For example, without departing from the scope of rights set forth in this document, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, a second component may be renamed a first component.

[0036] Where it is stated that a certain component (e.g., a first component) is "(operatively or communicatively) coupled with" or "connected to" another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that the said certain component may be directly connected to the said other component or connected through another component (e.g., a third component). On the other hand, where it is stated that a certain component (e.g., a first component) is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), it may be understood that no other component (e.g., a third component) exists between the said certain component and the said other component.

[0037] As used in this document, the expression “configured to” may be replaced, depending on the context, with, for example, “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of.” The term “configured to” does not necessarily mean only “specifically designed to” in hardware. Instead, in some situations, the expression “device configured to” may mean that the device is “capable of” in conjunction with other devices or components. For example, the phrase “processor configured to perform A, B, and C” may mean a dedicated processor for performing those operations (e.g., an embedded processor) or a generic-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or application processor) capable of performing those operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

[0038] The terms used in this document are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art described in this document. Terms used in this document that are defined in general dictionaries may be interpreted as having the same or similar meaning as they have in the context of the relevant technology, and are not to be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this document. In some cases, even terms defined in this document may not be interpreted to exclude the embodiments of this document.

[0039] The features of each of the various embodiments of the present invention may be combined or combined with one another, either partially or wholly, and as will be fully understood by those skilled in the art, various technical interlocking and operation are possible, and each embodiment may be implemented independently of one another or together in an interlocking relationship.

[0040] For clarity in the interpretation of this specification, the terms used in this specification are defined below.

[0041] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by explaining preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

[0042] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a radioactive drug treatment data management system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 1, a radiopharmaceutical therapy data management system (1000) (hereinafter referred to as the 'RPT data management system') may be a system configured to manage various data regarding radiopharmaceutical therapy. To this end, the RPT data management system (1000) may include a user device (100) possessed by a medical professional who wishes to check or diagnose a patient's medical history, and a radiation therapy management device (200) possessed by a service provider who stores various data related to the patient's radiopharmaceutical therapy and sorts and provides the data.

[0044] The user device (100) is a device possessed by a medical professional using the RPT data management system and may include a smartphone, tablet PC (Personal Computer), laptop, and PC.

[0045] In various embodiments, the user device (100) may install or run a web or mobile application or program provided by the radiation therapy management device (200). For example, the user device (100) may access an RPT data management web page and display a user interface with predefined examination and treatment schedules required for radiopharmaceutical therapy. The user device (100) may receive medical data including the patient's treatment start date through the user interface and may receive and display a plurality of treatment cycle schedules automatically generated from the radiation therapy management device (200).

[0046] In various embodiments, the user device (100) may provide a user interface screen that displays the RPT treatment schedule of patients. For example, the user interface screen may include a graph area showing statistics of RPT target patients, usage status by drug, and the number of patients per session, a dose-volume histogram (DVH) area, a schedule calendar area, and a patient treatment schedule list area. Through the user interface screen, medical staff can grasp the treatment status of all RPT target patients at a glance.

[0047] In various embodiments, the user device (100) may provide a user interface screen that displays detailed information about a specific patient. For example, the user interface screen may include an area that displays at least one of patient identification data, a timeline for a treatment cycle schedule, imaging data (e.g., PET / CT, WBBS, SPECT / CT), and biomarkers (e.g., PSA, CBC). Additionally, the user device (100) may display the patient's treatment history and test result data in a timeline format, including a first graphic object representing the point in time of each treatment cycle and a second graphic object representing each test schedule. This allows medical staff to intuitively grasp the treatment progress of individual patients and make rapid clinical decisions.

[0048] Furthermore, the user device (100) can manage patient treatment data through the radiation therapy management device (200). That is, patient treatment data management through the user interface can be achieved through linkage with the radiation therapy management device (200).

[0049] The radiation therapy management device (200) may include a general-purpose computer, laptop, and data server, etc., as a service provider's server capable of sorting and providing RPT data of RPT target patients. The radiation therapy management device (200) may provide a user interface with predefined examination and treatment schedules required for radiopharmaceutical therapy in response to a request from a user device (100) accessing the RPT data management web page.

[0050] In various embodiments, the radiation therapy management device (200) can acquire medical data including the patient's treatment start date through a user interface. The radiation therapy management device (200) can automatically generate a plurality of treatment cycle schedules for the patient based on the treatment start date according to a predefined examination and treatment schedule. Here, the predefined examination and treatment schedule may include a schedule for performing at least one examination among imaging examinations, blood tests, and treatment effect evaluation tests that must be performed before and after treatment for each treatment cycle.

[0051] In various embodiments, the radiation therapy management device (200) may determine the ordering schedule for radiopharmaceuticals used in radiopharmaceutical therapy based on the treatment start date and the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical. The radiation therapy management device (200) may provide a notification according to the ordering schedule to the user interface to ensure that an appropriate amount of radioactivity is secured at the time of treatment. Additionally, the radiation therapy management device (200) may check for overlapping schedules in the schedules for multiple patients, and if overlapping schedules are identified, automatically adjust the schedule based on a priority that takes into account the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical.

[0052] In various embodiments, the radiation therapy management device (200) may provide a web or mobile application or program to a user device (100) to provide treatment data for an RPT patient. For example, the radiation therapy management device (200) may provide the patient's treatment history and test result data in a timeline format to a user device (100) that has accessed an RPT data management web page, and may include a first graphic object representing the time point of each treatment cycle and a second graphic object representing each test schedule.

[0053] In various embodiments, the user device (100) may be a terminal of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system of a hospital, and the radiation therapy management device (200) may be embedded in and operated within the EMR system. Additionally, the radiation therapy management device (200) may be configured as an independent server and linked with the EMR system. In this case, the radiation therapy management device (200) may receive at least one of patient identification information, diagnostic information, test result data, and treatment history from the EMR system. For example, the radiation therapy management device (200) may automatically receive blood test (CBC) results, PET / CT image data, SPECT / CT image data, etc., from the EMR system, store and manage them by matching them with a predefined test schedule. Furthermore, linkage with the EMR system may be achieved through the HL7 (Health Level 7) standard protocol or the DICOM communication protocol.

[0054] In various embodiments, the radiation therapy management device (200) may be linked to or embedded in a pharmaceutical ordering system. The radiation therapy management device (200) may request an automatic order by transmitting order schedule information for radiopharmaceuticals to the pharmaceutical ordering system, and may receive information from the pharmaceutical ordering system such as order completion information, estimated delivery time, manufacturing time of the radiopharmaceutical, and estimated radiation dose. Additionally, the radiation therapy management device (200) may be linked to both an EMR system and a pharmaceutical ordering system. In this case, the radiation therapy management device (200) may receive patient examination result data from the EMR system and automatically determine whether the next treatment cycle can be performed. If it is determined that it can be performed, the radiation therapy management device (200) may automatically request an order for radiopharmaceuticals from the pharmaceutical ordering system.

[0055] Up to this point, an RPT data management system (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described. According to the present invention, the RPT data management system (1000) provides a user interface with predefined examination and treatment schedules required for radiopharmaceutical treatment, automatically generates multiple treatment cycle schedules based on the patient's treatment start date, and can automatically determine a drug ordering schedule by considering the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical. Through this, the RPT management system (1000) can implement an integrated workflow that automates the entire RPT treatment process.

[0056] Below, with reference to FIG. 2, a user device (100) for managing / diagnosing RPT target patients will be described.

[0057] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a user device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 2, the user device (100) may include a memory interface (110), one or more processors (120) and a peripheral interface (130). Various components within the user device (100) may be connected by one or more communication buses or signal lines.

[0059] The memory interface (110) is connected to the memory (150) and can transmit various data to the processor (120). Here, the memory (150) may include at least one type of storage medium among flash memory type, hard disk type, multimedia card micro type, card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), RAM, SRAM, ROM, EEPROM, PROM, network storage, cloud, and blockchain database.

[0060] In various embodiments, the memory (150) may store information of medical personnel managing RPT data (e.g., identification information, affiliation information, specialty, access rights information, and login history). Additionally, the memory (150) may store personal details of RPT target patients, a patient list, medical data including the patient's treatment start date, predefined test and treatment schedule information, automatically generated multiple treatment cycle schedules, radiopharmaceutical ordering schedules, test result data, treatment history, etc. Additionally, the memory (150) may store components of the RPT data management web page screen.

[0061] In various embodiments, memory (150) may store at least one of an operating system (151), a communication module (152), a graphical user interface module (GUI) (153), a sensor processing module (154), a telephone module (155), and an application module (156). Specifically, the operating system (151) may include instructions for processing basic system services and instructions for performing hardware operations. The communication module (152) may communicate with at least one of one or more other devices, computers, and servers. The graphical user interface module (GUI) (153) may process a graphical user interface. The sensor processing module (154) may process sensor-related functions (e.g., processing voice input received through one or more microphones (192)). The telephone module (155) may process telephone-related functions. The application module (156) may perform various functions of a user application, such as electronic messaging, web browsing, media processing, navigation, imaging, and other processing functions. In addition, the user device (100) may store one or more software applications (156-1, 156-2) (e.g., RPT data management applications) associated with any one type of service in memory (150).

[0062] In various embodiments, the memory (150) can store a digital assistant client module (157) (hereinafter, DA client module) and accordingly store commands for performing client-side functions of the digital assistant and various user data (158) (e.g., user-customized vocabulary data, preference data, user's electronic address book, etc.).

[0063] Meanwhile, the DA client module (157) can obtain voice input, text input, touch input and / or gesture input from the user through various user interfaces (e.g., I / O subsystem (140)) provided in the user device (100).

[0064] Additionally, the DA client module (157) can output data in the form of audiovisual and tactile elements. For example, the DA client module (157) can output data consisting of a combination of at least two of voice, sound, notifications, text messages, menus, graphics, videos, animations, and vibrations. Furthermore, the DA client module (157) can communicate with a digital assistant server (not shown) using a communication subsystem (180).

[0065] In various embodiments, the DA client module (157) may collect additional information about the surrounding environment of the user device (100) from various sensors, subsystems, and peripheral devices to construct the context associated with the user input. For example, the DA client module (157) may provide context information along with the user input to a digital assistant server to infer the user's intent. Here, the context information that may accompany the user input may include sensor information, e.g., lighting, ambient noise, ambient temperature, images, videos, etc. of the surrounding environment. As another example, the context information may include the physical state of the user device (100) (e.g., device orientation, device location, device temperature, power level, speed, acceleration, motion patterns, cellular signal strength, etc.). As yet another example, the context information may include information related to the software state of the user device (100) (e.g., processes running on the user device (100), installed programs, past and present network activity, background services, error logs, resource usage, etc.).

[0066] In various embodiments, the memory (150) may include additional or deleted instructions. Furthermore, the user device (100) may include additional configurations in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 2, or exclude some configurations.

[0067] The processor (120) can control the overall operation of the user device (100) and can execute various commands to display an automatically generated treatment schedule for RPT target patients by running an application or program stored in memory (150).

[0068] The processor (120) may correspond to a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an AP (Application Processor). Additionally, the processor (120) may be implemented in the form of an integrated chip (IC), such as a System on Chip (SoC) that integrates various computing devices that perform machine learning, such as a Neural Processing Unit (NPU).

[0069] In various embodiments, the processor (120) may receive a predefined user interface containing examination and treatment schedules required for radiopharmaceutical treatment from the radiation therapy management device (200), and may display treatment data of RPT target patients upon the request of medical staff. Specifically, the processor (120) may receive medical data including the patient's treatment start date and receive a plurality of treatment cycle schedules automatically generated from the radiation therapy management device (200) and display them on the user interface. Additionally, the processor (120) may display the patient's treatment history and examination result data in a timeline format, including a first graphic object representing the point in time of each treatment cycle and a second graphic object representing each examination schedule. Furthermore, the processor (120) may filter and display only specific types of examination or treatment data on the timeline according to the medical staff's selection of graphic objects, thereby enabling the medical staff to efficiently check the necessary information.

[0070] The peripheral interface (130) is connected to various sensors, subsystems, and peripheral devices and can provide data to enable the user device (100) to perform various functions. Here, the performance of functions by the user device (100) can be understood as being performed by the processor (120).

[0071] The peripheral interface (130) may receive data from a motion sensor (160), a light sensor (light sensor) (161), and a proximity sensor (162), thereby enabling the user device (100) to perform orientation, light, and proximity detection functions, etc. As another example, the peripheral interface (130) may receive data from other sensors (163) (positioning system—GPS receiver, temperature sensor, biometric sensor), thereby enabling the user device (100) to perform functions related to the other sensors (163).

[0072] In various embodiments, the user device (100) may include a camera subsystem (170) connected to a peripheral interface (130) and an optical sensor (171) connected thereto, thereby enabling the user device (100) to perform various shooting functions such as taking photos and recording video clips.

[0073] In various embodiments, the user device (100) may include a communication subsystem (180) connected to a peripheral interface (130). The communication subsystem (180) may be composed of one or more wired / wireless networks and may include various communication ports, radio frequency transceivers, and optical transceivers.

[0074] In various embodiments, the user device (100) includes an audio subsystem (190) connected to a peripheral interface (130), and the audio subsystem (190) includes one or more speakers (191) and one or more microphones (192), so that the user device (100) can perform voice-operable functions, such as voice recognition, voice replication, digital recording, and telephone functions.

[0075] In various embodiments, the user device (100) may include an I / O subsystem (140) connected to a peripheral interface (130). For example, the I / O subsystem (140) may control a touch screen (143) included in the user device (100) through a touch screen controller (141).

[0076] For example, the touch screen controller (141) can detect user contact and movement or interruption of contact and movement using any one of a plurality of touch sensing technologies, such as capacitive, resistive, infrared, surface acoustic wave technology, proximity sensor array, etc. As another example, the I / O subsystem (140) can control other input / control devices (144) included in the user device (100) through other input controller(s) (142). As an example, other input controller(s) (142) can control one or more pointer devices such as buttons, rocker switches, thumb wheels, infrared ports, USB ports, and styluses.

[0077] A user device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described so far. According to the present invention, the user device (100) provides a user interface with a predefined examination and treatment schedule required for radioactive drug treatment, and displays a plurality of treatment cycle schedules that are automatically generated based on the patient's treatment start date, thereby reducing the burden of schedule management for medical staff regarding special drugs for which monitoring of the safety and efficacy of treatment is important.

[0078] Below, with reference to FIG. 3, a radiation therapy management device (200) that assists medical personnel in utilizing radiopharmaceuticals will be described.

[0079] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a radiation therapy management device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 3, the radiation therapy management device (200) may include a communication interface (210), a memory (220), an I / O interface (230), and a processor (240), and each component may communicate with one or more communication buses or signal lines.

[0081] The communication interface (210) can be connected to the user device (100) via a wired / wireless communication network to exchange data. For example, the communication interface (210) can receive a request to access an RPT data management web page from the user device (100) and can transmit a user interface screen with a predefined examination and treatment schedule required for radiopharmaceutical treatment to the user device (100). Additionally, the communication interface (210) can receive medical data including the patient's treatment start date from the user device (100) and can transmit multiple automatically generated treatment cycle schedules, radiopharmaceutical ordering schedules, and notification information to the user device (100). Furthermore, the communication interface (210) can be linked with an EMR system and a pharmaceutical ordering system to transmit and receive patient examination result data and radiopharmaceutical ordering requests.

[0082] Meanwhile, a communication interface (210) that enables the transmission and reception of such data includes a wired communication port (211) and a wireless circuit (212), wherein the wired communication port (211) may include one or more wired interfaces, for example, Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, etc. Additionally, the wireless circuit (212) may transmit and receive data with an external device via an RF signal or an optical signal. Furthermore, wireless communication may use at least one of a plurality of communication standards, protocols, and technologies, such as GSM, EDGE, CDMA, TDMA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, VoIP, Wi-MAX, or any other suitable communication protocol.

[0083] The memory (220) can store various data used in the radiation therapy management device (200). For example, the memory (220) can store data that constitutes the RPT data management user interface screen provided to the user device (100). For example, the memory (220) can store a list of RPT target patients by hospital, patient medical data, predefined test and treatment schedule information, automatically generated treatment cycle schedules for multiple patients, radiopharmaceutical ordering schedules, test result data, and treatment history. Additionally, the memory (220) can store radiopharmaceutical treatment protocol templates, radiopharmaceutical half-life information, priority determination algorithms, and dosage determination criteria.

[0084] In various embodiments, the memory (220) may include a volatile or non-volatile recording medium capable of storing various data, commands, and information. For example, the memory (220) may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), RAM, SRAM, ROM, EEPROM, PROM, network storage, cloud, and blockchain database.

[0085] In various embodiments, the memory (220) may store at least one configuration of an operating system (221), a communication module (222), a user interface module (223), and one or more applications (224).

[0086] An operating system (221) (e.g., embedded operating systems such as LINUX, UNIX, MAC OS, WINDOWS, VxWorks, etc.) may include various software components and drivers for controlling and managing general system operations (e.g., memory management, storage device control, power management, etc.) and may support communication between various hardware, firmware, and software components.

[0087] The communication module (222) can support communication with another device through the communication interface (210). The communication module (222) may include various software components for processing data received by the wired communication port (211) or wireless circuit (212) of the communication interface (210).

[0088] The user interface module (223) can receive user requests or inputs from a keyboard, touch screen, keyboard, mouse, microphone, etc. through the I / O interface (230) and provide a user interface on the display.

[0089] The application (224) may include a program or module configured to be executed by one or more processors (240). Here, the application for machine learning model computation may be implemented on a server farm.

[0090] The I / O interface (230) can connect at least one of an input / output device (not shown) of the radiation therapy management device (200), such as a display, keyboard, touch screen, and microphone, to the user interface module (223). The I / O interface (230) can receive user input (e.g., voice input, keyboard input, touch input, etc.) together with the user interface module (223) and process commands based on the received input.

[0091] The processor (240) is connected to a communication interface (210), a memory (220), and an I / O interface (230) to control the overall operation of the radiation therapy management device (200) and can execute various commands to automatically generate a treatment cycle schedule for multiple patients through an application or program stored in the memory (220).

[0092] The processor (240) may correspond to a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an AP (Application Processor). Additionally, the processor (240) may be implemented in the form of an Integrated Chip (IC), such as a System on Chip (SoC) that integrates various computing devices. Alternatively, the processor (240) may include a module for computing artificial neural network models, such as a Neural Processing Unit (NPU).

[0093] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 4 to FIGS. 10c, a method for a processor (240) of a radiation therapy management device (200) to manage radioactive drug treatment data will be explained.

[0094] FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart of a method for managing radioactive drug treatment data according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5, FIG. 6a, FIG. 6b, FIG. 6c, FIG. 6d, FIG. 7, FIG. 8a, FIG. 8b, FIG. 8c, FIG. 9, FIG. 10b, and FIG. 10c are example diagrams of a user interface screen using a radioactive drug treatment data management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0095] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the processor (240) can provide a user device (100) with a predefined user interface for the examination and treatment schedule required for radioactive ligand therapy (S110). Specifically, the processor (240) can provide the user device (100) with a user interface screen (10) that displays RPT Insight, which can check the treatment status of all RPT target patients. Here, the user interface screen (10) may include a patient statistics display area (11), a patient count display area by drug (12), a patient count display area by treatment round (13), a dose distribution graph display area (14), and a daily treatment schedule display area (15). Additionally, the user interface screen (10) may include a menu selection area (20) that can sort RPT target patients. For example, the menu selection area (20) may include at least one graphic object among View all patients, View specific patients, View schedule, and Add patient.

[0096] Referring to FIGS. 6a through 6d, the processor (240) can provide daily patient trends in the form of a graph in the patient statistics area (11) as in FIG. 6a. Additionally, the processor (240) can provide patient distribution for each radiopharmaceutical, such as Lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-based Pluvicto, Lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-based Lutathera, Iodine-131 (I-131), Yttrium-90, and Actinium-225, in the patient count display area (12) as in FIG. 6b. Additionally, the processor (240) can provide the number of patients for each treatment cycle from the 1st to the 6th in the patient count display area (13) as in FIG. 6c. Additionally, the processor (240) can provide a list of patient treatment schedules performed on the day in chronological order in the daily treatment schedule display area (14).

[0097] Referring again to FIG. 4, after step S110, the processor (240) can obtain medical data including the date the patient started treatment through a user interface (S120). Here, the patient's medical data may include at least one of patient identification information, diagnostic information, past treatment history, and test results. For example, when the "Add Patient" graphic object is selected in the menu selection area (20), the processor (240) can provide a screen for receiving the patient's medical data.

[0098] After step S120, the processor (240) can automatically generate multiple treatment cycle schedules for the patient based on the treatment start date according to a predefined examination and treatment schedule (S130). Here, the predefined examination and treatment schedule may include a schedule for performing at least one of imaging tests, blood tests, and treatment effect evaluation tests that must be performed before and after treatment for each treatment cycle. For example, schedules such as a PET / CT test before the first treatment, a WBBS test on the 6th day after the first treatment, and a CBC test on the day of the first treatment may be predefined, and the processor (240) can automatically calculate all these examination and treatment schedules based on the patient's treatment start date to generate the schedule.

[0099] In various embodiments, the radiopharmaceutical treatment for automatically generating a schedule may be a treatment using any one radiopharmaceutical selected from the group consisting of lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-based Pluvicto, lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-based Lutathera, iodine-131 (I-131), yttrium-90, and actinium-225. In such cases, a predefined examination and treatment schedule may be composed of a standard protocol according to the selected radiopharmaceutical treatment.

[0100] In various embodiments, the processor (240) may identify overlapping schedules in the schedules for multiple patients during the process of automatically generating multiple treatment cycle schedules. If overlapping schedules are identified, the processor (240) may automatically adjust the schedules based on a priority that takes into account the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical. For example, if the treatment schedules of two patients overlap at the same time, the processor (240) may prioritize the patient whose radioactivity decays more rapidly by taking into account the manufacturing time and half-life of the radiopharmaceutical to be administered to each patient, and adjust the schedules accordingly.

[0101] In various embodiments, the processor (240) may determine the ordering schedule for radiopharmaceuticals used in radiopharmaceutical therapy based on the treatment start date and the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical. The processor (240) may calculate the ordering time by calculating backward from the treatment start date the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical to ensure an effective amount of radioactivity at the time of treatment, and may provide a notification according to the ordering schedule to the user interface. For example, if the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical is 6.7 days, the processor (240) may automatically determine the ordering schedule so that the order is placed 4 days prior to the time of treatment, which is a preset range, and may provide a notification at that time.

[0102] After step S130, the processor (240) can display the generated schedule on the user interface (S140). Specifically, the processor (240) can optionally display a schedule for all patients or a detailed schedule for a specific patient.

[0103] In this regard, referring to FIGS. 7 to 8c, the processor (240) may provide a user interface screen (30) displaying individual patient information as in FIG. 7 to a user device (100). Here, the user interface screen (30) may include a radiation therapy data timeline display area (31), a medical image data display area (32), and an examination result data display area (33). The processor (240) may provide a timeline including a first graphic object representing the time point of each treatment cycle (06 / 03, 07 / 15, 08 / 26, 10 / 07, 11 / 18) and a second graphic object representing each examination schedule (e.g., PET / CT, WBBS, SPECT / CT, Biomarker, etc.) in the timeline display area (31) as in FIG. 8a. For example, a PET / CT scan (05 / 24) performed before the first treatment (06 / 03), WBBS and CBC tests on the day of the first treatment, and WBBS and SPECT / CT tests on the 6th day after the first treatment can be arranged and displayed in chronological order. Additionally, the processor (240) can classify and provide PET / CT images, WBBS images, and Biomarker data in the medical image data display area (32) as shown in FIG. 8b. Medical staff can select each category to view the result images of the corresponding tests, and each image may display the date of capture and descriptive information.

[0104] In various embodiments, the processor (240) may acquire result data of a test performed according to a schedule. The processor (240) may automatically receive the patient's test result data from an EMR system or acquire test result data entered by a medical staff through a user interface. Here, the test result data may include at least one of imaging test data, blood test (CBC) values, and PSA values.

[0105] In various embodiments, the processor (240) may determine whether treatment for the next treatment cycle is possible based on acquired test result data. For example, if the platelet count in the CBC test results is below a preset threshold value, the processor (240) may determine that the next treatment cycle cannot be performed and may decide to recommend postponing treatment. If other biomarker values ​​deviate from the treatment criteria, the processor (240) may decide to adjust the treatment schedule. The processor (240) may display these decision results in a user interface to support the clinical decision-making of medical staff. Accordingly, the processor (240) may provide PSA and CBC values ​​measured for each treatment cycle in a graph format in chronological order in the test result data display area (33), as shown in FIG. 8c. Through this, medical staff can visually identify the patient's treatment response and the presence of side effects. For example, the PSA graph may show a trend of gradually decreasing from 48.1 before treatment to after treatment.

[0106] In addition, referring to FIGS. 9 to 10c, the processor (240) may provide a user interface screen (40) that displays a schedule for multiple RPT target patients, as shown in FIG. 9. Here, the user interface screen (40) may include an RPT target patient list display area (41), a patient medical data display area (42), and a patient medical image data display area (43). As shown in FIG. 10a, the processor (240) may provide a treatment schedule for multiple patients under the care of medical staff by time slot in the RPT target patient list display area (41). The processor (240) may list and provide information on the patient ID, patient name, treatment session, and medication used (Pluvicto, Lutathera, Actinium, etc.) scheduled for each time slot (09:30, 10:00, 10:30, etc.). Through this, medical staff can grasp the entire day's treatment schedule at a glance. Additionally, the processor (240) can provide detailed information about a patient when a specific patient is selected in the patient medical data display area (42) as in FIG. 10b. The processor (240) can provide the patient's basic information (ID, name, date of birth, height, weight), treatment cycle, progress information, and treatment details. Additionally, the processor (240) can provide imaging examination results for the patient selected in the patient medical imaging data display area (43) as in FIG. 10c. The processor (240) can provide imaging data such as PET / CT and WBBS, and medical staff can select the necessary images and view them by zooming in through a detailed viewer. Furthermore, the shooting date and a brief description may be displayed along with each image.

[0107] In various embodiments, the processor (240) may visually display schedule conflicts or overlaps on a user interface screen (40) representing the Scheduler. For example, if treatment for multiple patients is scheduled for the same time slot, the processor (240) may highlight the time slot in a different color or add a warning indicator, and may suggest an automatically adjusted schedule taking into account the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical.

[0108] Up to this point, a radiation therapy management device (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described. According to the present invention, the radiation therapy management device (200) provides a user interface with predefined examination and treatment schedules required for radiopharmaceutical therapy, and can automatically generate multiple treatment cycle schedules by acquiring medical data including the patient's treatment start date. In addition, the radiation therapy management device (200) can automatically determine a drug ordering schedule by considering the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical, and can adjust the schedule according to a half-life-based priority in the event of schedule overlap for multiple patients. Through this, the radiation therapy management device (200) can automate and optimize the entire RPT treatment process to improve the efficiency and safety of the treatment.

[0109] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not necessarily limited to these embodiments and may be modified in various ways within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are intended to explain, not limit, the technical spirit of the present invention, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical spirits within an equivalent scope shall be interpreted as being included within the scope of rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method performed by a processor of a radiation therapy management device, A step of providing a predefined user interface for the examination and treatment schedule required for radiopharmaceutical therapy; A step of obtaining medical data including the patient's treatment start date through the above user interface; A step of automatically generating a plurality of treatment cycle schedules for the patient based on the treatment start date according to a predefined examination and treatment schedule; and A method for managing radioactive drug treatment data, comprising the step of displaying the generated schedule on the user interface.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above user interface is, A method for managing radiopharmaceutical treatment data, configured such that a schedule for performing at least one of imaging tests, blood tests, and treatment effect evaluation tests to be performed before and after treatment for each treatment cycle is predefined.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned radiopharmaceutical treatment is, A method for managing radiopharmaceutical treatment data, wherein the treatment is performed using any one radiopharmaceutical selected from the group consisting of lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-based Pluvicto, lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-based Lutathera, iodine-131 (I-131), yttrium-90, and actinium-225.

4. In Paragraph 1, A step of determining an ordering schedule for the radiopharmaceutical used in the radiopharmaceutical treatment based on the treatment start date and the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical, and A method for managing radioactive drug treatment data, further comprising the step of providing a notification according to the order schedule to the user interface.

5. In Paragraph 4, The step of determining the above order schedule is, A method for managing radiopharmaceutical treatment data, comprising the step of determining the order schedule so that the effective amount of radioactivity at the time of treatment is within a preset range based on the treatment start date and the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical.

6. In Paragraph 1, The step of automatically generating the above schedule is, A step of checking for duplicate schedules in the schedules for multiple patients, and A method for managing radiopharmaceutical treatment data, further comprising the step of adjusting the schedule based on priority according to the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical when the above-mentioned overlapping schedule is confirmed.

7. In Paragraph 1, A step of obtaining result data of an inspection performed according to the above schedule, and A method for managing radiopharmaceutical treatment data, further comprising the step of determining whether treatment in the next treatment cycle is possible based on the above-mentioned test result data.

8. In Paragraph 7, A method for managing radioactive drug treatment data, further comprising the step of displaying the patient's treatment history and test result data in a timeline form on the user interface, including a first graphic object representing a point in time of each treatment cycle and a second graphic object representing each test schedule.

9. In Paragraph 1, The above user interface is, A method for managing radioactive drug treatment data, comprising a region displaying at least one of patient identification data, a timeline for the schedule, image data, and a biomarker.

10. Communication interface; Memory; and A processor operably connected to the communication interface and the memory; comprising The above processor is, A radiation therapy management device configured to provide a predefined user interface for examination and treatment schedules required for radiopharmaceutical therapy, acquire medical data including a patient's treatment start date through the user interface, automatically generate multiple treatment cycle schedules for the patient based on the treatment start date according to the predefined examination and treatment schedules, and display the generated schedules on the user interface.

11. In Paragraph 10, The above user interface is, A radiation therapy management device configured such that a schedule for performing at least one of imaging tests, blood tests, and treatment effect evaluation tests, which must be performed before and after treatment for each treatment cycle, is predefined.

12. In Paragraph 10, The above-mentioned radiopharmaceutical treatment is, A radiation therapy administration device for treatment using any one radiopharmaceutical selected from the group consisting of lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-based Pluvicto, lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-based Lutathera, iodine-131 (I-131), yttrium-90, and actinium-225.

13. In Paragraph 10, The above processor is, A radiation therapy management device further configured to determine an ordering schedule for a radiopharmaceutical used in radiopharmaceutical therapy based on the treatment start date and the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical, and to provide a notification according to the ordering schedule to the user interface.

14. In Paragraph 13, The above processor is, A radiation therapy management device configured to determine the order schedule so that the effective radiation dose at the time of treatment is within a preset range based on the treatment start date and the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical.

15. In Paragraph 10, The above processor is, A radiation therapy management device further configured to automatically generate the above schedule, check for duplicate schedules in schedules for multiple patients, and, if duplicate schedules are identified, adjust the schedule based on priority according to the half-life of the radiopharmaceutical.

16. In Paragraph 10, The above processor is, A radiation therapy management device further configured to acquire result data of an examination performed according to the above schedule and to determine whether treatment in the next treatment cycle is possible based on the examination result data.

17. In Paragraph 16, The above processor is, A radiation therapy management device configured to display the patient's treatment history and test result data in a timeline form on the user interface, including a first graphic object representing a point in time of each treatment cycle and a second graphic object representing each test schedule.

18. In Paragraph 10, The above user interface is, A radiation therapy management device comprising a region displaying at least one of patient identification data, a timeline for the schedule, image data, and a biomarker.

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