Ablation Therapy GUI for Intuitive Dose Distribution Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current ablation therapy planning systems require time-consuming and unsatisfactory iterative modifications to achieve a desired dose distribution, as users can only indirectly influence the treatment plan by adjusting weights of objective functions, leading to trial and error approaches.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that allow users to directly visualize and modify dose distributions by specifying dose values and positions, enabling the generation of new treatment plans based on user inputs, thereby allowing for intuitive adaptation of the treatment plan.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users adjust weights of objective functions to modify dose distribution, then the treatment plan can be adapted to user preferences, but the process becomes time-consuming and requires trial and error approaches

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability of dose distributionVSAvoidtime consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores multiple possible dose distributions corresponding to different weight combinations of objective functions. When a user selects a desired dose value at a target position, the system quickly retrieves and applies the most suitable pre-calculated distribution, avoiding the need for time-consuming iterative recalculations during the planning process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary lookup mechanism that maps user-selected dose values and positions to corresponding treatment plan parameters. This intermediary layer translates simple user preferences into complex optimization results without requiring users to directly manipulate objective function weights or understand the underlying optimization process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If users directly specify dose values and positions to modify treatment plan, then the ease of operation is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of modifying dose distributionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a simplified virtual representation of the dose distribution that users can interact with directly. Users work with visual dose maps and simple parameters (dose values at positions) rather than the complex underlying optimization model. The system handles the complexity of translating these simple user inputs into appropriate modifications of the treatment plan behind the scenes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Manufacturing precision

If iterative optimization cycles are performed to achieve desired dose distribution, then the manufacturing precision of dose delivery is improved, but the productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of dose distributionVSAvoidtreatment plan generation speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple dose distributions corresponding to different optimization scenarios are pre-calculated and stored in a database during system initialization or setup phase. When generating a treatment plan, the system queries this pre-computed database to find the most appropriate dose distribution that matches user requirements, eliminating the need for time-consuming iterative optimization during clinical workflow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of starting with objective function weights and iteratively optimizing to achieve a desired dose distribution, the system inverts the approach by allowing users to directly specify desired dose values at target positions, and then automatically determining the corresponding treatment plan parameters from pre-computed solutions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3532163B1Graphical user interface for iterative treatment planning
Publication Date: 2020.04.15 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV
  • EP3532163B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3532163B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3532163B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4B

AI summary

The invention relates to the generating of a treatment plan for an ablation therapy treatment of a target structure. In accordance with the invention, (i) a dose distribution in the treatment region is visualized to a user, the dose distribution corresponding to a first treatment plan generated on the basis of first objectives and/or constraints, (ii) a first user input specifying a dose value within the dose distribution and a second user input specifying at least one position (42) in the treatment region as a target position for the dose value are received, (iii) second objectives and/or constraints on the basis of the fist objectives and/or constraints and the first and second user inputs are determined and (iv) a second treatment plan on the basis of the second objectives.